Really Need some quick advice please

3 days ago we adopted a lessor sulpher crested cockatoo
She is 5 years old- and has had some struggles in life.

Right away she took to my husband and didn't seem to like me so much-
She adores him, and plays and talks and lets him handle her- very happy.

Yesterday I tried to pet her on top of her head- and she tried to nip me-
I have been giving her her space= so I figured I would try again in a few days

But today- my husband was cleaning her cage and I tried to hang a new toy on the outside- she ran over and bite me- HARD- the worst I have ever been bitten by a bird.
Of this broke my heart- and kinda made me angry.
For about 2 hours after this happened- she just kinda sat there- no talking.

Now when I walk past her to get into my office, she lunges at me- with her beak open- trying to bite me.

I really need help- what should I do??

Yes, I do have experience with Cockatoos- but never had anything like this to deal with.

Hello and Welcome!

I'm sorry you're new bird bit you. You stated the bird has issues, you also said you've only had him three days. Some birds adjust quickly, some not so much and Toos sometimes take weeks or months to build up enough trust to allow someone to make physical contact.

There's no reason to be angry at the bird for hurting you. He doesn't understand what happened to him, everything's brand new, sights, sounds, voices, humans, pets, there's so many possible reasons for your bird to be uncomfortable. Some birds are feeling the effects of hormone season, that's another possible cause for aggression.

Please have patience, give your new friend some time and some reasons to trust you. Talk to him from a safe distance, watch his body language, you can tell when he's comfortable and ready to interact. Try to move at his pace.

Best of luck to you.

Welcome to the forum. Do you know anything about his history? It is possible he was abused or taunted (or in some other way) traumatized by a woman. I don't want to frighten you, but when a rescue with a 'past' doesn't just 'take' to you, you can expect to be bit a few times during the trust-building process. My bird was like that, he had a vendetta against me from day one. It took a long time to earn his trust, and I did get bit along the way, but he's a real sweetheart now

My personal advice would be to start slowly. Sit by his cage, and talk softly to him, offering some yummy food through the bars if he seems willing to accept it. He will likely act aggressively at first, but over the coming weeks (if you are consistent) will eventually calm down and start getting used to your presence as a non-threatening one. Then you can move on to target training, which will further build trust. They key is to be consistent, persistent and to let the bird come around on his own time/terms. They all do eventually

Is it possible for you to contact his previous caretakers? Sometimes parrots don't like certain characteristics that humans have. I see this a lot with Cockatoos. For instance, one of my birds HATES glasses. She will attack them, whether on your face or on the table. However she loves bald heads (rofl) and will quickly befriend anyone who doesn't have hair on their scalp.
Alternatively, are you nervous around the bird? You may come off as intimidating in some way.