parrot out for blood, help!

[trps68]

I have a senegal parrot that I rescued from an abusive house. He has a large cage, lots and lots of toys, food, treats, everything a parrot would want. I have owned this parrot since February of 2014. when I got him his wings were clipped wrong, nails overgrown, beak overgrown, and he was plucking his feathers on his wings.the previous owners left him in his cage all the time and didn't spend any time with him. I let him out of the cage everyday, hold him, kiss him, everything! within the last month or two the parrot has been biting to where he is breaking skin.he gets very aggressive! Even when you try to clean his cage or even if you touch one of his toys he lunges at you with his beak open and wings up ready to grab ahold of you to bite. he got me again this morning when I let him out of his cage and I was holding him and petting him and just as I was about to put him back on top of his cage he just reached down, bit my hand and broke my entire knuckle open. I need help because I have a child in my home and I cannot have aggressive bird going after my son. He gets off its cage and runs at you on the floor to try and bite you. Please help because I don't want to get rid of him. but I will get rid of him if that means keeping my family safe.

[Wolf]

Hi Tammy

What is up with Harley? You have gone from a bird that you were happy with to being ready to give him up in a span of 3 to 4 months. If I recall correctly you originally got him for your boyfriend but he bonded to you.

We haven't heard much about him since then so I am wondering when and why things started going bad. I have a couple of ideas as to what is happening, but would really like to be better informed.

While Senegals are not the best parrot to have around children, you can make it work. What color are Harley's eyes and have they changed color? This may sound like an unimportant question, but I assure you that it is not, it is very important and may explain what is going on. The information that you had from the previous owner was sketchy at best and actually wrong in some areas, but what I am thinking is that your sweet little darling is growing up. If this is so, it is not an easy time for any of you, bird or human.

[Pajarita]

Hmmmm, I follow your line of thought, Wolf, but I don't think it's puberty because of the overgrown beak. Only adult parrots get it because it's a sure sign of liver malfunction and although parrot's livers are delicate, to say the least, they don't show physical symptoms of malfunction until it's real bad. And senegals can take more protein than other species so for this parrot to have an overgrown beak, he has to have had a real bad diet for a long time.

Now, has he been to an avian vet for a complete check-up (including a bile acid test to judge liver function)? Because when parrots don't feel well, they will get grumpy, just like people would. But, when they are seriously ill, they become extremely tame (I guess because they simply do not have the strength to fight any more). So that would be the first step here.

The other issue is hormones and male senegals get quite hormonal in breeding season (like right now). My male has been displaying like crazy lately. He hasn't actually bit me but he has shown his displeasure at me in two different occasions. He gets all puffed up (and I do mean ALL PUFFED UP, not just his head or neck, his whole body), he curves his wings and separates them just the tiniest bit from his body and looks at you with what I call 'blood in his eye' -LOL. Mine doesn't live in a cage and is kept to a strict solar schedule with lower protein intake during the winter so his hormonal surges are never that bad but I think he has been missing his deceased mate because he has been fascinated and very protective of a pair of eggs laid by a tiel pair. He hangs on the side of the flight cage where they live (they are handicapped) and puffing up, looks and looks at the eggs and gets all pissy if I put my hand anywhere near the nest (it's just a cardboard box).

Now, I have to be honest with you, I really do not recommend senegals for people with small children. They tend to be a one-person bird and, during breeding season, they get real protective of him/her. But, for what you describe, you don't seem to be the object of his affection because they are the most considerate of husbands, very gentle and loving to their hens. Is he still bonded to your boyfriend? Because, if he is, there's your answer: breeding season, sexual hormones and blood in his eye for everybody but his chosen.

But, if he hasn't been to an avian vet, please take him. It could be that he is not feeling well...

[trps68]

Hi wolf, yes it is Harley. Yes he was bought for my boyfriend but attached himself to me. I love him so much and spend everyday with him. I taught him some tricks too. Within the last month he has been getting really aggressive about his toys and things on his cage. I have half of his cage covered with a blanket and if I touch it to replace it with a clean one, he lunges at me to bite me.
His eyes are a gold color and I have not seen a change in color since I have owned him. Don't get me wrong, I love having this bird and love spending time with him from kissing him to him showing me new things he has learned. He dances to music and loves playing dead in my hands while I rub his belly. But lately he is attacking me every time I go to put him back onto his cage. Yesterday when I went to put him down he bit my wrist but because I had a sweatshirt on he got my shirt and missed the skin on my wrist. That didn't stop me from trying to hold him and show him affection, but now I'm getting weary of holding him. He bit my finger last month so hard I almost needed stitches.
His flight feathers on his wings are almost grown in so he is trying to fly around but once he lands on the floor he lunges at your feet to bite you. The top part of his wings still have not grown in yet though but I don't see him pulling the feathers out either.
I'm won't give up on him because I know the hard life he has had with the previous owner's but my son is scared to death of him. He makes me smile and I do love him a lot!

[trps68]

Wolf,
When I last talked to you Harley was doing his little dance. I followed all your instructions to the tee and he stopped without any issues but within the last month he started up again but he didn't start his dance until he is on my finger. As soon as he starts it, I put him back on his cage and now the biting has started every time I go to put him back on his cage. Wow after reading what I just wrote to you I think it does sound like a mating thing.

[trps68]

Harley is definitely bonded with me, no one can touch him but me and if he can't see me he screams and screams loudly.

[Wolf]

Hi Tammy;

Just saw your last 2 posts. first thing is that Harley is over 2 yr. old. Senegals eyes start getting the gold color about 2 yr. old. This could be mating behavior but I am not convinced of that just yet. What you describe is that A) he bites when you go to put him on or in his cage or otherwise put him down and B) he runs to attack your feet.

Is there anything else that we should know or take into account as to his behavior?

[trps68]

Pajarita
you wrote "I do mean ALL PUFFED UP, not just his head or neck, his whole body), he curves his wings and separates them just the tiniest bit from his body and looks at you with what I call 'blood in his eye". Harley has been doing this the last couple of weeks and I thought it was because he was getting ready to bite me or attack. Harley doesn't live in his cage, but sleeps in it at night only otherwise he is out all day, listening to music, singing, dancing, swinging on his blanket and loves watching and "literally participates" in my son's school lessons. He makes me laugh when he starts to participate with my son's schooling. My son is in a vitural school and every time he is talking to his teacher on line, Harley finds it a need to scream and talk at the exact time he is talking and stops whenever my son stops talking. It is very funny to watch. He has been starting to talk a little but not much, I call him a closet talker lol because he only talks to me and doesn't say a word to anyone else or when anyone else is around. Harley is kept to a very strict solar schedule with a low protein intake.

[trps68]

No Wolf, did you read the part about his wings? He is starting to get his flight feathers back but the feathers at the top of his wings, were all plucked when I got him and they still have not grown back. I do not see him ever pulling at them. He shows me with his long toe where he wants me to touch him. oh look at what I just posted about him poofing up his entire body, every feather on his body is ruffled up and wings are almost touching. I am the only one that can hold him, kiss him and no one else can. And I have no idea if this matters or means anything but he hates the color white. If I go to clean his cage with a white cloth or paper towel he attacks it right away. Seriously, It is like waving a red cloth in front of a bull. He got down off his cage and tore apart a roll of paper towels? I mean, shreadded them beyond using them. I had them near his cage to clean up accidents. Oh and he refuses to bathe in a bird bath or be sprayed too, he gets very angry and starts to, what sounds like he is grinding his beak at me. (I know that is my warning not to touch him at all). He only will bathe in his water dish and freaked out when I tryed to put him in a large bird bath.

[Wolf]

OK! I think I have it all now, welcome to the world of the Senegal!

This sounds so much like my Senegal hen that it is almost scary. I can tell you what I am doing and we will see if it helps you, because I am still working with Kiki on the same behaviors.

I have learned to give her a treat when I put her on or in her cage. I go to the cage, give treat ( Kiki likes almonds ) sit bird on perch, close door and walk away saying Thank you, Kiki.
When she is on me I tell her " No bite" and distract her, seems that if I reach for her head it distracts her enough, and give her the evil eye along with the no bite. If she is reaching but has not yet bit me I tell her " Gentle, Kiki, Gentle"
for the feet I keep them off the floor or put on shoes.

Kiki doesn't like the red dot from those little pet lasers and if she goes for my feet or lands where I don't want her, I just shine the laser dot near her and she vacates that area, pronto.

This works for Kiki and I have seen a major reduction in this, shall we say territorial biting. Kiki does not give any gentle bites, when she bites the amount of flesh in her mouth is coming off and that is all there is to it. I take that back most of the time this holds true but, she is beginning to learn to be gentle. I have been working on this for a long time and it looks to me like it is going to be a long process as she is very persistant.
This is what I think is happening in your case. He loves you and he doesn't understand why he can't spend all the time with you and he is resentful of not being allowed to do so, after all you belong to him. All others are best advised to leave him alone upon pain of being bit. Kiki's bite hurts a lot more than a bite from my Grey and she is twice the size.