Aggressive 6 Month Old Kakariki

Update he's bit me again this morning thus tkme in the living room in scared to get him out now
 
Thanks for the tag, DizzyBlue. Some initial thoughts:

At 6 months old he’s becoming sexually mature. Does he have access to any nest boxes/materials? If so I’d remove them. I read on the internet that Kaks can be very territorial. This doesn’t offer a solution to his behaviour but something else to take into consideration. How big is his cage? The smaller the cage the more aggressive a bird can become as it defends it.

Territorial and sexually mature/hormonal are labels - they offer a little understanding but don’t solve very much. So look at the behaviours in context. He attacks you in the dining room where his cage is. Think about how to interact with him differently. Are there any particular times he attacks? What are you doing on those occasions? For example, if he attacks when you go to change food bowls, think about leaving him caged until that deed is done. That way you can let him out when you have no need to go near his cage.

Are you able to interact with him without him attacking? What are you both doing on these occasions? Can you build on these times? Does he play with toys? Have you done any training with him? Encourage him to do these alternative behaviours before he is likely to attack.

Be careful of eye contact if he’s in attack mode. Turn away and do something else. Never get angry with him as that makes the whole thing 100 times worse.
Thanks for the reply it's usually when im working so he gets a but annoyed as lack 9f attention so I thought his cage is huge and I agree the eye contact isn't good as I learnt this morning. I did shout yesterday and it did make the aggression worst as I was so scared he was great this morning then went for me. He's got toys he loves playing if I take them out for him to play he attacks me for touching them but yes fine with my partner I've bin so scared to get him out today and I've booked a vets app just to check it's nothing but hormones as he's started humping a bobble hat too
 
I am sorry I cannot agree in removing nest boxes from a kakariki, the main cause for aggressive behaviour in these wonderful birds is lack of sleep they need naps during the day with out being disturbed, in darkness, nest box recommended.
 
Update he's only doing it when im alone if my partner is there he's lovely any ideas why
 
I’ve no idea. See if you can observe what is happening - notice what you are doing when your partner is there - any change in your behaviour? Maybe you are more relaxed. Perhaps you are doing different things (ie not working at the table). Perhaps you are further away? Perhaps....?

Humping the bobble hat certainly indicates hormones. Check that there is no inappropriate stroking - touching on the back and under the wings will only encourage hormonal behaviour. Keep skritches to the head and neck only.

Sounds like he is becoming possessive of his toys. See if you can change them up every few days, ie rotate in “new” ones. If you keep a box of toys this is easy to do when he isn’t in his cage.

Would love to see a pic of him! 😊
 
I’ve no idea. See if you can observe what is happening - notice what you are doing when your partner is there - any change in your behaviour? Maybe you are more relaxed. Perhaps you are doing different things (ie not working at the table). Perhaps you are further away? Perhaps....?

Humping the bobble hat certainly indicates hormones. Check that there is no inappropriate stroking - touching on the back and under the wings will only encourage hormonal behaviour. Keep skritches to the head and neck only.

Sounds like he is becoming possessive of his toys. See if you can change them up every few days, ie rotate in “new” ones. If you keep a box of toys this is easy to do when he isn’t in his cage.

Would love to see a pic of him! 😊
I think I am more anxious and if I say no to him he then gets aggressive he's a lovely boy really. When it happens he's makes this angry grunt at me every time I talk ots really odd. I'm worried from tomorrow as ille be back working in the room his cage is in. I have rotated his toys today x
 
Awwwww he's very cute! :feel_loved:

I think I am more anxious
Birds are excellent at ready body language and that goes for humans' body language too. They can even see the little capillaries in our faces filling with blood when we get angry etc. So he will pick up on you feeling anxious... he will be wondering what there is to be anxious about which may put him on alert. If letting him out when working in his room makes you anxious, try a few days of working with him still inside his cage paying him some fun, hands off attention from across the room.

if I say no to him he then gets aggressive
Instead of saying "no" see if you can reinforce another more acceptable behaviour instead. Change things in the environment to make it easier for him to do acceptable things like play with toys etc, rather than do the things that he shouldn't. He sounds like quite a character! :biggrin: Well done for changing his toys around.

If you have access to a garden or park, you could add other things to his cage like a multistemmed branch to make things more exciting. I have a bay tree in my garden and one of my Amazons spends hours chewing the leafy branches I cut for him. You could also put something interesting on top of his cage like a cut open little Munchkin pumpkin or half an apple. My birds are loving those at the moment. Having exciting new stuff to explore will hopefully keep him out of trouble! :D
 
Chers for your help we had a good morning I started work he started getting aggressive I put him in and he was going at the cage when i went by it tonight he's out and great coming to me playing etc. Ille try the trees he will like that thanks x
 
Awwwww he's very cute! :feel_loved:


Birds are excellent at ready body language and that goes for humans' body language too. They can even see the little capillaries in our faces filling with blood when we get angry etc. So he will pick up on you feeling anxious... he will be wondering what there is to be anxious about which may put him on alert. If letting him out when working in his room makes you anxious, try a few days of working with him still inside his cage paying him some fun, hands off attention from across the room.


Instead of saying "no" see if you can reinforce another more acceptable behaviour instead. Change things in the environment to make it easier for him to do acceptable things like play with toys etc, rather than do the things that he shouldn't. He sounds like quite a character! :biggrin: Well done for changing his toys around.

If you have access to a garden or park, you could add other things to his cage like a multistemmed branch to make things more exciting. I have a bay tree in my garden and one of my Amazons spends hours chewing the leafy branches I cut for him. You could also put something interesting on top of his cage like a cut open little Munchkin pumpkin or half an apple. My birds are loving those at the moment. Having exciting new stuff to explore will hopefully keep him out of trouble! :D
Hi hun so today it's been a up and down day 8.20 out til 10 am lovely so 9 til 10 I was working. 11.30 i got him out he attacked me within 2 mins no diff in whst i was doing. 1.15 to 2 out lovely. Tonight my partner left the living room he tried to attack me he heard the door open and flew off im now at a loss if he dominating how do i combat it as I'm scared of him x
 
Hi hun so today it's been a up and down day 8.20 out til 10 am lovely so 9 til 10 I was working. 11.30 i got him out he attacked me within 2 mins no diff in whst i was doing. 1.15 to 2 out lovely. Tonight my partner left the living room he tried to attack me he heard the door open and flew off im now at a loss if he dominating how do i combat it as I'm scared of him x
Really glad there have been some good times today. That's a huge positive! :applaudit:

At 11.30 was his body language any different just before you got him out of the cage? I think you ought to keep a diary of his behaviour. See if the good times match timewise each day. If you are seeing bad behaviour consistantly at 11.30ish then leave him in his cage for this time slot.

We humans are the ones that think about dominating, being dominated, being flock leader etc. But birds think differently to us - there is no proof that dominating occurs in the wild. A behaviour that is repeated (in this case attacking) is being reinforced somehow, despite hormones. Maybe it is your reaction that is reinforcing, ie. the drama. I completely understand as Kobe (my Pionus) acts in the same way - not attacking (although he has once or twice), but lunging and making a horrible noise because he finds my reaction (the drama) wonderfully reinforcing. It happens when he is hormonal and that can be many months of the year. It was worse when he was younger, and at 13 years old he is beginning to calm down. What I found is that eye contact would set him off as well as walking towards him. So now I try to arrange things so that I let him out of the cage after I've done all the things that might entail walking towards him. If I have to walk towards him I'll zig zag if possible or at least have no eye contact. Kobe will do anything for attention - that attention can be good or bad... it's all reinforcing.

I'd like to tag @Yellowchickenparrot as he also had a Kak who was aggressive towards him.
 
O gosh yes I did have a very aggressive kak, I couldn’t say I managed to achieve any difference in his behaviour sadly but did find some things that he loved and Helped used up lots of that hormonal energy.
* A bit of apple tree brach with some leaves on (scrubbed) washed.
* chillies & peppers with seeds to pick out
* dandelions flowers & leaves hanging from his cage
* my kaks in the aviary bath once sometimes twice a day so a spay bath or bowl of water can be fun
* I use to cover Ringo about 12ish for 30min nap after he had his mid day snak.
* he was always worse early morning and late like 6 to 9pm I ended up putting him to bed at 8
* I couldn’t find his trigger and I ended up putting him out in the aviary so he could fly free all day and be with other birds which he seemed to enjoy however he still was terribly bad when I was cleaning the aviary. He would bite my feet and ears even got my nose once, it seemed to be a very defensive attack like he was on auto pilot. I’m sorry I can’t offer much help, but kaks do seem to have big personalities. Keep trying things and stay positive
 
Thanks all I'm pleased to say I've had 2 good days he's had little moments of going at me but not biting like he wants to scare me I have noticed it seems to be mid morning and late afternoon so by 10 he's back in til 1 and then not out til evening which thank God has worked his hormones seem to of calmed down. I'm getting some branches tomorrow and I brought him a foreging ball which has kept him entertained at night. He also makes this horrible grunt when hes annoyed I think I've kept much calmer with the help off here so thanks all for your help. I'm going to try the cover in the day might help him sleep a bit as at min he doesnt day time. I.wont give up he's my boy x
 
Well we've had a few very good days tonight we were playing he went for me I then went in the kitchen to do dishes he tried to twice again. He must of sensed I was upset and he went in his cage by himself to have his food and water and then took himself off to bed an hour early well I say early it would of been his normal time if the clocks hadn't changed. I can't put my finger on what has changed I can only think he didn't like me touching his bath water
 
So sorry, Sallyann. Hang in there. I read that the first twelve months of a male Kak’s life can be particularly problematic hormone wise. Not sure if that is true or not - but think stroppy teenager. Keep vigilant in trying to maintain his relaxed body language and diffusing any aggressive behaviour as fast as possible. Keep monitoring your own reactions to see if they are reinforcing the attacks in any way. It’s hard I know.
 
So sorry, Sallyann. Hang in there. I read that the first twelve months of a male Kak’s life can be particularly problematic hormone wise. Not sure if that is true or not - but think stroppy teenager. Keep vigilant in trying to maintain his relaxed body language and diffusing any aggressive behaviour as fast as possible. Keep monitoring your own reactions to see if they are reinforcing the attacks in any way. It’s hard I know.
Will do he went to have a moment today I just said enough in a deep voice but is It calm and he went off in another room. I agree i think it will be tough odd thing now he's started bathing in his drinking water wont entertain his usual bath. But yes bin alot better today I must say x
 
Back
Top Bottom