Our CAG, Debbie is just shy of 3 years old now! Lots of changes! Outstanding vocabulary, got her first “red factor feather”, fully flighted, and busy all day long! The last week has been a tad different, all the sudden she has taken to being a bit nippy towards my wife...actually flying at her....disheartening but hopefully we’ll all figure out something....
Her antics, hanging upside down and grabbing her tail or wing feathers and screaming like someone is killing her! That, she has done since very young..kinda figure, she wants attention...try to ignore, but...
Attention she gets...out of her cage most of the day, perches and swings and fresh air in our screened patio while we are out with her, jungle gym in the house....lots of attention and exercise.
All kinds of different foods and pellets, no seeds, she has no interest in seeds...
Wondering if maybe hormonal! Understand we don’t know or care her actual sex, she’s just Debbie!
Any hints?

Btw, there are times when she’ll droop her wing, chortle and even regurgitate...when that happens, I ignore her and put her on a perch or into her cage for a few....understand, I have never given her any petting other than on fer head and cheeks...

Hello,

Levi is 3. I got him as a baby and he was an absolute Love. He was out of the cage when ever we were home. He also has a ton of very nice hang outs. The change in his behavior happened after I allowed his flight feathers to grow in. After reading all the pros & cons of being flighted. For his benefit and overall wellbeing I let his feathers grow. Much to my dismay, once he was fully flighted he got nasty. I asked around my local bird shops and his Vet and they all agreed, it was happening now b/c he is no longer as independent.
And here I was doing it for all the right reasons, his emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing and he was lashing out. I was beside myself. I changed many things to no avail. It wasn't until I took away a lot of his out of cage time that I saw a change in his behavior. I will tell you, it broke my heart as we had a pretty regular routine. Leaving him caged was tough on both of us. However, now when I take him out in the late afternoon he is a love bug again. So, in essence some tough love is truly working.

I will also add, that if he starts flying at us and attacking us, I will not think twice about clipping him. I will not tolerate that.

I'm sorry you are experiencing this, b/c I know exactly how you are feeling. It is truly a heartbreak.
Best of luck to you all. I sincerely hope you can get this resolved.

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~Tami & Levi

Thanks for your insight..I too, allowed Debbie to become flighted for the very reasons you explained...kinda the same results....it’s not like she goes on attack...but will fly at us expecting to be caught. The nipping happened for a week or so one other time, and went away completely and just started up again last week....the hanging upside down and yelling, that’s been since forever...

So you didn't allow them to grow in their flight feathers until they were a few years old? I don't plan on ever clipping Davy's but I would like to avoid this behavior change :/ maybe it's different if they grow up flying instead of gaining the ability later on?

Levi is my first parrot. When I went to pick him up, the breeder clipped him without asking me. Than during our many Vet visits she was very pro clipping and gave me all the reasons to keep him clipped. It wasn't until I joined the forum when I finally read the other side. Once I understood it is healthier for them, I let them grow. To this day his Vet doesn't approve. She feels it is much safer for him to be clipped. I do understand both sides of the argument.

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~Tami & Levi

Actually flighted since she was about 1 year old....I got her at 14 weeks...and she was clipped when I got her...has been flighted since her first molt...

I have big tall ceilings and a very open concept house, I want him to be able to take advantage of it. No clipping for Davy.

Debbie is hormonal, she has chosen you. Enzo does this a lot but I just tell her I love her and try and distract her by walking with her on my shoulder and take interest in something else. Maybe offer food or water. I used to put her in the cage when she does this but then she associated the cage to 'sexy time' and started acting hormonal whenever I put her in the cage.


I feel so sorry for her when she is like this. Just show her you love her but ignore her advances by no contact when she starts

Not sure if this is the correct way but just the way i deal with it.

The regurgitating is most likely a sign of affection. The flying toward someone might be too.

My Perjo almost 4 and regularly takes unscheduled flights to come looking for me around the house.