New b&g macaw who has been rehomed a lot, biting and toy aggression

[Sunnybirb]

We've had Sunny the blue and gold macaw for under a month. I'm new to owning a large parrot and spent a lot of time researching. Sunny has been very adaptable, loving, and trusting, considering everything she's been through. I don't know her age or how many homes she's been through in all (at least two). I knew I should start off with a macaw who was more used to handling, but when I met Sunny I knew she was the one. I've had a hard life too, and the thought of her being rehomed again and again made me feel a connection to her.

The main problem is me. I am learning her movements and behaviors, but am still a rookie. I've read the post on biting here, which was helpful, however I'm still confused about some things. She has only bitten me hard twice: once the first time we met, and a few weeks in when she was on the chair regurgitating and I asked her to step up. Both times were a blood running down the hand onto the carpet situation. She gave me warnings, but I didn't understand. I'm working on paying very close attention to her body language, and it's definitely beginning to become clearer what she's trying to tell me. I've also been giving her treats to get her back in her cage since she screams and grabs the bars so I can't set her on a perch (while she's chewing I put her away and leave treats in her bowl). It was all getting better until today.

A little background: She's usually out 4-5 hours at a time, twice a day (she wants to be out even more than that, but I'm trying to give her structure). I have her step up pretty often, although she probably only steps up 1 out of 5 times. Treats don't help, instead if I hold a treat over my arm, she'll bluff that she's going to bite and I'll leave her alone. Other times (and most frequently), she backs away from my arm. I've also tried insisting that she step up, but this usually results in some sharp pinches and a very unhappy bird. I'm fairly sure she trusts me. Anytime I am on the bed she will usually climb up on my knee or beg for me to let her on my arm. She also preens my clothes and I have to set her down a lot because she regurgitates every time she's near me and I've been trying to not encourage it. I have been getting help from a friend of a friend who has told me she's mate bonded to me, and I should discourage it. People say different things about it, so I'm not sure how to take it. Sunny is very wary of any kind of touching, though occasionally she will bow her head and let me give her head scratches for a few seconds.

She has a rope perch she likes that is set up next to the bed. She hated the perch at first, but lately she's been going on it more and more. Today she actually become aggressive over it when I asked her to step up. I'm still trying to decide if it's the perch or she just didn't want to go back in her cage (both?). After a few tries it became obvious she wasn't willing, and unfortunately I had run out of time and she needed to be put away. This time I stuck a sweatshirt on before approaching her. She got me 6-7 times, not super hard, but enough that several hours later I still have some red marks from her beak. Even then she refused to step up. I used a wooden dowel the next approach, which made her go bonkers. She did what I call her "monkey scream", which makes me very sad and feel terrible. She was scared, and had nowhere to go on the perch, so I tried to hold it still (I think she was afraid of the dowel). She finally calmed down and chewed on the dowel, then slowly climbed onto it, all the way down until she was on my arm instead.

The whole thing was pretty traumatic, and I still feel awful about it. She was shaking, and unlike other times when she's bluffed a bite or pinched me, she didn't pin her eyes or act playful (sometimes she pulls her head back too, always playful). Once she was on my arm, she relaxed and I gave her some hardboiled egg for stepping up. She went in her cage with no fuss (surprisingly). I talked to her and gave her a few treats before I left and we seem to be on good terms again. I know this was my fault, and maybe if I would have acted playful she would have been more inclined? When she bites, even hard, I don't flinch or respond (most of the time I don't even pull away if I'm trying to get her to step up) and I think maybe that's where I'm going wrong? Maybe she thinks I'm being mean and not friendly?

What can I do to get her to understand that I have to put her away? I really want to avoid upsetting her. She is afraid of a lot of household objects, particularly blankets and jackets or towels, which is probably why she got even more upset when I brought the dowel, and why she went straight to my arm after.

I was thinking about removing the toy completely and maybe just putting it in her cage. She is not cage aggressive at all with me, and will let me move things in/out while she's inside. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I feel like I'm going about things the wrong way, and I really just want to give her the best, stress free life I can.

 

[wrench13]

Hi and welcome. Please go to the macaw sub-forum, and read all the stickies at the top, and any post by Birdman666, who is our resident macaw expert ( click on his avatar, and you can search for all posts by him). I would recommend reading all of that large body of information several times. Thank you for giving this girl a chance at a forever home with someone who loves him. Wish I could offer better advice, but I am a Amazon guy, and these two species react differently. Also, I recommend going to the Amazon sub-forum and reading the I-Love Amazons sticky, by Sailboats, because it has tons of great info on parrots in general ( health, feeding, physical issues - you name it), much of which is applicable to ALL parrots, big and small. A lot of reading to be sure, and best done aloud, to your Macaw, in a gentle voice ( most parrots like being read to). Good luck!

 

[Kentuckienne]

Welcome! I also live with a rehomed Blue and gold macaw, who is the same but different. Bites and lunges at me, regurgitates for my husband. But he doesn’t play with toys. He likes to rip paper into tiny bits and sit on top of his cage, and he’s very quiet. So they all have different personalities, even when they are of the same species. Wrench13 gave you the best advice - spend a few hours reading Birdman666’s posts. Big beak o’phobes guide to macaw beaks is a good start. He has worked with abused macaws so much that he can act firmly and without hesitation, which seems to be key with macaws. He had a great suggestion...wrap a towel around your arm and secure it with an ace bandage, then put in a long sleeve shirt so the bird doesn’t see it. Then you can pick him up without fear. I won’t paraphrase any more of his advice because I’m sure to leave out something important, but read about his friends Mr. Towel and Mr. Cushion as well. He uses some techniques that might not be advised for young macaws, but we aren’t talking about fresh babies here. We’re dealing with mature macaws, who have developed behavior problems through poor or misinformed treatment, and they must be dragged back from the abyss befor they can learn to start over.

Are you sure she’s a she? I think makes are more likely to regurgitate. DNA sexing is inexpensive, and it’s important to know if you have a female in case she were to become egg bound one day. That can be fatal. Macaws go through a hormonal phase when they can be hard to handle, and maybe that’s what got her kicked out of previous homes, but it gets better with time.

I hear that macaws are exuberant and you have to set firm boundaries with them, and they constantly push the limits. Sounds like that’s what your girl is doing, so all is normal. You can do this! Stick with her and keep us updated. We’re cheering for you.

 

[Inger]

Welcome! I have no advice for you (Wrench already gave you the important stuff), but I want to thank you not only for taking Sunny in, but for reaching out for help here rather than deciding you’d made a bad choice and taking her back “before she gets too attached”
or something.


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[GaleriaGila]

I will follow your story eagerly. You're an example of what's RIGHT about the world... giving yet another chance to a creature in need. Hang in there. We'll be with you.

 

[LeaKP]

I’m also so grateful for what you’re doing for Sunny.

Life with parrots is a marathon, a long haul but worth it! All of the above advice I echo, I believe with time and patience Sunny will flourish!

 

[Sunnybirb]

Hi and welcome. Please go to the macaw sub-forum, and read all the stickies at the top, and any post by Birdman666, who is our resident macaw expert ( click on his avatar, and you can search for all posts by him). I would recommend reading all of that large body of information several times. Thank you for giving this girl a chance at a forever home with someone who loves him. Wish I could offer better advice, but I am a Amazon guy, and these two species react differently. Also, I recommend going to the Amazon sub-forum and reading the I-Love Amazons sticky, by Sailboats, because it has tons of great info on parrots in general ( health, feeding, physical issues - you name it), much of which is applicable to ALL parrots, big and small. A lot of reading to be sure, and best done aloud, to your Macaw, in a gentle voice ( most parrots like being read to). Good luck!

Thanks for directing me to those threads! I'll read all of them and see what I can figure out.

 

[Sunnybirb]

Welcome! I also live with a rehomed Blue and gold macaw, who is the same but different. Bites and lunges at me, regurgitates for my husband. But he doesn’t play with toys. He likes to rip paper into tiny bits and sit on top of his cage, and he’s very quiet. So they all have different personalities, even when they are of the same species. Wrench13 gave you the best advice - spend a few hours reading Birdman666’s posts. Big beak o’phobes guide to macaw beaks is a good start. He has worked with abused macaws so much that he can act firmly and without hesitation, which seems to be key with macaws. He had a great suggestion...wrap a towel around your arm and secure it with an ace bandage, then put in a long sleeve shirt so the bird doesn’t see it. Then you can pick him up without fear. I won’t paraphrase any more of his advice because I’m sure to leave out something important, but read about his friends Mr. Towel and Mr. Cushion as well. He uses some techniques that might not be advised for young macaws, but we aren’t talking about fresh babies here. We’re dealing with mature macaws, who have developed behavior problems through poor or misinformed treatment, and they must be dragged back from the abyss befor they can learn to start over.

Are you sure she’s a she? I think makes are more likely to regurgitate. DNA sexing is inexpensive, and it’s important to know if you have a female in case she were to become egg bound one day. That can be fatal. Macaws go through a hormonal phase when they can be hard to handle, and maybe that’s what got her kicked out of previous homes, but it gets better with time.

I hear that macaws are exuberant and you have to set firm boundaries with them, and they constantly push the limits. Sounds like that’s what your girl is doing, so all is normal. You can do this! Stick with her and keep us updated. We’re cheering for you.

It would definitely be good if I could not worry about being bitten! My boyfriend would love to have her step up for him at some point (she hates men), and already she is no longer lunging at him or poofing up when she sees him because he's been working with her everyday (at a safe distance...lol). I'll look up that towel/ace bandage tip for sure.

I am not sure if she's a she. I don't know if she was ever DNA tested, and I have heard that too about males being the ones who are more likely to regurgitate. I'm definitely curious, and it would be good to know if she could ever become egg bound so I could watch for the signs.

Thanks for this information! I'm sorry I'm so new to this. Every little bit is helping though.

 

[Sunnybirb]

Welcome! I have no advice for you (Wrench already gave you the important stuff), but I want to thank you not only for taking Sunny in, but for reaching out for help here rather than deciding you’d made a bad choice and taking her back “before she gets too attached”
or something.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I knew when I got Sunny that it was going to be difficult, with her or any macaw. But I've waited probably 15 years to get to a point where I allowed myself to have one. It's sad that people are so willing to get rid of an animal because it isn't acting the way they want. It's not fair to the animal who is just being an animal. With macaws and how intelligent they are (birds in general, really), they are a lot more cognizant of us than we give them credit for. I always imagine someone close to me that I trust, taking me somewhere then abandoning me. It must be what it feels like to them, getting rehomed all the time. My boyfriend and I both love Sunny, and regardless of how she behaves, I'm in it for the long haul.