Attack Budgie

A bit of background : I've had Barry for 2 months. I work at a wildlife rehabilitation center and we got a call a few months ago about a parakeet that had hit a window and the people who found him didn't want him. So, we rescued him and I'm fortunate enough to be able to keep him. However this means I know nothing about his history. He is an adult male and he came in with feet injuries that look to be from someone cutting off his ID band. He's since recovered and seems healthy.

For a couple of weeks now, he has been molting. Now he seems to have stopped losing feathers but has several in pin coming in. I realize the parakeets can get very grumpy during this time, but to what extent usually?
In the last few days, my parakeet has been very aggressive towards me. However he has also been dancing, singing, and nibbling my hands almost as if I were a potential mate. But do parakeets bite their mates during courtship too?
Also, when I go to take him out of his cage or just to reach in for his food dishes be makes a point to bite me. Today he has taken it a step further and has been coming out of his cage, flying to me, and biting me on my fingers, crawling up my arm and biting my neck.

Is this behavior because of the molting and perhaps being hormonal or could there be another reason for it?

It could be several things. When he bites you, is his body language aggressive, or does it seem almost like he doesn't know it hurts? There are several approaches that could work if it is actual aggression, but it could also just be a lack of bite inhibition, meaning he doesn't know it hurts. We dealt with this with Flick, my GCC. Also, it is often seen in puppies who were taken from their mothers too soon. Can you tell us more about his body language before and after the biting, and anything else the incidents have in common? For example, does he always do it, or only right when you open the cage? When you wear a certain color? When a certain person is in the room? Etc?

He didnt do any of this behavior before he started molting. He has always been vocal and he sings a lot, but lately he has been doing the angry "ack, ack, ack!" frequently.
When I approach him to take him out of the cage he lean forward as if reaching for me and then bites. He also raised the feathers on his head and puffs out his "cheeks" before and during biting. Afterwards, he lowers the feathers and isn't as fluffy, but that usually only lasts a minute or so until he bites again. He does this every time I take him out since beginning to molt. It seems that when I can get him away from his cage, say in another room, he calms down and isn't as aggressive. He will still bite me when I try to get him to step up.
I haven't noticed any difference when wearing certain colors or other people in the room.

Anymore information that you would find useful?

Sounds like to me your not paying attention to his clear warnings to leave him alone during his moult. I mean that with the greatest respect. Molting is stressful, even painful. It can take a lot out of a bird, making them grumpy and not wanting to be handled. It's best to just give him soothing mist baths, mist him and interact with him from a distance, giving him some space. Both my Senegal and parrotlet get very grumpy. It's only after the pin feathers break through do they want attention and help. But you still have to be very careful because the blood feather can be painful to the touch. The more you respect his space, the more he will trust you because when he warns you, you respond in kind by not forcing attention on him. You will learn this. Watch some videos on YouTube on bird body language. It's so helpful, see if you recognize some of the posturing, comparing to the posturing of your bird. Good luck.

Thank you. I appreciate your advice. This is my first bird, so I realize that I have a lot to learn.

Saiori said:

Thank you. I appreciate your advice. This is my first bird, so I realize that I have a lot to learn.

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You are so welcome.. This is a great forum, great bunch of people, who care about people and their birds. Glad your here. And post some pictures of your grumpy baby, we would love to see him. :09:

I definitely agree with Wendy, he doesn't like your advances -the ACK ACK ACK!! is budgie speak for "back the heck off!" Lol (they're bossy little things!)

As suggested, frequent baths/misting will help a lot, and give him time to come around... Molting can be very painful and stressful for some birds. 😬