Our New Parrot Is Biting Us

[Patty550]

Hello,
those who know me from Shelby, our Eleanora Cockatoo that has past away a while back, we we bought a beautiful Umbrella !
Now some good and bad, and we need help.

A couple of months ago I was looking on the various bird forums on Fakebook. I wrote a ad asking for either a Mullican or Umbrella, and I started getting PM's saying they had what I'm asking for. To shorten this up, we sent a breeder in New York City $1,250 for the cost of the bird and shipping, the rest upon delivers, we we were scammed as a total loss. The other sellers asked to buy a gift card for a down payment from $200 to $400. So we got scammed for $2,000. We decided to buy only from a distance that we could drive, 2.5 to 3 hours away. There was one in Kansas, with pics and vids, so I knocked on his door with no answer, so we came back one hour later and a mad older lady answered and I said I'm Kevin and I'm here to get a bird, she replied,....NO there's BIRD here ! And I got sick to my stomach. So we drove for seven hours with nothing to bring home. So we got scammed a total for $2,500. There's more to this story, but I'll move on.

I don't give up on many things on in life. I found a ad about two hours away and when we arrived the woman was suffering cancer and she's selling all her big birds, keeping the small ones. When I looked into the Molucca's cage, he was not only a HUGE bird, but he looked angry, so I said no on him. I felt something touching my back, turned around and these was the Umbrella, so I got into his cage and said step-up, he did and actually gave me hug, laying his head on my chest, and I said,....SOLD !
She also gave us a fairly big cage that was in ok shape, needs painted.

It's embarrassing, but I'll admit even being a man, I have and express a lot of feeling, at least not in person. lol

This is what I emailed the owner.....

Ricky hurt my feelings last night for the first time. My heart aches.
He has been great and he comes to both of us, me during the day as I'm at home all day then Patty at night, but when she got home last night he gave me a warning bite. I was mad and depressed and grounded him to his cage and 10 minutes he was talking to us in his room. We were meant to be together and this can happen to all of us owners. After an hour, I got him out of his cage he said, "high their", "hey" and something mumbled. When he stepped up to me, he laid his head sideway on me chest, giving me a hug. He has a great personally, smart and goes to both Patty and I and we love him very much, otherwise this wouldn't hurt so much !
It really was hurtful to my heart.

Damn, I know what has to happen with with Ricky, but I'm very upset. Either he goes or I accept that he's a bird, and live with it. I'm home all day due to my disability, so Rick and I have fun, I kiss his beak a lot, he hugs me, which is adorable. Patty comes home and 100% of his attention goes to her, and that's ok (I think) but when he's on Patty and she needs to get up I go over to he and he bites me ! That's happened every night this week. I approach him slowly then he turns on me. So, he goes up for sale or I ignore him at night. I hate to think of it this way, but I'm not going to deal with this again. I should have bought a chick and have him (hopefully) he/she goes to both of us. Everyday this week I've been thinking of creating him a aviary on our deck I built. It would be on the gazebo part, which has no top, the edge sits on the main deck. I've lined up with a bird lover locally which has a lot of safe trees to use at my desire to make it look like a jungle. I have plans to include a narrow and tall waterfall either with a small pond or without one. It will have lattes panels on the back and sides with plants all over the place, to look natural. I built a big pond in our backyard many years ago, with a large waterfall and Patty and I put plants, flowers etc and it looks very nice.So now I can make the avery forest ! All of the exciting and fun plans , then this crap happens.

Well, now that it's a different day, I got him out of his cage and had kiss's on his beak, lots of unreal hugs, as usual, and forgive each other. From now on when he's on Patty's chest, I won't go to him.

We went into town and bought a big MaCaw cage still in the box for $125. A few weeks ago we bought a nice big Manzanita wood stand for birds similar to the photo below for $125. So we're getting great buys. lol

Even right now, we're sitting on our love seat (console between us) and Ricky is sitting on her chest/lap and when he looks at me, he postures. I hate to say again,....that hurts my feelings. I don't mind him being with Patty now, but it's the posturing. Is there any teaching we can do ?

When Ricky has bitten us and say damn it, all the excitement we have for your outdoor aviary dream, and you ruin it !
But, I know I need to calm down and live with his possible biting like many bird owners have. I just hope and pray that I can accept that his choice of him wanting a female is done, not me. With Patty, our Eleanora Shelby, only came to me not Patty, unless we were eating at the dinner table where she had a stand as her table. lol....
Ricky is so funny at his table,.....I grilled burgers, we all sat down to eat, and a few moments later, he Leaped like two feet and grabbed part of Patty's burger !!! I spit out my mouth laughing. 😂🤣 I wish I had it recorded for America's Funniest Videos !

Just now, Patty got up from a nap and he was saying hi, hello wtc. She sat down and Ricky jumped down to my fan by the couch, onto me and to Patty as fast as he could. Now for the rest of the day, he'll be with her and I assume he'll show me his tough posturing at some point. This really upsets me....

Is there anything I can do for him, for us, to calm him down 😡 and my hurt feelings ? 😵‍💫

From the start of this endeavor, nothing has gone right !
Kevin

 

[kme3388]

Hi there, I’m sorry to hear about Ricky. It’s hard when a parrot picks a favorite person. They aren’t shy, and don’t hide it. I have a parrot who picked me as the “favorite” person. He can be aggressive towards others. Birds are wild animals. They don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, or to make someone’s life hard. Some birds bond with one person, some interact with multiple people, and some interact with everyone the same. There is no way to predict which way any bird is going to go. All you can do is continue interactions, and stay safe (if biting is involved). If you were to get a different bird it could happen again.

I always tell myself to keep working with my parrot, and I continue to introduce him to people. I leave my parrot alone with my husband although I know he’s going to screem, and have a temper tantrum. He will even run after me. My parrot doesn’t see me as his mentor, trainer, or owner. He sees me as his mate which is another subject in itself. I just do my best to not encourage the behavior.

 

[PrimorandMoxi]

So sorry you were scammed that way.
People suck sometimes.

With a big bird like Ricky you have to be careful of your face.
You will really resent it if he bites your lips.

With my B&G Max the bite is the reward and I avoid getting bit.

 

[TeekoGreenCheek]

Hello,
those who know me from Shelby, our Eleanora Cockatoo that has past away a while back, we we bought a beautiful Umbrella !
Now some good and bad, and we need help.

A couple of months ago I was looking on the various bird forums on Fakebook. I wrote a ad asking for either a Mullican or Umbrella, and I started getting PM's saying they had what I'm asking for. To shorten this up, we sent a breeder in New York City $1,250 for the cost of the bird and shipping, the rest upon delivers, we we were scammed as a total loss. The other sellers asked to buy a gift card for a down payment from $200 to $400. So we got scammed for $2,000. We decided to buy only from a distance that we could drive, 2.5 to 3 hours away. There was one in Kansas, with pics and vids, so I knocked on his door with no answer, so we came back one hour later and a mad older lady answered and I said I'm Kevin and I'm here to get a bird, she replied,....NO there's BIRD here ! And I got sick to my stomach. So we drove for seven hours with nothing to bring home. So we got scammed a total for $2,500. There's more to this story, but I'll move on.

I don't give up on many things on in life. I found a ad about two hours away and when we arrived the woman was suffering cancer and she's selling all her big birds, keeping the small ones. When I looked into the Molucca's cage, he was not only a HUGE bird, but he looked angry, so I said no on him. I felt something touching my back, turned around and these was the Umbrella, so I got into his cage and said step-up, he did and actually gave me hug, laying his head on my chest, and I said,....SOLD !
She also gave us a fairly big cage that was in ok shape, needs painted.

It's embarrassing, but I'll admit even being a man, I have and express a lot of feeling, at least not in person. lol

This is what I emailed the owner.....

Ricky hurt my feelings last night for the first time. My heart aches.
He has been great and he comes to both of us, me during the day as I'm at home all day then Patty at night, but when she got home last night he gave me a warning bite. I was mad and depressed and grounded him to his cage and 10 minutes he was talking to us in his room. We were meant to be together and this can happen to all of us owners. After an hour, I got him out of his cage he said, "high their", "hey" and something mumbled. When he stepped up to me, he laid his head sideway on me chest, giving me a hug. He has a great personally, smart and goes to both Patty and I and we love him very much, otherwise this wouldn't hurt so much !
It really was hurtful to my heart.

Damn, I know what has to happen with with Ricky, but I'm very upset. Either he goes or I accept that he's a bird, and live with it. I'm home all day due to my disability, so Rick and I have fun, I kiss his beak a lot, he hugs me, which is adorable. Patty comes home and 100% of his attention goes to her, and that's ok (I think) but when he's on Patty and she needs to get up I go over to he and he bites me ! That's happened every night this week. I approach him slowly then he turns on me. So, he goes up for sale or I ignore him at night. I hate to think of it this way, but I'm not going to deal with this again. I should have bought a chick and have him (hopefully) he/she goes to both of us. Everyday this week I've been thinking of creating him a aviary on our deck I built. It would be on the gazebo part, which has no top, the edge sits on the main deck. I've lined up with a bird lover locally which has a lot of safe trees to use at my desire to make it look like a jungle. I have plans to include a narrow and tall waterfall either with a small pond or without one. It will have lattes panels on the back and sides with plants all over the place, to look natural. I built a big pond in our backyard many years ago, with a large waterfall and Patty and I put plants, flowers etc and it looks very nice.So now I can make the avery forest ! All of the exciting and fun plans , then this crap happens.

Well, now that it's a different day, I got him out of his cage and had kiss's on his beak, lots of unreal hugs, as usual, and forgive each other. From now on when he's on Patty's chest, I won't go to him.

We went into town and bought a big MaCaw cage still in the box for $125. A few weeks ago we bought a nice big Manzanita wood stand for birds similar to the photo below for $125. So we're getting great buys. lol

Even right now, we're sitting on our love seat (console between us) and Ricky is sitting on her chest/lap and when he looks at me, he postures. I hate to say again,....that hurts my feelings. I don't mind him being with Patty now, but it's the posturing. Is there any teaching we can do ?

When Ricky has bitten us and say damn it, all the excitement we have for your outdoor aviary dream, and you ruin it !
But, I know I need to calm down and live with his possible biting like many bird owners have. I just hope and pray that I can accept that his choice of him wanting a female is done, not me. With Patty, our Eleanora Shelby, only came to me not Patty, unless we were eating at the dinner table where she had a stand as her table. lol....
Ricky is so funny at his table,.....I grilled burgers, we all sat down to eat, and a few moments later, he Leaped like two feet and grabbed part of Patty's burger !!! I spit out my mouth laughing. 😂🤣 I wish I had it recorded for America's Funniest Videos !

Just now, Patty got up from a nap and he was saying hi, hello wtc. She sat down and Ricky jumped down to my fan by the couch, onto me and to Patty as fast as he could. Now for the rest of the day, he'll be with her and I assume he'll show me his tough posturing at some point. This really upsets me....

Is there anything I can do for him, for us, to calm him down 😡 and my hurt feelings ? 😵‍💫

From the start of this endeavor, nothing has gone right !
Kevin

I know the feeling, we adopted a green cheek conure named Teeko "my wife and i that is" after we got home i comforted him and fed him and got really close with Teeko. He trusted me with everything he had. I would sing to him, and he would get on my hand no problem. But eventually we had a stay somewhere a couple nights so i had to put Teeko in his cage and take him on a 5 hour drive. He never forgave me for that, and i guess that broke a bond a bit. Because my wife looked like the innocent one. He now trusts my wife she can pet him and everything, but if i even attempt to touch him Teeko will let me have it. It broke my heart, it has nothing to do with being a man, its human to have emotion and especially with a friend. Im hoping this will pass with Teeko. Just keep at it, and doing what you can. best of luck. Bird Friend

 

[TRBLMKR]

I adopted 2 healthy galahs back in December from a good home (previous owner is a woman). They weren't mistreated or anything of that nature. The elder of the 2 birds will take food from my hand and that is the end of our interactions. The younger bird and I are friends, he let's me handle him (zero calls when I leave the room). They go crazy over my wife that won't even stay in the room if they are out. Frustration doesn't even come close to describing the feeling. So, after 8 months, it feels as if I am housing someone else's pets. Wish I would have gone with a baby instead of adopting.

 

[Jcas]

Maybe Ricky just needs some “mom” time, like a little kid? A young child will play with daddy all day, but as soon as mom comes home the child runs to her and screams if dad tries to take him away. It’s not that the child doesn’t like dad, he just needs some “ mom” time. It’s sounds like you and Ricky have a pretty good bond when it’s just the two of you so he clearly does like you which is great! I hope you can figure out something that works for everybody ❤️

 

[Patty550]

That little SHIT !!! We are sitting on the couch that has a console between us. We were having fun with him and Patty and we have our computers on. He was saying hey, hi on her chest, then he'd leap on top of the couch and run to me saying, hi, then run back. It's really cute and fun. Then I was looking at my computer and reached over to the console for my mouse and the ass bit me hard !!!

ANYONE WANT TRADE FOR ANOTHER BIRD ???

I don't know what to do, I'm tired of this crap ! ...He's bitten me EVERY DAY this week ! Even when I'm reaching inside his cage in the morning and bring him to the livingroom to start the day, and he bit me hard and would not ...let go ! Like I've said, when Patty's not in the same room, like when she laid down for a nap, he was wonderful, I kissed him many times on his beak, he'd lay his head on my upper chest giving me hugs, we'd talk etc. But when he's on Patty, he's protects her and looks at me, raises his feathers and hiss at me like a cat.

 

[LeaKP]

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Eventually, this should settle and turn into a cessez-le-feu (ceasefire). If you can find a way to take care of their bowls, etc., when they are out of cage, that’s the best. Don‘t force interaction with them, as parrots can be, they may change their minds, they may not. I had a grey for years who bit the FIRE out of my fingers (chewed and growled, still numb where she got me) and afterwards I resigned to just enjoying her presence. We came to a mutual understanding where eventually (with a towel over my hand) I could move her around with a perch. She was beautiful and chatty and I ended up loving her to bits.

 

[ravvlet]

Our Amazon Sammy was like this - my partner could handle her but the rest of us would get a nasty bite if we even tried giving her a treat. Her cage had the kind of bowls that swing out and protect your hand from nips, so we just kind of worked through it. We ended up rehoming her because she was aggressive with our kids.

That being said, it sounds like in your case he is fine as long as his person isn’t around - and even sometimes when she’s around he is ok, as long as you’re watching him. It’s really your call as to whether or not this is an acceptable arrangement. It’s possible this may change with time, or this may just be how he is.

 

[PrimorandMoxi]

My B&G Max is bonded to my partner and I had to come to terms with the fact that If I am not on my guard for all interactions I will get bit (...by the bird).

At the same time I made a commitment to giving the poor creature a forever home.

Unless my partner kicks the bucket, then all bets are off and that bird will be out on the streets!


Maybe you need a sweet little amazon that is bonded to you. lol...

 

[wrench13]

Look man, parrots bite. My 'zon Salty, who is bonded to me, will bite if I dont respect his body language and moods. You learn them, and the bites lessen. Yeah, try to buddy up to the bird when your lady's around, but the best bite is the one avoided.

 

[kme3388]

I’m sorry to hear that things haven’t gotten better with Ricky. Birds can be challenging to live with at times. When I first got my Ekkie I broke down crying because his hormones were not something I was used to. I was very overwhelmed. Birds can be so hormonal, and simple things like pin feathers can make them sassy.

Have you thought about contacting a local shelter, or avian vet to see if they can help? Even with behavioral issues they can be a great resource. It helped me tremendously learning about my Ekkie’s hormones, and how he is in the wild.

Also what does Ricky’s diet consist of? Does he get a full 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep? Do you have a nice toy setup? Just trying to gather all the details.

 

[GirlLovesBirds]

Hi there, I’m sorry to hear about Ricky. It’s hard when a parrot picks a favorite person. They aren’t shy, and don’t hide it. I have a parrot who picked me as the “favorite” person. He can be aggressive towards others. Birds are wild animals. They don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, or to make someone’s life hard. Some birds bond with one person, some interact with multiple people, and some interact with everyone the same. There is no way to predict which way any bird is going to go. All you can do is continue interactions, and stay safe (if biting is involved). If you were to get a different bird it could happen again.

I always tell myself to keep working with my parrot, and I continue to introduce him to people. I leave my parrot alone with my husband although I know he’s going to screem, and have a temper tantrum. He will even run after me. My parrot doesn’t see me as his mentor, trainer, or owner. He sees me as his mate which is another subject in itself. I just do my best to not encourage the behavior.

It's clear that you're handling a challenging situation with your parrot in a thoughtful manner. Understanding that birds have their own distinct personalities and tendencies is crucial. Building trust and positive interactions over time can make a significant difference in their behavior. Your commitment to introducing your parrot to new people while prioritizing safety is commendable. Remember, patience and consistency in your approach will likely yield positive results, even if the progress seems slow. Stay persistent in your efforts and continue to prioritize your parrot's well-being and comfort.

 

[Patty550]

I might buy one of these. lol 😂

 

[PrimorandMoxi]

I might buy one of these. lol 😂

Please, I implore you:
a chainsaw is not the answer!

I know you will win Ricky over,
without resorting to any bloodshed (on your part.)

 

[Patty550]

Please, I implore you:
a chainsaw is not the answer!

I know you will win Ricky over,
without resorting to any bloodshed (on your part.)

You're not serious are you ? 🤪I would never do that ! lol
The glove is to protect anyone's hands from biting that results in bloodshed. 😁

 

[LeaKP]

Some parrots never make good handleable pets. In time they may cross that threshold but we just have to accept them as they are. My grey is now in her 4th or 5th home. Even though she’s bitten me badly, I’m committed to this being her last home. It’s been almost a year and she’s letting her guard down. It will take a long time for her, if ever, to fully trust. I just have to learn her body language. She sometimes doesn’t want out. Others, that’s all she wants. It’s ok. She my manic feathered kid.

 

[kme3388]

May I ask when your parrot bites you, and what leads up to it?

I myself never force my parrots to come out of their cages, or to be handled by me. When they come out of their cages they come out. If I ask them to step up, and they don’t I just leave it alone. They can fly (accept for my Ekkie), and if they want to spend time with me they can fly to me, and they do. I can’t cook by myself because my conures are my little helpers (pests 😂). They never leave me alone! This takes time though. They have to trust you. If you continue advancing on a parrot who makes it clear that they don’t like your presence you will make the situation worse. I’d suggest opening your parrots cage, and just walking away to go do other things. Let Ricky come to you.

 

[kme3388]

This won’t work if you feed a seed diet. Which is why I feed pellets. My parrots & most I would say love seed. They are huge incentives in training, and interactions with parrots. All of my parrots will fly to me for a sunflower seed. You could try giving sun flower seeds (or your parrots favorite treat) to come out of his cage. Then giving giving him a treat from your hands randomly. I pinch the sun flower seed between my thumb and main finger. I raise it above my parrots head, and slowly bring it in. It makes it hard for a hookbill to bite if not impossible. They have to use their upper beak to grab it.

 

[Patty550]

This won’t work if you feed a seed diet. Which is why I feed pellets. My parrots & most I would say love seed. They are huge incentives in training, and interactions with parrots. All of my parrots will fly to me for a sunflower seed. You could try giving sun flower seeds (or your parrots favorite treat) to come out of his cage. Then giving giving him a treat from your hands randomly. I pinch the sun flower seed between my thumb and main finger. I raise it above my parrots head, and slowly bring it in. It makes it hard for a hookbill to bite if not impossible. They have to use their upper beak to grab it.

I'm very,...happy that he has stopped biting me ! He found out that I'm boss. lol What helped was I stopped using my two fingers to step-up. At times when I read he's not in a good move, I only give him my arm. If he doesn't, I say ok, let me know when you want me to come get you and go into the living room. He'll say,...Hi ! or Hi-ya ! Hay ! and so on, so he'll then step up on my fingers. We think that at one time, a male handled him pretty harsh. Also, he HATES it when I put on a ballcap, he'll raise his umbrella and puff up his body feathers, then he'll try to go back as far as he can in his cage or fly to a chair in the living room or even in the dinning room. One I remove it, he'll stare at me and figures out it just papa. We believe that's why it took such a long time to accept me. The only change that hasn't happened is when Patty gets home from work, when he's on Patty, he'll still raise his umbrella and sometimes still hiss at me. But what's different, he'll be on Patty and run down to her feet talking then back up to her head, jump onto the back of the couch, run to me, and says HI....Hey There ! and run back. It's so funny !!! 😂Probably 6 out of 10, he now jumps onto my stomach then jump up to the couch again......It's MUCH better now and we Love him dearly !!!