my bird is BI-POLAR!! HELP!!

OK I don't know what to do and it's starting to become a major issue...

Our umbrella throws temper tantrums and I'm not sure how to get him to quit, mainly because when he does, he will ATTACK the nearest person and latch on with that beak, and I'm sure many of you here know just exactly what that feels like...

He's so unpredictable, yet...predictable. Unpredictable in that one minute he will be cuddly and lovey-dovey and perfectly calm, then out of nowhere he will completely snap and become Psycho-Parrot, leaving you very little time to get away before he decides to attack.

Predictable, in that sometimes you can tell when he's contemplating murder. We usually will let him hang out with us in the living room and his favorite spot is on the back of the couch. Well he will be sitting there all quiet and fine and dandy, then he'll start to pace back and forth all up and down the back of the couch. He'll do that for a few minutes then finally get so pissed off that he will just jump on you out of nowhere and latch on. And he doesn't give up either..he will keep coming back for more.

I don't know what to do. It's so frustrating when he does this and it takes everything I have not to whack him when he starts attacking (mainly out of self defense!)
Any suggestions on how to deal with this? I honestly have no idea why he does this and how I can stop it...

I bet it was funny,..The 1st time.
When he starts pacing, what is he wanting?
He obviously thinks your holding out on him for something.
You cant be held hostage by a bird in your own home.

Is he getting sexually active?
Maybe he thinks its time to sow some oats and there is no one to sow.
I am not an expert, so take all my ideas with a pinch of salt.

Yeah he's about 12 years old so he's hit sexual maturity...our vet told us he was sexually frustrated...and he (ehemm) realllly likes me, or mainly my hand, if you know what I mean...he often attempts to use my hand or foot as a, well, mate..but I don't let him...so maybe he's irritated. Although this isn't the only reason he's gotten in attack mode. Sometimes I honestly don't know why he does it. Maybe it's because he gets jealous or mad if I don't pay as much attention to him as HE wants, or thinks I should be giving him...even though he's really out quite a bit..but who knows what's going through his head.

I just wish I knew how to get him to not be like that WITHOUT giving in and spoiling him.

Can the vet give him something to reduce his sex drive? Then he should be less frustrated.

I'm not sure...but it would probably be great on both of our parts if he could be given something...might be something to ask the vet next time he goes in..

it takes everything I have not to whack him when he starts attacking (mainly out of self defense!)

Click to expand...

Not a rational thought and cruel one at that

Cockatoos are VERY DEMANDING BIRDS that should not be bred because most people can't take care of them. They can be frustrating at times and quite unpredictable. A person has to have a lot of patience and bandaids and a huge sense of humor with these guys. LOL

What diet do you have him on?
Does he have a variety of toys?
Is he stick trained ?- meaning can you pick him up with a hand held perch. VERY USEFUL for hormonal birds such as Amazons and cockatoos.
When did this behavior start?
How long does it last?

Usually Hormonal periods can last from a few days to a few months. During this time birds need extra toys, puzzles and activities to keep their minds active. It also might be a good idea to keep interaction from a distance. Meaning talk to him just don't get as physical. Also make sure that when you pet him scratch his head but don't coddle him/her because this can confuse the bird and make the problem worse.

For more info on cockatoos I suggest you check out http://www.mytoos.com/forum/ubbthreads.php as this site is dedicated to cockatoos and everyone on there has Too's and lots of info about them.
Also read there agenda http://www.mytoos.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=126293&Main=14109#Post126293.

I don't normally post other forums EXCEPT when it come to cockatoos, because these birds and their human usually need a lot of help.

Good Luck:}

Its actually really quite simple and common. If you just think of your Cockatoo as a 2 year old its alot easier to understand. As you said, your Cockatoo is throwing a fit.

How long have you had him? My bird will sometimes do this to other people but I always know when he is going to do it. And its always because no one is paying attention to him, he saw someone eat something that he wants, etc.

Mine loves to lay under a blanket, for example. My African Grey is perfectly content to sit on the arm of the couch and just watch me/hang out while Im watching television. Most cockatoos are more demanding then that. The cockatoo needs to be on the perch eating something interesting, on the floor playing with a toy or on my lap, or beside me (sitting close) being petted.

Im guessing maybe he hasn't lived with you that long? You learn to predict and understand why he throws temper tantrums....though sometimes they are for "no good reason" in general (ie he is just tired, etc). And remember Cockatoos have great memories. My cockatoo absoluely hates my neighbor. He bit him once and my neighbor didnt react too well, dropping him on the floor and it became a "battle". Now my Cockatoo is nice to him long enough to get him close and then he attacks at the first opportunity.

Good advice, one thing I would add is to try the step up ladder training with him. When my brats start behaving like little maniacs I use this to remind them that while I love them very much, I'm still the top bird in the flock.
I perch them on one hand and hold them kind of low while making them step up from one hand to another (but holding the hands in place down low) I praise them each time they do it and eventually have them 'walk' up the ladder to my face where they get a big kiss. (I added the kiss part in, don't put him by your face if he is being too aggressive, obviously..)
Like Daisy said, they really are small children and it's very frustrating to realize you have a perpetual 3 year old child. Don't feel bad about wanting to choke them. Be they human or feathered kids, I'm sure everyone feels this way from time to time, even if they won't admit it
Whats his name, by the way?

Good luck!!

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet, and I am just throwing this out there, how much sleep does your 'too get? The only reason I ask this is because more hours of darkness can help with hormonal issues.

Try this for a few nights before you go medicating your bird (please do not get me started on everyone trying to throw medicine at every problem we have here in the US ... Should a 3 year-old be on medicine because he/she is "over-active" ... stepping off soap box and putting it away - whew, that was close):

Put your bird in a completely dark room for 12 - 13 hours instead of like 8 - 10. The more darkness time that your bird gets seems to simulate the longer winter time and can help control hormones ... try it, and see if it helps.

Oh yeah sleep, we always seem to forget about how much sleep they get. Thanks for bringing that one up Tex. Popsicle would stay up 24 hours if I never covered her up.

I think the reason it's so upsetting to me is because when he's being lovey, he's my best friend, and for him to turn on me like that is, well, sad. BUT he is an animal and I'm sure that doesn't even cross his mind.

daisy, we've owned him since he was still needing to be hand fed (he's 12)...but I'm sure that this new tantrum phase he's going through is hormonal due to his becoming sexually mature, as we never had this issue until about a year or two ago...it's just recently started to get more frequent so I think I notice it more. Like I said, I can usually tell WHEN he's going to do something, but I really am not sure why, other than it might be jealousy...I really don't know though..I try to pay attention to him but it never seems to work and he throws a fit anyway...so I don't know what to attain it to. Sometimes I think he's almost angry that I'm away a lot more because of school, so when I come back he's taking out his anger...that probably sounds silly and I doubt he's really thinking like that, but I'm clueless.

Just a couple days ago he did it again...I do think it's a jealousy thing, or at least it is in part...I was sitting on the floor playing cards with my mom, and he was sitting on the arm of the couch, perfectly quiet and content, almost looking half-asleep. He suddenly comes to life and jumps down on the floor, so I picked him up to try to prevent any tantrums. I let him sit on my shoulder to satisfy him, but continued to play cards. He sat there just fine until I looked toward him to talk to him, and he bites the bridge of my nose! It happened very quickly and he didn't bite TOO hard, but he could have. I think he knows he's being bad too, because after he attacks he runs away (toward his cage, usually).

I've never hit him so (rockinseattle) it's just one of those instinctual things that goes through your mind.....like if a cat comes up and attacks me, I'm probably gonna whack it to keep it from hurting me.

He probably doesn't get enough sleep though we try to encourage him to, and we try to make sure he gets darkness. He's covered up by dusk (around 5:15-5:20 pm now) and leave him covered until 8 or 9 a.m. It's just rough because as soon as he hears my mom's alarm go off in the morning for work, he's up and screaming, even if he's in the dark. I think now that I'm away for school I might suggest to my mom to put him in my room since there is a door that can be shut and a window that can be covered to keep it dark..maybe that would help.
He likes to weave leather and string into, well, anywhere he can find to put it. So recently I've been putting a lot of leather knotted "balls" in his cage, some as foot toys and some that are hanging, that he can spend time untying and weaving. He seems to like those. He has other toys too that keep him busy when he feels like playing, but he doesn't seem too interested in most toys...he just craves human interaction.

He gets covered at about 5pm and is left covered until 8 or 9 am in the morning??? Did I misunderstand??

I know that birds "need alot of sleep" ( I quote this because atypically my birds are happy with going to bed at midnight. They scream at you if you open the blinds before 8 am, etc)

These are very social active birds (as most are)......thats alot of time in the dark. Im sure I misunderstood. ??

Also, Im sure you've already heard the whole "dont put a bird on your shoulder theory".

Though I let my little birds do this half the time- I dont let my Cockatoo. One- he's too big and doesnt balance well there.....and two- I dont want him throwing a tantrum or getting spooked by something while he is on my shoulder. ...just a thought.

I think there is alot of truth to this theory

I agree 100%. My birds don't go on my shoulder when they are behaving poorly. My macaw is nearly done with her moulting. She hasn't been on my shoulder for the entire thing as she is slightly unpredictable during the moult. I like both my eyes and ears. I hope you won't put him on your shoulder again, it's fun for them yes, but too risky for you.

About the bedtime thing, that does sound like a lot of dark time. Around my house, 5 o clock is the time when the most human activity is going on. People are getting home, food is being cooked/eaten and smells good, people are talking excitedly. My birds want to be a part of that. If your cockatoo is locked up during that time he might feel kind of left out. Maybe try giving him a few extra hours of daytime and include him in on some of the evening activities? My macaw's favorite thing to do is washing her face in the bathroom when I wash mine before bed.

My macaw and amazon get lights out at about 9 or 10pm and lights on at about 7pm. One wall of their room is almost all windows so the room really wakes up with the sun anyway. They really don't seem to like being covered and usually take the blanket off the cage right away, if I do cover it.
My African Grey, on the other hand, demands to be covered at about 8:30pm or so. He usually likes me to keep the front of the blanket open for another half hour and then says nite nite and I cover him. He gets up as soon as he hears the other birds stirring upstairs.

My umbrella cockatoo used to pull the same attacks you have described, even down to the running away afterwards. (She would sometimes run away screaming 'heeeelp' afterwards, making it very difficult not to laugh!) The attacks almost always occurred when I was doing something that didn't include her. If I was watching TV with someone she'd suddenly fly over and attack. If I was reading a book or playing a game she'd run over and try to bite. If I wasn't around she would DESTROY my keyboards and any books or items I used without her that I left within her reach.
She was an absolute cuddle bug whenever she wasn't having a tantrum. I mean hugs and kisses and cuddling under he blanket with me and everything. It was very upsetting when my teddy bear turned into a rabid grizzly.

To counter this behavior with my other birds, if I'm in the room with the birds I try and just include them in on whatever I'm doing. Even if it's as simple as saying their names while conversing with someone in front of them, it really brightens them up.

Maybe you could let your bird play cards with you or just sit on your leg and talk to him while you play?

I may be odd, but I never really think of my birds as 'animals'.
Maybe a good way to put it is that they are children who speak a different language. Think how frustrating it must be to try and request something or tell someone something over and over and they just.. don't.. get it. Or to be upset and want to be left alone, or to vent your frustrations but no one can understand. I think after awhile I would want to bite someone too, lol.

They can usually get their point across through speech or body language, but sexual maturity, all those hormones and everything, they are just plain grouchy/depressed and I think they lose patience just like us. It's like they turn into temporary (bad) 15 year old humans.
Just try and be patient and discourage it as best you can. I think your doing a good job, just try giving him a little more awake time and definatly get some better food into his diet. Good luck!!!!

So no one gets confused 7 AM, not PM

Another thing I do is when my cockatoo starts to scream from the other room (or any of the birds)- I call out to them "Hello". Thats our "everythings ok call". Which is basically what Flyte said---- acknowledging the bird even if you are talking to someone else.

I had a friend over one day and my cockatoo was obsessed with her purse. When I pulled him away he threw a fit and started trying to go around me to get to her purse. He started screaming and screaming for the purse. He REALLY wanted it now since I had told him no. I had turned the purse into something special. Now, I just tell him "no" firmly and give him something he can chew on.

They make "indestructable" rubber dogs toys in the shape of three rings. Im a fan of buying stuff at local petstores but if you buy it at a Petco- they will accept a return if it gets destroyed. My Cockatoo loves tossing the rings over and over. Its a heavy toy made for 100lb dogs. I leave this on the floor for the bird to play.

Just like the "dog toy basket", I have a "bird toy basket". I cant imagine a Cockatoo not running lose on the floor but maybe my birds do this because they see the dogs do it. My African Grey even climbs to the ground and walks around the house (he mimics everything the Cockatoo does though)

And the step up thing (that Flyte mentioned) works with my birds too.

Yeah I should have mentioned that he doesn't get covered up like that ALL the time...our schedules are sometimes wacky so we just have to go with the flow and make something work...but he really won't sleep unless he's covered so it's either have him up all night or cover him for a few extra hours on some days. Usually he's out with us until about 9:30-10 PM, then he wakes up when my mom leaves and uncovers him (around 6:30-7 AM). Even when he's covered though, when he hears the alarm go off in the morning, he'll say "hello" over and over and over...you get the idea...until you wake up..so there's no sleeping in with him, haha.

I think I'm going to go toy shopping also, and try to find a few things I can afford...it's rough spending such big bucks on toys that he'll destroy in 2 hours!! Petco might be a good idea because of that little issue; I didn't know they would replace toys!

And actually, I've never heard of the "no cockatoo on the shoulder" theory? Why is that? I don't mean to sound dense..but I obviously don't know everything and I'm just trying to pick up whatever info I can. Most of the time he actually does fine when he's on the shoulder, but he doesn't really want up there all that often...he prefers an arm or cuddling with me under a blanket.

Well, if he just recently took a piece out of your nose I think that's reason enough for no shoulder.. it could have easily been your eye. Don't want you to get hurt!

The larger birds, being so big, if they become unsteady and need to grab hold of something, are more likely to grab hold of something like an eye socket or your nose or ear, where a smaller bird might not be able to reach. The larger birds are also stronger and many times more unpredictable.. most cockatoos seem to be even more unpredictable than other birds and with that bottom beak having the two prongs instead of just one flat one, it can hurt more. Again, not ALL cockatoos are unpredictable, but from what you've said, yours seems to be one of them. (especially now with the new hormonal changes)

If your bird bites or has sudden unpredictable tantrums, or you can't judge what your bird is going to do (because of changes.. molting...sexual maturity..etc) in my opinion, he shouldn't be on your shoulder. Your always taking a risk because unless your a mind reader, you just can't know. Like I said, my Blue and Gold Macaw has not been on my shoulder while she was molting because it makes her cranky, almost like she's having her period or something.

Sometimes they are just difficult to deal with, for example:
Madison, my macaw, is doing this thing now where she screams once, as loud as she can, whenever I say my Amazon's name. If I go near him to pick him up she screams the same way 5 or 6 times in a row. There's no reason for this as they both get tons of attention.. she probably gets more than the amazon She's just very bonded to me and jealous when someone else gets mama's attention. So many problems with birds seem to stem from jealousy.

I am trying to ignore it so that she'll think I don't care but I have horrible headaches, (side effect from new meds..joy!) those yells hurt my head and it's hard not to yell back. If I yell back she gets excited because I yelled and then she yells again and then I yell again.. I'm acting like a parrot and it's fun for her. I've also just reinforced the bad behavior by rewarding her. It's all just a matter of picking your battles and biting your tongue and .. wow! It really is like having a 3 year old kid.

I really think her behavior is my fault for coddling her too much when I raised her but there was no way not to do it, she was very sick and needed me there with her to make sure she could breathe. She has a good memory and wants to resume sleeping with me every night.

On the toy thing, why not try making some toys or buying supplies to make them. Much cheaper and safer. I took all the plastic out of my birds cages and last night while visiting a big pet store I looked at the toys.. most of them read: MADE IN CHINA Even the ones that didn't.. most plastic pieces come from china or at least they dyes/paints do. Since my birds play with everything in their mouths I'm not willing to risk it.

I make all my own toys. They always seem to love the simple stuff best though.. I can give my grey a crazy fun toy but he's happiest with a paper plate to rip up.
Go to the do it yourself section on this forum there are tons of links to do it yourself toys.. it can be so much fun!!

It's funny, my goffins cockatoo also loved to weave and tie knots. I used to cut strips from old clothing and tie a bunch of them to the cage. When I came home she'd usually tied them into knots or wrapped them all around the bars and knotted them. Really entertained her. She also used to tie tight knots to make a hand held toy and then hit my other cockatoo on the head with it. I'd add tons of those to your cage if your bird likes it.. maybe some kind of hand held dumbbell toy with strips on it could be fun too.

My cockatoos other favorite thing to do was this:
The umbrella and goffins would sneak up on Madison when she was a baby and just learning to balance on a perch.. they'd grab her tail, give it a yank and down she'd go to the floor. They thought this was hysterical. Madison learned to grab her tail and pull it up in front of her so they couldn't get it. One day my goffins, Baby, was standing next to her while she held the tail in front of her. Madison let go of the tail and it slammed over and knocked Baby right off the perch! Vengeance is sweet!
Madison still uses this technique to knock books out of my hand if she's sitting by me and feels she should be getting more attention

Aren't they fun when they aren't being demons?