Screaming and biting

[jriley]

Hi everyone. I am hoping the more experienced Amazon owners here might have some suggestions to help make my Tucuman Amazon more tolerable.

The biggest problem is screaming, particularly when someone enters/leaves the room (even if others are already in the room/stay in the room) and if someone tries to talk when it has been quiet in the room. He also seems to know when I'm on the phone and screams nonstop until I hang up, even if I'm in another room. This isn't just a wake up and go to sleep screaming session. This is constant to where you want to throttle his feathery neck.

I've tried giving him tons of toys. He is out whenever anyone is home and has a big macaw-sized cage with a huge playtop. When he's in a screaming jag, he won't shut up if you talk to him, if you leave the room, if you try to play with him. We haven't found a thing that calms him down. Of course, if we put him in his time-out cage in the bedroom, he shuts up, but he can't be there the whole time we're home, that isn't fair to him.

He doesn't seem to be afraid of anything. He doesn't just do it when people approach his cage and he does like people to stand at his cage and talk to him while he plays with his toys, so I don't think it's territorial screaming.

Anyone have any ideas to calm down the screaming? I've only had him since January and this has been going on since the 2nd week he was here.

As for the biting-he is very aggressive and bites very severely if you try to get him to step up or even get a hand accidentally too close (or a sleeve, or a head bending over to pick up a toy, etc.). He grabs the skin and twists and pulls it, which results in lots of bleeding and bruising. I've learned to transfer him with two perches (one to guard my hand from him running down the perch to bite me) and he doesn't bite when I hold him in another room, so this seems to be a territorial thing. Any ways to get him to quit this?

I appreciate any input anyone has. I'm attached to him because he's cute and funny, but the screaming has everyone going buggy and my family is really pressuring me to give him up.

Thanks,
Julie Riley

[Alibluemoon]

Hi Julie.

I see you have had the bird since January...but is that because he's just a baby or is he a re-homed parrot?

I got my Yellow Nape last September. She actually just turned one on Wednesday! However, sometimes she has little screaming jags--although it doesn't seem to be anything like what you've gone through. She tends to scream if she thinks it is too quiet or she thinks she's being ignored or if my sister and I talk during the news LOL. However, if she gets too bad, I whisper to her to use her "indoor voice" and keep whispering until she gets the hint. She's pretty good about it, but I've been doing this since she came home with me.

I have also learned that volume is relative with Gabbi. She LOVES to sing (or rather make up songs) loudly--this is loud enough to hear while standing across the street in my neighbor's yard (even when the house windows are closed). However, a screeching fit makes my eardrums want to bleed. My favorite is when she sings lullabies to herself as she goes to bed...it's so soft she could put an actual baby to sleep.

Maybe continue with "time outs" when he starts a shrieking fit? Just put him in for 10/15 minutes until he calms down and then bring him out again. If you need to give a time out and he doesn't have a cage in the room you're in, you can use a cat carrier facing the wall. I've noticed that some of the tricks from "Super Nanny" seems to work well with both Gabbi and my Ekkie, Linus. They can try to push the envelope to see where their boundaries are. Not unlike kids really.

As for biting, my question for you is: are you scared of the bird? Gabbi used to take horrible swipes and pinches at my sister because she was too tenative with her. I told her that if she let Gabbi be the dominant one in the relationship, she'd never be able to take it back. I told her get it over with and just pick Gabbi up and tote her around like a chicken. Of course you will get bit, but when Gabbi learned that pinching and biting wouldn't get her anywhere, she settled down. Now she steps up when my sister asks and even sits with her and plays.

Keep up with the perch transfering if that makes you feel comfortable. There is something called "step up training" that you can look into if you haven't already. Sometimes it may be that he just needs to have all the energy exercised out of him...LOL.

Don't listen to everyone about getting rid of the bird. There are tons of things that can be done to ameliorate your situation. Tell everyone that the bird and the family needs adjustment time. You can make them feel better by telling them this: My sister and I ended up moving in together after my mom passed away. We both had four cats. It took the cats about a year and half to get over it and not try to kill each other on a daily basis. So sometimes, adding to the family does not begin like a sitcom. LOL. But, with hardheaded persistence, it should smooth out into an enjoyable chaos.

[GlendaNS]

I am no help, but you have my Amazon's twin!!!!! Mine has started biting in the other room, watch it. I can sympathize with you.

[jriley]

He is a rehomed bird. He's five years old (or more) and was a breeder bird, though the breeder says he was handfed and tame before he had a mate. You can see that he has some enjoyment interacting with people, but he seems to be very afraid of being touched. I've never really been around a breeding operation-maybe they scream to each other all day and that's what he's used to doing?

As far as his biting-I've had parrots bite me before and usually it is just a hard pinch and I wasn't fearful of being bitten at all before this guy. You'd have to see the bites he produces to understand. The other day he literally took a chunk out of my fingertip. He grabbed and twisted and a big hunk of flesh tore off which he then spit out and I now have a big gaping hole on my finger tip. His bites are deep and bleed a great deal because he doesn't just clamp down, he twists and pulls and often won't let go unless you shake him off. If I try to handle him using gloves, his bites leave deep bruises even through the gloves. He knows step up and when he first came to live with us he would step up nicely but after I had him a week or so he started getting territorial about his cage and started the biting. In the past, when a bird would bite me, I'd pretend not to notice no matter how hard it hurt and continue to do what I was doing. I still do that with him, but, yes, I am now fearful of being bitten. My being fearful now didn't start the biting but rather is a direct result of accumulated damage to my hands. I have multiple scars on both hands from him. I've never in my life seen a bird bite the way he does! He's very aggressive about it, too, and will come after you. I don't jump away when he does this but rather shoo him back if I'm changing his dishes or whatever. Some people tell me to read his body language to know when he's about to bite, but it's pretty much always unless I have a treat in my hand.

I've always had cuddly birds before so didn't really realize he wouldn't be a lap bird. I can live with not being able to hold him as long as I can safely move him around as needed. I definitely can't deal with the screaming. I'm just trying to find out if this is something that can be dealt with or if this is because he was a breeder bird. A breeder I talked to said it sounded like he didn't really want to go back to being a pet and would probably be better off going back into a breeding situation, but I do hate to give up on him if he could eventually settle in. I've had birds all of my life, including conures (I didn't know any bird could outscream them!) and an umbrella cockatoo and I've never encountered this unexplainable constant screaming.

Julie Riley

[kensbuns]

Try getting a copy of the Beak Book. Has a lot of helpful hints on biting. I have never heard of that type of amazon. Pics?????? I have two of the hot three males. A YNA and a YNA both over the age of 20. Neither have a screaming problem. I use a squirt bottle on my U2 occasionally. This is of course a very sensitive subject on some boards. I care not to hear anyone's opinion on it. However it works and is of no harm to the bird. I also cover them until it quiets down. When it does quiet down, I uncover them. I always follow up the covering with a No, No screaming!! And a Good Boy, you are being a good boy when I uncover.

[bb100]

Julie -

Continue with moving him with the stick. My Dad has a stick he bought years ago that comes with a sheild for your hand to prevent the "run up & attack" mode the Family 25+ yr old Y/N male will do. I sometimes need to use a stick with my 13 yr old Lilac Crown Amazon Male. There is no shame in being smart & protecting yourself. Hormonal Bites have nothing to do with being a breeder bird or solely a pet bird. Most pet owners won't realize this until their baby is way past 5yrs old & the first attack can be a complete shock. I have been to the Emergency Room so believe me I know what you are talking about.

Screaming is unfortunately an Amazon Jungle Trait. When he screams is he just sitting there screaming?? The only reason I ask is sometimes they are just enjoying life & expending energy. If they are crouched a bit & still they are sometimes calling for attention or being hormonal & using their incredible voices to call for a mate. It's all what Mother Nature programmed them to do.

I find giving a contact call in a low voice & just ignoring when it gets repetitive to work sometimes. Other times I just decide it's bath time & it gives him something to do for few hours ie preening. Sometimes, I must remove mine back to our birdroom when he is in full throttle screaming & take him back out once he calms down. I know some people have reported some success with putting a bird in a carrier & bringing them back out but I have never tried this method.

[Alibluemoon]

When he was removed from the breeding situation, was it for a specific reason? Is it possible that he's just missing his mate?

The reason I ask is because I don't know anything about breeder birds. But I can't imagine changing homes AND losing his mate has been easy.

I wish you tons of luck. The birdboard is a wonderful place for information and so many different tricks to try. I am confident you should be able to find something that will work for your situation.

I don't know what to do about the biting...your situation is sooooooooo different than anything I've had to deal with--winged or four legged.

Also, sometimes during the day if I'm too busy to play with the birds, I put a book on tape for the birds to listen to...right now they are listening to Harry Potter and chattering right along with it. LOL. It might give you a quiet break in which to make your phone calls from the next room...

[GlendaNS]

This is what I do, for what it's worth.

Screaming.... It's a happy Zon thing. When I am trying to talk, I keep a squirt bottle in my hand. A good squirt to the body area produces an awful squawk then silence for 10 minutes or so. Never squirt their face. We have tried the time outs and she just continues to scream, even in the dark. She knows it ain't time for bed!

Biting.... Stick something else in their mouth besides flesh. Don't let anyone try to talk you into taking it. Let them get bit! My Zon went through an ace bandage like butter. I would much rather get bit by my U2. My Zon took the metal jingle bell out of a toy and crushed it. I didn't catch her until she dropped it. The metal looked like someone big stepped on it.

I love my Zon to pieces, but she can be a handful. I have never seen such a playful bird though. It's REALLY cute to watch. She is fearless, and means no harm. She has a good heart.

[kensbuns]

i AGREE NEVER SQUIRT IN THE FACE!! OH AND BY THE WAY NONE OF MY ZONS SCREAM. SHREAK LOUDLY YES BUT NEVER SCREAM!

[Bonesy]

As a bird trainer myself I deal with these behaviours regular.

I don't want to flood the thread by making a really long post here so I'll nutshell it to guide you through the process of stopping both behaviours :)

Screaming;

Birds scream for a reason. Find the reason & eliminate it. It could be anything from lack of attention to an object in the room they simply don't like.

IGNORE the screams. As a general rule the bird has become conditioned to associate screaming with getting what it wants.

START IN SMALL STEPS : If the bird is silent, come in, reward with a treat & some fuss, then leave. As soon as the screaming begins, leave the room, or if you can stand it, turn your back on the bird & pretend to be doing something else. The second they STOP, turn & look at them. Speak softly, and if they pipe up again, repeat the process. Slowly reward longer periods of silence over a few weeks & you will begin to see improvements.

Birds do NOT understand NEGATIVE behaviours, like punishment. The only truly respond to reward systems. So you need to REWARD the behaviour you want & shape out the one you don't.

BITING:
This is often the opposite to screaming. Screaming is an attention phase. Biting is a repulsion phase. Their goal with biting, is to get you to go away.

You need to prove to them you ain't going anywhere.

Use 2 short dowel rods to touch either side of the bird until they get fed up of biting them. Then as they get used to being touched with the rods, slide your hands down the rods until you can touch the bird with your fingers & begin to remove the rods. This can take weeks of small steps but it works, and always remember to end training sessions on positive notes so the bird can remember next time that that good thing it did got it rewards, and will be more likely to repeat the behaviour again next time.

Once the bird can be touched without bloodshed, you need to teach them the correct pressure to excerpt on human skin. Use a keyword, such as "gentle" when the bird is acting nice & softly, and reward this. As soon as they begin to get aggressive & overly mouthy, push back into the beak, pushing it towards the back & shoulders of the bird (gently mind, this can hurt their neck if you do it too fast) and say "GENTLE...please...?" and the position this leaves the bird in means they are vulnerable to you, with their neck in the air, so they have little option but to let go.

Keep in mind also never to act threatening, keep the eye contact low, wink & squint at your bird to let them know you're not a threat & never stare out, sneer at or shout at your bird, they don't understand this sort of thing.

Keep sessions short, at 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and remember to reward at the right minute, not too late. Use clicker training, it works a treat. :)

Hope this helps!
Regards,
Sophie.