My Senegal Parrot Doesn't Like Me Anymore?

[Jo_Barcia]

Hi! So this is kind of a long story...

When we first got my Senegal parrot last year (he's about fifteen years old now), he didn't like me at all. Would always bite, would never step up, etc. Eventually, he warmed up to me and we were buddies for months, all through the winter, spring, and most of the summer. He would practically jump to me when I opened the cage, he'd call for me when he wanted attention, and we'd hang out in my room and he'd chill on my shoulder and give me kisses.

I'm not his favorite person (that's always been my mom), but we were buddies. But that changed in August, when my family had a lot of people over for my graduation party. You could tell he was unnerved by all the people around, but once most of them left, he seemed fine. My mom and I then left for a week (I had been working a few hours away and was only home on the weekends), and when we came back next weekend, he wanted nothing to do with me. He went back to biting me, he wouldn't want to step up with me, nothing. Eventually, he came to hang out with me my last day home, before I went to college, and he was kissing me again.

Now, I'm back for a long weekend, and he stepped up at first yesterday. Then I did something he didn't like, and the switch was flipped again and he hated me. This morning, I was the first person downstairs and he stepped up and hung out on my shoulder for a while (I turned on the heater, and he sat with me for a while, gave me kisses, etc.). Then my mom came downstairs and he got aggressive again.

I'm not sure what changed to make him so aggressive towards me in particular. And I'm nervous now, because I go back to school tomorrow and I don't want my buddy to hate me when I come back. Any advice? Thanks!

[Zentg]

Birds like to have consistency and it sounds to me that the way you keep disappearing for a week then coming back may be stressing him out, especially when he warms up to you again and then you leave again.

[liz]

He was angry at you for leaving him. He will adjust to seeing you on weekends. It is just a good thing that your mom is his first human. You are just a flock member which is also good but he has your mom to depend on.

[Pajarita]

Senegals are one-person birds and his person is your mother. They learn to tolerate other humans and would treat them as flock mates but this means no real physical interaction, just the fact that they will not attack you, will take treats from your hand, talk to you, even perch on your shoulder but only when they feel like it and only when you stick to their routine and respect their wishes 100%. You haven't been there so you are a 'bird' that left the flock and coming back occasionally does not rate high enough on their regard so as to allow you intimacies. We said it a million times and people always say: "We know, we know!" but I am never 100% sure they actually realize the HUGE difference between a dog and a parrot... A dog will always love you, even after years of not seeing you, you show up and it's as if you never left - but not a parrot. They will remember you because they have long and good memories and, if you were their chosen one, they might (or not) choose you again (it depends on the relationship they have with their new human) but if you were not the chosen one and are not there all the time, you don't 'belong' to the family, you are just a visitor and, as such, you better not presume of a deeper relationship because, if you do, they will let you know you are wrong.