Bird people- Help, my M2 is attacking everyone who isn't me!

[Will0W783]

Hi guys,

As some of you may remember, I adopted a 13-year-old male M2 from an elderly lady who was becoming too ill to care for him last April.
Angel had been a plucker and was fairly anti-social when he first came, but settled in. He had a lung infection, which I got cleared up and his feathers have regrown. The first few weeks, Angel seemed to prefer John (my fiance), and one weekend he was trying very hard to bite me, until John put him on his flight harness and had me take him outside. Angel did a complete turn-around and has been all about me since then.

Fast forward to now. Angel will NOT bite me; he cuddles with me, grooms my hair, follows me around the house, etc. He will also go to John for cuddles and attention, but will then flip and bite him. At first it was only a few days every few months, and I thought it was just a hormone thing. However, for the last 2 months, Angel has bitten John almost every single day.

It starts the same- one of us gets home and lets Angel and Baby out. Angel runs around, screams at the window, cuddles, etc. If John is home alone, even if I'm gone for a whole weekend, Angel will not bite him or threaten him. However, as soon as I'm around, Angel will start raising his crest, spreading his wings, and gaping his beak at John. If we are both home, Angel will usually start the night being friendly to us both. We usually return him to his cage while we eat because he tries to steal food off our plates. We let him out again after dinner, and he will usually go right to John and cuddle or sit on the couch behind him. Angel will fawn all over John, but then gradually start making beak gapes and spread wings at him. Angel won't just leave him alone though- he aggressively stalks John until John either holds his beak and puts him away, or Angel manages to sneak up on him and bite him. Angel will bite him in the elbows, back of the upper arms, tops of feet, ankles, anywhere where he can sneak up from behind and catch John unawares.

It's getting to be bad because John is angry and frustrated and has mentioned that he wouldn't mind Angel going away. I can't bear to part with Angel- he's been through enough already and dumping off a bird that is as sensitive and emotional as a M2 is how they end up traumatized and self-mutilating. John ends up bruised and bleeding more nights than not though, and it's not helping our already fragile, tense relationship.

It's not just John though- I had a friend over last weekend and Angel was cool with him at first, then sneaked up and bit him hard in the arm. Angel has also gone after my mom when she visits....he will not bite me though. I can grab him while he's threatening someone, or put my hand in his beak and he won't bite me. He's also fine with people when we're not in the house. When I take him outside on his flight harness, he happily plays and cuddles with the neighbors. He's just a nightmare inside. I dont' know what to do- I'm not that experienced with large birds, but I don't want him to try to shred everyone who isn't me forever.

Anyone have any suggestions? I can't afford a bird behavior therapist right now, nor for the next few years at least.