super aggressive green cheek

[diadins]

We rescued a green cheek a couple of weeks ago. The first few days he wasn't bad and allowed head rubs and stepped up. Ever since then it has gone down hill for everyone but my husband. If anyone except my husband goes near him he bites viscously, drawing blood and not letting go. My husband he will step up for and love on. I am the one who feeds him, gives him fresh water, cleans his cage and lets him out. It is very disheartening because my husband is home so little and I want him to get the attention and love he needs and deserves.
What can I do to try to get rid of this behavior. I have tried the "quake" method and it has no affect at all.
HELP!!!

 

[EAI]

Most likely, this is a case of one person bonding.
Is there anyone else in your family? It could also be that he likes males better.

 

[weco]

If your husbands has developed a rapport with your new feathered friend, he is the one that is going to have to do the intervening and teach your GCC that the aggressive behavior is not acceptable, although you sitting next to the cage, talking to it & offering treats through the bars will help too.....

Since you mention it's only been with you a couple of weeks, maybe it's just going to take it more time to accept others than its chosen human, but your husband will need to be involved in its retraining.....you're going to need to try not to show any fear around it either, because our feathered friends can sense the fear & will use it to challenge you...even if it is a bluff.....

 

[veimar]

I'm not sure if this is an appropriate advice, but a similar thing happened between my hubby and our gcc. After my hubby was gone for long days (and sometimes nights) at his work my gcc bonded only to me and would attack my hubby viciously if he happened to be somewhere near him. My hubby was not very much into "bird science" and got really mad (because Parry was actually HIS bird), scolded him and gave a couple of flicks on his beak. He did this a few times and Parry sobered up and stopped attacking him. He didn't run from him either - he was probably trying to establish dominance over my husband and failed. Once I was gone for a week they re-bonded, and now Parry loves us both again.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Birds like a GCC tend to get vicious with other people after they've become seriously bonded to one person, and speaking from experience that one person isn't exactly safe either. I've suffered a couple of displacement bites to the face before from my green cheek simply from having her on my shoulder while I interacted with my boyfriend or my other bird. It's not good or healthy for either of you.

I personally don't believe strongly in corporal punishment with birds because in nature they don't go to such lengths with each other unless they've been driven to the edge. Instead I kind of just took some of Mark's (Birdman666) advice. Every time I began to interact with my boyfriend or other bird and she was on me, I'd have my hand ready to "swipe" her off. I didn't bat her hard or physically hit her in anyway, instead I was sliding her off my shoulder so she'd fly away, making her realize that anytime I decided to interact with someone she would have to deal or leave... and she picked it up pretty quick. I haven't had an issue since actually.

And I believe Weco is totally right in saying that your husband has to mainly be the one to retrain your bird, because all your new bird is doing is trying to protect his chosen one. That "chosen one" has to let the bird know that his behaviour isn't acceptable and that he won't reward or interact with him after it happens. Birds are pretty socially driven, and VERY partner driven if they're pair bond birds (which a GCC is very much so). I think hubby needs to take a step back and stop interacting with the bird as often until you can build a positive relationship with him.