Bitey, Shoulder-Loving, 40yr old YNA Rescue. HELP

[BigGreenBirb]

Ok so I’m a first time bird owner of a 40 year old rescued YNA. He was a three year resident at the rescue I volunteer for and sadly everyone was afraid of him. After a few months we began an unlikely friendship and eventually I was the only one who could work with him. I took him home about three weeks ago and I think he is doing great and he’s truly happy, or at least getting there. It’s going to be a long road after 6 owners and his favorite dying, I understand that. I’ve read through the body language sticky a few times and have been a volunteer at a rescuer slowly learning body language.

Let’s get to where I need help. He loves me. Some people at the rescue say too much because of how aggressive he is and I need to watch out. He HAS to be on my shoulder at all times. The only problem with that is he is a biter. He wave the communication nibbles, love bites, alert bites, but also the STOP IGNORING me ones, I’m annoyed , and quite frankly I don’t understand the other half of them. Usually he knows how to get his point across by just getting my attention with his beak, but the past couple days he’s done some medium ones out of the blue! I KNOW what his max is, the very experienced it when he cage jumped at the rescue and I had to save him from a macaw. Solid crescent chunk gone. These bites aren’t that, but the fact he’s only comfortable on my shoulder scares me sometime. He rips my glasses off and has almost poked my eye a few times. There’s NO coaxing him to my forearm, even with threats he just takes them and wiggles his way back to my neck. And if I tried to stop him from going to my shoulder, OMG I would just be ASKING for a fight. So I give him what he wants.

Please help with training to get Alec to stay on my fore arm, or even to learn to be comfortable anywhere beside on me. My rescue has seen our relationship and has basically told me he’s chosen me and to get him off my shoulder is going to be a battle.
Also how to train a bird who doesn’t respond to positive reinforcement, to not bite

 

[BigGreenBirb]

Just a little add: he steps up and goes in just fine, no bribing necessary. I try to put him away immediately when he gives me a medium bite, but sometimes that just pisses him off and I open myself up for a Max bite.

 

[fiddlejen]

This sounds super dangerous. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than I will be along soon to advise you.

I just had to comment on your picture. Your YNA’s body language, or should I say hand language, is plain to read in this pic. Don’t know how a creature with only has four claws can give the Middle Finger to his viewers, but, that is cLearly what he’s doing here!

 

[Flboy]

Oh wow! Fearfully awesome! We have several OLD timers here that will get you sailing on smooth waters soon!

 

[texsize]

I know to a certain extent what you are going through.
What I mean is that my CAG has the habit of running up my arm to my shoulder and is difficult to keep her from doing it. Luckily she is not a biter but can be difficult to remove from my shoulder.

First thing is riding on your shoulder is a privilege not a right. It's something that must be earned.
The best way I have found to keep a bird from ending up on the shoulder is to keep your hand (with bird) at waist level and close in to your body.
as far as removing a reluctant bird from the shoulder you can try 2 things that have helped me.
Standing at a mirror helps you see just where your hand is in relation to your bird and it will also help you read the body language of your bird.
Second thing is to lower your shoulder to the hight of the open cage door and try to get your bird to step off onto his/her cage.
One other thing can work. Sit down with your bird on your shoulder. This will give him less maneuvering room.

I have had mostly good luck with my YNA Bingo. I can only recall one painful bite when he was on my shoulder. We were standing next to the sliding glass door looking outside and he gave my ear a painful chomp. I can only guess he saw something outside that scared him and he was giving me a "let's get out of here" warning.

Last piece of advice is Amazon Parrots never bluff.
If they are giving off warning signals you have to back off or you will pay with pain and probably blood.

But your are off to a good start since he chose you.