Bad Bird, Bad Bird, what am I gonna do?

Hi, I am joining this forum today because my family is desperate! We have owned a Parrotlet for about eight months, and although she is spoiled and has a few undesirable habits that we're working on, she is a sweet tempered little girl.

About one month ago, we (husband and two young boys) rescued a 4 year old Senegal male named Bibi. We are his third home. He has more emotional baggage than an airport shuttle van, but we REFUSE to give up on him. His previous owners were ready to literally let him loose, so we agreed to take him, because at the time he was only displaying extreme fear. We couldn't bear to see this poor little guy end up on skid row. He is originally from a highly respected/reputable exotic bird shop in South Orange County, CA, so I know he had a good foundation.

30 minutes ago, Bibi viciously attacked my husband without provocation! We don't know what to do, and I hope someone can help us. I will search for the proper forum and post the situation there. Thanks in advance for your help!

If what you say about emotional baggage is true, what seems like nothing, may appear to be a dire threat to the bird.

A slight unintentional movement by any of you, may appear aggressive to Bibi.
One way to deter this is by actually telling Bibi of any movement that might scare her. For esample, Zoey loves riding on my wife's shoulder, so if my wife needs to get a pan from a bottom cupboard, she tells Zoey "I'm going down Zoey", or "going back up". So far this is working very well, there have been a lot fewer aggressive bites from Zoey.

So remember to rethink what movenents you think are, or aren't aggressive, you may see a difference!!!!

Thank you for the advice, Grey Dad! Bibi does spook quite easily. The first few days we couldn't even move a towel, rustle a baggie full of treats, or even get off the couch quickly. Now, Bibi will willingly approach an open baggie full of what he calls "Yum-yums" and I'll say to him, "You pick, Bibi", and he'll rummage through the bag and pick out what he wants. I can adjust a "poop cloth" without him being startled, and pretty much anything I do doesn't alarm him at all. He's very jumpy around my husband, so he makes sure he speaks softly, moves slowly, etc., but no matter what he does, Bibi keeps a suspicious eye on him. Bibi sees our parrotlet on him all the time, and she's so comfy on my husband she'll actually preen or even nap while he's walking around the house!

I've read that Senegals are notorious for having phobias, and I'm so worried that he has become permanently afraid of men. I just bought a clicker and some yogurt treats, and I am going to try to see if I can do some positive reinforcement, but I just don't know where to start!

Hi there...
I agree with Greydad, telling the bird exactly what you are about to do, before actually doing the deed.
Any sudden movement or noise scares any bird, not matter what their age.
Take your time, keep doing what you are and time will change the situation hopefully.
Keep showing love and attention.
Good luck
Take care

For your husband: If he is near the bird tell him not to look directly at the bird. For direct eye contact from someone the bird is not used to can be such a threat to them. You do not know but the bird may have been abused by a man before. It will be slow going but you can do it if you try to get the trust on his terms and time limits, not yours. good luch!!

Another thing may have happened, not so much that Bibi truly hates your husband, or men in general, but you may have gained MFP(most favored person) status in Bibi's eyes!!

For those new to having parrots, MFP status means that person is allowed to give the majority of the physical attention(petting, kisses).

SpiritBird, you are correct- he was beak flicked by the previous male owner, and the man of the first household was loud and verbally abusive to the family. We expected him to be fearful of men, and so my husband has been very conscious of his movements and voice around Bibi. At first, all Bibi showed was fear, and now it has turned into aggression.

Grey Dad and Antionette, I started telling Bibi what I was about to do yesterday, and you're right- he didn't flap his wings or slick his feathers quite as much...great advice!

And yeah- Bibi gave me MFP status on day one. I think he decided I was "his" when I offered him a pistaccio as he sat in his miserable dirty cage at the old house. Bibi has had a very hard life- I'm sure he could have had worse, but it was bad enough and far less than just the minimum needs of a "pet". When Bibi took that pistaccio and held it in his claw, I think he took a piece of my heart too, because I know we shouldn't attribute human emotions to our birds, but I would swear he gave me a look of absolute gratitude.

Hubby and I are realizing that we have so much to learn about parrots, and that just "good intentions" aren't enough to rehabilitate Bibi. Please keep your advice and suggestions coming, because we are eager and willing to learn!

I got some super education on parrots from the book Parrots for Dummies. I suggest if you have not already read it to do so. One must have patience when dealing with parrot behavior. AG is good at advice here.