Cockatoo always biting and screaming

[Timary]

So i have an umbrella cockatoo and she’s 7 months now, I’ve noticed that everytime she flies to me she’d bite my ears or my head real hard it starts to bleed and i am not sure if whether she’s mad or she’s just trying to grab on to me and there are times when she flies towards me but can’t land on my shoulder she flies back and starts screaming and getting real angry, is this normal?
I’ve been bitten a few times when i do something that she doesn’t want me to do but she wouldn’t bite hard so i don’t understand why she only does when she’s flying to me
She also always attacks one of my siblings and screams when she sees her not sure if she’s excited or she just hates her

 

[Scott]

Welcome, can you give us a bit more background on your umbrella? How long have you had her, is she an only bird, is this behavior new or constant since you first adopted? What sort of diet?

A few random thoughts.... your bird is approaching sexual maturity, causing disruptive hormonal activity. If so, expect a few months of unwanted behavior. Most important to keep her from your shoulder/head/face. Large cockatoos can cause extreme damage requiring emergency medical assistance. If you have other birds (unsure, that's why I asked) jealousy may be an issue. In fact, this might be a reason for aggression towards your sibling. Some parrots bond closely to just one person and regard others as threats.

A few ideas without knowing entire situation.... Ensure your bird has sufficient rest. At least 10 hours, perhaps more. Avoid unwanted sexual stimulation of touching back, belly, under wings. Safe area is head only! Wing clipping is highly controversial, but may assist with preventing unwanted attacks - an absolute last step. So you have a close bond with your bird, one of trust? If not, reverting to basics may help, check out a few helpful links below:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

 

[Timary]

Welcome, can you give us a bit more background on your umbrella? How long have you had her, is she an only bird, is this behavior new or constant since you first adopted? What sort of diet?

A few random thoughts.... your bird is approaching sexual maturity, causing disruptive hormonal activity. If so, expect a few months of unwanted behavior. Most important to keep her from your shoulder/head/face. Large cockatoos can cause extreme damage requiring emergency medical assistance. If you have other birds (unsure, that's why I asked) jealousy may be an issue. In fact, this might be a reason for aggression towards your sibling. Some parrots bond closely to just one person and regard others as threats.

A few ideas without knowing entire situation.... Ensure your bird has sufficient rest. At least 10 hours, perhaps more. Avoid unwanted sexual stimulation of touching back, belly, under wings. Safe area is head only! Wing clipping is highly controversial, but may assist with preventing unwanted attacks - an absolute last step. So you have a close bond with your bird, one of trust? If not, reverting to basics may help, check out a few helpful links below:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

I have had her for about a month and 1 week and i don’t have any other bird besides her and she’s behaving that way ever since i adopted her she’d only bite when she’s flying towards me but would never bite me when i put her on my shoulder on my own
One of my siblings is afraid of her and would never get close to her yet she’s aggressive with her but not the rest of my siblings not sure why
I let her sleep for 12 hours and i try to give her fresh fruits and vegetables but she’s somehow picky and would only eat seeds

 

[ToMang07]

You need to spend a lot of time on here reading.

Bite pressure training is very important. As is establishing boundaries and appropriate handling/touching.

Seeds... should only be used as treats or training aids. A good formulated pellet is much better, especially for a picky bird, I personality use and recommend Harrisons.

Where are you located?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[noodles123]

if you don't get this under control now, you will not believe what a miserable bird you will have in 6-8 years...at puberty (when behaviors really can pick up).

1. A month is really nothing...because I get the vibe that you are feeling like this is slow or something. These birds can sometimes take years to try something new (even with daily exposure)...You cannot stop exposing them just because they show no interest. They are super intelligent and they are very much like children in many ways, only you cannot treat them like babies/children in other ways (despite the fact that they have they have the cognitive capacity of 4-year-olds.

That having been said, parrots have their own rules. You should really research ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). You have to change your behavior, because none of this has anything to do with the bird. Parrots do what they do based on what they are getting out of it, and you and your family are likely inadvertently rewarding bad behavior....because a behavior that is being reinforced (rewarded) is a behavior that continues or strengthens.

2. Have you ever had a bird? How old are you? I REALLY hope your parents are liked by the bird because they can live to 80 and if you want to go to college etc, your bird is going to have a really hard time with it. These birds are more re-homed than any other species and it is like adopting a 3 year with allergies and special needs that lives forever (which is great, if that is what you wanted- I would be devastated if anything happened to mine, but you know what I mean?). I hope you are prepared for that.

*do not cut a bird off seeds cold turkey as they can starve.***you must wean them off**

Are you petting her on her head and neck only or do you touch her elsewhere?

Does your bird have any access to shadowy spaces (boxes, huts, drawers, under furniture, under blankets etc? If so, remove the access...they seek out shadowy spaces and it's not good to allow it because it will eventually trigger hormonal behavior and so you should never allow them to do things when they are young that will be sexual when they are adults at 6-8.

How do you react to the bites? (what do you say, do etc)---do you yell, do you touch your bird, do you leave, do other people come into the room to help? These questions sound silly but they REALLY matter.

What are you doing when she bites (where are you , what are you doing, are you looking at your bird BEFORE she fles and bites you?)

How much out of cage time daily?

How big is the cage?

Does your bird know how to play with toys?

Your reactions are CAUSING the screaming. YES, they do scream by nature, but constant screaming means you either have very unhappy bird or that you have inadvertently rewarded the behavior by how you reacted to it.

 

[noodles123]

Welcome, can you give us a bit more background on your umbrella? How long have you had her, is she an only bird, is this behavior new or constant since you first adopted? What sort of diet?

A few random thoughts.... your bird is approaching sexual maturity, causing disruptive hormonal activity. If so, expect a few months of unwanted behavior. Most important to keep her from your shoulder/head/face. Large cockatoos can cause extreme damage requiring emergency medical assistance. If you have other birds (unsure, that's why I asked) jealousy may be an issue. In fact, this might be a reason for aggression towards your sibling. Some parrots bond closely to just one person and regard others as threats.

A few ideas without knowing entire situation.... Ensure your bird has sufficient rest. At least 10 hours, perhaps more. Avoid unwanted sexual stimulation of touching back, belly, under wings. Safe area is head only! Wing clipping is highly controversial, but may assist with preventing unwanted attacks - an absolute last step. So you have a close bond with your bird, one of trust? If not, reverting to basics may help, check out a few helpful links below:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

Umbrellas don't sexually mature at 7months. It takes years...BUT you still want to treat them like they are sexually mature when they are young or you will have an expectant monster on your hands years later when all of their favorite things become "forbidden" (so petting should always be head and neck only...etc )

 

[Timary]

if you don't get this under control now, you will not believe what a miserable bird you will have in 6-8 years...at puberty (when behaviors really can pick up).

1. A month is really nothing...because I get the vibe that you are feeling like this is slow or something. These birds can sometimes take years to try something new (even with daily exposure)...You cannot stop exposing them just because they show no interest. They are super intelligent and they are very much like children in many ways, only you cannot treat them like babies/children in other ways (despite the fact that they have they have the cognitive capacity of 4-year-olds.

That having been said, parrots have their own rules. You should really research ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). You have to change your behavior, because none of this has anything to do with the bird. Parrots do what they do based on what they are getting out of it, and you and your family are likely inadvertently rewarding bad behavior....because a behavior that is being reinforced (rewarded) is a behavior that continues or strengthens.

2. Have you ever had a bird? How old are you? I REALLY hope your parents are liked by the bird because they can live to 80 and if you want to go to college etc, your bird is going to have a really hard time with it. These birds are more re-homed than any other species and it is like adopting a 3 year with allergies and special needs that lives forever (which is great, if that is what you wanted- I would be devastated if anything happened to mine, but you know what I mean?). I hope you are prepared for that.

*do not cut a bird off seeds cold turkey as they can starve.***you must wean them off**

Are you petting her on her head and neck only or do you touch her elsewhere?

Does your bird have any access to shadowy spaces (boxes, huts, drawers, under furniture, under blankets etc? If so, remove the access...they seek out shadowy spaces and it's not good to allow it because it will eventually trigger hormonal behavior and so you should never allow them to do things when they are young that will be sexual when they are adults at 6-8.

How do you react to the bites? (what do you say, do etc)---do you yell, do you touch your bird, do you leave, do other people come into the room to help? These questions sound silly but they REALLY matter.

What are you doing when she bites (where are you , what are you doing, are you looking at your bird BEFORE she fles and bites you?)

How much out of cage time daily?

How big is the cage?

Does your bird know how to play with toys?

Your reactions are CAUSING the screaming. YES, they do scream by nature, but constant screaming means you either have very unhappy bird or that you have inadvertently rewarded the behavior by how you reacted to it.

I’m 24yo my family have had a macaw before and my cockatoo does like my parents its only one of my siblings she maybe dislikes
I do pet her on her head but she would often lift up her wings so i touch her there as well she always wants to be pet and would hide her head underneath my arm and let me pet her
I try not to react to her bites so that she wouldn’t do it again and I would say no every time she bites me and every time she misbehaves i put her back in the cage for a few seconds i never yell at her but when she’s mad and screaming i try to pet her head to calm her and she allows me to and no nobody comes into the room and I don’t leave
She flies and bites me whenever i put her on the stand to go and do something else like clean her cage or change her food i have to clean it while sitting near her cause every time i leave the room she’d scream
I let her out of the cage the whole day and hand feed her since she always prefer to be on my shoulder and not go to her cage or the stand for food
I put wooden toys for her to break

 

[noodles123]

Oh good, when you said sibling I was worried you were in your teens. Don't let her hide her head like that when sitting on you-- avoid shadowy spaces (I know it seems innocent, but it's not a good habit to encourage due to future hormones)...Mine tries to do this if she is allowed to sit on my lap.. No shadowy spaces.

By petting her to "calm her down" you are rewarding the behavior. You MUST teach her independence because there is so much wrong about this current plan. If a toddler screams and cries for a treat and you give the toddler the treat to make him/her get quiet, that's a problem, and a similar situation is going on here, only your attention is the reward. She thinks- "when I scream, you come back and pet me ...so now I scream to get you to come and pet me. I want to be with you 24/7, and I am a flock animal so I want to be with you all the time, but if you ever leave, I will just scream and you will come back."
Cockatoos will become as needy and obsessive as you allow them to be....It is not healthy to over-indulge their velcro-tendencies. Their threshold for interaction/attention is insatiable (to the point of self-destruction)...Which is why you have to help your bird and stop giving in.

When you leave the room, see about how long it takes for the screaming to start. DO NOT return until she is silent for a set period of time, based upon how bad the problem is...If it generally starts the second you are gone, then I'd start low at 5 seconds and gradually work my way up to 10, then 15. This is a "I Mississippi, 2 Mississippi" count..If she screams before 5 seconds is over, the count starts back at one until you get to solid 5 s of silence. At that point, enter the room immediately and say "thanks of getting quiet" in a quiet voice and praise. You may have to deal with her screaming for a few hours...Once the screaming starts cut off all forms of attention. DO NOT enter the room for any reason. DO NOT look at your bird or talk to your bird if she is screaming. You have to wait a full 5 s of silence before any form of attention (proximity, eye contact, talking etc) are resumed-- Make sure you tell the whole house this set of rules because one person can mess it up if they give in. I suggest buying sillicone earplugs for your family, as this can take a few weeks of consistency before it works (because remember, so far, your bird has been able to keep your attention this way, and when it suddenly doesn't work, the behavior will seem to get worse before it gets better, but that is called an extinction burst and it's normal).. It is very clear that your bird is doing this for attention and you also have to teach them to play with toys if they don't seem too interested (model yourself playing with it, lots of attention and treats if she shows interest in the toys etc.

You can PREVENT screaming in some cases by talking to your bird from the other room BEFORE the screaming starts.

Another thing-- if you walk out of the room and she DOESNT scream right away, come back in and praise her for being good and quiet. Try to see if you can gradually be out of the room for a few seconds longer over time and keep popping back in BEFORE the screaming starts and praising..

I will ask more questions about the flying attacks later, because I have a feeling it also has something to do with attention...If she sees you leaving or walking away and flies to bite you, you are forced to stay in the room a bit longer, touch her etc...I'd stop putting her on her cage and try a time-out stand or the floor and the "shunning method". I will try to post more on that later.

You are creating a monster. This can't go on for 80 years...Think about it, if you spoil this bird and never teach it independence or to eat on its own etc, it is going to self destruct when you have to go to work someday or when it has to be alone...Plus, you can't sustain this, and if it gets worse (as it will unless you resolve to teach independence) then you will likely end up with a bird that you cannot tolerate and when re-homed, your absence (due to this lack of independence and due to this shoulder feeding habit etc) will be a nightmare for anyone else...because it is already bad for you, and your bird hasn't even hit puberty..

I know screaming from a U2 can make your head feel like it is going to explode, but you have to let her scream sometimes.

Gun-range noise-blocking headphones will make it easier to ignore the screaming when it starts, but don't leave anything you need in that room because if the screaming does start, you CANNOT return (even if you need your keys or phone etc) until the screaming stops..

These also are good.

 

[wrench13]

Timary, you are receiving EXCELLENT advice above. It is sooooo important to implement these suggestions. I hope for your cockatoo's sake you take the advice. Tough love now, in order to have a great parrot for the next 80 years.

 

[noodles123]

if you don't get this under control now, you will not believe what a miserable bird you will have in 6-8 years...at puberty (when behaviors really can pick up).

1. A month is really nothing...because I get the vibe that you are feeling like this is slow or something. These birds can sometimes take years to try something new (even with daily exposure)...You cannot stop exposing them just because they show no interest. They are super intelligent and they are very much like children in many ways, only you cannot treat them like babies/children in other ways (despite the fact that they have they have the cognitive capacity of 4-year-olds.

That having been said, parrots have their own rules. You should really research ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). You have to change your behavior, because none of this has anything to do with the bird. Parrots do what they do based on what they are getting out of it, and you and your family are likely inadvertently rewarding bad behavior....because a behavior that is being reinforced (rewarded) is a behavior that continues or strengthens.

2. Have you ever had a bird? How old are you? I REALLY hope your parents are liked by the bird because they can live to 80 and if you want to go to college etc, your bird is going to have a really hard time with it. These birds are more re-homed than any other species and it is like adopting a 3 year with allergies and special needs that lives forever (which is great, if that is what you wanted- I would be devastated if anything happened to mine, but you know what I mean?). I hope you are prepared for that.

*do not cut a bird off seeds cold turkey as they can starve.***you must wean them off**

Are you petting her on her head and neck only or do you touch her elsewhere?

Does your bird have any access to shadowy spaces (boxes, huts, drawers, under furniture, under blankets etc? If so, remove the access...they seek out shadowy spaces and it's not good to allow it because it will eventually trigger hormonal behavior and so you should never allow them to do things when they are young that will be sexual when they are adults at 6-8.

How do you react to the bites? (what do you say, do etc)---do you yell, do you touch your bird, do you leave, do other people come into the room to help? These questions sound silly but they REALLY matter.

What are you doing when she bites (where are you , what are you doing, are you looking at your bird BEFORE she fles and bites you?)

How much out of cage time daily?

How big is the cage?

Does your bird know how to play with toys?

Your reactions are CAUSING the screaming. YES, they do scream by nature, but constant screaming means you either have very unhappy bird or that you have inadvertently rewarded the behavior by how you reacted to it.

I’m 24yo my family have had a macaw before and my cockatoo does like my parents its only one of my siblings she maybe dislikes
I do pet her on her head but she would often lift up her wings so i touch her there as well she always wants to be pet and would hide her head underneath my arm and let me pet her
I try not to react to her bites so that she wouldn’t do it again and I would say no every time she bites me and every time she misbehaves i put her back in the cage for a few seconds i never yell at her but when she’s mad and screaming i try to pet her head to calm her and she allows me to and no nobody comes into the room and I don’t leave
She flies and bites me whenever i put her on the stand to go and do something else like clean her cage or change her food i have to clean it while sitting near her cause every time i leave the room she’d scream
I let her out of the cage the whole day and hand feed her since she always prefer to be on my shoulder and not go to her cage or the stand for food
I put wooden toys for her to break

also, don't pet under the wings. I know they love it, but it gets weird fast.

 

[Scott]

Welcome, can you give us a bit more background on your umbrella? How long have you had her, is she an only bird, is this behavior new or constant since you first adopted? What sort of diet?

A few random thoughts.... your bird is approaching sexual maturity, causing disruptive hormonal activity. If so, expect a few months of unwanted behavior. Most important to keep her from your shoulder/head/face. Large cockatoos can cause extreme damage requiring emergency medical assistance. If you have other birds (unsure, that's why I asked) jealousy may be an issue. In fact, this might be a reason for aggression towards your sibling. Some parrots bond closely to just one person and regard others as threats.

A few ideas without knowing entire situation.... Ensure your bird has sufficient rest. At least 10 hours, perhaps more. Avoid unwanted sexual stimulation of touching back, belly, under wings. Safe area is head only! Wing clipping is highly controversial, but may assist with preventing unwanted attacks - an absolute last step. So you have a close bond with your bird, one of trust? If not, reverting to basics may help, check out a few helpful links below:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

I have had her for about a month and 1 week and i don’t have any other bird besides her and she’s behaving that way ever since i adopted her she’d only bite when she’s flying towards me but would never bite me when i put her on my shoulder on my own
One of my siblings is afraid of her and would never get close to her yet she’s aggressive with her but not the rest of my siblings not sure why
I let her sleep for 12 hours and i try to give her fresh fruits and vegetables but she’s somehow picky and would only eat seeds

Apologies for late response! Six weeks is still fairly new, I'd work intensively with earning trust and bonding. I'm guessing the biting during/after flying is part of a ritual, something you want to minimize. With respect to attacking one sibling and not the other, parrots develop a strong opinion of individuals, not necessarily restricted to male/female preference.

Most cockatoos love seeds for good reason - it is much like a diet of burgers and fries. Well, not exactly but they are high protein/fat and beloved. There is some anecdotal evidence diet is related to behavior, so I'd encourage a healthier diet for many reasons. Fresh veggies/fruits are necessary, and many parrots will eat a good pellet instead of seeds. Many good ideas for transition here:http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

Parrots are flock eaters and you are one of the flock! Use this to advantage by making two identical bowls of veggies/fruit aka "chop." Give one to your bird, begin eating from the other. Make "mmmm" sounds, bob your head in delight. Might see amazing results!! Stuff to try: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html

If you are interested in trying conversion to pellets and minimizing seeds, that is another convo!

 

[Betrisher]

Just another POV, but some cockatoos are just OTT all the time. Mine's like that. She's like the offspring of Speedy Gonzales and the Tasmanian Devil, never sitting still, never quiet enough to hear me speak. Nevertheless, we have reached an understanding and she's much better than the whirlwind who first arrived at our house.

I taught her to target and the only sunflower seeds she gets are her rewards for targetting. I've found she just *loves* being taught tricks and I think she enjoys her successes every bit as much as I enjoy getting good marks in exams. It's the busyness that seems to be doing her the most good. If you leave a cocky for long periods without stimulus, it will find one way or another (usually unpleasant) to release all its pent-up energy.

Foraging toys are great, especially home-made ones that require a bit of undoing or fidgetting with to get the reward. Never underestimate the value of a good hunk of clean timber either. Cockies just adore chewing things and a nice plank of untreated wood or safe (ie. non-toxic) fresh tree limbs will keep your bird gainfully employed for ages. My Alexandrines proudly chewed through the last inch of their four-inch plank just yesterday and it's time for a new one!

I think the debate about seeds will go on and on. I live in Australia where I see thousands of wild parrots living exclusively on cereal seeds, native and introduced grass seeds and the seeds of eucalypts and other trees on a daily basis. I would no more exclude seeds from my cocky's diet than - well - fly! It would be like denying fish to a seal or ants to an anteater. At least, IMHO.

My birds get pellets as their main diet with added fruit and veg, depending on what's at hand. However, they also get a reasonably hefty daily serving of a decent seed mix as well (I painstakingly pick out the sunflower seeds and save those for rewards). I must add, it's *so* annoying not to be able to buy bulk seed and make up one's own preferred mix. When I was young, I could easily buy any kind of seed by the pound and feed a good, healthy mix to my birds. Not any more, though: every bird mix on the market today is loaded with fatty seeds like safflower and sunflower. Hnph!

My best suggestions for your bird are to keep him as close to the main living area of your house as you can. Allow him some weeks to settle in and during that time don't allow other family members to handle him. Try to work with him on your own and in a quiet room with no distractions (eg. TV, radio etc). Move slowly so as not to stimulate him into action and speak in a low, calm voice. See if you can teach him to target with a chopstick and make sure you target him into and out of his cage several times. That way, he'll learn to go home when you need him to.

Try to remember that your bird has undergone a massive change by moving to your address and it will take him a few weeks to settle in and feel comfortable. Be patient and work with him. Ask questions and listen to ideas for making toys and keeping him busy. And do post to let us know how you're both going!