It's Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS.

[suzhouchen]

My rescue Galah is an attack bird. He is worse than a doberman or pit bull.

I don't want him to live in a cage all his life alone, so I let him out to run around as much as he wants. But if a man walks even remotely close he lunges off the cage and sinks his beak into their face, arm, hand, chest or whatever he can reach. Same way with the back, he has attacked my fiance many times. Lacerated several fingers and the side of his face.

With me it is different, he never hurts me. I cannot hold him in the daylight because he has this phobic fright and flight thing going on. He is afraid of hands and arms and such.

But at night....when it is dark in the house and he cannot see arms and hands moving, I can get him out and enjoy him.

Then I sit in the dark with Weeble and he purrs and whistles and talks and preens my face. He sits real still on my chest and is the perfect behaved bird. But ONLY when it is dark. I love him so much I want to squeeze him til he pops. But I hold him and talk to him and teach him new words and he learns them in a week or two. He will stay the night on my chest while I am in the chair but when daylight creeps in the room he is off and running for his life.

He has sliced so many people open and attacked so many people I really am at a loss. I am starting to not be able to deal with the blood shed anymore.

[Greycloud]

First of all, never, ever let your bird near your face. Especially since he has a tendency to bite. I know he is good with you but this bird right now is unsafe. Do not let him near your boyfriend at all. You need to take him for a vet check on his eyes. Something is bothering him with the light. Trust me he can see your arm and hand at night just as well as day. He might have been kept in a very dark room and the light hurts his eyes. Your bird needs to be seen by an avian bahavoirist. He needs to not be around people out of his cage for their safety. This bird is and accident waiting to happen. Either hire a behaviourist or give the bird to a sanctuary where they can work with him. It is their specialty. Sorry If I sound harsh, but I have experience with bird bites and I've seen the damage they can do, especially to faces.

[Melissasparrots]

When I was going through fear of hands issues with my GSC2, she would be completely hysterical during the day, but I could handle her fine with the lights off. It was the only way we could both enjoy some affection. We've since moved past that stage thankfully.
I've heard of quite a few people that were able to handle either very aggressive or very fearful birds by turning off the lights.
So now, is Weeble only afraid of you and attacks everyone else? I find it a little strange that he's attacking men so aggressively but he's so phobic of hands that you have to handle him in the dark.
Melissa

[suzhouchen]

Originally Posted by Melissasparrots

When I was going through fear of hands issues with my GSC2, she would be completely hysterical during the day, but I could handle her fine with the lights off. It was the only way we could both enjoy some affection. We've since moved past that stage thankfully.
I've heard of quite a few people that were able to handle either very aggressive or very fearful birds by turning off the lights.
So now, is Weeble only afraid of you and attacks everyone else? I find it a little strange that he's attacking men so aggressively but he's so phobic of hands that you have to handle him in the dark.
Melissa

In answer to your question...absolutely. He will attack my fiance in a heart beat. Lunging off the cage and jumping on Mike. Sinking his beak in Mikes face as he lands on him. Jumping on his back. Attacking his feet and legs.
It is bizzare. He will lower himself down like he getting ready to jump or fly, then he lets out this sound like the word "awkle awkle" then he is out to kill.
Sometimes he does not even awkle first. He just attacks. It is awful to see. I have to run and get him off of Mike.

With me at night with the light out he is fine, he sits on my chest and he licks my face and preens me, he purrs like a cat, he snuggles, he cimbs as close to me as he can and just stays there, preening me all over. He is gentle and harmless as a fly. He talks to me and whistles and everything. He is absolutely wonderful but only at night when the house is dark.

In the daytime, he runs and beats his wings on the cage if you try to reach in and get him to step up. If he is on top of his cage, I can go over to him with my hands behind my back and I can snuggle him, kiss his little beak, lay my cheek on his feathers or bury my nose in his chest and he is ok with all of that and totally harmless. BUT if I bring my arms out from behind my back, he runs, jumps off the cage and takes of like I was trying to kill him with a knife. He does this whole fright n flight thing. I don't let him around people on purpose. I let him out of his cage and CANNOT get him back in his cage due to this whole fright and flight phobia of his. So he sits there until night when I can reach up and he will step right up on my hand with no problem. He is not afraid of me at all. He is afraid of me only when I move my arms or hands toward him. THEN HE IS TERRIFIED.
If someone comes over then I am stuck because he is out. So Mike has always tried to just stay away from him when he is out of his cage. But then Weeble took to lunging off of his cage and sinking his beak into Mikes face. He will "awkle awkle" warning sound to any man. But not to me.

I can do anything to him during the day as long as I do not use my arms or hands.

I am not the least bit frightened of him. He is tender and gentle and loving toward me. He has never bitten me. He has never tried to hurt me. He has nipped gently never hurting me and never trying. But if you turn on the lights look out he goes nuts if you are close to him. Once he gets on his cage or away from you he functions normally walking around, eating, drinking, climbing around on his cage, playing with straw toys.

My nights with him are the highlight of my bird time. We sit in the recliner and he will sit on my chest and there he will talk to me very softly and he will reach up and preen my face, licking me all over. If I try to move him down away from my face he will crawl right back up again. But he NEVER hurts me. He is ever so gentle. I love my time with him so much. I want to make whatever has happened to him go away so he can live a normal happy life and trust that any hand coming his way will never hurt him here.

But if he sees a hand --he goes nuts. Like I said I can approach his cage in the daytime and I can snuggle him and kiss his beak and he kisses me and he is totally harmless to me. But i have to do it with my hands behind my back, because if I attempt to touch him he goes nuts.

HE NEVER attacks me and he NEVER tries to hurt me. He will purr and coo and cuddle with me. But if a man comes near he goes into blood lust attack mode.

It is definately odd behavior. I wonder if he would be more comfortable as a breeder and not a close pet. As a breeder, he could stay in a cage where no hands would bother him if he wanted to and he could have a female bird as a companion.

My heart is absolutely crushed for this bird. I have no idea what has happened to him and no way to find out. During the day he will sit on his cage and look out the window. He will talk to me and chatter. He will screech for me if I leave the room and he will screech if I open the door to leave. He will not come to me and he will not step up on my arm.

He only becomes the perfect bird when it is dark in the house. Yes it is odd behavior because at night, he steps up on my arm, and climbs up my arm to cuddle and preen the night away. I ABSOLUTELY love the nighttime with Weeble in my arms and loving on me while I love on him. It is the most wonderful rewarding time that captures and breaks my heart all at the same time.

I want to become a night owl just so I can share my nights with Weeble all night long. How I wish the days were like the nights but they aren't.

[maggy]

Point one, be patient, you don't know what this little guy has had to live through, probably at the hands of a man as he is scared of your bloke, for both their sakes keep them apart.
Point two keep up the "dark cuddles" he needs to know you love him.
Point three maybe have your guy feed him treats while Weeble is in his cage, and only he gives the good stuff to him, not you. You're in charge of love.
The safest way to prevent attack is to prevent contact, until Weeble settles down, but please pesist, galahs are wonderful pets and I think this little guy is just terrified..he will settle. You could also speak to Sally Blanchard she's great with cockatoos.

[tabooh]

Originally Posted by Greycloud

First of all, never, ever let your bird near your face. Especially since he has a tendency to bite. I know he is good with you but this bird right now is unsafe. Do not let him near your boyfriend at all. You need to take him for a vet check on his eyes. Something is bothering him with the light. Trust me he can see your arm and hand at night just as well as day. He might have been kept in a very dark room and the light hurts his eyes. Your bird needs to be seen by an avian bahavoirist. He needs to not be around people out of his cage for their safety. This bird is and accident waiting to happen. Either hire a behaviourist or give the bird to a sanctuary where they can work with him. It is their specialty. Sorry If I sound harsh, but I have experience with bird bites and I've seen the damage they can do, especially to faces.

very good advice I would have to agree with you 100 per cent. I know that it is difficult but the advice given here is solid. Take care and good luck I am sure that what ever you decide to do, it'll be the right thing for all.

[suzhouchen]

Originally Posted by tabooh

very good advice I would have to agree with you 100 per cent. I know that it is difficult but the advice given here is solid. Take care and good luck I am sure that what ever you decide to do, it'll be the right thing for all.

I understand what you are saying. It is not fair to him to live in a cage and I cannot afford to hire a behavioralist. He has been to a vet check and found to be fine.

He is an enigma. I think something awful happened to him and it has caused him to be phobic in the daytime. He will beat his feathers til they break to get away from you. At night he will cuddle and with a man he will attack.

I have a breeder who want him and I am considering that perhaps it might be an ideal for Weeble. He could stay in the cage if he wanted.

I am discouraged with Weeble and I want more than evening hours with him.

Perhaps Weeble is just so frightened he just wants to be left alone. I don't know. But I melt when he snuggles against me and purrs. I am in awe of his gentle nature. (I know it is Dr. Jekle/Mr Hyde behavior) but with me he is so loving and so gentle and kind. I just have to keep my hands down unless it is night. Then I can pet him and hold him and he is ok.

I wonder why other birds have these same issues being phobic until the lights are out.

[Melissasparrots]

You might try following the ABC's of behavior modification with the aggression issue. A modified baby steps version might also help with the fear of hands. The idea is that in order to change the Behavior, you have to either change what comes right before the behavior(the Antecedent) or what comes after the behavior(the Consequence). Since generally it’s easier to change the antecedent without accidentally patterning something you don't want, I'd start with that.
Personally, I'd make sure he has a nice large cage, stuffed with plenty of toys but not crowded. That way you don't have to feel guilty about him being in his cage. The cage should be his safe place so don't feel guilty for him having some cage time. Personally, since he's so much easier and less stressed with the lights out, I'd just let him out an hour or two before dark and put him back when the lights are out and it’s calmer. Make it be known to all the men in the house to steer clear during those times so he doesn't have a chance to attack. Every single time he is successful in attacking a man, he is becoming patterned to do it again and again and again. Also, personally I would keep a towel in that room and encourage the man to be the one to disengage the beak. By having you come over to take him away, there are a couple things that could be going through his little brain. Could be its reinforcing you as a predator when you come running over and pulling him off. Could be its enforcing the behavior if he wants you to come closer and succeeds by attacking someone else. Could be the whole sequence of events gets him totally over excited and what started as aggression has become defensive biting. Also, encourage your man not to do any yelling screaming and above all...do not run from the little beast. My own cockatoo has a pretty good charge reflex. She's tried it with me a few times but I refuse to run and that takes the fun right out of it. Men can also use a towel to block him if they see him coming, scoop him up(preferably with hands hidden within folds of towel so as to not reinforce that fear) and dump him back in his cage. Charging and attacking people should be completely without drama and the most boring thing he's ever done in his life. If you only have him out for a few hours in the evening, you’re eliminating some of his opportunities to attack (the Antecedent) and you will be able to get him back in after dark without reinforcing his fear issues. The towel is an attempt at changing the C if the man just has to come in anyway.
Always remember to praise him when he’s good if you can do so without spooking him. If a man walks in and the bird behaves, make sure to tell him he’s a good boy.

As for the fear of hands, there are a few things you can do with that too. I had to give my own cockatoo injections and she became completely terrified of me. Its been two steps forward, three steps backward for years, but we have made major progress and she comes to see me daily for cuddles. But, she has been ever so very slow to come around. The key is to make every step hers. What I want is irrelevant. Also, I had to learn to keep my hands to myself because every time I reached for her and she startled, it just confirmed in her little birdie brain that hands are scary and humans are not to be trusted. So, you want to eliminate as much as possible the opportunity for the fear response to happen. Which is sounds like your already trying to do so that’s good. I have had the best success with my own bird by just opening her cage door and letting her come to me. It took months in the beginning and I had to break it down into micro baby steps and resist the urge to reach out and touch her at any sign of progress. Since yours still wants to attack men and probably shouldn't be allowed to run around on the floor, I'd pull up a chair next to his cage and open the door during that hour or two of evening out time. Just sit and read a book, watch TV and pretend he doesn't exist but keep a few favored treats sitting somewhere accessible. Let him come to you to get those treats himself and then resist the urge to touch just because he came for a treat. Most likely, once he feels comfortable coming close and knows those evil hands aren’t going to come shooting out of nowhere every time he approaches, he will start hanging out closer and closer to you. Then you can try having him get the treat from you hand, again with no attempt at touching. After your successful there for several weeks in a row with no backsliding, you can try squeezing in a little touch to the beak with your finger before relinquishing the treat and go from there. It worked for me and Ariel. I also noticed that she was better about hands being visible if they were holding something. So a book or a remote control is good. Before I made any major attempt at actually petting her, I waited for some very clear body language from her. She practically demanded being petted before I even reached for her. If she changed her mind and ran away, oh well I just went back to my book. Two steps forward, one step backward.

As for fear of hands around cage, you might take a look at how close you can get to his cage with your hands visible before he spooks. Slowly try to increase that distance until you can stand right next to the cage. Then try hand on the cage. All with no reaching for the bird or doing anything to make him think your coming for him.
Good luck. I'm not a behaviorist so just take the elements of this post that you feel will work for you or adapt the idea to your situation. These are just some ideas as a for example.
Melissa

[jmerrell]

Great advice Melissa. Sounds like you've done your homework!

[loyallyroyal]

My rescue Galah is an attack bird. He is worse than a doberman or pit bull.

I know this is terribly off topic, but that gave me a laugh imagining my dobie as an attack dog, since currently she is crying her head off and trying to shove herself under the sofa because my brother just wheeled his bike through.

on a serious note,

I cannot afford to hire a behavioralist.

Could you maybe contact one and ask if they could just do a phone consultation? They may be able to help you pinpoint some things. Or ask your vet for some cheaper recommendations?