what am i doing wrong?

[camclark]

so I have had 2 African greys for about 5 months now and I understand the one takes several months to warm up to anybody at all but we get along, the other however isn't shy at all. when I open up the cage she is the first one out but will deliberately climb down and across the house to do nothing other than try to bite me. ive tried ignoring her, iver tried a squirt with a water bottle when she bites, ive tried giving "the look" and firmly saying no biting while trying to keep my cool and not flail my hand around when she clamps down. but what is weird about it is my fiancé has no issues holding her or petting her. and our friends will come over and she wont even think about biting them and she steps up every time for people she has even only met once. I noticed it when I picked them up from the previous owners too and she bite me right away but showed no interest in biting my finance there or anybody else. any suggestions on my next step to bonding with this one since ive made great progress with my other grey.

 

[wrench13]

Tried making friends with treats with her inside the cage? SHe knows she has you cowed and on the defensive. Something about you has her angry. Its Never The Parrots Fault, so we have to figure out what about you or what you are doing is seting her off.

Who gets fed first every day?
Who gets let out of the cage first?
Who gets water first?
Are these 2 parrots mates? Or 2 girls?
Are you affectionate to your fiance' in front of the birds?
Facial hair?

Anyone else have input? We have some really experienced Grey owners here, they will chime in and try to help.

 

[GraciesMom]

Great questions from Wrench like he pointed out identifying what if any the trigger is could really help.

Sounds like they are in the same cage? It's possible that because you handle her/his? mate that it's taking the offensive & by the sounds of it.. winning or guarding what is theirs.

I would go back to the basics like Wrench suggested working w/treats while in the cage, talking, toys as distraction etc.. In essence back off a bit & start slower.

How is she/he when your fiance is home?
Since you're fiance is able to handle him/her maybe try and have her work to introduce you or at the least she can intervene before a bite/chase occurs since she can handle. Try smaller approaches rather than handling, like treats, toys, head scratches

I do not agree with squirting a parrot with water for discipline/punishment. I doubt highly it is going to get the desired result - to not bite/attack. Instead my opinions is that you are way more likely to end up with a parrot that will want to bite you to defend itself, ends up afraid of water etc. Look at it this way - you're trying to make friends, the parrot is saying "No thank you - bite", you squirt the parrot with water, "Friends now?" - "Heck no buddy - bite harder". Now a few days later you wanna give your parrots a bath (which they need on a regular bases) you pull out same squirt bottle & expect that they will be able to realize the difference that it's now bath/play time not discipline time?

I'm sorry if this comes across harsh however, I have a grey that I've spent the last 4 months taking baby steps to help overcome her tremendous fear of water - she got it from being disciplined with a squirt bottle in her previous home so I know the damage & problems it could potentially create.

Remember too - parrot's aren't like dogs who will forgive quickly, parrots hold a grudge & when trust isn't established or it's broken, when the human makes a wrong move it is very probable that a grey could take quite awhile to allow for the opportunity to try again - they can by very hardheaded & stubborn. So be patient.

 

[LeaKP]

IMO with time and patience, you can win the trust of this grey. They are super intelligent and you mayhavemade a difficult situation worse by spraying with a water bottle. Be present, don't insist on handling for now. Offer favorite treats and be the one who usually fills food dishes. You may never be good buddies, or you may. You might remind the bird of someone in their past that wasn't pleasant, but greys are forgiving and in time a peace accord can be reached.

 

[wrench13]

GraciesMom is 100% right, you don't discipline parrots. Dogs you can, parrots you have to coax, coerce and cajole. You have to win this parrots trust. And parrots are usually ruled by their bellies.

And no squirt bottles, my God, how did I miss that one. No sharp raps on the beak, no swatting her with a broom ( we all read about that one a few months ago), no throwing books, sock balls, staplers, or anything at her.

Does this parrot get agitated when you approach the cage? If yes, back off one giant step, take a seat and read a story or two to her. I like Grimms Fairytales or The Lord of the Rings, but anything will do. Keep doing that every day, a few inches closer every day. She will get used to you and your voice, and now you are next to her in the cage and she will be fine. Now you can offer her treats, and ONLY you offer them to her. Ask her how her day was/is, how she doing? just keep talking to her. All of this is after you figure out just what about you i pissing her off. Good luck!

 

[camclark]

thanks for the tips guys. I know the previous owner used water bottles as well which I did sort of disagree with. only reason I tried it was a suggestion from another bird owner. as for playing favorites I try to make sure I alternate between the two with snacks and treats and I leave the cage door open for them to come out on their own since im trying not to impede on their comfort at home. I actually had a beard and shaved it thinking maybe it may have been the beard before but to no avail it was still unsuccessful they are mates BTW

 

[MonicaMc]

I'm wondering if there is something "special" about you that has the grey targeting you. You ruled out beard. Maybe it's some other feature about you that other people don't have? It could be glasses, hair color, skin tone, or?


I do not recommend the bottle. Can you try redirecting the bite instead? I.E. playing with a ball or other toy?


It's pretty stupid to ignore the bite.... it's better to avoid getting bitten so as to teach the bird not to bite, because the only bite that can't be rewarded is the one that never occurs.

Target training could go a long ways in helping, too.

 

[DRB]

I'm guessing it is something personal with you, that this individual highly intelligent parrot sense or sees or hears.

Could be anything visual on your face or even hands, could be your voice. These birds are finicky and sensitive to things that are so minute it's really fascinating and frustrating all at once.

In my 7 mos of owning a baby CAG I chalk everything up to, it's how the bird is that day or wants things and as long as she's not harming herself an in any danger I let it be and give her time and space.

But I'm the most fortunate CAG owner ever IMO, my Perjo doesn't give me problems other than aggressive nibbling every once in a while. I swear if I was physically being harmd she'd let herself out of the cage and shoot the person. She's that attached to me.

 

[Birdman666]

Okay. First of all squirting them with water like that doesn't work. So stop that one...

And this assumes you are doing ANYTHING wrong. Birds tend to pick their people, not the other way around. And CAGS are headstrong and stubborn. On some levels you just have to "out mule the mule"....

CAGS especially get handled on their own terms, and they tend to set boundaries with people. You have to gradually expand those boundaries.

As for stepping up with no biting... I use the two fingers on the beak method, and control the beak. Anticipate bites, swipe it away before the bird latches on. I tend to do the "wobble" to distract them when they go to bite. I am also not above putting the bird on the floor if he goes to bite me...

Another hot ticket is to wear a long sleeved shirt when you handle the bird. Wrap a small towel in an ace bandage under the shirt to protect you. Offer your arm instead of a finger. If he latches on, it won't hurt and you can use the other hand to control the beak and make him step up...