Major Aggression

Several months ago I adopted a Yellow Nape Amazon from a rescue knowing that he was "aggressive". Having worked with dog rescue for years now, and being somewhat familiar with parrots (just lost an African Gray), I didn't let the aggression worry me. He had only one owner all his life (now 25) and she turned him in when he started biting her and she became afraid of letting him out.

When I had him only a few days, I tried to get him to step up and he lunged at me, grabbing on to my arms with beak & claws doing alot of damage. I spent many an hour after that just talking to him and he finally was letting me rub his head. The next time I tried to let him out, he did attacked again and it was safer to get him off in another room & close the door. In a while I offered him a stick and he got on & went back into the cage. I've tried a number of ways but always end up with an attack - although none as severe as the first.

Today I moved him, cage & all, into the computer room (which is where we go to be sure no Labbies get him). I went to the kitchen to get a pair of gloves I'd bought the other night for working with him. I returned to the room and when I turned to close the door, he lunged at the back of my head and left some nasty bites - drew blood. I tipped my head at the door of his cage and he returned.

I'm getting discouraged and need to know if this is a condition that can be overcome with time and patience or not. I will read up on all suggested methods if I know that eventually his behavior can be turned around. It would be easier knowing what caused it but... Unless he can be removed from the cage, his life will be very dull. I can't get new toys in there and I can't get him to the vet. Am I fighting a losing battle. He is 25.

From what I know using gloves is a big no-no in that it will cause further aggression toward hands. YOu have to build trust and that takes time and lots of patience... Sit and talk to him... read to him etc. WHen you have to get him out use a towel so he attacks the towel and not your hands... This will also keep your hands out of sight.

another method would be to have him step on to a stick that you are holding... that way he's out of reach of your hand. You can also try the distraction method where one hand is distracting him while the other gets him to step up.

Sassy

I think that after all those years of neglect , you've got a long road ahead. I doubt you'll ever have a cuddly bird, but anything is possible.You'll hear "Let the bird pick you" alot on these parrot forums, for good reason. I think you made a mistake bringing him home. I deal with birds like this and it takes many years to change things. Because of these attacks the bird feels he dominates you, that in itself is hard to change.You'll have to change that mindset if things are to ever improve. You need to learn his body language and avoid bites/attacks. You need to gain his trust/respect. Since only been a couple of months will the "rescue" take him back. Another owner might have abetter chance of getting though to him. In my house there's two of us who work with birds so the lesser of hated peoples can make some headway while the bad is directed to the "bad" guy. Of course we have many years of working with amazons and know what we're getting into when we take on these "projects". I think you might have" bitten off more than you can chew." If you make the decision to keep the bird , i'll be glad to help. But it won't be easy and take tons of time/patience. From now on, don't try and remove him from the cage, if he'll come out and go back with out your help,that's fine. You want to get back to the point of him allowing head scratches, though the cage bars. Except this time,you decide when he's had enough instead of him saying"that's enough". Keep scratching ,to just a few seconds and quit. Leave him wanting more of you attention. YOU ARE IN CHARGE. Him wanting to be with you and accepting you as the leader is the only way to move forward. How long this will take , that's anyones guess and depends more on you than him. Every time you mess up and get bit, you'llhave to start over. You get greedy and try to convince him how great it would be for him to submit to you (when you make him say "NO" by biting or what ever) you've lost whatever gains you've made. He's going to have to decide to be with you,want your attention. I probably haven't done a good job of explaining, But you've got a long road and it won't be easy. Maybe someone else will chime in with better advice.

Henpecked has the long and short of it. Time and changing the birds outlook towards you as leader. If you have direct questions feel free to ask and we will help.

First I would like to say thank you for trying to give this guy a better life. When it comes to Amazons, Henpecked is kinda the go to guy. As he said it will take lots of time and lots of patience, good luck to you.

Thank you all for your input. I can return him to the rescue, Henpecked. That option remains open but I hesitate to take that route unless it's necessary - which it may be. There is probably a tremendous difference but I work with dog rescue and to commit to an animal and return it is considered an action worse than death! The rescue, The Bird Nerds, has given me the name of a behaviorist and I've sent her an e-mail and am awaiting an answer. I guess I'll make my decision after weighing her words. I can't let him come and go from his cage at will - I have 5 dogs, 4 of which are Labradors that would love a snack. He is not my first parrot. Way back (early '80s) I had a Blue and Gold, a nasty old African Grey, a Yellow Nape and a Senegal. All but the African came as babies and were given alot of lovin' and attention. I didn't have problems like this.

I'll check in tomorrow after I hear from the behaviorist.

Like you, i'd like to be able to help alot more birds. I've learned i can't save the world,but do what little i can. I have to becareful and "pick" my battles.

I didn't read what everyone else wrote so if I repeat something they said sorry. Wow I trained macaws cockatoos,doves,and a gray never a amazon but hey my tips just might help.so 25 years old he is pretty old,how long have you had him?You must build that trust so i would talk to him everyday while in the cage DNt ruin the trust,just talk to him make sure he is eating a good brand of food ,pellets are the best I use Harrison and I also used birdtricks.com feed your flock.Both worked great try giving bananas/veggies you want a healthy bird not a fat one .Now what you can do is this get a chop stick Chinese food type one that never been used to eat,played with it must be brand new.n
Now if he is eating mixed seeds etc try to take away all sunflower seeds . Sunflower seeda are going to become a treat.Let's say it's 3pm take the food away for a few about a hr and a half you want him hungry so he wants the seeds, MAKE SURE HE HAS WATER DON'T KILL YOUR BIRD OR STARVE HIM!!!! . you just want him in a mood to eat,now take the chopstick and stick it thru the bars of the cage he might attack it or bite it or
Be afraid now if
He bites it say goodbird an give him a seed,and repeat different areas throughout the cage,now if he is afraid just give him a few to see if he might bite it if nothing give him a seed and say goodbird but
Leave the stick in the cage still,now
Get closer and closer to the stick and give seeds and say goodbird go slowly,now what your doing is that everytime you say goodbird he gets a treat knowing hey if I touch the stick I get food ok I can do this , or hey everytime I get closer to the stick I get food,now do this for about 15 10 mins a day, for as long as possible, once you see that where ever in the cage you put the stick he bites it with out a problem open the cage and try agin this time leading him out the cage and now bring your hand to the cage leave your hand on the right side of the cage and have him touch the all over the left side I the cage ,everytime getting closer to your hand , till you can have him step on your hand with out bitting you and then you should be fine,after a while try this on a stand back of a chair should work fine and do the same but this time it's just to build a bond btw you and him so point him to the left side then touch of a stick then give him food on the right and visa versa ,now next week or nxt training day remove the stick and use your hand if he is afraid of your hand brig it close to him if he attacks you were to close find the right distance and leave your hand for a few say goodbird then give seed everytime getting closer and closer it shouldn't be so long if you follow the steps right,now take time doing this everyday one step for a week don't rush just relax and it does take time but trust me it's worth it soon you should have a great bird.train for about 10 mins a day if he comes out the cage with no problem still do all steps,use this as a daily routine or example my birds I wake up give them Fresh fruits ,veggies and pellets fresh water, change newspaper,(I really don't work so I'm home all the time)I'm a magician so I have my own hrs,now let's say you come home from work i usually just clean the food bowls from the veggies and fruits,I found a good amount where they eat it all so no need to replace foodbowls or clean them but after work do what I have to do and then go give them fresh water,and take them out the cage train then let them hang out for a few if I'm not busy play with them,but if I'm busy they usually have fun just flying around the room or climbing around the cage and playing with toys my cockatoo has fun eating my wall then I place them into there cage give them food and then close up the cage then finish w.e I have to do and then night time for me, see the routine of course I don't do this everyday sometimes it's different but make sure it's a routine evrytime b4 they play they must train,it has to be a fun time not aw man I have to train for you and the bird


Enjoy
Henry
Sorry if any mistakes I did this on my iPhone,I learned all my training from personal experience and from birdtricks.com

Henry does bring up a good point. Clicker or "target" training can be helpful in "breaking the ice" with an aggressive bird. I wouldn't go buy the program from birdtricks.com but you can find it online and it has been discussed on many threads. The secret is the treat you use should be something he really likes and is given only with training. Also ,like your attention, should be in small,short doses. Don't keep going till he gets bored or angry. Maybe only a couple of minutes in the beginning.

I agree with henpecked and Henryofmagic, clicker training may help alot. I purchased the Birdtricks.com training series for an aggressive Senegal I was fostering till he found a permanent home. It worked well and we were able to get him to step up and interact without being biten. It made it possible for me to find him a better forever home, as he could be handled and removed from the cage without drawing blood. He even learned one trick and began talking to us, and would put his foot to his head and scratch to beg for head scratches. It does take work and patience to see these kinds of results though. We still use the training videos on our Ekkie now, and she has learned several tricks . It isnt a cheap series but it does work if you work at it.
I agree with henpecked though, I wouldnt try to remove him from the cage anymore until you get him a bit under control. Target training with the stick can help .

I am most grateful to each and every one of you for your suggestions and they make alot of sense to me. Archie will take food from me and will let me pet his head and scratch the nape of his neck - from outside the cage. He definitely chooses the time for this thought. I have been going about this completely backwards - spending more time, and longer sessions, but no treats. I will revise the program. I've also been in touch with Lara Joseph, a behaviorist, who has numerous suggestions on her blog. They seem to run parallel with those given here.

Information I neglected to give, and it seems to be important to each of you, is his diet. He has a dish of pellets (no seed whatsoever) at all times and fresh water. The second food dish gets whatever fruits are in season, scrambled egg (once or twice a week), veggies and a taste of whatever is for dinner if it's appropriate (loves noodles). His favorite is corn on the cob - sometimes eaten and sometimes just torn apart and deposited on the floor.

I will begin implementing the suggestions right away - once I've reread all the information to make sure I'm doing it right. Not releasing him from the cage for the time being is welcome advice because frankly I'm afraid to go that route quite yet!

Also, it was only today that I saw the button to give thanks to each of you. Please forgive me the rudeness from the other day.

Also, a note that may be of some importance. I recently retired which means I'm not a spring chicken myself, I have alot of time on my hands, there are no small children or actually anyone else in the house to annoy Archie. He seems to have no problem with the dogs. There isn't much activity or loud noises, etc. - things to startle him. The situation is decent I would think.

I've never been the recipient of major aggression but have witnessed it with my umbrella cockatoo, upon others. It's ugly, and we think uncalled for, but to this bird, totally called for. It's a territorial move. If this bird bonds with you, there is hope. I hope that all the recommendations, put forth, will help with that.

As everyone mention, time, patience, bandaids - and the clicker training may help, as it will give him mental stimulation, and something to focus on rather than biting you! Did the original owner give any reason why he "turned aggressive?"