Heartbroken: umbrella cockatoo bites then loves me

[Dtambog]

I recently 6 months ago moved my cockatoo to a different room. He seemed to be ok with this in the last few weeks if I don’t take him out of his cage he bites me hard which he never did before and then he loves me like I am his mate. Now I don’t trust him. Please help. I’m at my wits end. I love my bird and love to cuddle with him but now I’m worried. He has bitten me on my lip for no reason and now recently he went after my hand. I used to be able to put my hand in his cage. Now I can’t get anywhere near his cage. One night he dive bombed me through the cage. I was so upset I cried the whole night. Please help me. I have had her m fir 23 years. Heartbroken

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums, sorry your longtime Umbrella has become temperamental.

Just to confirm you have had her for 23 years? If so we can rule out the onset of puberty and a few other issues. Perhaps raging hormones coupled with differences in the environment? A cage move 6 months ago shouldn't have such a delayed reaction. Can you think of anything else that has changed?

Might consider taking him to a certified avian vet for a check-up including basic lab work. It is possible for illness to cause changes in behaviors - keep in mind birds do not show sickness until very late in the process.

Umbrellas have powerful beaks, so for now you must protect yourself and others in your home. Definitely no shoulder privileges, or contact near your face.

 

[bigfellasdad]

Do the attacks happen when you are alone with the bird or when others are around? welcome btw.

 

[TiredOldMan]

Do the attacks happen when you are alone with the bird or when others are around? welcome btw.

Excellent question!

 

[Dtambog]

The attack’s happen when I’m alone. It’s almost like he is mad at me so he bites me draws blood. Then will hug me pant on me brush up against me. Then a switch happens and will go crazy bite my kindle and then go to bite me. At that point I’m like time fir bed. I put him in his cage and then sit in the room with him so he gets interaction with me. I will take him to the vet and have him get a check up. Yes he is 23 years old. It’s lije when he is mad at me he lets me know. I feel really badly and very sad.

 

[bill_e]

Are you usually holding the Kindle when this happens? My Hawkhead will bite when we have a cellphone in our hands.

 

[TiredOldMan]

My rescue U2 Anakin will get to playing or just go ape excrement and either hit me with the point of his beak or bite the heck out of me for no apparent reason. I am currently recovering from a severe bite that involved several toes.
Foot has been swollen toes to above ankle for three days so far. Diabetes doesn't help.
I absolutely believe he didn't intend to hurt me He was playing with his favorite foot toy while standing on my ankles. He either threw it or dropped it and in my opinion got my toes instead of it while trying to catch the toy.

I believe this is not aggression towards me but an over excited adolescent.

I am learning when he is getting overexcited whether mad or happy to calm him down. He usually responds to a command of GENTLE. Ouch also works much of the time. He usually looks at me as if to say how sorry he is.

 

[Dtambog]

I am not holding the kindle. It is by my side. He will grab it and try to throw it. He loves me sometimes but I am so not use to him doing this. I could do anything to him and he was extremely gentle with me.

 

[BoomBoom]

I'm sorry this is happening I don't have experience with cockatoos, but have you tried moving his cage back to the original location? Perhaps it will help him revert back to his previous disposition before the behavior becomes ingrained?

 

[ChristaNL]

I was thinking the same

Does the cage in the new position get more/ longer light?
Or is it in an extra coozy corner of the room...
Did you change anything else (diet, less/ more exercise, different handling)?

its seems to me that he is all of a sudden going into hormonal-phase.

(and yes, sexually frustrated toos are a nightmare! It seems to me he is using you as a energy-release opportunity -biting and attacking- and also trying you out as a masturbation/mating toy.
Hormones in parrots- esp the larger ones are difficult, but too's always get the olympic medal in that department afaik.)

No idea what the recommended way to handle a 'hot and bothered' 'too is.
I usually read "he is in the aviary during his difficult months" from people who love their parrot, but like having all their bodyparts intact even beter.

Constructive blowing off steam ... ?


=


Question: is your bird a he or a she ? You used both, and in this case it *really* is important to know.

 

[itzjbean]

So sorry you have to go through something like this especially after so many years together. How frustrating!

As you have already realized, cockatoos are highly intelligent, but sensitive creatures who basically are like having a toddler around for 60 years. They get neurotic and upset when things change or if they aren't the center of attention, they get hormonal and that's why it can be so difficult to breed them, as it is not uncommon for cockatoos to have a bond so intense that they become aggressive towards each other and will sometimes kill their mates!

With that being said, let me ask you this. How do you 'cuddle' with your too? Any petting along the back, under the wings and basically anywhere but the head can and will sexually stimulate them. If you have been petting them like this, it could explain the sudden lashing out and loving mate behavior. Without the ability to 'mate' with us, they can get very frustrated and in turn can be shown as aggression.

Cockatoos are one of the most complex parrots to own in my opinion since they can be so sensitive, very demanding of attention and if their needs are not met, will lash out in aggression. You have been given some great advice so far, my only advice to add is to not give up! It could be a possible hormonal spell maybe it just hit him hard this year, and its our job to learn to manage it.

What room was he in before, and is he still getting the attention he used to get when he was in the other room?

I hope you can figure this out!

 

[Siobhan]

It sounds like hormones to me. Rocky had a terrible bout of hormones this year that went on for WEEKS, when he would even climb down and charge me across the room. We do a thing we call "reset" that often works. Once we took his cage to the car wash (he stayed home!) and totally rearranged it. It's possible that yours was okay with moving the cage at first and now has decided he doesn't like it. Try putting it back where it was AND rearranging everything.

 

[Dtambog]

Cuddles is a he. I am going to put him back in his old cage but a different room as he may be too isolated in the back computer room. I am in there everyday but maybe not enough fir him. The Florida room will be in the middle of everything and he will be in his old cage. Maybe that will be better because then he will be able to see peaches again. My Moluccan cockatoo. She is female. What do you all think. Also I will only cuddle with him by ruining his head and neck. Is that right? Thanks for all your help

 

[Kentuckienne]

Just a thought based on your post...if your bird seems angry or bites you when he doesn’t get as much attention from you, that seems perfectly normal to me. Think about it for your bird’s point of view. He’s shut up in a cage, trapped, not flying free in the trees, and now he gets even less attention. He wants to tell you he’s unhappy and mad, so he bites because he has no other way to say “I’m unhappy and mad”. Maybe try some buffer...open the door to his cage but don’t reach t take him out yet. Let him come out on his own and vent, yell or chatter, until he calms down. Give him a chance to settle down and get ready to engage with you.

 

[noodles123]

Don't give up! Cockatoos can be VERY fickle. I have an umbrella as well.


This is a male bird, correct?



Are you saying that this bad behavior started after you moved his cage?


Did you pay the same amount of attention to him before moving his cage?


Has he had any changes in lighting (more or less natural or UV light)?


Has diet changed (more or less soft foods, or different foods)?


When you "cuddle",are you sticking to the top of his head only, because I have read that anywhere else is semi-sexual and that cockatoos can get tired of feeling overly stimulated/simultaneously rejected and get aggressive due to what is essentially, sexual frustration.


Do you spend time staring at the Kindle instead of the bird in front of him? If you do, he cold be perceiving it as a threat to your relationship (jealous of its attention- like it is another potential mate) and this could be a territorial/mate warning behavior to you (counter-intuitive as that seems).


How is your routine? Do you have a set routine for attention and feeding or does it change daily?



Last question: Has moving his cage resulted in lower levels of interaction etc due to the new location, or are you paying him less attention for any reason?

 

[Dtambog]

Thank you fir your inquiries. Today I let him out didn’t stick my hand in the cage. Let him come out when he was ready and let him come to me. He cane right up on my finger. No problems. Then I took him into the Flirida room to play with him. I only petted him on his head. No ribbing up against me no on the shoulder no near my face. He was much calmer. Tru d putting him in his old cage he was happy for a short time. Fir about 1/2 hour then screeching. So When he calmed down and no screeches by took him out of that cage with no problem and put him in his cage that he has been in for 7 months. He immediately calmed down and now it looks like I have my cuddles back. To answer your question about routine I try to have a routine but I travel for work so sometimes he doesn’t get s chance to come out of his cage. It is normally the only one night. He comes out fir about 1 to 2 hours a day when I can take him out which is virtually every day. When he is on the computer room I try to sit with him for -/2 hour before I go to bed so he gets to see me and I can talk to him while he is in the cage because I am doing computer work and can’t keep my eyes on him or give him the attention he needs. When he is out it is all eyes on him and peaches. Then I let him have me all to himself fir about 15 minutes. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow. Thanks for all your help.