Need help, 4 yr old yellow nape bites and won't step up!

Katishalynch4

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Jun 22, 2016
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Yellow nape Amazon and a double yellow headed Amazon
Hello,
I have 2 Amazon's, one is a 30-40 yr old dbl yellow headed Amazon, and then i have a 4 yr old yellow nape Amazon. My yellow heads name is ziggy and she is nice and talks and gives me kisses and sometimes even flies to me, I can walk around with her and even take her outside she's pretty awesome I knew her when her previous owners had her so she knows me. A few yrs ago when my friend had her she was caged with another smaller male parrot (idk what kind) when I got the birds he wasn't with her anymore they told me he had died and now they had Marla (another female, the yellow nape) and she wouldn't let you hold her, and she bites, doesn't talk and her and ziggy don't get along. They said ziggy stays on the cage and Marla stays inside and won't come out. Well, when i got them home after a cpl days I left the cage open and she comes out but she is mean to sight and gets mad if ziggy gets attention and runs at her with her mouth open if ziggy is getting held or talked to. I talk to Marla and she will get as close to me as she can and does a little purr noise, and she will inch closer and squat down and stare at my shoulder like she wants to be held she just won't step up and she will bite. I think she has actually made a lot of progress since we have had her but we don't know her history. We only know her age from her bracelet (ziggy doesn't have a bracelet) well yesterday I was in our room and my bf yelled for me to come get the bird (Marla) she had flew off the cage and was on the floor in the kitchen. She bites hard so I didn't want to try and pick her up so I just sat next to her on the floor, she walked right up to me and started making her purr noise and then started nibbling at my leg, I let her cause I figured she couldn't get a hold of my skin and it wasn't aggressive. (I was wrong, she got a hold of my skin above my heel.. OUCH!) I got up and started walking down the hall back to the room talking to her and she actually walked all the way to the room following me, I sat on the bed and she came up to me then too making her noise. I was scared for my toes. But my bf told me to get a sweatshirt and try to hold her, and she actually got on my arm I walked around a little bit with her but she was perched really awkward, ( not like ziggy who's a pro ) so I sat down with her and she kept biting the sweatshirt, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to react till today when I read about it. I thought she would know I wasn't happy when I said no in a form Voice and I told her no bite. Now I know I went about that all wrong, I read they are equivalent to a toddler so it seemed like the right thing to do. Boy was I wrong, it seemed to be working for a min... then BAM she just lunged down and bit and got my arm with the shirt, she got me good too broke skin and where she but down got swollen.

Sorry for the long msg, but if anyone had some super duper advice on how I get her to stop biting and picking on ziggy I would appreciate it. I know I'm not supposed to react now, but man I dont wanna get bit. What should I do? Someone help pls
 
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texsize

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I don't know how you can NOT react when you get bitten by a YNA.
It depends on the circumstances but I get a towel put him back in the cage and give him a " time out" for 15 min. or so.
Sometimes I will eat something I know he likes and make sure he knows what he is missing.
As for liking the other bird she either will learn to get along or not, I don't think you can force it. My YNA does NOT get along with any other birds, I think he thinks he is a person not a bird.
texsize
 

Birdman666

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Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
Well not reacting to bites is TERRIBLE advice... in my opinion.

And amazons are jealous birds... and my guess is you are describing jealousy issues with the other bird. Handle them separately... and don't tolerate that aggressive stuff. Towel if you must, but put a stop to it...
 
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Katishalynch4

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Jun 22, 2016
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Yellow nape Amazon and a double yellow headed Amazon
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I figured it was jealousy, but some of the times I will have ziggy elsewhere just to have one on one time with Marla, and she still acts up. It seems like she wants to be held she just doesn't do it. I was hoping her seeing ziggy get held helped her know I'm not gonna hurt her, I guess her stepping up and even following me was progress. She won't talk either. I don't force her to do anything I'm just trying to let her come to me on her time. But I don't want to get bit in the process
 

wrench13

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Keep the birds separated. Handle each separately, in a room away from the cages. First sign of bitng, say NO and put the bird down some where, and ignore it.. I mean don't even look at it. Give it 5 min, then try again. Keep the handling sessions to half hour at first, longer as it gets better. Don't forget treats while it's being good. Amazons are ruled by their belly. Good luck and don't give up.
 
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Katishalynch4

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Yellow nape Amazon and a double yellow headed Amazon
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She actually won't let me hold her pretty much at all. Yesterday was the first time and she bit me pretty hard ziggy let's me hold her and I'll take her in another room while I go talk to Marla but she seems like she just wants to be talked to nothing else when I walk away if ziggy is with her or not. It's not that I think she hates me I just don't know how to break her of biting and let me love her lol
 

WilliamKenyon

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Hi Katishalynch4 all very great advice above :D. I was wondering if you could try and train her to step up onto a wooden perch. That way you don't end up with damaged hands and she can learn how to step up. And as far as giving her treats you could try giving her the treats in a dish with a long handle, just to keep distance. Good luck with taming and keep us posted. :):green:
 

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