How much displacement biting is normal for an amazon?

[Bering]

Whenever I have my Yellow Amazon out of his cage, he aggressively bites everything. He has a perch in the living room with a mix of wood and rope perches, whenever I talk to him or get eye contact with him he aggressively bites his perch.

What I'm kind of trying to find out is, why he is biting and chewing aggressively whenever I approach him. If I reach my hand out to him while he bites crazy, he doesn't bite my hand or anything.

I can easily scratch him and touch him, which stops the biting.

I just find it kinda strange how he kind of shows aggressive behavior a lot, although I don't know exactly what to do about it - or how much of this is normal?

As I can still approach him with my hand and he fluffs up his feathers when I scratch him, I can imagine he doesn't mind me approaching him? But if I turn my back to him, he doesn't bite crazy. As soon as I look at him, crazy! - Does it mean he doesn't want me to look at him? I find that kinda weird as he's calling for me, if my back is turned.

I don't know. It's weird. I'm trying to encourage good behavior here, but I'm not sure how to lessen his aggressive biting or if it's just an Amazon thing he does.

 

[Kiwibird]

Is this a new behavior or has he always done it? How old is your amazon? Had he been DNA sexed as male or did you guess?

 

[Scott]

Knowing more history and age of your amazon will help assess, as Kiwibird suggests. My amazon displacement-bites to a greater extent than any other species of my flock.

 

[Bering]

He is Male, about 10 years old. He has been doing it a lot for the past year or so. I've tried a few different things, but his behavior doesn't seem to change.

 

[SailBoat]

I am sorry that I miss your Thread (an Amazon Thread no less)!

Thank-you, for the additional information as it is very informative!

Just as a point of interest, have you read the first Thread in the Amazon Forum, high-lighted in light blue, as of yet? It titled something like; Understanding Amazon Body Language. Its a great read and I strongly recommend reading it out-loud with your Amazon close by. I would recommend reading it several times until you can clearly see with understand, the basic body language of your Yellow Nape Amazons.

Yellow Napes are big and they love to make statements! And big bold statements at that! It is important to also remember that an Amazon will use several different language statements to form an 'Overall Statement.'

Being big and bold and tearing-up or death bitting something can and commonly is part of several very different 'Overall Statements.'

In your example, that could mean:
- One step forward and I will kill you, like I am killing this perch or rope, etc.
- or, Where have you been, I am so excited to see you I can barely control my self!

That represents two very different statements. That is why the combination of the other body language statements are important to understanding the 'Overall Statement.'

Thankfully, you have a base understanding and only need to develop a greater knowledge of Amazons Body Language Basics and then add to that the additional signs that your Amazons has added.