bird has suddenly begun biting and attacking

[ayurmata]

Hi, I am desperately seeking any advice or suggestion for our 15 month old, flighted cockatiel who has suddenly become aggressive, has begun to bite and attack, and utterly refuses to return to cage.
Up until 3 weeks ago he has always been a very calm, cuddley, obedient, and friendly bird. He would step up easily, did target training, learned to "shake hands."
3 weeks ago he has begun starting to bite and nip at me. We thought it was perhaps "spring hormones" so we tried moving his cage and increasing his sleep hours. After moving his cage, he started refusing to go back to his cage, so we returned it to its original spot.
Things have only gotten worse. He begs to come out of the cage and is cuddly and happy for the first few minutes during which time I've tried target training, just reading to him and or just "hanging out" with him. However, inevitably after about 5 or so minutes he starts attacking and biting me hard enough to draw blood. It seems that this might happen when he thinks I am going to try to put him back in the cage. He has actually flown after me to continue trying to bite me. My hand suddenly seems to be the trigger.
He refuses to return to the cage every time I take him out now. He bites me when I approach him. I have tried putting all his favorite treats, his food, water, target training EVERYTHING I can think of. He will NOT go in his cage. Sadly, I have had to resort to toweling to get him back in his cage for the past week. I have contacted some parrot people in my area. They all thought it was hormonal or related to adolescence. They recommended clipping his wings which I would really rather avoid. They have suggested leaving the room and ignoring him when he bites which doesn't seem to be working.
I am becoming fearful of him and dreading the times that I take him out of the cage.
He still wants by attention and will even continue to follow me after biting and attacking me. Earlier in the day before I take him out of the cage and for the first few minutes after he is out, he is fine and asks for scratches on his neck, steps up readily, he will do some target training and "shake hands" but within a few minutes it is all down hill and he is nippy and aggressive for the next few hours. If I go in the room he is in, he will even come after me "for no apparent reason".
Is this hormonal/adolescence?
How should I react when he bites and attacks me? What should I do immediately afterwards?
Should I continue to take him out, but towel him to return him to the cage?
Any suggestions or ideas are welcome as this is becoming quite difficult and stressful.
Thank you.

[Harpmaker]

I hope someone else has insights into what's causing the problem. My only guess is that you are right and it's spring hormones. Putting the bird to bed with a towel sounds like a bad idea to me, unless he is so towel friendly he enjoys it. My daughter picked up my Meyer's Parrot that way in what she thought was an emergency, and has not been forgiven by the bird yet. I would try getting him to step up onto a perch or dowel to move him to the cage instead. Be sure that are treats in the cage for him. Or wait until he is hungry and thirsty and goes in on his own.

I will check back later to see what the more experienced people have to say.

[Wolf]

You said he so you have a male? Could you tell me the color of his beak?

[Wolf]

I realize that my questions sound trivial, but I assure you that they are not. They may hold the key to what is happening regarding your birds aggressiveness.

[ayurmata]

Hi,
Sorry Wolf for the delayed response. Yes, bird is a male and his beak is yellowish/beige (he did have carrots this morning).

If we do not towel him to put him back in the cage, he has gone as long as 6 hours without food or water. We have tried a dowel or perch but he refuses. Tried taking him out this morning in more neutral area of the house away from his cage. He did a few tricks and then went back to following me but attacking me. Landing on my shoulder they trying to bite my face and drew blood on my hand.

Such a sad and difficult situation...

Thanks for any insights and suggestions.

[Pajarita]

I am curious, too, as I don't know how beak color in cockatiels has anything to do with this.

Personally, I think it's a combination of things:

1. Puberty
2. Season (breeding)
3. Over training

1. Puberty, this is the age when males look for females. Tiels are also very flock-oriented, they like having other tiels around them even if they are not potential mates. Lone birds simply don't do well and unnatural behaviors can appear (and I call it unnatural because, in my personal opinion and experience, there are no sweeter birds than tiels when they are happy).

2. Breeding season - it always makes anything bad behaviors worse.

3. Over training - I am all for target training but I do think that people are overdoing it and getting their birds mighty pissed in the process. Why do you have to target train every single day? He is not a show bird, he's a pet and as long as he steps up and is easily manageable, that should suffice and would not require any further target training.

Put him at a strict solar schedule (up with sunrise, to bed with sunset) and reduce his protein (no free-feeding protein food like pellets, seeds, nuts, nutriberries, etc). This won't help in the short term but it will in the long one. In the meantime, let him out in the afternoon (not the morning unless you are planning on been home and supervising him the whole time) and don't ask him to do anything for you, just open the cage to let him out and go about your own business (he does have a playgym or a stand and perches outside his cage, right?). When you see the sun is setting, turn off the artificial lights and put his dinner (protein food) on a paper plate at the bottom of his cage and just walk away, leaving the door to his cage open. He might not go in the first day but he will do it the second day. And don't towel him again, it's making things worse.

[ayurmata]

Thank you Pajarita for your detailed reply. I normally don't do training for more than a couple minutes everyday.He usually spent most of his time cuddling and just hanging out. But since problems started and he would just start biting, many websites suggest less cuddling and more things like target training so I was trying that.
The problem is that if I just let him out and go about doing my own thing he follows me and then out of the blue will start attacking me for example when I was just sitting down reading the other day. What do you suggest I do when he lunges, attacks or bites? I am confused as to what to do so as not to reinforce the behavior. Some people said ignore but he comes after me. Others said put in cage but I can't and I dont want the cage to be a negative.....
Here the sun is setting around 7 pm and rises around 6:30. I have been doing in cage and feeding at around 6 pm lights out at 8 pm and lights on at 8 am or so. Should I follow the sun more or just aim for a min. Of 12 hours as I have been doing?

Since Vitamin D effects our mood and hormones, I am trying to take him outside in sunlight for about 20 min. when the sun is out. Is this a good idea? Someone recommended EFA oils any suggestions?

[Wolf]

I was wondering about his beak coloration because the adult male has a dark beak, while the juveniles beak is horn colored but tinged wit grey. So by that he has not gone through puberty or is just starting to. Pajarita has already mentioned everything else that I would have. So nothing additional here.

[Harpmaker]

Most people say ignore bites, but some of us suggest moving the chewed-on body part out of reach, with a gentle admonition to the bird ( I use "Be nice") It's better if you can caution them before they break the skin. I assume you know not to yell at your feathered friend because they might think it's a game.

Parrot bites don't count if they don't draw blood.

Wolf, what's a dare beak? I assume it's a typo, but I can't make anything sensible out of it.

[Wolf]

Thank you, it is supposed to be a dark beak, I went back and corrected it.