Very aggressive Amazon

[Greencheeker]

Hi, I have a yellow crowned Amazon, Bailey. He’s 7 years old. I adopted him two years ago from a family friend.
I hd a baby a few months ago and have had significant problems.
Bailey is very aggressive with her, lunging, hissing, puffing up, wanting to attack.
The first sign of aggression was when she was only a few weeks old.
It was my fault, he was perched close by and although I was shielding the baby and watching him, not sure what his reaction would be, he flew up and over my arms and bit her arm.
If I hadn’t immediately grabbed his foot and yanked him off, he certainly would have kept biting. Since then, I have had no luck trying to condition him. He wants nothing more then to tear into her.


When I first brought him home, he attacked my little brother a few times. The first instance was not his fault, he landed on the boy, who freaked out and slapped him. Of course chaos insued. Since then Bailey went out of his way to fly onto him and bite.
But however, he got over that, and really improved. No biting, no aggression other than a warning hiss now and then, and children didn’t provoke rage, my brother could even hold him.
But now its back to square one. He hates her, and has been aggressive with other children again, after a year and a half of good behavior.
Not sure what to do, as since I have clipped his wings to avoid an aerial attack, he spends more time in his cage because I am constantly with the baby and they are not compatible.
Sorry this is so long, i want to show the best detail of where I’m coming from.
He is not at all aggressive with me. I can hold him upside down, cuddle, trim nails and beak with no issue. He adores me lol

I’m close to giving him back to his original family, ( who have said they want him back) but its hard after two years of owning him.

 

[texsize]

That’s a hard call.
But to me the safety of your baby has to be the determining factor.

 

[Greencheeker]

That’s a hard call.
But to me the safety of your baby has to be the determining factor.

Thanks for your reply. It is.
Its no life in a cage, but at the risk to her he is right now, I’m faced with a hard decision.

 

[Bluberrytheparakeet]

Parrots are trainable to adapt, although they are wild animals. Newborns...ehh not so much. If you were really invested, you could attend a masterclass, or in-home consult with a bird trainer. I would also think from the parrots standpoint, hes being tossed around from family to family.

some questions to ask yourself is :

why did the previous owners give him away, and could they have fixed that problem in 2 years?

Would he get the life he deserves in the previous home?

Do I want to invest in a trainer rather than giving him up?




i'm sure there are more that I am not thinking about, but those are the main reasons for me. I am so sorry you are faced with such a tough decision, but unfortunately, your baby is your main (or probably should be) priority.

 

[Greencheeker]

Parrots are trainable to adapt, although they are wild animals. Newborns...ehh not so much. If you were really invested, you could attend a masterclass, or in-home consult with a bird trainer. I would also think from the parrots standpoint, hes being tossed around from family to family.

some questions to ask yourself is :

why did the previous owners give him away, and could they have fixed that problem in 2 years?

Would he get the life he deserves in the previous home?

Do I want to invest in a trainer rather than giving him up?




i'm sure there are more that I am not thinking about, but those are the main reasons for me. I am so sorry you are faced with such a tough decision, but unfortunately, your baby is your main (or probably should be) priority.

Thanks for replying, you brought up good questions.
They didn’t disclose too much about why they were rehoming Bailey except for they were at a busy time in their lives and the wife wasn’t a huge “bird fan”. They were very good with him, and I know the history there wasn’t abusive or to say neglecting, so I don’t exactly know where his aggression with children came into play.
A masterclass is a good idea. While I have experience with training green cheeks, this is the first larger parrot I have dealt with. I know positive reinforcement is important, and how smart these birds are.
Yes, my daughter is certainly my highest priority, her safety is nonnegotiable. My parents are pushing for the parrots removal lol, but it doesn’t come easy.
Its not Bailey’s fault, I do not want him tossed around, which is why I wouldn’t sell him to a stranger, if I end up giving him back to his previous family, I would at least know he wouldn’t be in a bad place. He deserves a happy home with loving owners.
Thanks for the encouragement with saying the baby is my top priority, I knew this, but feel guilty on my parrot’s behalf.

 

[SailBoat]

It is so very important for individuals that bring an Amazon in their home to have read and continue to re-read the Thread in the Amazon Forum here regarding Understanding Amazon Body Language! What happened and why are part of that Thread. Additional information can be found in the other Thread just below it that Starts with I Love Amazons...

FYI: The Masters Course and the Trainer(s) have likely never read the Threads at the top of the Amazon Forum. If either of you have not, I would recommend you read it and then come back with what you have learned regarding understanding the behavior and what should have been done and what should be used to mitigate the reaction.

Amazons are easy, humans are hard!

 

[JimsBrother]

The bird is probably jealous of your attention to the baby.

 

[Bluberrytheparakeet]

Also we may be interested with a foster or adop if you are close enough . (foster if you need him out of the house, but haven't decided yet on where to give him to or how to do it ect)