mobile phobia

[tanperpan]

I have a blue and gold macaw named Louie . Just a few months ago she reached sexual maturity and even laid an egg, to my surprise without a male. The thing is, she has always been a little jealous of mobile phones and gets very aggressive towards it and anyone in between, but since she became sexually mature she got worse. Now, not only mobile phones, but basically anything that moves. You name it, brooms, dust pans, paper towels, tablets, remote controls even tooth picks. Anything I touch that becomes mobile, she hates! If I try to pick her up after I touched something, she bites really hard to the point of bruising or cutting flesh. I realise this is a big problem but I would like to try and fix this behavior. Can anyone give me some ideas on how to make it better?

[Wolf]

Hormonal and jealous? What a combination. The phone issue all by itself can be a difficult one. I have a Grey that hates phones, I am working with her on it and while it is not yet resolved, she is improving. I started by answering the phone across the room from her and slowly walking closer to her while talking on the phone. I try to make it look as if I am talking to her, while talking on the phone. After the call is over, I continue to talk to her while I put the phone away and continue to talk to her for a short while after that. You don't want to actually go up to her or within range of her lunging distance as you want to avoid bites. You don't approach her fully until after the phone is put away and you are still talking to her for a couple of minutes.
Also read this and use it to help you with the aggression issues. I know it says for Senegals but it will work with any species of parrot.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=768 I hope this will help resolve your issues.

[Pajarita]

I don't think this is a jealousy issue. Parrots are smarter than to be jealous of anything that moves. They don't like phones because it's something that you put against your body, a no-no for birds which, as prey animals which depend on their plumage for their very survival, are very careful of what touches their body so, in reality, it's not that they are jealous of it, it's that they are trying to protect us from it. This aggression has to be caused by something else. You said she reached sexual maturity recently and that she laid an egg, what age are we talking about here? 3 or 4? What light schedule? What kind of light? How many hours is she out of her cage? What size cage? Diet? Does she have a nest box? Has she had a complete physical recently? Are there other birds in the house? Children? Busy or quiet household?

[Wolf]

I used Jealousy as I don't know of a more appropriate term at this time for this type of protective aggression. You are hers and she will protect you from any thing that she perceives as a threat. I do agree with Pajarita as to what is happening, I just can't think of a more appropriate term for it.