I Finally Got Bit

So my male alexandrine is now turning 5 and he is definitely sexually mature now.

What's been happening lately is that he sees my feet as his mate. He sits on them, brings them food, toys, talks to them, walks along the ground with them. It's gotten to the point that when he is on my shoulder he just hangs upside down so he can stare at my feet as I walk.

Yesterday when I tried to pick him up off my feet, he bit the heck out of my finger. Ended up being a small wound but I remember the pain was so intense I thought the damage was gonna be a lot worse.

It's the only time in his life I've ever seen the bird be brave. The scaredy cat bird that I knew was ready to die trying to defending my feet from my hands.

I'm working on limiting access to my feet with him, and also doing better about clearly asking him to step up. He hasn't shown aggression again since then, but I'm hoping this will be a seasonal thing and not all the time thing.

I guess I got arrogant and thought the sexual aggression was limited to large birds, and not species like alexandrines which are stereotyped as timid.

Here's a link to a biting thread...scroll down to Birdman666's comment about Mr. Towel and Mr. Cushion. B-man has worked with many rescue birds with serious problems, birds that were about to lose their homes or perhaps be euthanized. So he gives serious solutions to serious problems, not casual tricks but effective last resorts. A foot fetish puts birdie in danger of being stepped on, don't you think?

http://www.parrotforums.com/congo-timneh-greys/51618-cage-dominance-forcing-step-up.html

Here is a different approach to biting. In my case, it was the right way to go, because I was the problem! Instead of working 'with' Bongo, I was trying to make him back down! That may work with a dog, but not a GCC!
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html