Help. Crazed bird!

[t33n3r]

About a year and a half ago I bought a companion conure for my existing conure Zazu. This birds name is Bowie. We bought Bowie when Zazu was about 2, and he was about 3. When we bought him, he was abandoned by his home. At the store he was outgoing and friendly. We brought him home. The two birds are inseparable. All in all, he's a good bird. Now, he seems to have problems. It seems like he was maybe abused when he was in his other home. This causes him to lash out at people, and going above and beyond to hurt them. Sometimes, he acts sweet, then with a flip he's mean. I don't know what to do. He keeps hurting family members. Help.

 

[Roanoke]

If Zazu and Bowie are breeding, he could feel the need to defend her and/or the nest. When and where do these outbursts take place?

 

[t33n3r]

They usually happen in our kitchen and dining room. Never in other rooms. They haven't had a clutch since last January, and all the eggs didn't make it.

 

[Roanoke]

Hmm. Well, there's always a reason birds bite. Does he seem to do it around one particular person, or even object? (Dish towel, silverware, etc.)
Sometimes something we don't perceive as strange at all can really freak a bird out.
My conure bites me when I get too close to other people- have you noticed anything similar? There has to be a common denominator.

 

[Kyoto]

My conure is fine in places she does not feel confident in (our living room vs her room), but will be nasty to my husband when he is in her room. She is fine with me, but has decided that he is evil. We have had to do lots and lots of ongoing training with her to try to desensitize her to my husband, and it is a hassle. But with time she gets better and better.

Best of luck!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Hmm. Well, there's always a reason birds bite.

I love that sentence! They always have a reason for screeching too. I love how non-parrot owners will say to me "I want a bird that doesn't bite" or "I want a bird that talks!".

I tell them to try the toy department at Walmart or Toys R Us. They don't seem to get the hint.

As far as your issue t33, hormonal birds (especially breeding ones) are going to be more aggressive than usual and more 'moody'.

 

[gracebowen]

Yep. Rex screamed for the first time today. I didn't feed her fast enough to suit her. it was easy to figure out. She would go to her food dish and peck around. Walk to the edge of cageand scream. Back and forth a few times till I figured it out.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

That's Skitty too! He is so cute at 'expressing' himself and his needs. I've learned to read him quite well. As a result, he has VERY few tantrums. He can go for hours without a loud screech. He wasn't like that when I first got him. Back then, he wouldn't shut up.

I think a lot of screeching problems with birds is really them just expressing a need. If we just take a moment to try to read them, address it then it usually resolves itself.

Just like with a crying baby. Maybe it's tired, wet or hungry. We don't lock a baby in a dark room when it cries, we shouldn't do the same with birds either.

EDIT: I should note, that sometimes 'time-outs' are useful in the training process. It certainly helped with Skittles. But using a time-out is not the same as locking a bird in a dark room (or covering it up) for hours as a punishment.

 

[t33n3r]

Bowie always tries to get my boyfriend. Only him.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Skittles is completely unguarded when he's with me. I can grab his toes, grab his wing and stretch it out and all that. BUT, if anyone so much as looks at me, he will 'attack' them. He'll even attack me for talking to other people. He's like night and day.

 

[Roanoke]

Does your boyfriend wear a hat, talk really loud or have a skin or hair color Bowie is unfamiliar with?

He keeps hurting family members.

my boyfriend. Only him.

You're giving me mixed signals here, haha!
Is he aggressive to only him or just anyone who isn't you? Is he fine with your mom, your friends, etc?

If not, he's probably overbonded. Seems like a common problem with conures. If it's a really big issue in your home, I'd tentatively suggest trimming Bowie's wings. My extremely overbonded conure used to be a monster but now he'll contentedly sit on his stand when he used to fly and attack family members. I'm hoping that by the time they grow back in, he'll have learned to behave himself around my family.

If Bowie's wings are already clipped, I can't offer you much advice besides the obvious; Don't let him near Boyfriend. Or better yet, put him in the cage when lover-boy rolls around. Preventing bites is as simple as preventing the situations where they occur.


And if Bowie only has a quarrel with your beau and no-one else, the problem is essentially the same. There may be a small chance of changing Bowie's mind by having Boyfriend deliver treats and whatnot, but if that doesn't work, don't push it. Birds pick their people. If I were you I would accept his decision and allow him to hate Boyfriend as long as he can control his aggressive urges and behave when he is in the same room as him.