Help. My macaw is scared of me.

[Shayne]

My macaw was sitting on my shoulder the other day and then started biting my ear hard. I couldn't get him off my shoulder so had to grab hold of him and put him back in his cage.

Now two days later he is still scared of me. He lets my housemate stroke him still but won't let me go near him. He climbs to the back of his cage when he sees me coming.

I'm absolutely distraught. I love him very much as he was bonding to me very well but now all seems lost. I've spent most of the last few days crying about it.

Will he ever trust me again. Oddly he still seems obsessed with licking my face sometimes.

 

[LoveMyParrots]

Show him his fav treat, and put it in his food dish. Once he ate it, give him some more, do it slowly until he will eat from your hand again, and just keep on trying every day. Tell him that you will not hurt him, etc. Somtimes I swear our parrots can understand what we're talking about!

I would also recommend you start target/clicker training, it will probably help.

And even once he is used to you, be careful about letting him near your face. Ozzie my alexandrine has been with me for more than half an year, and I still don't trust him near my face as he likes to nibble on stuff. I wouldn't ever shoulder a parrot unless you are 110% sure that it will not bite. The larger macaws can do some real damage. Even the most tamest parrot can suddenly bite because it got scared or something like that. I have heard some horror stories about shouldering parrot, and people have lost half of their ear.

Good luck!

 

[Shayne]

Well he's more obidient than before the incident and doesn't bite now and steps up most the time. But I think he just does it as he's scared I'll grab him if he doesn't. I managed to scratch his neck for a few seconds by using the hand trick where my mate strokes him and I put my hand on the back of his then he moves his hand away.
But when my mates not in the room he acts petrified of me. Trying his hardest to move as far away from me as possible.

 

[WeimerHeimer]

Not sure I have any answers, but I do have a few questions:

How long have you had this bird?

How old is the bird?

As recommended above, I'm NOT a fan of "shouldering" pet birds, ..... any birds. Bottom line, you have no control of the bird EVEN if the bird is a "good" bird. Too many things can happen. If a dog or a strange person would come toward you, you have no contorl of getting the bird, calmiong the bird down, safe guarding the bird, etc.... If the bird is on your forearm the Owner has 100% control. Given any of the scenario's forementioned, the bird handler can control all of the situations (control the bird and keep the bird safe).
Even if the birds simply slips off the shoulder or loses footing the birds birds first natural reaction is the grab onto anything it can to keep from falling. That "grab" might be your ear, hook you in the eye/nose/mouth, your neck/shoulder, etc .... Although NOT intentionally trying to hurt you, the birds is going to latch on and its guaranteed to HURT and/or cause some serious damage/pain.

 

[Shayne]

I have had him 1 month and he is about 3 - 4 years old.

I do try and keep him on my forehand but the only way I can keep him from climbing up is if I don't wear a top. As he uses my tshirt to pull himself up.

 

[WeimerHeimer]

Ok, well .... you've had him one month and he's 3-4 years old. One month is really nothing in terms of "adjustment" period is concerned. The whole adoption thing on birds, bigger birds especially, is often times hard to put all the pieces together. Obviously the previous owner allowed that, no you've just figuring out when the previous owner allowed and didn't allow. So, you can work this one out!
Just be consistant and NOT allow the bird to walk its way up your arm. As soon as he starts side stepping up the arm, distract him, ... use your other hand and tell him to "step up" on the other hand. Just keep distacting him and whatever it takes to keep him out on your forearm do so, BUT do not get upset, scold him, fustrated, yell at him, etc... Start out doing this on short training sessions, keep it simple, keep it short. The bird will soon learn that if he stays on your forearm he's allowed out and spend more time with you if he stays on your forearm ON YOUR TERMS.

At this point, I might limit the first week of handling with just you and not involve your partner/roommate/?????.... it just adds an extra "variable" into the formula Maybe gradually on week 2 or 3, depending how progression is, incorporate the other person and AGAIN, .... BE CONSISTANT of them doing the same thing you've been doing with NO EXCEPTIONS.

All birds are different regardiung personality, learning curve, temperment, etc.... One bird may learn in a short week or so, yet others may take 2-3 months.

Hang in there .... I feel confident this issue is solveable!!!!

If PLAX doesn't post on this thread about your problem I recommend PM'ing PLAX and fill him in on this. PLAX has been a HUGE help to me and others on here with Big Mac's health and behaviour issues. He has MANY years experience and is a HUGE asset to this Board!

Good Luck and keep posting on your progress or lack of progress.

 

[Shayne]

OK thanks for the advice. I hope it's solvable. I miss cuddling him. He was just starting to get really cuddly when this happened.

 

[WeimerHeimer]

I'm not sure what triggers this in some birds, I've seen it before.

Guessing, maybe it was a sound/noise, motion, situation, etc.... that may have triggered some negative response in their brain that happened to them at one time or another before you took over. Not sure, ..... but I've seen it first hand. When taking posession of a bird that someone else has had its all about gaining their trust in the whole acclimation process .... in the end, its about "Time", ...... in their time.

Be consistant, stay calm, offer rewards, keep the training sessions short, and do it all over again in a few hours or next day. Steady as she goes!!!!

It'll work!

 

[Shayne]

Yay I've got my cuddly parrot back. I'm so happy. That didn't take long.

 

[Shayne]

Well he's completely back to normal now and a bit more. He's even more cuddly now and goes 'mwauaw' and pins his pupils when I'm stroking him. I still can't keep him of my shoulder though. If I try to distract him he gets annoyed, then flaps his wings 3 times and he's on my shoulder again. He literally just flys up my arm. At least he seems to have learnt the maximum pressure he can bite my ear without it hurting me now.

Maybe if I wear a skin tight tank top he won't be able to pull himself up.