I'm a new owner, and well...

My family acquired a four year old double yellow headed amazon named Sweetpea just over a month ago. He's amazing (when he wants to be!), but at other times he can get to be a handful. I've been researching, but there is nothing better than being able to actually ask the questions, you know?

Here are a few things that I need help with. I'm completely clueless.

1. He doesn't speak much when people are around him. I'm completely fine with that. I just figured he's shy and we can take some getting used to. The thing is, the second I leave the room he goes into full panic mode. He screams out "MAAAAA! MAAAA! MAAAA!" repeatedly. I've tried not to answer to those calls, per advice from other researching. It can be a bit embarrassing if I have the windows or doors open because you can hear him down the block and it echoes even further than that. He whistles back with me if I'm outside of the room, though. He'd probably do it for hours if I had the stamina to go that long, LOL! He definitely out whistles me.

2. He bites. I've been trying to teach him to step up. I'm lost as to doing that as well. He'll step up when it benefits him, though. For example, he loves to fly to the upper-window in our living room. It's right above the sliding doors. He doesn't know how to get down or back to his cage, so he'll step onto my hand so I can take him back. That goes for any place he flies and finds himself in a jam. Any other time I get close to him he lunges forward ready to grab a chunk of me. I noticed yesterday that he gets REALLY AGGRESSIVE when he sees that I have his favorite treat (papaya chunks). I thought I could use them to teach him to step up. No way! He bites the hand closest to him if he can't have the papaya. Then he'll keep biting at me until he gets it. He'll only come to me if he sees that I have it in my hand. But, of course, he's not coming to me... He's going for his papaya. I've never had a problem hand feeding him.

3. The flying is something else I'd like to correct, but I know that probably comes after I get him to even step up. I don't want to clip his wings, but I don't want him to hurt himself. I've seen videos where people get their birds to fly to certain "safe" areas like perches and whatnot. I'd love for him to have his designated areas. I don't know what I'd do if he hit a ceiling fan or something while flying to that window.

I've never owned any animal, so I don't know where to begin! I'm lost, but not so much frustrated. I know it takes time and I don't want him to get upset because I'm upset.

Thanks for any advice!

Welcome to the forum! Okay, I'm not an expert but here are some suggestions.

1. I really don't want to hazard a guess on this one. My first instinct could be totally wrong, so I'll defer here.

2. Biting's tough. First of all it hurts, and intuition tells us to snatch our hand (or other appendage) away from what's biting us or to cry out. However, this is almost exactly the oposite of what you should do. If you can do it, don't react at all. If he gets a reaction from you, he may learn that biting is the way to get a reaction. If he's biting too hard to ignore, he needs to learn that it's not acceptable behavior. I would suggest that he get a "time out" in his cage at these times. If you have a papaya treat and he bites you to get to it...don't give it to him. Their favorite treats really are the best for training, so it may be a blessing in disguise - he wants the papaya but can't have it when he bites. Parrots are smart, he'll figure it out.

3. Training him to fly to approriate locations is essential. But all training takes time and patience. There are basically two methods of training. Positive reinforcement - rewards for good behavior and negative reinforcement - removal of rewards/privileges for bad behavior. Personally, I think you have to use a combination of the 2, with emphasis on the positive. And you have to take baby steps. Start by teaching him to step up consistently. Then move on to teaching him to come to you when you call. Then to only perch on "perch appropriate" locations. Along with this, goes the trust that has to develop. He has to learn to trust you. It's only been a month, so don't try to rush things. He's not a baby, so change it a little harder for him.

Lastly, please, please, please turn off all ceiling fans. In a "fight" the ceiling fan will always win. Unless he's in his cage, they should not be turned on.

I hope this helps.

Never having had an animal you have much to learn. Our companion birds can be overwhelming to us if we are not familiar with bird behavior and needs. I suggest you get the wonderful book called Parrots For Dummies. (not derogatory to you of course)
It has a wealth of basic parrot care information in there. I still refer to mine at times. There are two important things to remember. One is we are our birds guardians and must carry out this responsibility. We should know their needs for nutrition, safety, enviromental and social. The second thing to remember is that they are not domesticated pets. They are just a generation away from the wild. In order to understand what an Amazon needs please study what they are like in the wild and that will help explain why they behave as they do in captivity.
Calling out is a natural behavior. Screaming could mean something else like I am hungry or I need more sleep. They often call out because they do not feel safe and need to hear from the flock that all is well. The flock being you/family. Biting is a learned behavor that we humans reinforce by out reactions.
He needs to feel he can trust you before you can train him. To clip or not clip is your decision. Someone said to me at my bird club this past Sunday that an unclipped bird is like a teenager with the car keys to a corvette. If a bird is well trained in recall then flying should not be an issue. I send you a link to read and good luck:
http://thetrueparrot.homestead.com/behavioral.html

Psssst, someone should explain to Jay that WE are owned by our fids (fid = feathered kids) not the other way around, might help him to understand the process of how things work a little better.....lol

Welcome to the forum Jay! Sweetpea sounds like a typical amazon. They can definitely be moody and loud. It is great you joined so that you can learn as much as you can on how to take care of your bird. Parrots for Dummiesis an excellent beginner book. I highly recommend it too.
1)Many birds don't talk in front of people. Sweetpea may always be this way or with time and trust he will feel comfortable talking in front of you. I had to laugh because my elderly Yellow Nape zon used to scream Maa, maa, maa! All the neighbors heard it too as well as some other choice words she came to me with!
It is best that you ignore all unwanted behavior. Now understand, parrots do scream. Especially in the orning and at dusk. Also if they are happy and playing. This type of screaming must be accepted. It is natural. If Sweetpea is screaming through out the day do not approach him. Wait around the corner and as soon as you hear a few seconds of silence praise him and drop a treat in hs bowl. If he is playing with his toys, praise him. In other words, just like a child it is important to praise good behavior.
2)Biting is always a tuffy! Zons hurt when they bite! I know! Right now he does not trust you enough to take a treat from your fingers. It is best to drop the treat in his bowl and walk away. Do this for a few days. Then drop it in and stick around. Praise him, read to him and talk. Every few days attempt to treat with your fingers. He eventually will begin to trust you.
Stepping up-until he trusts you this will probably result in biting. For some birds that won't take a treat, I recommend that you find a small stuffed animal or a parrot toy. As you hold it to his beak ask him to step up and push against his feet. If he tries to bite push that toy at him gently.
Another trick of the trade. If a bird bites you and hold on, gently push into his beak, don't pull away. By pushing in it makes it uncomfortable and most parrots will let go.
3) What you are referring to when having the bird fly to a certain area, is called stationing. Clicker training works great for this. As far as clipping or not clipping, it is your personal decision. How active is your house. If someone opens the sliding doors, he is gonna go! Absolutely no running ceiling fans while he is out. I know of many birds killed that way.
I hope I answered some of your questions.

Thanks to everyone who replied! Your information was really helpful. I'm definitely going to look into Parrots for Dummies tomorrow! I'm really anxious to get my hands on that book now! LOL!

Spiritbird, in regards to his biting: I've been trying my hardest not to react. It's just instinct to pull away. I've been practicing with it myself. Sweetpea is definitely teaching me something, too. I read that holding a fist when he bites is a good way to protect your fingers and show that you're not going to move away when they bite. Sweetpea has kind of evolved past the fist. He just turns his beak and pinches the individual fingers. Nifty little guy, right? I'm patient, though.

Bobby34231, fids! LOL! That's my first time hearing that. I'll be using it from now on. That's hilarious. It sure does seem that way, hough.

greycloud, what's funny is that he's very open to taking all sorts of treats from my hands. He just goes toward the hand that doesn't have the treat as if it's in his way of getting the treat. In my mind I'm trying to find logic as to why, so I figure he's upset that I have this hand there which he perceives as blocking him from getting to his food. In that respect I'd bite, too! He has no problem with taking a treat from me directly from my fingers, the palm of my hand, or the back of my hand.

Here's an update: Today I did some target training with him! I'm very pleased! I used an orange golf tee (since his favorite treats are orange, maybe it would gain his interest) and asked him to "come get it." He went over to the golf tee, rather interested and then took it in his beak. I immediately let him know that his behavior was good and gave him the papaya. After a while I started holding an item in my left hand and in my right hand and asking him to "come get it." He first approached the item I had in my left hand, but quickly went to the golf tee. I was so proud of him! I switched hands and he still went to the tee, that is until he didn't. LOL! I think he was just curious about the other thing. After he saw that he didn't get a treat for going to it, he went back to the golf tea.

After our training session, I set the items on top of the television. Well, guess what he did? We climbed over to the television and got to golf tee! I was so thrilled, but I didn't want to reward him because he went into an area that obviously isn't safe for him.

I also tried to teach him to step up today. You know what he did? He mocked "step up" for most of the day. It seemed like the only word he knew. "Step up. Step up. Step up. Step up." I think I drilled the word into his head and not the action! He couldn't stop saying it. It made me laugh, though. We had a great day with the target training. I can't wait to go again tomorrow. I was in his face for most of the day... I'm happy he isn't annoyed with me.

Good work. You sound like you have what is needed to train SP, patience.

Thank you, Spiritbird.

I have an and a new question for anyone willing to answer.

Today Sweetpea and I did out target training which went well. He went for the "no treat" object a few times and he's still unwilling to travel a further distance than about a foot to get the golf tee. No biggie. He's learning and I'm happy.

After our target training, I wanted him to see that my "untreated hands" are nothing to be afraid of so I laid them out flat in front of him. (Untreated hands are hands without treats in them. LOL, "untreated" sounds hilarious.) He gave me his foot a few times. Then he began to lick my hand. This is where I'm a little concerned; although it seemed very affectionate with his little licks and small touches with his beak, I'm not sure if he was just testing me. He then went over to his toys and I went with him just to give him praise and talk to him. He gave me his foot again, but then his touches turned aggressive and he actually bit down harder. Did I set him up to do that by allowing the other stuff?

I'm confused by what that behavior meant. LOL, I feel like I'm in an abused relationship where the abused lover is trying to figure out if his or her spouse's behavior is good or bad. "Does she really love me or am I just trying to justify?" LOL! This is what Sweetpea has done to me. Woe is me.

You are in the process of establishing a a bond with this bird. Remember this takes time, could be months. Move slowly with SP and do not expect love as you call it (I call it trust) to happen as quickly as you would want. Learn about a birds body language. It is very subtle and can be missed so that a bite happens.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/reading-your-parrots-body-language.html

Spiritbird said:

You are in the process of establishing a a bond with this bird. Remember this takes time, could be months. Move slowly with SP and do not expect love as you call it (I call it trust) to happen as quickly as you would want. Learn about a birds body language. It is very subtle and can be missed so that a bite happens.

Reading Your Parrot's Body Language - For Dummies

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Yes, I'm quite certain that it's not going to happen over night. I just don't want to actually enable any bad behavior by reading the signs wrong. Did I enable him to bite harder by letting him lick on my hand prior to the bite? That's my main concern. It felt trusting, but I really wouldn't know right now.

Thanks for the link.

morejaylesswar said:

The thing is, the second I leave the room he goes into full panic mode. He screams out "MAAAAA! MAAAA! MAAAA!" repeatedly.

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He's trying to teach you his way of doing things. In the wild, he'll spend all day with his bonded mate, unless one of them is tending eggs/chicks. That's what his instincts are telling him is the way things run. You have to train him in the way his new flock operates. And every time you respond by showing up while he's screaming, it teaches him that's the way to get you to come back.

He'll step up when it benefits him, though.

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Well - yeah. Why would he step up when it doesn't benefit him? He doesn't care what benefits you - it never even crosses his mind. Once he gets to the point where he's attached to you, he'll step up for the benefit of being close to you. Until then, he just won't care.

I noticed yesterday that he gets REALLY AGGRESSIVE when he sees that I have his favorite treat (papaya chunks). I thought I could use them to teach him to step up. No way! He bites the hand closest to him if he can't have the papaya. Then he'll keep biting at me until he gets it.

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And that teaches him that biting is the way to get papaya. If you don't want him to bite, he can never, ever get the papaya if he bites. Let him see that the papaya goes away at the first nip. Make a big show of it. Every single time, because just one "Awww, this once won't hurt" will undo all the other teaching.

I've never owned any animal, so I don't know where to begin! I'm lost, but not so much frustrated. I know it takes time and I don't want him to get upset because I'm upset.

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That can actually work to your benefit. Dog people want to treat their parrot like a dog - I know I struggled with it. But parrots aren't dogs. Dogs understand pack, and they understand dominance and obeying the alpha. Parrots don't. You can start without all the psychological baggage that says "This is my animal, and so I must be in charge and demonstrate I'm the alpha." My dogs know I'm the alpha, and I never have to do anything other than drop my voice to scold them, because it's instinctual that they listen to their alpha. With Boo, it was a whole new experience. Life with Boo is much more partnership and mutual respect than any other human/animal bond. Even way back, when I used to hand raise lovebirds and cockatiels, they saw me as their parent and obeyed. Boo sees me as an equal (most of the time) and he never hesitates to let me know that he has his own way of doing things.

I am not familiar with a parrot licking a hand prior to a bite. That may be a habbit of his as a pre warning. Next time he attempts to lick I would take that as a warning of a bite and move your hand away.

Spiritbird said:

Next time he attempts to lick I would take that as a warning of a bite and move your hand away.

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I can't agree with this part. A parrot's beak and tongue are like a third hand to them. It's natural for them to explore with it, and it's also grooming behavior - something that helps develop the bond. If you startle your bird by taking your hand away it will damage the trust you're building, or if you send the signal that you don't accept grooming from him (or her), you're essentially refusing the relationship they're trying to build.

Boo will often grab one of my fingers with his claw and "groom" around my fingernails before bringing it up to his head to show me he wants head scratches. I make sure I keep my hands clean when I'm around him, because I never know when he's going to do it. He also likes to wrestle with my hands and fingers when he's in a playful mood. I have found that I have to watch him very carefully for body language when he's play wrestling. He can get carried away with play and it turns into aggression. If his eyes start to pin, or his neck feathers go up I calm things down by giving him head scratches. If he won't accept head scratches I stop moving the hand he's got hold of and start quietly talking to him.

None of this is meant to say that your particular bird hasn't learned to bite hands, but it's a twisting of a natural behavior. In your shoes, my goal would be to restore what's natural for him.