Yellow Crowned Amazon behaviour issues

[Pajarita]

LOL - Yep, he loves your wife and hates you. Amazons, especially males (sounds like a male to me) can be very bipolar that way, sweet and loving with one person and nasty, nasty, nasty with another.

Personally, I would not try to get him to like me too hard. I would open his cage when your wife is not around and just don't do anything but talk to him from a distance. Don't ask him to step up, don't offer him your arm or your hand but continue offering treats even if he uses them to displace aggression (what you described is typical of this behavior). Male zons are not known for patience with 'competition' and that's what you have become: competition for your wife's attention and love. Wait him out, he will calm down in the fall provided he is kept at a strict solar schedule (it won't happen if you don't) and, eventually, he will accept you as a flock member but you will need to be careful about not kissing or hugging your wife in front of him because, as far as he is concerned, she belongs to him and not you.

I have three male zons that are hands-off, two are fine with me, will take treats from my hand and I can take the plates and bowls from in front of them and they will not bite or even lunge at me but the third one, Pedro, is a nasty son of a gun and I have to be careful and warn him when I am going to put my hand near him (I say: "Excuuuuse me, excuuuuse me" and, if I see him moving, I go "Be nice! Be nice!" ) and even though he would not bite me, he does the same as yours: fan his tail, erect his neck feathers, pin his eyes and 'take it out' on whatever is near him, attacking the object mercilessly while keeping his eyes on me all the time like saying: "See? This is what I want to do to you!" LOL But, as bad as this might sound to other people, it's actually a great improvement and only happens during breeding season. He used to attack his previous owner and me (when he first came) relentlessly, flying out to bite my face. He sent his previous owner to the hospital three times, the nasty thing... So yours is actually not that bad, taking into consideration that you just got him a few days ago and has no reason to trust you yet. Was his previous owner a man, by any chance? Could he have been abused by him or, if it was a woman, his boyfriend or husband? Because if he was abused by a man before, there's your answer.

So, take your time and just avoid at all costs getting bit (this is VERY important because you don't want to start a trend here). Once he realizes you are no threat to him, he will calm down and, once he is not showing any more displaced aggression, you can start training him a bit and see how he does with it.

[Wolf]

I am in agreement with Pajarita as to what is going on with your Amazon.
But by what you say you are getting bit by moving your body parts within range when he is broadcasting to you that he will bite. When his eyes get larger and smaller or appear to be spinning and he fans his tail he will attack if you move in too close. When offering treats to him watch him and if his eyes pin and tail fans back off and wait til this stops and try again. There is no benefit with getting bit when you don't have to. By doing what you are doing you are training him to attack you.

[Jasonhughes]

Thanks for the help and advice much appreciated

Today I thought I'd let him out of the cage been as the mrs wasn't over and to my surprise he came out!! I offered him a peanut and said good boy so on... He wouldn't get back in mind but we got there in the end (with quavers in his cage) he didn't seem to wanna attack me this time just walked over the other side of the cage (on top)

He also when I was out of the room copied a whistle that I always do to him so I rewarded him with a peanut

So overall I'd say good progress

[tinker9696]

Make sure your bird is getting enough sleep at night 10 to 12 hours.
make sure your birds diet is a good nutritious diet of at least 60% pellet a good mix ie Hagen tropimix or Goldenfeast madagascar delite and only 10 % seed daily.
Start sitting by the birds cage and reading to him in a calm low voice for about a week..a childrens book is always good and slip the birds name in there often..they love hearing their name.
He needs to learn to trust you and become familiar with you and your voice and demeanor. He is apparently accustomed to being around a female and not that familiar with men so he needs to learn that you are not the enemy.
I have rehabed many birds with this issue..it takes time and patience but it definitely can be done.
For right now..don't try to touch him until he really gets used to you and has become more accepting.
get to know his body language..watch his pupils and dont try to force anything on him until he has become calmer around you.

[Jasonhughes]

Well it's been a bad day today. Let him out when the mrs was here and he was a little faesty! Then as I was going to give him an apple slice, he flew at me and landed on my shoulder, so not to freighter him, I kept calm and kept my head down then he started pecking at my head and collar! So I moved over to his cage so he could get on to that. Left me with a cut on my head

[Wolf]

Well it is normal enough as he has bonded to your wife and you are the competition so he is driving you away from his mate. You need to be aware of this and remember that for quite some time you can't let the bird out with you and your wife together unless of course you want to get bit. This is a slow process for him to learn that you are not a threat and then to accept you in same space with your wife when he is out. Be patient and it will eventually work itself out.

[Pajarita]

Wolf is correct. This is breeding season and that means NOT the time to be pushing the envelope. It will take time for him not to regard you as competition so just because he was fine for a couple of days, don't assume the issue is resolved.