New owner of amazon. Biting help?

[Kaytlynn]

Hello everyone, my name is Kaytlynn. I have owned small conures before but never a large parrot. Exactly a week ago, today, I drove down to Oregon to pick up my new friend, Link. He is 19 years old and his previous owner had him for all 19 years (his owner before me was male.) Link is slowly adjusting here at home with me and my family (I am 19 as well) but my question for you guys is how can I get him to stop biting me? He knows I am the only one that feeds him (Trying to show him i'm the primary caretaker) he'll take treats from me, and once he's OUT of his cage, he usually does a great job perching up on my other arm and so forth but getting him out can be a real pain. Today is the ONLY day I've seen him perch my wrist (wrapped in a towel / glove) without biting excessively. He also seems to be very protective over my dad, since my dad is the only male the household, I'm assuming because his last bond was with a male as well. How can I train him to get used to fingers/hands instead of wrists? What can I use as a punishment if he bites, how can I show him properly that it's not okay?

Also, Link doesn't seem to like fresh fruits or veggies! I've tried apples, carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower.. The only thing I can seem to get him to eat is THAWED peas and corn. Is this normal? What are some of your amazons favorite treats?

Here is me and my new life long bestfriend

 

[lizardsmells]

Don't punish him, parrots don't react well to it and it will totally backfire on you. Instead of reaching in his cage for him, open the door and put a chair or t-stand next to it. Sit quietly and read a book or text or whatever and let him decide to come out.

He's only been there for a week. It takes time for them to adjust to a new home. His cage is probably the only place that feels like 'his' in this strange new environment so his biting you when you stick your hands in there isn't surprising. Let him have that security, when he trusts you you'll be able to stick your hands in there just fine. It's also not unusual for him to gravitate toward your dad too given his last living situation.

Your best bet is going to be taking it slow and letting Link (who, btw, is a super handsome boy!) lead the pace. Don't force him out or on you, and until you get some trust and a bond built up I'd keep him off your shoulder as well. You don't want a facial bite! If he does bite your hands don't react or if you do react make it a very short 'no!' with a quick angry look, then go right back to normal. Don't hold a grudge, it will just cause confusion on Link's part and make all this that much harder.

To get him to try new foods eat a bite in front of him and exaggerate how wonderful it is then offer him a bite from the same piece. You may have to do this several times and you may have to try preparing food different ways. Kazi loves brussels sprouts, especially if they're still on the stalk, butternut squash (but it has to be cooked and semi-mashed), sweet potatoes (cooked and sliced), cottage cheese, scrambled egg, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seeds and large Roudybush pellets are some of his favorites.

 

[Mitchell]

Time, time, and more time. Give him the option to resist at this time if he's not ready. Put a perch on the cage door to train him where to go so you won't be so vulnerable to a bite. Right now, lots of talking to him and feed him some treats by hand and again..time..give him lots of time to adjust.

 

[lene1949]

He's biting because he's confused and very possibly afraid... He has no idea what happened... After being with his previous male owner for 19 years, and now a young female has taken possession of him...

You need to give him time to adjust, show him he can trust you.. If the bird is used to stepping up on bare skin, he might not appreciate the towels etc.

He's a gorgeous bird, and you can win his trust by being gentle, and allow him to call the shots... Don't ever punish him...

At his age he'll probably already know what you mean, if you say 'gentle' or 'no biting' or even just 'ah!'

Good luck with him..

 

[mnkeastman]

very nice looking bird

 

[Kaytlynn]

I have been forcing him to perch and he has shown great inprovement with it. Is that wrong? I take him out several times a day and when hes out, hes very good.

 

[henpecked]

Hey Kaytlynn, Welcome to the forum.Rehoming a older amazon can be a real challenge. I'd suggest taking some time and reading some of the older threads in this section. You can pick up lots of great tips here.

 

[Remy]

Give it time. How would you feel if you were in his situation?

Also... I would be cautious about putting him on your shoulder for the time being, especially if he's biting at all. Your face is pretty, and you should make sure it stays that way. Try holding him on your hand, or teaching him to perch on your knee. At least until you both trust each other more.

Puck was very possessive of my shoulder and my head when I first got him, and would bite me when I tried to remove him (or raise my arm, or do something that made him think I might raise my arm, lol). He's usually okay now though.

 

[Remy]

Also, congratulations! He sure looks cute! :-D

 

[chksbak]

congrats he is a beautiful bird, i can not help with the bitting but it seems that has been covered.

 

[roxynoodle]

You have already gotten a lot of good advice from others. And I have to agree about the shoulder. You are young and pretty and don't want to have to get stitches and/or plastic surgery if he bites your face or ear. Amazons can do horrible damage when they bite someone's face. If you need to have your hands in his cage to add perches or toys or do some cleaning, I would do that while he is out of the cage. Right now he is very frightened of a new person being in his home.

Being an amazon, I bet he likes singing. You might try singing to him. Or maybe he whistles. Either way, music seems to go over really well with zons. That helped win Pete over. Pete also really likes for me to imitate anything vocalization he makes. The only one I don't do is his loud alarm/barking dog that he does when he is upset. I ignore that one until he calms down.

 

[henpecked]

Hey Kaytlynn, I think he's protective of your dad because your dad is most like his old owner.He's biting you because he's sees your dad as the closest thing to his mate,and your a stranger. I don't know if bringing in your dad will help or hurt you bonding with him.I'm sure after some time has pasted he will be a lot friendlier with you, but in the mean time he's not with the one he loves.He might swap mates but, him and your dad might be an issue for ever.Amazon seem to very passionate about things ,it's hard to get them to change their minds about something they've formed an opinion about, (sort of like teenagers).Good luck and holler if you need help.

 

[stephend]

I never take Bob out of her cage. I just open the door and if she wants to come out she will. I tend to leave the door open and she will often fly to me if she wanted to eat or something when I opened the door.

 

[lizardsmells]

I have been forcing him to perch and he has shown great inprovement with it. Is that wrong? I take him out several times a day and when hes out, hes very good.

You're in what's called 'the honeymoon period' where the bird is uncertain enough in a familiar environment to be perfectly obedient and tractable. Unfortunately this stage only lasts about two weeks. Fortunately it is a GREAT time to build a solid foundation of trust with your bird.

Try to put yourself in his shoes - your bedroom has just suddenly and inexplicably been moved from your house, with everyone you love, to a stranger's house, where no one is familiar. You don't speak the language and you have no clue what's going on.

Would you want those strangers, no matter how well intentioned, to come barging into your room whenever they felt like it and demanding things of you you were really unsure about? Or would you rather hear soft, kind words, see non-threatening gestures and be allowed to stay, or come out, of your room at your own pace?

Try to remember every thing you do with Link is either trust building or trust destroying. You'll make mistakes, it's ok (I've made some astoundingly stupid ones myself), parrots are pretty forgiving of minor infractions, but the more you can do to build trust with him now, the stronger the bond you guys will develop together. There will be times you'll need him to do something he doesn't want to do (step up to move him, for example). Keep a supply of something he really loves. For Kazi this was and is almonds or Nutriberries. I'll hold up an almond sliver or a Nutriberry and and ask him if he wants it. He almost always does. I tell him he's going to get it and make him do what I need him to do. I reassure him it's "just for a minute, sweetie!" and that really seems to help. I swear they pick up on the intent behind our words if not the words themselves. They're wicked smart.

Also try to remember that every bite you get is your fault. I know this, but I still call Kazi a fartknocker (or other f-words when it really hurts) when I get bitten, but I'm never mad at him, because I know he only bit because of something I did and if I think about it I can almost always see exactly what I did to get bitten.

Go poke around companionparrotonline.com, the articles there about second hand birds and amazons will help you a ton

 

[oled]

I dont think you should have him on your sholder, safety but also that you dont have the controle. Gain his trust take time but you have to find a way shoing him that it is not Ok to bite. Punisment dont help, try to remove you hand evertime he bite, it will slowly be better, he will soon know that it is not okey to bite but it take long time before he stop doing it. Congrat he is really a beautie!!

 

[Tammy]

I took in a 13 yr old Amazon whose owner died. It took several months for him to really bond well with me but now he is my best friend in the world. I was petrified of him when I got him as I never had any bird before. I would open his cage door & let him go where he wanted. When it was bedtime I tried the step up command. When he refused, I said to him, "Look, it's bed time. You can either step up or fly there yourself but one way or another you're going" The first week he flew back to his cage & climbed in. I would tell him thank you and give him treats and tell him what a handsome smart bird he was & I was going to take care of him forever. After a week he started stepping up. He has always been very clear with his moods & what he will allow along the lines of touching, etc.

Give him more time and never force him. I would invite Mr. Precious to do stuff & he would choose whether he wanted to or not. After 3 months he decided he wanted to finally give the shower a try so he flew in with me & now we shower together almost every day. I tell him I'm going to take a shower & it's his choice whether he wants one also. They understand a lot more words than you could imagine so talk to him & explain what you're doing or planning to do. Mine even warns my mother that he's planning on attacking her by flapping his wings & saying "Hurt! Hurt!" If my kids are arguing or being whiny he will tell them to knock it off or be quiet.

 

[Kaytlynn]

Thanks guys! Since I've posted this Link has already showed GREAT improvment! He's now perching my hand (still wrapped in a towel for my own comfort) without a single bite! He has now started venturing out of his cage, sitting on the top, chattering to the whole family.

 

[Vickiep73]

I totaly agree with the previouse advice given, talk sweetly to him and try not to force him out offer him the option to come out or step up and wait .
a good quality feed left for him and a rotation of fresh fruits daily might peak his interest in other foods (Green bean and grape is a real fave of my double yellow )
My bird was baught as an unwanted pet and he too nipped quite hard but with time and understanding he is just a darling today so gentle and loving..i cant imagine life without him.
Our whole family has bonded with him tho we know not to bully him into anything and not try to touch him when he's playing with HIS toys lol

Vickie x

 

[ftlaudmom]

What a lovely bird and it must be so cool to know that you and he came onto this earth around the same time! Isn't that crazy? And its highly possible he could be with you for your entire life as they do have very long lifespans! With that said there is tons of time to allow him to adjust to you and you to him. I'm no expert believe me and if you search out my posts you will see that I sought out help with my rehomed zon as well on this site. I got wonderful advice from some very kind experienced bird owners, henpecked especially, and as he suggested, if you do some searches you'll find some of those threads that will definitely help.

He needs time to learn that you and your home are safe for him and you need time to be able to understand his body language. Each bird is different I've come to find out. I've had two zons in my life and so far the signs that my first bird used to give that showed anger or discomfort don't have the same meaning with my new bird. In general zons have similar signs for similar things but not always.

Its only been a week or so for you and I know how anxious you are to just love all over your new pet and have him return that affection as I was the same exact way. Henpecked brought me back down to earth and advised me to just be patient and let him do things on his own terms and in his own time and it has been working out wonderfully. My little Rico is such a joy and even though he's still not as cuddly as I'd like, and he may never be for that matter, we're learning from each other every day and its paying off.

I'm curious to know what made his previous owner give him up for adoption. Not that it matters but was just wondering.

One thing I can tell you that helped me tremendously in moving things along in the trust department with Rico was starting target training right away. I watched many videos on youtube of others doing it with their birds and Rico took to it so well that in only a couple of days I had him coming out of his cage whenever I wanted him to just by targeting. You might want to give that a try. Good luck to you both.