Behaviour ?? (Multi thread)

Hi another one for you fine people.

our son (15) tommy-lee has been getting on really well, Bert hops and dances as soon as he comes home/in.

Berts been letting tommy give him head scratches (through bars) more and more but today give him a decent bite, same as always, walked in talked to him Bert moves to the perch next to the side and bowed his head, Tommy give him a tiny scratch and after a few second Bert give him a decent bite, no blood but left a nice imprint.

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He’s also been doing this to me today fluffing his feathers, it’s doesn’t seem nasty but he does seem agitated.

It’s towards the end of this video.
 
that was a warning bite, Ok I notice you are scratching his head from above him, if Bert has a slight fear of hands this will make him cautious. its far better to wait for him to bow his head and then scratch his head with your hands at the same level. your sons fingers are not as tough as yours so it takes little pressure to mark him and it will hurt, if he did the same force on my finger I do not think it will be of a level to cause the injury. its clear he likes the interaction but still fills a little un sure at the moment
 
At the end of the video it looks like he is just about to rouse (shake out) his feathers. Not aggressive in the slightest. Looks to be in a good mood in the video. Afraid I don't have sound on my laptop. It's when the feathers rise on the hackles (upper part of the body, kind of across the shoulders) that means "watch out!"

Re the bite. Maybe Tommy-Lee touched a pin feather which hurts? Or it could just be a fun game (from Bert's point of view) that has inadvertently been reinforced? Reason aside, I would deal with it this way: If you know Bert is likely to bite after 4 seconds, stop skritching him at 2 or 3 seconds. This is to get him out of the habit of biting. Gradually you can build up the skritch time again, always stopping early and leaving him wanting more. This way you start to pair the skritch with good feelings and not the bite. Constantly watch his body language and eye shape all the time for clues of how he is feeling... any movement of feathers, STOP! If he pins his eyes, STOP! Remember the more he bites, the more he is learning to bite.

This is how I got my extremely aggressive Amazon, Chico to enjoy skritches without lunging... or worse biting. Sometimes he decides it would be fun to lunge, but I am watching carefully - as soon as one feather moves, I am outta there! Sometimes I have to start again and stop the skritching before he is likely to bite.... then build up duration again. Training/teaching is always a work in progress. My aim as yours and Tommy-Lee's should be is to work to get zero bites. :thumbsup:
 
that was a warning bite, Ok I notice you are scratching his head from above him, if Bert has a slight fear of hands this will make him cautious. its far better to wait for him to bow his head and then scratch his head with your hands at the same level. your sons fingers are not as tough as yours so it takes little pressure to mark him and it will hurt, if he did the same force on my finger I do not think it will be of a level to cause the injury. its clear he likes the interaction but still fills a little un sure at the moment
Thank you, that does make sense, we’ll stop anything from above 👍
At the end of the video it looks like he is just about to rouse (shake out) his feathers. Not aggressive in the slightest. Looks to be in a good mood in the video. Afraid I don't have sound on my laptop. It's when the feathers rise on the hackles (upper part of the body, kind of across the shoulders) that means "watch out!"

Re the bite. Maybe Tommy-Lee touched a pin feather which hurts? Or it could just be a fun game (from Bert's point of view) that has inadvertently been reinforced? Reason aside, I would deal with it this way: If you know Bert is likely to bite after 4 seconds, stop skritching him at 2 or 3 seconds. This is to get him out of the habit of biting. Gradually you can build up the skritch time again, always stopping early and leaving him wanting more. This way you start to pair the skritch with good feelings and not the bite. Constantly watch his body language and eye shape all the time for clues of how he is feeling... any movement of feathers, STOP! If he pins his eyes, STOP! Remember the more he bites, the more he is learning to bite.

This is how I got my extremely aggressive Amazon, Chico to enjoy skritches without lunging... or worse biting. Sometimes he decides it would be fun to lunge, but I am watching carefully - as soon as one feather moves, I am outta there! Sometimes I have to start again and stop the skritching before he is likely to bite.... then build up duration again. Training/teaching is always a work in progress. My aim as yours and Tommy-Lee's should be is to work to get zero bites. :thumbsup:
Thank you again, I wasn’t home when he bit Tommy-lee so not sure what mood or anything, it could of been a pin feather I can’t see any but it’s certainly possible or maybe he was a little over stimulated, he did laugh after, he does get very excited around Tommy-lee.

the feather thing he’s been doing a lot of the last couple of days, it just like when he fluffs his feathers and shakes (rouse ?) but he doesn’t actually shake just puffs and then back to normal, he does it while dancing a lot so I’m guessing it’s a good thing ?
 
Another one for you kind people please.

over the last few days/week Bert seem very hormonal, doing the dance and noise quite often, my issue is he seems to of taken heavily to his stainless bell, he’s always had it and loved/plays with it a lot, rings it for attention and when he’s ready to get up.

But he’s regenerating on it often and gets a little to excited.

is this something i should intervene with or just let him be ?
 
Hormones playing up it will stop, if it were me I'd let him be, others would disagree.
 
If a bird chooses something that cannot harm him then I just let them carry on, if you try to take it away he may dislike you and will only try to find some thing else. he will soon get over his frustration and over his breeding urges.
 
you may need to clean the item more often, this is best done when your bird is not near its cage, some birds can get very possessive of there favorite thing
 
you may need to clean the item more often, this is best done when your bird is not near its cage, some birds can get very possessive of there favorite thing
Hi Michael, yes I do wipe it off every couple days and it gets a good soaking and clean every Saturday, he’s doesn’t mind us touching it (to much) he’s more “oi that’s mine” then “GET OF MY TOY” but it doesn’t bother him when I clean it for a few hours with his cage every week, saying that I’m not sure I’d stick my hand in the cage and grab it with him next to it 😂
 
So got me again tonight, sat on his cage and I was stood next to him chatting about 12/14 inches from him and he kept lifting his foot.

I offered my arm and he nibbled my sleeve, he then lifted his foot so I got closer and he had a nice chomp, I said no in a stern voice and walked out he room, came back maybe a minute or less later.

first time he’s really held with pressure, doesn’t look much now it’s stopped bleeding, I going with 5 steps back on this as he also spent the next few minutes when I came back hissing at me.

left him to his own devices for 10 minutes and talked to him, he went back in his cage so we don’t 2/3 targets with the stick and he was calm again.

this is turning into a personal thread for dates 😂😂 I thought been nearly two weeks, counter reset to zero😂
 

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Eddie has been the same! Completely unpredictable the last week or so. Don’t know whether it’s because she is exhausted from growing all the new feathers that were plucked for her op/pin feathers/ hormones/bad weather/colour purple with red spots???? My daughter has been doing target training and seemed to be going well, and then CHOMP on her finger instead of taking the treat! Eddie laughed, Em my daughter was very brave and didn’t shout out but must have moved her hand away quickly as Eddie flew into the kitchen. She was grumpy with me the night before too.
 
I have a grey, Dusky, living with me, he is 22 this summer and came to me when he was 18. He had always been a man's bird and should really have been homed to a man, he has never thought much of me and at first attacked the back on my neck from a height. Over the years he has calmed some, but will still have a bite to remind me who is boss. I have noticed these last few months sometimes he will fluff up his feathers and try to look cute when I talk to him, talking has been the answer to him accepting me more. We make sounds, gun firing and him blowing raspberries followed laughing are his favourites.

I have never been able to fuss him, he once came to me on the sofa and bowed his head, so I skritched his head but he obviously thought I did not do it correctly so he bit me, hard. He will not climb on my arm, just bite so I gave up years ago trying, yet my husband who spends so little time with him is his favourite and jumps on his arm, no problems, obviously he must be gay.
 
Any help trying to get Bert to interact or play with toys ?

general routine is, when i get home, its constant attention or he starts throwing bowls, food etc.

I know he just wants attention and that's great, but i'd really like him to be able to enjoy his toys, chew, play, forage etc and entertain himself a little.

He's not scared of them as they've been in his cage before we got him and new ones for weeks and weeks, but he has zero interest, I've tried playing with them etc but he's like "not happening lets dance"

At this point he's never chewed a single toy or perch, never touched any of the 2/3 foragers he's got.
 
Have you tried baby toys that play music. my greys love them, or you can get an Alexa and let him order his own tunes and toys
 
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