New Alexandrine Aggression... Please Help!

[missylynn]

I just brought home my new 4 month old Alexandrine Parakeet this last week. We visited her several times in the store before bringing her home, and she was exceptionally friendly and outgoing, even happy to play with my four-year-old. She always stepped up from a playstand and from her cage there.

Now that she is home, though, she has become exceptionally aggressive! Whenever my hand comes ANYWHERE near here (even to change the water, not to go to her), she starts showing signs of aggression. She reaches out to snap my fingers off, holds her wings partially up, dilates her eyes, etc. The lady at the aviary suggested I wrap her in a kitchen towel and carry her around like a swaddled baby, but that only succeeded in making a hole in my shirt as she tried desperately to remove my fingers from my hand.

I brought her to the vet for an initial health check-up, and bizarrely enough, she was happy to step up for the vet and did not care when he wrapped the towel around her and listened to her heart. We got back home, and she was back to the aggression. I am baffled. My conure never had this attitude... he has loved us from the beginning, so I am not sure what I can do to help her become comfortable.

 

[Evanskiver]

I am in the exact same position as you having brought home a seemingly friendly Alexandrine (4 months old) and getting bit and nipped at now that we are home. I hope someone has the answer so we all can be happier. It is hard not getting discouraged.

 

[mrob]

Hi guys,
I had the same problem...my alex was pretty relaxed in the shop but at home was not keen at all....The trick i found is DONT force it. They get stressed with the move, and really need time to adjust.... and my alex came around but it took months, the best progress was made when i just gave up, and eventually he came to me! Just spend time with them, dont handle them if they are not keen on it. Sit net to the cage and just talk to them, eat next to the cage and share your food, give them treats out of your hand. Its really a patience game at this point, the idea is to build trust, and you cant force it. Its going to take much longer than a week!
Alexandrines are fantastic, im not sure if you have a male or a female but my male was an absolutely amazing talker, far better then my eclectus. The thing is, they are not usually cuddly birds, you just have to give them heaps of time and space, and dont do anything that is obviously distresing them. Keep your handling to the absolute minimum if it is upsetting them but stay there as 'company', you just need to let them get used to you and their new surroundings. They also are prone to cage agression especially when new birds so watch your fingers and try changing food when they are out, or diostract them with a treat.
My alex was eventaully great at stepping up but he still was not keen on fingers! This may be very frustrating! Clipping them also helps with taming but that is something you need to think about for yourself.....I found it invaluable, but they are still pretty good fliers when clipped so watch windows etc...
Good luck, and I know that its horrible when all you want to do is shower them with love and affection, but the idea here is to build trust and let them come to you. dont swaddle them, they absolutely HATE being confined and that will just make you go backwards.....i find mostly its only very young birds that appreciate such treatment! Remember, you are building trust! Oh and my alex ONLY did things on HIS terms, thank you very much!
Good luck and remember it will all be worth it!! p.s. i found a great treat to bribe my alex was macadamia nuts. He absolutely adored them.....and the way to his heart was through his stomach!

 

[Evanskiver]

Thanks so much, it is nice to know that there is still hope lol. I do have a question on letting her out of the cage, as this is the hardest time for us and Tyrael. As of yesterday she took a large chunk of my finger when I had to pick her up and place her in her cage. Would it be best to not let her out?

 

[pittiepride]

Is she in the cage she was in at the store or a new cage? Ensuring the cage is the proper size with lots of space and toys is important.
My ACG when I got her was very cage agressive and I learnt what she will go into her cage for. Peanuts. So when she was out of the cage I would put peanuts in ehr bowl, I ask her want a peanut, and she would run into the cage to get the nut. This started her to trust me more and eventually she started coming up so I could put her in. The other thing we noticed with the going in the cage was the door of the cage was too crowded, she was insecure, so when we moved the toys out of the doorweay and gave her a favorite place to perch, she was much happier being placed into the cage, and again we always give a treat for going in the cage.
I'm no bird trainer, but I kind of use the avoid the bad behavior, reward the good behavior. So avoid situations that produce the bad behavior by taking it very slow, and reward the good behavior. It works in dogs too, they learn that the bad behavior gets nothing and the right behavior gets toys/treats/attention.
kara

 

[mrob]

No worries! In regards to putting her back in the cage, you could do what I did and ignore the biting but its niot for everyone.....you really just have to grit your teeth and not react at all and eventually they will stop. Although it takes quite a lot of bird experience to get to this point, especially with alexandrines as their beaks are super strong in my experience. Its also hard not to get hurt feelings (well it was for me!!) when they bite and that can harm your relationship with them. another way is skin coloured (has to be skin coloured) gloves but you have to be careful because then they learn not to bite the gloves, soon as you take them off they go straight back to biting!
Alternatly, you can try stick training, where you get her to step up onto a stick to save your fingers!! But if she was stepping up before onto a hand no worries, it might just be a case of weathering the storm......ouch!!!
Another thing is bribing works really really well but never give a treat to stop the biting, as you will be inadvertantly rewarding her! What the person above said is good, if you can get her to go back to the cage voluntarily that is good but you will need to tackle the step ups eventually. Maybe try getting her used to them without directly putting her back into her cage? Reward her if she does it without biting, then she will associate stepping up with good things, rather than with going back into her cage.
Remember to be patient, sounds like shes just going through her teething stage. At some stage she will go through a bluffing stage where she will turn into a violent little demin biting all the time (you must ignore it!) but eventually she will come around!
Hope i havnt scared you!!! It will all be worth it!!!

Oh i just reread you post ...its great you have experience with your conure that will make things a bit easier! Just remember ales are not affectionate like conures....not to say thay arnt loving birds who will bond with you strongly, they are just very much there own little birdy people and will only do what suits them lol