HELP! Parrot hates going back in his cage.l

reeisconfused · Aug 26, 2018

My IRN Max, who we recently rescued, has been troubling us a lot going back in his cage at evening time. We’ve had him for almost a month now. He’s very terrified of hands and freaks out if we try to get too close to him. He’s out of his cage all day and loves food a lot. He flies by us and will walk by us but he doesn’t like it when we try to get close and looks for ways to escape. Ofcourse, this is normal considering its only been a while since we had him.
So Max used to go back to his cage on his own daily. He’s very food motivated and it was really easy to put him in. However, recently, Max has gotten very creative to avoid going back in. He’ll climb up places where we cannot reach and fly off if we try to get him in. He isn’t eating as much as he used to (no longer food motivated) and I’m really worried about him. We got him checked and he is perfectly fine! Could it be stress? Do IRNS have mood swings? One day he’s loving and the next day he doesn’t want us at all. One day he eats and the next day he doesn’t!
Main question, HOW do i get him back in? I’ve tried perches (scared of them right now) and hands (I was desperate) and he squeaked and flew away. What do I do? As I’m typing this, its 8pm and Max is still out and hiding so we can’t put him in. He comes out of hiding and roams once he’s sure we won’t catch him.

LeslieA · Aug 26, 2018

My Glenn has SOME of the same problems. I have to put him in a TINY covered cage at night, then in the morning after putting in his food and water, hold his roost cage to his day cage.
Now, I realize that Glenn is not your average rescue. He hates the world and is a self-mutilater. Some things you may want to consider are a diet change, stick training and a behaviorist.

noodles123 · Aug 26, 2018

I highlighted my questions for you in red.
If he is healthy, have you tried placing food in his cage, leaving it open, and allowing him to enter and exit freely ?

If you try that, do not shut him in the second he goes for the food, or you will just train him to further avoid anything "suspicious"/cage-related.

Depending on his level of stubbornness, you could only offer food in the cage, but you would want to consult the vet regarding how long you would let this go if resisted too long .Water would need to be provided regardless.
How old is he now?
How old was he when he was more agreeable?

How long have you had him?
Has he ever spent time on/around his cage of his own accord/by his choosing?

Thoughts based on what you said:

"He WAS very food motivated"- this implies that his new behavior (hiding from you, staying from the cage) is most likely more reinforcing than food, or, he is satiated (not hungry).
If the new behavior has increased, it has been reinforced. You have to figure out what is reinforcing it in order to fix it. 4 main reinforces are usually: attention, escape, tangible objects and sensory. You can sometimes have combo platters (2 combined) but usually, at least one is more obvious. Focus on the 4 basic ones for now.

Here is what I envision---- you let him out in the morning or when you get home (after a long stretch in the cage) he does what he wants all day and eats outside of the cage. The only time you put him back is at night or when you absolutely have to because it has become a giant headache (and every time, his level of fun and attention probably goes from 10 to 0 in the cage). After failed attempts to get him to comply and return to his cage, you are likely more tense and stressed because you feel like you are being controlled by your bird and you are running out of time. You bird likely picks up on this subconsciously and becomes more reactive. You probably say or do the same/similar things right before you are about to pursue him. He takes these cues as markers for the start of the hide-and-seek fiasco. He resists and so far, you are banking on the idea of ESCAPE as he motivator (I don't want to go in my cage so I run around and stay out longer). Then, you chase him around (maybe more than one person). Everyone's focus shifts to getting the bird back in (all eyes on him) and that is a very large amount of ATTENTION. It also could scare the bird to have lots of tense people trying to get him and that could cause fear which could fuel an additional need to ESCAPE.

The main reinforcer is likely ESCAPE (motivated by fear or dislike for cage) EDIT- MOST LIKELY NOT ATTENTION DUE TO THE SENTENCE ABOUT FEAR OF HANDS AND NOT WANTING PEOPLE AROUND----MISSED THAT THE FIRST TIME!!! Although SENSORY is possible, that would only apply if his cage were too small/too large or something (to where he physically had discomfort inside). Another reason that it is unlikely sensory is that you said he used to be okay with his cage (and unless he grew or something) his sensory perceptions would remain fairly consistent.

So, he flaps around and hides (ESCAPE= Avoids cage) and you try to get him and focus on that task (ATTENTION= chase him around, coax him, talk to him, make a scene, entertain him, yell, laugh, involve other people, involve objects). The cycle could end there (if he is just enjoying the chaos, and it doesn't appear that he is), or it could shift to escape again if the bird is afraid of you chasing him + chaos etc. The bird is in control, but you need to figure out WHY he doesn't want to go back to the cage.

I am thinking primary=ESCAPE from the cage setting and secondary= ESCAPE From you, due the domino effect of this chain of behaviors. EDIT- I just re-read your first post and saw the thing about him being scared of hands! Based on that information, it is very likely that he is running from you and scared of the chaos. Sorry I overlooked that the first time!

You need to build his desire to be around the cage by minimizing whatever it is that is dislikes about it, or by capitalizing on his preferences for activities outside of the cage. He is getting some need met outside of the cage that isn't being met IN the cage. Find out what that is, and change his expectation.
For instance,

If you typically put him in the cage and then leave, then it could be that he doesn't like being alone. Therefore, you need to prove to him that just because he is near or in his cage does not mean that you will definitely leave him alone. etc etc

In his case, he is likely scared of people, so he may not enjoy your presence 100%. That having been said, he does need to get used to people and you need to slowly get him adjusted to your presence (in and out of the cage)

4 final/major questions:
When does he get out of his cage and when do you put him back in?
What do you do immediately after he is in his cage?

What was his situation when he was rescued? This will inform your understanding of why he may dislike his cage...
Did he ever get out of it?

Final suggestions (not knowing the whole story)--- at risk of scaring your bird, you could consider moving his cage to a smaller room with fewer hiding places while you train him to go in and out. You could also hang a large tension rod (depending on current cage placement) and drape sheets over it to prevent him from flying into the larger parts of the room. Again, this may scare him, but it could help control his ability to hide and prevent him from thinking that he can run from you so easily. It also might reduce his desire to leave his cage slightly if he doesn't see all of his options. Again, it could totally scare him to have a giant sheet hanging up, so you have to know your bird well enough to make that call, but I would definitely look into controlling the environment more because you need to break the cycle and reteach a chain of behaviors.

reeisconfused · Aug 26, 2018

noodles123 said:
If he is healthy, have you tried placing food in his cage, leaving it open, and allowing him to enter and exit freely ?

If you try that, do not shut him in the second he goes for the food, or you will just train him to further avoid anything "suspicious"/cage-related.

Depending on his level of stubbornness, you could only offer food in the cage, but you would want to consult the vet regarding how long you would let this go if resisted too long .Water would need to be provided regardless. How old is he and how old was he when he was more agreeable?

How long have you had him?
Has he ever spent time on/around his cage of his own accord/by his choosing?

Thoughts based on what you said

"He WAS very food motivated"- this implied that his replacement behavior (hiding from you, staying from the cage) is most likely a greater motivation, or, he is satiated (not hungry).
If the new behavior has increased, it has been reinforced. You have to figure out what is reinforcing it in order to fix it. 4 main reinforces are usually: attention, escape, tangible objects and sensory. You can sometimes have combo platters (2 combined) but usually, at least one is more obvious. Focus on the 4 basic ones for now.

Here is what I envision---- you let him out in the morning or when you get home (after a long stretch in the cage) he does what he wants all day and eats outside of the cage. The only time you put him back is at night or when you absolutely have to because it has become a giant headache. By this point, you are likely more tense and stressed because you feel like you are being controlled by your bird and you are running out of time. You bird likely picks up on this. You probably say or do the same/similar things right before you are about to pursue him. He takes these cues as markers for the start of the hide-and-seek fiasco. He resists and so far, you are banking on the idea of ESCAPE as he motivator (I don't want to go in my cage so I run around and stay out longer). Then, you chase him around (maybe more than one person). Everyone's focus shifts to getting the bird back in (all eyes on him) and that is a very large amount of ATTENTION. It also could scare the bird to have lots of tense people trying to get him and that could cause fear which could fuel an additional need to ESCAPE.

The 2 reinforcer possibilities are - ESCAPE (motivated by fear or dislike for cage) or ATTENTION---these 2 functions for behavior often occur together. Although SENSORY is possible, that would only apply if his cage were too small/too large or something (to where he physically had discomfort inside). Another reason that it is unlikely sensory is that you said he used to be okay with his cage (and unless he grew or something) his sensory perceptions would remain fairly consistent.

So, he flaps around and hides (ESCAPE= Avoids cage) and you try to get him and focus on that task (ATTENTION= chase him around, coax him, talk to him, make a scene, entertain him, yell, laugh, involve other people, involve objects). The cycle could end there (if he is just enjoying the chaos), or it could shift to escape again if the bird is afraid of you chasing him + chaos etc. The bird is in control, and he knows it, but you need to figure out WHY he doesn't want to go back to the cage.
I am thinking primary=ESCAPE from the cage setting and secondary= ATTENTION or ESCAPE (From you), due the domino effect of this chain of behaviors.

You need to build his desire to be around the cage by minimizing whatever it is that is dislikes about it, or by capitalizing on his preferences for activities outside of the cage. He is getting some need met outside of the cage that isn't being met IN the cage. Find out what that is, and change his expectation.
For instance,

If you typically put him in the cage and then leave, then it could be that he doesn't like being alone. Therefore, you need to prove to him that just because he is near or in his cage does not mean that you will definitely leave him alone. etc etc

2 final/major questions:
When does he get out of his cage and when do you put him back in?
What do you do immediately after he is in his cage?

We’ve had him for a month. Unsure about his age as we rescued him and know litle of history except that he was abused! I think he’s 2-3 years or older as he a ring around his neck. Food is given only in his cage as he used to fly back in often to eat during the day. He’s crazy about food and comes running whenever I show it to him but this is no longer the case! I think what you said is true - he realizes he has to back in and avoids it at all costs. We always moniter him when we let him out because he’s a bit clumsy. Usually, he’s out by 7am and in by 8.30am (when I leave) and my mom lets him out again by 10 - 11am and he’s out till 6-7pm. The funny thing is he goes back on his OWN at all times but now he just doesn’t want to. His cage is big enough for him and food and water is always present in it.
Even after he’s in the cage, we are still in the room with him! He sleeps after he goes in everyday and I put in a little snack before I go to bed. The only time he’s in the cage is sleeping time!
Coaxing him with food no longer works and I can’t catch him cause he FREAKS out. How do you suggest I get him in?
(p.s. he’s still hiding up cause we tried to put him in :34: He NEVER does this and is such a good boy and I don’t know what to do anymore.

noodles123 · Aug 26, 2018

So he no longer goes into the cage on his own ever?

Was there a day when he spent a longer-than-usual span of time in the cage?
Did you spend more time with him during those first few weeks (As he was brand-new)?

It could be that when he came to you, he was hungry due to malnourishment and that now, he is simply over the hunger part of his recovery.
It is so hard because he was abused.....so while birds DO tend to test limits after a honeymoon period, it is hard to say when there is a trauma background.
If he was abused, sticks may be a source of fear (just a thought).

Will he step up on you ever?

If I were you, I would give him less free-reign over the home and restrict the areas in which is allowed to play. The rest of my answer will depend on your responses to my new questions lol.

noodles123 · Aug 26, 2018

The fact that you are still in the room when he goes in may upset him (not sure), but if he is fearful and doesn't trust people much, hearing a bunch of sounds and feeling trapped could make him anxious.

Do you cover his cage at night when you are still in the room?

Have you considered or tried getting a 2nd cage for sleeping that you store in a different room from the rest of household activities?

EDIT- I just re-read your first post----I missed the part where you said he was terrified of hands and people getting too close to him!

This is escape behavior due to fear (I'm almost certain). If he were more fond of people, there could be an attention component, but it doesn't sound like that is his thing at this point. Nevertheless, he can't stay in his cage all day (or he could become more fearful) and he can't freak out when you let him out (or he will become more fearful when you have to chase him..)

I would give him less freedom, because you are likely scaring him my chasing him around. Sit with him quietly with him in his cage and build trust. If you let him out, let him out in a smaller room or a restricted area and do it at a time when you know he should be hungry. That way, he has fewer places to run and hide, and he could possibly respond to food bribes with greater interest.
Do you remove food at night? If so, AM might be best (as he will be most hungry).
You don't want to stop interacting with him and he should not spend too much time in his cage, but it sounds like he is very scared. You need to rebuild trust. If you choose to let him out in a resticted area, do it at a time when you have nothing but time and see if he eventually goes back in on his own.

reeisconfused · Aug 26, 2018

noodles123 said:
So he no longer goes into the cage on his own ever?

Was there a day when he spent a longer-than-usual span of time in the cage?
Did you spend more time with him during those first few weeks (As he was brand-new)?

It could be that when he came to you, he was hungry due to malnourishment and that now, he is simply over the hunger part of his recovery.
It is so hard because he was abused.....so while birds DO tend to test limits after a honeymoon period, it is hard to say when there is a trauma background.
If he was abused, sticks may be a source of fear (just a thought).

Will he step up on you ever?

If I were you, I would give him less free-reign over the home and restrict the areas in which is allowed to play. The rest of my answer will depend on your responses to my new questions lol.

It’s very rare but it has happened. When we had guests over, we would put him in (otherwise people would insist on touching him / scare him etc which he hates). This has happened only once or twice.
Yes, I actually did! I still do spend time with him (when he came, it was excessive because I wanted him to settle in well). He was never let out of his cage by his previous owner and was kept in an extremely small cage.

Everytime he’s in, he eats and then starts pacing around the cage / flutters / flies to top of cage when he wants to come out. The thing is, he ALWAYS wants to be out. Something I can’t do.

Stepping up is out of question. He’s terrified of hands and will RUN if you put your hands near him. He’s sort of an orthodox really because he takes fruits from my hands when he wants to, walks by me, stands by my feet and nibbles it (i know!) but he doesn’t want us to invade his space. These are all things he does when he’s in a good mood!

He’s not clipped and so he flies around a lot (I personally do not believe in clipping wings). He has his spots in the house and only goes there!

Also, silly question but can his behaviour change depending on food? He’s been this way since he started eating rice (ofcourse, very very little amount). Personally, I don’t give it to him but once I accidently kept rice on the dining table and as soon as I moved, he flew in and starting eating! He loves eating it so I’ve been giving to him occassionally. The thing is, he has given up his food for rice! I’m thinking of boycotting it...

(I got him in after 4 hours of trying. He’s barely eaten today and was hungry so he came when I showed him his favourite fruit - jam)

reeisconfused · Aug 26, 2018

noodles123 said:
The fact that you are still in the room when he goes in may upset him (not sure), but if he is fearful and doesn't trust people much, hearing a bunch of sounds and feeling trapped could make him anxious.

Do you cover his cage at night when you are still in the room?

Have you considered or tried getting a 2nd cage for sleeping that you store in a different room from the rest of household activities?

EDIT- I just re-read your first post----I missed the part where you said he was terrified of hands and people getting too close to him!

This is escape behavior due to fear (I'm almost certain). If he were more fond of people, there could be an attention component, but it doesn't sound like that is his thing at this point. Nevertheless, he can't stay in his cage all day (or he could become more fearful) and he can't freak out when you let him out (or he will become more fearful when you have to chase him..)

I would give him less freedom, because you are likely scaring him my chasing him around. Sit with him quietly with him in his cage and build trust. If you let him out, let him out in a smaller room or a restricted area and do it at a time when you know he should be hungry. That way, he has fewer places to run and hide, and he could possibly respond to food bribes with greater interest.
Do you remove food at night? If so, AM might be best (as he will be most hungry).
You don't want to stop interacting with him and he should not spend too much time in his cage, but it sounds like he is very scared. You need to rebuild trust. If you choose to let him out in a resticted area, do it at a time when you have nothing but time and see if he eventually goes back in on his own.

He doesn’t like being covered AT ALL. I tried it and he started squeaking and fluttering and thrashing. I think it makes him feel trapped. I stopped doing it.

Hmm, I think getting a second cage might be a good idea. I have a sleeping spot where I keep him! I switch off the lights and the curtains are drawn in so there’s no light to disturb him.

I don’t! I leave a snack for him to nibble on for the night as he might get hungry.

noodles123 · Aug 26, 2018

Rice has high levels of sugar so I would definitly avoid it ---especially if he is taking it over other foods. Nutritional problems can cause behaviors and if rice is filling him up, he may not be hungry and he may be missing vital amino acids etc.
If you must give him rice, I would use it as a reward and give like 2 grains at a time (cooked). That could be a good cage bribe.

Okay, so now we know why he hates his cage (he was locked in it all of the time).

He is anxious about it because he had bad experiences there and doesn't want that to repeat.

When I got my cockatoo, she eventually took food from my hand, but it took a month or 2 after that for her to step up willingly, so I think that can be normal with trauma. Yours may move very slowly because of past incidents.
It is a good sign that she likes you enough to take food---
she is probably scared of hands because A- They hurt her at some point, or B- she was locked in her cage and didn't get exposed to them much.

You could try taking the food out at night and just see if that helps. If he isn't eating during the day after not eating that night, then you may want to put it back in, but he won't starve to death in 24 hours. If motivation is increased by hunger, then no more night eating might strengthen his resolve to get food. Talk to your vet about how long you should wait before caving in.

When you let him out of his cage, it sounds like he is exiting on his own. AFTER you solidify his trust (via time+positive associations)you might consider opening the front door and setting a hand near it. If you can get him to come near your hand, then that is progress. I am not saying to force him to step up, but you might see if he will even exit with your hand nearby. Keep your hand there and see if he will walk past- do not move your hand. Eventually, he has to learn that hands are not a threat, but this will take a long time. Gradually, move your hand closer to the door and closer to him- before opening the door (and only after solid progress is shown). You could work towards having him step up before he gets out (stepping up= what you want, getting out= reward). Always pair the reward (letting out) with consistent verbal praise. This will come in handy in the distant future.

You will need to break down each step in the process via a "task analysis"----reward and shape baby steps and then stack them together over time. During teaching, you reward any approximation toward your goal (if he approaches your hand, let him out. When this is consistent, add that she has to touch your hand, then let him out. When this is consistent, add that he has to approach, touch and put on foot on your hand, then let him out. Getting let out is the reward, and stepping up has multiple "steps" lol so break them down and then teach them in sequence.

Before you do any of this though, I would give him time and I would close off his play area somewhat (smaller room, tension rod+sheet, door ...something). Think of a space the size of an office maybe. Make sure windows are covered or have decals on them so that he can't slam into them if frightened-- look for hiding places and if you can remove them without terrifying him, do so. Initially, I would just sit next to the closed cage and do quiet activities (laptop, reading etc). When you let him out, just sit in there with him- and ignore him. Keep doing what you are doing and just stay calm while he feels out the situation. Do this for multiple days and aside from occasional quiet talking, let him initiate any interaction. With limited stimulation, he may get bored or hungry and decide to go back in to get food etc. When he goes back in on his own, give her a food reward in a non-scary way, but don't close him in. I would wait for him to get out and then let him see you put a favorite treat in his cage bowl. That way, if he does decide to go back in, you don't have to scare him by walking over (OH NO, SHE'S LOCKING ME UP---PANIC PANIC!). Let him get used to coming and going with you in the room and show him that you won't always lock him up for going in his cage. If he likes toys, you could also try putting them in there, but often birds are scared of new toys.

Those are my thoughts initially....Make sure all people who interact with him follow the same protocol/plan with regard to their behavior and actions as well. One person could de-rail progress by scaring him or rewarding bad behavior inadvertently. You need to prove to him that he will not be locked up every time he enters his cage and you need to teach him that it isn't a punishment to go inside of his house. Once he is able to step-up etc, you can gradually thin out rewards etc and expand his play area, but right now, it is too much freedom and chaos (which is feeding his fear via nightly cat-and-mouse routine).

LeslieA · Aug 26, 2018

IRNs come in such a wide variety of colors that the necking isn't a dependable way to tell age. Eyecolor is certainly the most dependable way to tell followed distantly by beakcolor.

One month is certainly not enough time to judge his behavior. Did you know him before?

Stress is a major cause of IRN behavior and wht they tend to smaller places. A hanging/swinging toy could be the cause. A change in diet or amount of sunlight can cause this. You'd be surprised at the seemingly-silly to us reasons for this.

This appears to be a single-bird home. Is there a reason the cage is closed when you're home?

reeisconfused · Aug 27, 2018

noodles123 said:
Rice has high levels of sugar so I would definitly avoid it ---especially if he is taking it over other foods. Nutritional problems can cause behaviors and if rice is filling him up, he may not be hungry and he may be missing vital amino acids etc.
If you must give him rice, I would use it as a reward and give like 2 grains at a time (cooked). That could be a good cage bribe.

Okay, so now we know why he hates his cage (he was locked in it all of the time).

He is anxious about it because he had bad experiences there and doesn't want that to repeat.

When I got my cockatoo, she eventually took food from my hand, but it took a month or 2 after that for her to step up willingly, so I think that can be normal with trauma. Yours may move very slowly because of past incidents.
It is a good sign that she likes you enough to take food---
she is probably scared of hands because A- They hurt her at some point, or B- she was locked in her cage and didn't get exposed to them much.

You could try taking the food out at night and just see if that helps. If he isn't eating during the day after not eating that night, then you may want to put it back in, but he won't starve to death in 24 hours. If motivation is increased by hunger, then no more night eating might strengthen his resolve to get food. Talk to your vet about how long you should wait before caving in.

When you let him out of his cage, it sounds like he is exiting on his own. AFTER you solidify his trust (via time+positive associations)you might consider opening the front door and setting a hand near it. If you can get him to come near your hand, then that is progress. I am not saying to force him to step up, but you might see if he will even exit with your hand nearby. Keep your hand there and see if he will walk past- do not move your hand. Eventually, he has to learn that hands are not a threat, but this will take a long time. Gradually, move your hand closer to the door and closer to him- before opening the door (and only after solid progress is shown). You could work towards having him step up before he gets out (stepping up= what you want, getting out= reward). Always pair the reward (letting out) with consistent verbal praise. This will come in handy in the distant future.

You will need to break down each step in the process via a "task analysis"----reward and shape baby steps and then stack them together over time. During teaching, you reward any approximation toward your goal (if he approaches your hand, let him out. When this is consistent, add that she has to touch your hand, then let him out. When this is consistent, add that he has to approach, touch and put on foot on your hand, then let him out. Getting let out is the reward, and stepping up has multiple "steps" lol so break them down and then teach them in sequence.

Before you do any of this though, I would give him time and I would close off his play area somewhat (smaller room, tension rod+sheet, door ...something). Think of a space the size of an office maybe. Make sure windows are covered or have decals on them so that he can't slam into them if frightened-- look for hiding places and if you can remove them without terrifying him, do so. Initially, I would just sit next to the closed cage and do quiet activities (laptop, reading etc). When you let him out, just sit in there with him- and ignore him. Keep doing what you are doing and just stay calm while he feels out the situation. Do this for multiple days and aside from occasional quiet talking, let him initiate any interaction. With limited stimulation, he may get bored or hungry and decide to go back in to get food etc. When he goes back in on his own, give her a food reward in a non-scary way, but don't close him in. I would wait for him to get out and then let him see you put a favorite treat in his cage bowl. That way, if he does decide to go back in, you don't have to scare him by walking over (OH NO, SHE'S LOCKING ME UP---PANIC PANIC!). Let him get used to coming and going with you in the room and show him that you won't always lock him up for going in his cage. If he likes toys, you could also try putting them in there, but often birds are scared of new toys.

Those are my thoughts initially....Make sure all people who interact with him follow the same protocol/plan with regard to their behavior and actions as well. One person could de-rail progress by scaring him or rewarding bad behavior inadvertently. You need to prove to him that he will not be locked up every time he enters his cage and you need to teach him that it isn't a punishment to go inside of his house. Once he is able to step-up etc, you can gradually thin out rewards etc and expand his play area, but right now, it is too much freedom and chaos (which is feeding his fear via nightly cat-and-mouse routine).

thank you so much for your response! I really really appreciate it ❤️
Also, I found out that we have flocks of wild parrots flying here nearby everyday! Max calls out to them and they respond ALWAYS. He’s always screaming for them. Could this be stressing him out? Has this upset him and that’s the reason why he’s causing trouble? Still not eating at all. I’m super stressed.

reeisconfused · Aug 27, 2018

LeslieA said:
IRNs come in such a wide variety of colors that the necking isn't a dependable way to tell age. Eyecolor is certainly the most dependable way to tell followed distantly by beakcolor.

One month is certainly not enough time to judge his behavior. Did you know him before?

Stress is a major cause of IRN behavior and wht they tend to smaller places. A hanging/swinging toy could be the cause. A change in diet or amount of sunlight can cause this. You'd be surprised at the seemingly-silly to us reasons for this.

This appears to be a single-bird home. Is there a reason the cage is closed when you're home?

He’s green with a red neck around his neck. I checked up online and he’s definately atleast 2 - 3 years or more!
I did not. One of my uncle found out about his situation and we were determined to rescue him. His previous owner would not give him up so we paid him to let Max go.

The cage is always open when we’re home. I’m in college and I leave really early in the morning (hence close him in, always - I let him out for 2 hours before I leave) and my mom opens his cage at around 10 when she wakes up after a short nap! On days she goes out, Max is let out at around 2 - 3pm and is out till 7 - 8pm.

noodles123 · Aug 27, 2018

In behavioral theory, things like being sick, being hungry, having a fight with someone prior to a different incident, seeing/hearing something frightening, lack of sleep the night before etc are all called "setting events"-- basically, factors that agitate (or even just influence) a situation but fall outside of the A-B-C scenario (A=antecedence= what happens right before; B=behavior (described in objective terms); C= consequence (not bad necessarily, but what happened directly as a result of the behavior--talked to, laughed at, yelled at, removed to new location, gave a cracker , left the room/ignored etc etc)). The squawking birds outside could easily be a setting event, but it is hard to tell for sure---sounds like he has noticed the noises and is responding, so it is quite possible that it is impacting behavior. Stress of the transition could also be a setting event, as could hunger.
If possible, try making an ABC chart to track his behavior. You can Google this easily (its a huge part of ABA- Applied Behavior Analysis).
Make sure you are keeping in touch with the vet about the food situation, as birds sometimes require syringe feeding.

Watch this----https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xThcmhwFlKw --- it is boring but it explains the process

(I do disagree with the way she discusses consequences (her written portion is fine), but then she talks about negative peer interaction and then the kid has to stand by a wall away from everyone. The chart itself if fine, but her analysis is very subjective because she uses incorrect terminology. The negative peer response IS STILL ATTENTION and standing by a wall if a form of ESCAPE.

Do a chart for your parrot's behavior.

In the function section, you are looking primarily for : 1 escape, 2 attention, 3 sensory, 4 tangible items.

If the bird does the behavior when getting attention, it isn't likely attention (attention can be yelling, eye contact, proximity etc etc)

If the bird isn't getting away from anything (situation, person, setting) then it isn't escape...etc etc...see what I mean?

Anytime a behavior happens repeatedly, something is fueling it or reinforcing it. No one does anything unless they are getting something out of it.

EDIT- as I was writing this, my cockatoo started talking to me because when she does that, I often (but not always) pet her etc (As long as it is words and not screaming). Because I was doing this post, I talked back, but did not look at her. She started throwing her food on the ground and showering me with pellets. I still have not looked at her, nor have I spoken to her or asked her to stop. Why? because the talking was her 1st attempt at getting attention (typically works--I try to respond to socially acceptable equivalents, but I can't do that all of the time) ..sooooo, because the "polite" method (talking) failed, she is now attempting to get my attention in an inappropriate way and if I acknowledge her in any way, then I am giving her the reinforcement she was seeking--in doing so, I make it more likely that this behavior will be repeated in the future. I am waiting to clean up the mess until she is in a different location lol. After she was happily eating and had moved on, she spoke again, and that time, I went over and attended to her so that she was able to meet that need on my terms. It is important to note that this talking behavior has already been taught---if I were just teaching her the appropriate method, I would want to give the reward (in this case, attention) every time---this is called intermittent reinforcement and much like a slot machine, intermittent reinforcement is highly effective when strengthening behaviors already learned (you keep putting coins into a slot machine because you never know when you might be rewarded). Over time, you thin out reinforcement (from 1-to-1, to intermittent), so the example above shows that challenge.

lplummer52 · Aug 27, 2018

Sounds like he’s got your number. Smart bird. Relax. Don’t worry about getting him in his cage. Put his cage in an area where he’ll be safe if he won’t go inside. Then ignore him. Make him want to come out for your attention. Parrots hate to be left alone. They love it when you chase them. This will take some figuring out on your part. You are smarter than the bird. You can figure out a way. Don’t give up. He’s obviously a very smart bird and will be a source of great entertainment and joy.

HELP! Parrot hates going back in his cage.l

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Alexandrine cage aggression

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