4 yr old Amazon with biting behaviour

Hi all ,
I write seeking advice. My 4 yr old Amazon has recently started showing biting behavior. I have tried addressing the cause of the issue , but cannot seem to arrive at it. At first I thought it was due to hormones but I'm not completely sure. There is not any particular time at which he does it and he usually does not show any signs of pinned eyes or flared tail feathers , I usually just turn my back for a quick second and he plunges at me, or I bend down to pick up something from the floor and before I know it he is sinking his beak at full force. It does not occur at any particular time of the day or anything that I can think would be related to it's cause. He perfectly playing and happy majority of the time and then one second he ups and just decides to attack. It couldn't be that he's protective of his territory because he lunges from across the room when I'm not even near his cage or food. The issue has become very concerning as I've endured so many excruciating bites within the past few days.I've tried dealing with the issue by letting him know his behavior is unacceptable by saying No sternly , and I've been looking out for any body language that would tell me to step away, but again the issue is he shows no signs of these right before he decides to lunge . What should I do ?

Bumping you back up!

My first thought was hormones/puberty. that is something I would not rule out.
I too have a amazon (Pacho) that can bite without warning.
I can be scratching her neck and she will turn and give a chomp before I can pull away.
The best thing I can tell you is to watch for other signals if pinning and tail fanning are not obvious. For Pacho it's a tensing of muscles a kind of frozen appearance. I have learned how to avoid most bites but she still gets me once and a while.

Commonly, this kind of behavior is driven or triggered by a stimulus that has changed or is changing the relationship.

- A change in preferred person, i.e. someone else in the family is becoming favored.
- Protection of you from someone or something that the Amazon sees as a threat.
- Although age limits this one; Pre-mating behavior.

- Although early, the early stages of transitioning to an Adult (puberty) and the effects of Hormones messing with his mind.


Other things that could be driving this change:

- You have changed your schedule /activities

- The homes schedule, activities or number of people has changed

When a clear change in interaction has occurred, something in the normal interplay between you and your Amazons has changed or is changing. Finding it can be difficult because we Humans do not always perceive the change as something that would be of concern for the Amazon in the pass.

Keep looking! Something changed!

FYI: When this stuff happens, it is always proper to return to the basic interactions and begin the relationship building from Step-One!

Assure that your Amazon is getting dark, restful sleep of at least 10 - 12 hours each night!
Rebuilding Trust
Retrain Step-up
Etc...

Sounds much like the arc of my first bird Gonzo, a BFA. He was the sweetest and most tame bird until approximately age 4. Very short transition from angel to aggressor. I must admit my knowledge in 1985 was rather scant and without the benefit of internet forums my actions were less than effective.

With hindsight, I am certain hormones and adolescence played a role, coupled with my ignorance. This was also a time increased acquisition of additional birds, including a female BFA. Gonzo tolerated Sally for a year or so before we had to split. Because of his propensity to fly to the shoulder and bite the jugular area or fingers, he spent more time in a large cage. I could only handle him with a stick to move to playpens.

Fast forward 32 years and I still have Gonzo! We've reached a compromise and he will perch on my hand but will not cuddle. I can hand feed him only by allowing him to stretch a bit for the food!

The point of my lengthy preamble is to reinforce SailBoat's post! It is never the fault of the bird! I worked with Gonzo to build trust, and realize he will never be a cuddly cockatoo. His life is far better and I love him dearly.

You may find these threads helpful:
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/60435-clicker-target-training.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html
(the last is geared for macaws, but is priceless insight into the role of beaks)

SailBoat said:

Commonly, this kind of behavior is driven or triggered by a stimulus that has changed or is changing the relationship.

- A change in preferred person, i.e. someone else in the family is becoming favored.
- Protection of you from someone or something that the Amazon sees as a threat.
- Although age limits this one; Pre-mating behavior.

- Although early, the early stages of transitioning to an Adult (puberty) and the effects of Hormones messing with his mind.


Other things that could be driving this change:

- You have changed your schedule /activities

- The homes schedule, activities or number of people has changed

When a clear change in interaction has occurred, something in the normal interplay between you and your Amazons has changed or is changing. Finding it can be difficult because we Humans do not always perceive the change as something that would be of concern for the Amazon in the pass.

Keep looking! Something changed!

FYI: When this stuff happens, it is always proper to return to the basic interactions and begin the relationship building from Step-One!

Assure that your Amazon is getting dark, restful sleep of at least 10 - 12 hours each night!
Rebuilding Trust
Retrain Step-up
Etc...

Click to expand...

You are right! I've been absent as of lately as I've been preoccupied with visiting my sibling. I think he may have felt abandoned.I've been spending a lot of time with him these last two days to make up for it and he seems to be in a better mood. A bit aggressive at time but definitely a decline in the frequency of attacks. Someone from another forum was telling me that they reccommend Avi calm or relaxation formulas, what are your thoughts ?

anuska said:

You are right! I've been absent as of lately as I've been preoccupied with visiting my sibling. I think he may have felt abandoned.I've been spending a lot of time with him these last two days to make up for it and he seems to be in a better mood. A bit aggressive at time but definitely a decline in the frequency of attacks. Someone from another forum was telling me that they reccommend Avi calm or relaxation formulas, what are your thoughts ?

Click to expand...

There are several 'calming /relaxation' medication on the market and they have their place. That said, without the involvement of a Certified Avian Vet (CAV), I would not use any of them! There are numerous side effects that can create even more serious problems and/or dependencies. Whether over the counter or as prescription based medication, always involve your Avian Professional.