Erin being Two Faced?

[MaraWentz]

Okay, so as some know, I brought home Erin, a 1 and 1/2 year old red front macaw last Saturday. We visited her fr the second time ever a week before we brought her home and she was nippy and flew away a lot. Well, she ended up riding on our shoulders and sitting in our laps and being petted and cuddled the whole way home and has been so since arriving. We have trouble getting her out of her cage or off the top, but its resolved in 5 minutes. She steps up like a charm and is quite friendly and quiet. She seems to be the perfect bird.

Well, now I am confused with her behavior. I come home after work and play with her outside and my husband plays with her too. I am too short to get her off the top of her cage, so I end up chasing her around a bit more, while my husband just reaches up and gets her to step on a side and she steps right up. She has always been easier stepping up with him, but probably because he has easier access and is taller than me (dominance). She never really bites and never hard. My husband and I pass her back and forth and take turns kissing her good night, etc. Our room mate even can pick her up and pet her. She is a true sweet heart. However, my husband is home all day and she has free roam to come out of her cage or stay in. When ever he handles her she bites him...hard. This started about 3 days ago out of the blue. He has not much patience with her and is getting aggrivated with her. I am trying to find a cause for her biting, but have none. Today she bit him on the way back to her cage. He wasn't holding her feet, she simply climbed up his arm half way as usual and after entering our room just bit him terribly hard.She wasn't flapping, we don't lock her in her cage, sometimes we don't even put her on her cage. She nevers acts like this with him when I am around. Kinda seems two faced lol. Any suggestions or reasonings for this?

 

[roxynoodle]

She may be in the process of choosing you.

She also maybe didn't want to go back in her cage. You might not want to let her out all day. Instead give her time to come out in the morning, put her back for awhile Then give her a certain amount of time in the afternoon, and put her back in again. Then give her a third time in the evening. That way she learns to play with toys and accept her cage. Also then if the 2 of you need to be gone for the day for some event it isn't going to be so traumatic for her.

 

[Safira]

I am one of the believers that Macaws should not have the freedom to go in and out of their cage at will. Mine is either IN her cage or on her playstand, I don't let her climb around her cage whenever I'm at home.

Some people let their Macaw roam at will but I believe they need more bounderies. If letting her be independant enough to go in and out of her cage when he is at home causes her to 'bluff' or try to take the upper hand, I'd suggest maybe he put her on a playstand instead and see if that works.

They need a firm hand to know what they can and cannot get away with, and routine. It's only been a few days so I wouldn't worry too much, but get her into a routine if you can and stick to it.