Need help with two aggressive eclectus

[unknown92]

Hi all,
I'm new here and new to looking after birds in general. Prior to marrying my husband, he owned two eclectus birds but I believe he brought them at different times so they haven't bonded. After we got married, he left the birds with at his parents house as they had a huge bird cage made for them outside. While my in-laws are overseas, the birds are staying at mine in different cages (the male and female fight). Since coming over, I have been feeding them a diet rich in fruits, veggies, and nuts/tumeric here and there. However, both birds are aggressive towards me. I try not to be too loud or invade their space. The male first bit me when both him and the female were on my husbands shoulder and I asked the male bird to come to me and he didnt want to so he bit me. I didn't force him to come but just said step up while holding my hand out. Straight after this, male and female had a fight on my husbands shoulders. Two days later while I was working from home, I thought I'd let out Ruby (female). She was fine on my shoulder eating an apple while I was having my lunch until I walked past the bird cage and she jumped onto the bird cage and starting attacking the male inside. I went towards her and asked her to come and she bit me (my fault) and proceed to hit at the male bird cage trying to get at the male. After this, she got down from the bird cage and ran towards me. I closed the door as she looked like she wanted me dead. After a while I opened the door and she slowly came towards me and climbed up my leg. I thought it was all good as she wasn't being aggressive, but I was wrong and she started biting my hand. I ended up locking her in my office and calling my mother who has more experience with animals. While I was waiting for her to come, I watched Ruby from the window outside and saw that she was throwing everything on the desk onto the floor. When she saw me, she came towards the window and started biting and ripping up my work documents while staring into my eyes (as if she knew she what she was doing). When my mum came, my mum approached her in a kind manner and in a soft voice asked her to come. She also bit my mother to the point my mum's hand was bleeding (my mum didn't yell in pain like I did and didn't pull away like I did). Finally we got her in her cage using the towel technique. My husband doesn't fully believe what has happened as they don't behave in that way with him. Last night, the male did try to bite me while he was with my husband. The female just puts her wings apart and ignores me if I'm not next to my husband. Regardless, both birds are becoming more and more aggressive towards me just from the cage. When I walk past they hit on the cage or scream. I don't know what I am doing wrong. Not sure if they are still not use to the environment, if the cage is too small, if it's cause they now know I am scared, if it's their diet change, or if it's just hormones (and they don't get along?). While at my in-laws, Ruby use to bite her feathers off (sometimes she use to have bold patches) and cleans her self regularly. Her feathers have grown since she's come here. I'm at a loss and can't take them to the vet by myself and not even sure if theres anything the vet can do. Any insight and guidance will be much appreciated. Also, please no hate or aggression towards me and my lack of knowledge. I spent 20 minutes writing this thread and I don't want a blame game as that's doesn't help the situation. Solution focused please

 

[onamom]

Welcome to the forums! It sounds like your husband has a good relationship with the birds? Has he tried to “introduce” you to them? Let them take treats from your hand while they perch on his finger? I wonder if his presence and involvement here as a trusted person would help them get more comfortable with you.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Welcome to the forums! It sounds like your husband has a good relationship with the birds? Has he tried to “introduce” you to them? Let them take treats from your hand while they perch on his finger? I wonder if his presence and involvement here as a trusted person would help them get more comfortable with you.

Hi all,
I'm new here and new to looking after birds in general. Prior to marrying my husband, he owned two eclectus birds but I believe he brought them at different times so they haven't bonded. After we got married, he left the birds with at his parents house as they had a huge bird cage made for them outside. While my in-laws are overseas, the birds are staying at mine in different cages (the male and female fight). Since coming over, I have been feeding them a diet rich in fruits, veggies, and nuts/tumeric here and there. However, both birds are aggressive towards me. I try not to be too loud or invade their space. The male first bit me when both him and the female were on my husbands shoulder and I asked the male bird to come to me and he didnt want to so he bit me. I didn't force him to come but just said step up while holding my hand out. Straight after this, male and female had a fight on my husbands shoulders. Two days later while I was working from home, I thought I'd let out Ruby (female). She was fine on my shoulder eating an apple while I was having my lunch until I walked past the bird cage and she jumped onto the bird cage and starting attacking the male inside. I went towards her and asked her to come and she bit me (my fault) and proceed to hit at the male bird cage trying to get at the male. After this, she got down from the bird cage and ran towards me. I closed the door as she looked like she wanted me dead. After a while I opened the door and she slowly came towards me and climbed up my leg. I thought it was all good as she wasn't being aggressive, but I was wrong and she started biting my hand. I ended up locking her in my office and calling my mother who has more experience with animals. While I was waiting for her to come, I watched Ruby from the window outside and saw that she was throwing everything on the desk onto the floor. When she saw me, she came towards the window and started biting and ripping up my work documents while staring into my eyes (as if she knew she what she was doing). When my mum came, my mum approached her in a kind manner and in a soft voice asked her to come. She also bit my mother to the point my mum's hand was bleeding (my mum didn't yell in pain like I did and didn't pull away like I did). Finally we got her in her cage using the towel technique. My husband doesn't fully believe what has happened as they don't behave in that way with him. Last night, the male did try to bite me while he was with my husband. The female just puts her wings apart and ignores me if I'm not next to my husband. Regardless, both birds are becoming more and more aggressive towards me just from the cage. When I walk past they hit on the cage or scream. I don't know what I am doing wrong. Not sure if they are still not use to the environment, if the cage is too small, if it's cause they now know I am scared, if it's their diet change, or if it's just hormones (and they don't get along?). While at my in-laws, Ruby use to bite her feathers off (sometimes she use to have bold patches) and cleans her self regularly. Her feathers have grown since she's come here. I'm at a loss and can't take them to the vet by myself and not even sure if theres anything the vet can do. Any insight and guidance will be much appreciated. Also, please no hate or aggression towards me and my lack of knowledge. I spent 20 minutes writing this thread and I don't want a blame game as that's doesn't help the situation. Solution focused please

Wow! If I didn't know better I would say Ruby was possessed by demons!

 

[kme3388]

I have a male eclectus who is aggressive to this extent. He thinks I’m his mate, and everyone else he attacks. I think he forgot he’s a bird, and he’s supposed to have a flight mode, not fight.

I myself can handle my male eclectus parrot, and he adores me. He can do tricks, and is very smart. He snuggles into me all of the time. I have no issues with him. However I do see the other side when he chases my husband, and won’t back down. It’s almost like he’s a bird of prey.

I myself still introduce my eclectus parrot to people. I try to have him sit on his stand when I have people over (from a safe distance of course), and hope for the best. Before me he was like this to the lady who ran the shelter he came from. He adored her, and everyone else was getting attacked. I consider my eclectus parrot to be a one person bird.

 

[unknown92]

They are both fine with me when my husband is home and were fine with me when I use to visit them at my in-laws. My mother in law use to be surprised how well we use to get along. Ruby use to spend more time on my chest than on my husband and Pasha use to pick at my glasses. It's when there's only three of us at home (just me and them). I tried feeding them last night, Pasha accepted me opening the little food tray and putting his food but started trying to bite at me while I was trying to close it back up. Ruby on the other hand, she was trying to escape from the area I put food and so I couldn't even put her food. She's also started this new thing in which she is taking her food and putting in her water bowl. I am starting to think they are stressed out from the move and be in smaller cages compared to their nice big outside cage.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Wow! If I didn't know better I would say Ruby was possessed by demons!

I would never cast judgment on you and criticize you for how you are dealing with your husband's pair of Eclectus. Neither would anyone else on PFs because we all know what it's like to have bird problems.
On a lighter note, you have to admit that the scene you describe with Ruby, especially what you saw peering in the window after locking her in your office is really pretty funny! Not for you, I'm sure, but for us reading it! I wonder what was going on in Ruby's brain while you watched in horror as she trashed your office!
Someone with a vivid imagination could probably write the script for a horror movie based on parrots gone mad terrorizing a small town.

 

[Talaya]

there are so many factors here that could be upsetting them. It will definItaly help if your husband could introduce you and play games get you to give treats Etc. I had to train my husband and bird for about a month to get them to start to accept each other. I have a couple of very simple target tricks that he will do for a treat, he will fly to a perch that I tap on. So I just got my husband to do that for a few mins everyday, then we would do it between us, hand to hand just a foot or two, A few times. Gradually Solo started to accept my partner as a caregiver.
My boy loves me, yet he still can be slightly aggressive around his food bowl , thats just the way he is. Yes it’s fine when I open the door, but he will try and get my fingers or the bolt when I’m shutting it. As for dunking food in the water Ekkies are known for that, just try to make sure the water is clean for them. I’m sure this is a very hard time for you and we all understand how difficult it is to care for some opinionated birds.