Tough time with Blue Crown

[xindeed]

I purchased Louie about 3 wks ago. He's a 2 yr old male. The woman I purchased him from said she purchased him as a baby. Since bringing him home has been screaming LOUDLY and often and will not let anyone touch him or even get near him. He bites and avoids hands/fingers. He has drawn blood. He definitely prefers women and will sometimes talk for my wife, but he seems to hate me. His cage is open almost always, but he rarely comes out unless tempted by a treat, then sometimes he will climb out briefly. I have tried ignoring his screams and/or covering his cage with a sheet when he screams, but it has continued unabated. He does play with his old toys but does not climb around inside his cage much. It is the same cage he was raised in. I am starting to fear that Louie is a man-hater and will never bond with me. His screams are so loud at times that they literally hurt your ears. The original owner did not describe any of this behavior. Not sure if my family will put up with this angry/scared/loud bird much longer. Am I expecting too much to think that he would not be biting me every day after a mere 3 wks. If a bird prefers one gender, does this tend to be a permanent thing? Is it cruel and irresponsible to be thinking about re-homing him already. I am prepared to be scolded as a poor bird owner, just hoping someone has some ideas/thoughts on making things better.

 

[BoomBoom]

He misses his old life, give him some time to adjust. Everything he ever knew is gone now. Take it slow, very slow. I highly recommend you read up old topics on screaming / aggressive conures. They always have a reason for lashing out and we as parrot keepers need to learn how to 'speak bird', understand what it is that they are trying to express to us. Hopefully you can find a solution that will work for you and Louie. That said, if you really have to re-home him, I'd contact the previous owner so he doesn't change hands so much. Parrots have a hard time dealing with change.

 

[AJBirds]

I found the Barabara Heidendrick (sp?) parrot training videos helpful. They're available to rent on Vimeo. Soon after we got Pixie, the husband and I watched "understanding bird behaviors" and some training ones; they really helped. Maybe start with stick training and bribing with treats? (eg, step up for treat, step down for treat)