Trained Parrot BlogParrot Wizard Online Parrot Toy StoreThe Parrot Forum

Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Maltee » Wed Apr 23, 2014 2:50 pm

My pionus is nearing 2 years old and has become quite temperamental this spring. I'm guessing she's going through her adolescent stage, plus spring time hormones.

Sometimes when she is out of her cage, she will suddenly become very aggressive. She will flare her tail, fluff her feathers, and charge at me or fly at me and attack my face. How should I handle these outbursts? So far I have just grabbed her and put her back inside her cage. Is there another way I should handle this? Should I say "No" or just be silent?

The stickied articles on basic taming have been very helpful, but I am unsure how to address these random aggressive outbursts. I don't want to "undo" or mess up any of the basic training I'm doing.
Maltee
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 33
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Flight: No

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Wolf » Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:44 pm

Aggression is always a difficult to deal with, especially when it is due to hormones. I don't know if this will work for you or not, but I have a 14 yr old CAG, who gets a bit aggressive at times, she is bonded to me and when I see the cue that she is feeling aggressive, I firmly tell her NO. Sometimes a couple of times before she responds to me, but she usually responds. It is the only time I do this and it works for us.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby liz » Sat Apr 26, 2014 7:46 pm

I think you both have it pretty easy. Rambo and Myrtle stick their tails in the air and wine and cry.
User avatar
liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Wolf » Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:37 pm

liz wrote:I think you both have it pretty easy. Rambo and Myrtle stick their tails in the air and wine and cry.


You may be right, but I also have a young Senegal who makes two 90 lb. year old pups run the other way, not to mention 6 cats, and cowers a 14 yr. old psychotic, screaming Yellow Naped Amazon. Her next action is usually to start ripping hunks of flesh out of whoever is nearest. She get a little hormonal!
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Pajarita » Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:25 am

Yes, breeding season is harder than the rest of the year, no doubt about it. It helps if they don't produce any sexual hormones during the resting season because, this way, they don't become frustrated (which is what brings on excessive aggression). My birds just get nesty (scratching the floor, chewing, looking for 'caves', etc) and very affectionate with the exception of the male amazons that get a little testy if I get too close to their 'nest' but they no longer attack me so I am just extra careful when I am cleaning their platform and wait for them to move a bit away from the bowls before I say "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me" the whole time I am switching bowls and plates. They know that means I am going to 'intrude' but that it will be a quick thing and necessary to get their fresh food and water so they just watch me like a hawk and don't even display.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Maltee » Thu May 01, 2014 2:45 pm

I'd rather have a bird that whines rather than one that flies at me to bite my face and randomly attacks me.

Honestly, I don't know if my pionus is being hormonal, or if she just plain hates me. Today she was perched on my hand, when out of the blue she fluffed up her feathers, then bit my hand. I said "no" then returned to her to her cage. Is there something I can do to distract or dissuade her when she's at the "I'm fluffing up my feathers getting ready to attack you" stage?

What do others do when their birds are aggressive or hormonal?
Maltee
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 33
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Flight: No

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Wolf » Thu May 01, 2014 3:42 pm

What exactly were you doing when she fluffed her feathers? Did anyone enter the room?
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Maltee » Thu May 01, 2014 4:12 pm

I was standing on the landing of the top of the stairs, about to grab my 10 month old baby to take us all downstairs. She was on my hand and then suddenly got fluffy and bit me.

This has been a trouble area in the past. I have no idea why, but she gets aggressive on the top landing of the stairs. She is flighted, and sometimes in the past she has flown up to the top of the stairs, and waited, and when I go up to get her, she fluffs her feathers and charges at my toes to bite me.

So she may have bit me because it was in that same area? I don't understand why she's aggressive right there. I possibly could have been showing signs of nervousness from our past experiences there and maybe that is why she bit?
Maltee
Lovebird
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 33
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Flight: No

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Wolf » Thu May 01, 2014 4:54 pm

Maltee wrote:I was standing on the landing of the top of the stairs, about to grab my 10 month old baby to take us all downstairs. She was on my hand and then suddenly got fluffy and bit me.

This has been a trouble area in the past. I have no idea why, but she gets aggressive on the top landing of the stairs. She is flighted, and sometimes in the past she has flown up to the top of the stairs, and waited, and when I go up to get her, she fluffs her feathers and charges at my toes to bite me.

So she may have bit me because it was in that same area? I don't understand why she's aggressive right there. I possibly could have been showing signs of nervousness from our past experiences there and maybe that is why she bit?



Does she do this when going up the stairs or down or both?
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Dealing with spring hormonal aggression

Postby Pajarita » Fri May 02, 2014 11:32 am

All birds like high places, they make them feel safe and don't want to be taken down from them but this doesn't mean they should bite their humans for it. Now, you said you were picking up your ten month old baby so is it possible that she sees the baby as competition for your love? Has her out of cage and/or her one-on-one interaction time suffered because of the baby's birth? Because, usually, there is a reason why they turn on their chosen ones (she sounds quite upset with you) and it's very common for lone parrots to feel neglected when babies arrive. I am not saying this is the case here, I am just saying this is a very common occurrence because, let's face it, babies take up a lot of time and most of our energy and affection and, usually, the parrot is the one that suffers for it (only so many hours in the day and only so much energy to go around). Parrots are patient and, when confronted with a change for the worse (less time spend with their beloved or out of cage, less affection, etc), they don't usually react immediately, they wait and wait for things to get better but, once they realize this is it and that it's not just a temporary thing, that's when they react. And, of course, the breeding season and the fact that she is now sexually mature make things worse not only because sexual hormones almost always make them more prone to aggression but also because, at two years of age, she's now come into her own and became an adult with the corresponding sense of self-worth and confidence which makes her more assertive as to what she needs and desires.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Next

Return to Taming & Basic Training

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests

cron
Parrot ForumArticles IndexTraining Step UpParrot Training BlogPoicephalus Parrot InformationParrot Wizard Store