Behavior Question

[Otter]

Is it just me, or is Mia being hormonal? Here's a link to video. I sent her back to her own personal space when she did this. https://photos.app.goo.gl/PuNdoSArPgrPiwyQ8

She's only known me a week really, so what causes this to happen so fast and what can I do? I hypothesized that it's because she had little direct attention before coming here so my attention is over stimulating her right now.
Thoughts?

 

[LaManuka]

I am by NO means an Amazon expert, but you do want to prevent Mia from burrowing into anything that could even remotely be interpreted as a nesting site. Calmly and gently taking her back to neutral territory is indeed a good way to handle this but you (and everyone else in the household) need to be absolutely consistent in this because a hormonal hen will be EXTREMELY determined to get her own way when she’s feeling broody.

I have a full time job keeping my opportunistic little hen from turning literally any nook or cranny into a nest, regardless of whether it’s officially breeding season or not. Now that I am semi-retired I spend a lot more time at home and hence Lilly spends a lot more time out of her cage hanging out with me, and I think she’s begun to view me as her “significant other”. When she gets broody she becomes very aggressive and combative and can bite surprisingly hard for such a little bird (she is smaller than a budgie!) Like I say I’m not an expert on Amazons but I’m pretty sure you would NOT want a big bird like that getting all carried away with hormonal aggression so it’s best to nip that behaviour in the bud. If all else fails and things get out of control there is the option to have a hormonal implant done by your avian vet. I once had it done with a broody cockatiel and it worked well for her.

Hopefully someone with more relevant experience will weigh in with some more specific information for you, but in general hormonal issues and unwanted laying of infertile eggs are things that are best avoided in any pet bird.

 

[SailBoat]

Welcome to Parrot Forum and a special welcome to your Amazon!

The most important question regarding Hormonal Season is just how old your Amazon is! Very young Amazons, under five, can and do start to show early signs of nesting interests (hens) and being territorial (males).

When your Amazon shows signs and or activities that you do not wish, quickly return them to a close by stand or cage stating No! Then turn and leave for a short period of time. Maybe two minutes at most, as Amazon have a short memory and to leave them longer has no effect in connecting a behavior and your actions. Once back together, its all love and joy.

Without a general regional idea of where you are its difficult to define the hormonal status of your older Amazon. If you are in the Great White North (GWN), this is the common time of year for older Amazons to be showing hormonal signs.

It Is Very Important To Understand, That If She Is Being Hormonal, She Has Very Little If Any Control Over It! In an Older Amazon, it is a chemical rush...

Take care of your handling of her this time of year (GWN), only on the head and neck - only!!! Yes, Amazons can be cuddly, but a fully chemically raging Amazon can also be deadly. Allow that older Amazon their space to cool down. It is very common for them to express a: "What the Heck Was That Look" after they have cooled down.

Read Understanding Amazons Body Language at the Top of the Amazon Section. Learn it like your first language!

 

[Otter]

Thank you for the helpful replies.

Mia is around 13 years old. I've only pet her head and only a couple times. We live in Kentucky. I like the advice about returning her to the cage and saying no, so we're doing that as well as just trying to minimize whatever we can that might be making her hormonal. So much changed for her in a short period of time coming from the rescue to us, that I figure there could be a number of reasons she's feeling this way.
She is doing an amazing job adjusting to her new family.