My Alexandrine has changed!!Suddenly aggressive.Need help

[Treens77]

Hi all. I own a alexandrine which we had purchased from a pet store about 6wks ago now. My bird was born in March 2013,and we have managed to socialize him and get to know him pretty well. I call him "he" out of habit.not sure of his sex. He has always not liked getting put in his cage and would kind of snap his beak at u when you shut the door. But was always super excited to step up and come out. In the last week or so I have started to notice a change and in the last few days he keeps lunging at us when we are trying to let him out of his cage!! If we walk past the cage he follows us on his rope perch and lunges with mouth wide open! I have told him no in a authoritive voice and left him alone for a it before trying again. Unfortunately he hasn't been out of the cage today because of this behavior. Please offer some advice on what this could be and some tips on how to manage it!!! I don't want a mean untamed bird!!

[cml]

Welcome to the forums and congratulations on being a bird owner! It's both a pain in the ass as well as a complete joy to own parrots.

Please offer some advice on what this could be and some tips on how to manage it!!! I don't want a mean untamed bird!!

Absolutely, but promise me to read what I write and dont react negatively . You are obviously new to parrot ownership and will thus have to correct some of the things you are doing.

You have a lot of reading up to do, and fast. You will need to educate yourself on parrot care and then work everyday with your parrot to make sure you have a great and rewarding relationship. If you do that, I promise you it will be worth it.

First of all, start with reading this article today:
www.trainedparrot.com/taming
It deals with how you should start to work with a parrot, and how to approach him. Basic taming.

I have told him no in a authoritive voice and left him alone for a it before trying again.

This is about the worst thing you can do, you are encouraging a bad behaviour by giving him attention, thus reinforcing it.
Google on postive and negative reinforcement to learn more, I cant find Michael's article on it. You will be wanting to use postive reinforcement.

I would also reccomend you to read this, so you dont inadvertantly reinforce other bad behaviour. Remember, this is only examples and there are many more things you could unknowingly reinforce which can turn ugly.
http://trainedparrot.com/Bad_Rewarding/

Also, to get your parrot to go back into their cage you need to make sure its a postive experience! This can be done in many ways, but start by reading this:
http://trainedparrot.com/Caging/

I realise its a lot to read, but you really really need to just do it and then start working. Dont worry if it seems hard or if you do a mistake here and there, we are all here to help you on the forum !

[Treens77]

I have read these articles that you recommended. And there are some helpful suggestions in there. I guess my question is why so suddenly? Is it stress? Moulting? Bluffing? Favouring one member more? Scared of me suddenly? It just doesn't seem right cause he has not ever lunged at us when it's time to come out of the cage. And if he won't step up then just leave him in there since the one article did state to not let him come out on his own? All advice is appreciated, cause as guessed I am new at this

[cml]

I have read these articles that you recommended. And there are some helpful suggestions in there. I guess my question is why so suddenly? Is it stress? Moulting? Bluffing? Favouring one member more? Scared of me suddenly? It just doesn't seem right cause he has not ever lunged at us when it's time to come out of the cage. And if he won't step up then just leave him in there since the one article did state to not let him come out on his own? All advice is appreciated, cause as guessed I am new at this

My guess is because he's learned that it gets him a result he wants. These things can happen suddenly.

Take a few steps back and start over with basic taming, let it take a few weeks.

[rukhsana]

He has a play gym inside not a cage but today I had to put him outside in a cage because I couldn't handle it anymore. If I hold him he will squawk, if I just leave him on his stand he will squawk, if he flies over and sits on my shoulder he will squawk in my ear! I suffer from severe migraines so it gets very very hard to handle while I have a migraine attack.

[Scotty]

One thing that can also affect the bird is the diet, you might be giving him/her something that isn't very nutritional for them and when they don't eat good they get cranky and yell and get to be bothersome.

Remember this always, your bird is trying to communicate, it's up to you to try and determine what is it...

1. I'm bored
2. I'm tired
3. Play with me
4. I'm being bratty and want my way
5. LIke a small child, cry cry cry

Birds are like having little kids so remember how little kids 2-4 years old act too, LOL...

Birds are very smart, so make sure you have a nice cage, also a play gym for them to play on outside and lots of toys to keep busy, because you are trying to train the bird to be good and play and amuse itself too...

Cheers

[Pajarita]

Psittaculas need a lot of daily handling by an experienced owner or they will revert to wild ways very easily so you need to evaluate your husbandry and approach (how many hours you spend with him, what kind of interaction, what kind of environment is he in -quiet or busy?, cage size and location, diet, clipped or flighted, light schedule, etc)

[lamagdalena]

Ringnecks have a very pronounced puberty period. Its almost like a jekyll and hyde personality transformation.

You must be patient, keep interacting with him. Train him. Honestly michael has all the steps on how to establish great bonds.

For my two alexandrines their puberty lasted approx a 6-9 months. Also they bluff alot! Read up on the bluffing stages. Watch out for eyes pinning, for extremely cute, high pitched noises. I thought those noises were they were happy with me but it means the exact opposite! Watch out

[Lesley Krol]

Hi, Very interesting comment. I will check that out. My Alex mostly does that in the day, I thought it was OK.