New Caique, biting questions

[kaylabaxter]

Hello!
Last Saturday I brought home my first caique, a four year old male BHC named Caper. He has a few issues in his past, and because of that I was told he sometimes bites and screams to get what he wants. Well Monday I took him to get his beak and nails filed because they were sharp as daggers, and he seemed great for the next day. Then he bit my sister when she went to put him in his cage, and tried to bite my dad. At this point he was fine with me, he would step up, play, let me scratch him, and everything was great.
Wednesday night I went to put him in his cage for bedtime, and he attacked my hand, drawing blood in several places, and continuing to bite at the cage. He was the same way the next morning, if I opened his cage and told him to step up he would act normal and step onto my hand, then bite down hard.
He's a little better this morning, he came out of his cage fine, but if I come too close to him he lunges at me. And his screaming is horrid. He screams when he's in his cage, out of his cage, on his playgym, always. I've tried telling him "quiet" and giving him a treat for stopping, but he starts again within a minute. The only way to make him stop is to put him in his cage and cover it for some quiet time, but this involved getting bitten when I try and get him in the cage.
His last owner said that he was loud when he wanted attention, but I'm sitting right next to him and he still screams. She also said that he bit sometimes, but that it wasn't hard. My hands are full of bloody puncture marks.
Is it possible that he's just hormonal right now? His last owner said that he'd been acting strange lately. Or maybe because he's spent the last year living with another caique and now he's alone?
I'm trying to work with him because I think he's great and I don't want to give him up, but my family is scared of him right now, and my parent's aren't going to put up with his screaming forever. Is there anything I should be doing? When he bites I stay calm and tell him "no bite", and I don't really know what else I can be doing. He hasn't touched any of the toys in his cage or on his playgym, he just sits on the perches.
Any ideas?

[shosh]

He's a beautiful BIRD!!!! and what an angelic face...you'd never suspect, huh??

Caiques can be very tricky birds....sweet one minutes, nasty the next. they are rather emotional creatures, too!
Do remember, you've only had this guy for a week...that isn't a lot of time for him to adjust. He's been thrust from a previous owner who probably neglected him or resented him because of his biting/screaming and now he finds himself in a new home without his feathered friend and with new people trying to get him to BE NICE.

He doesn't know your intentions are good ones...He only knows that everything is different. I DON"T understand why his previous owner gave him away and kept the other one...I guess this guy was too much trouble.

You need to remember that getting him to realize that you are a good person, that you are not his previous owner, that his new home is a good place, that he doesn't NEED to bite anymore or scream anymore...these things will all take LOTS of time. They can't go to psychiatrists to work out their issues....and more often than not, a lot of their issues are caused by US! Nothing has changed for him, internally, but everything HAS changed externally. LOTS FOR A LITTLE GUY TO DEAL WITH!!

READ up on bird body language. birds usually give SIGNS when they are about to bite...if you see him back off or tense up...don't push it. You are going to have to be an analyst....try to figure out when he is screaming..why he is screaming. None of these answers will come overnight...don't force your affection and attention on him ( he will let you know what is acceptable to him.....go at his pace, not at yours)

Birds have little defenses except their beaks....that's why they bite. They bite because they are nervous or angry or afraid or excited. Sometimes the bites are very painful....with your guy, I would certainly agree that NO BITING is a good response but because he is SO new to his environment, I would discourage anything too harsh. My girlfriend's caique who went through some horrible "terrible 2's" stages found after many bites that actually doing the sweet approach worked better "what a naughty bird!! Whose mommy's naughty bird...". Don't know...worked for her..she found that NOT getting stern worked better....you'll have to figure that one out!

What I have found extremely effective with my birds, oddly enough, is Cesar Milan's approach to dogs. Calm assertiveness. If you have any fear or trepidation approaching a bird, they will sense that...and will respond in kind. If your family is scared of him now, I would advise that they not try and get him up on their hand just yet....he will sense their fear and bite. Birds, kind of like dogs, want to be the alpha in the pack ( flock). That is why many advise that the birds not be ABOVE you, as in on your shoulder or their cage above eye level.

Just remember to go slowly.....give him time to get used to everything...the cage, the toys, the environment, you! It will not happen overnight...he will not stop screaming or biting right away. There will be little steps and little improvements that you WILL see....be happy with those and go forth from there.