Aggressive Quaker

[prettybird3]

I have a 7 year old male Quaker named Quincy who is a PITA with his biting behavior. I`m not afraid of him, but I don`t like being bitten, and my DH rarely will go near him at all. I got him when he was 5 from an older lady who had 3 birds and wanted to downsize. So I got him, cage, toys, everything free. Not a bad deal. She did tell me when I went to pick him up that he is "nippy" when in or on his cage. She was able to pick him up in front of us (she did this with a towel) and then hold him on her hand. He went for her once, but she tapped him on the beak, and he stopped and was good the rest of the time she held him.

When I brought him home, he was kept in a spare bedroom with our sun conure and our BFA, and while he remained "nippy" in/on his cage, if he wandered off the cage and came over to visit me on my computer desk he was pretty docile. He even liked to sit on my shoulder and play in my hair.

I have to admit, my birds didn`t get a lot of attention over the last year and a half as my DH was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2006 and our lives were pretty much turned upside down. Things have quieted down, though, and we decided to move the birds out of the back bedroom and into the living room so we can interact with them more. Quincy, however, seems to be more than just a little "nippy" now, he just plain bites the crap out of anyone he can! I`m pretty good at avoiding him, and I know how to distract him if I need to reach into his cage for something. I would like to handle this bird more, but I don`t want to be bitten in the process.

I can`t pet him with my fingers, but one thing he REALLY likes is when I let him out of his cage, he perches on top of his door, and he lets me stroke him with a paper towel. I only found this out by accident, but I`m glad he at least likes something about me.

Otherwise he is pretty hilarious, he doesn`t talk a lot, but he has learned to laugh, and it cracks me up every time he does it. He really loves his toys, too, and is a very active bird. Any advice would be appreciated.

[charlieandmom]

I'm no expertbut a good book to read on quakers is, "Guide to Quaker Parrots". Quakers can become cage aggressive pretty easy especially since he's been away in another room for a while. I've heard some people say that you should teach them to step up on your finger and also you should train them to step up on a perch when they get nippy. When he bites you want to tell him no I don't think that plucking him on his beak is a very nice thing that lady used to do. Like I said I'm no expert and hopefully someone else will come along with some advice for you. Good luck!!
I'm greatful I haven't had any bad habits from Charlie yet but he's a young quaker though.

[sherah]

I hope all is going better with your qp! If not; the advice about using a perch is great it worke for me. I used a perch, putting it directly in front of him and said step up when he did I told him good boy and brought him out of the cage. after doing this a couple of times I got him out with the perch, went to another room with him, put out my hand and said step up; when he did I told him good boy and gave him a grape that I had cut in half for him; He loves grapes. Well good luck

[Balooshi]

Never be aggressive back to the bird. They are territorial by nature, it's written in their genes. Instead, make sweet noises to your bird to entice him to play. My Kiwi was so aggressive but would sweeten up when I talked to her in a baby voice. They love high pitched voices. Don't scold your bird for defending his cage cuz he might view your actions as challenging his territory. They will interpret your punishment as you being mean and trying to invade its space. For now gently towel your bird and associate sweet voice sounds with his toweling. Give it time and patience. You don't want to reinforce the wrong behavior. Good luck

[Beaks]

clip his wings that way he will have to rely on you to get from one place to another .

that usually works pretty well for quakers but being cage aggressive is just part of a quakers nature and there is not much you can do to stop it.