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

Will0W783 · 03-21-14, 12:23 PM

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.

Will0W783 · 03-21-14, 12:27 PM

Here is Angel being a sweetie:

Here he is last night, brutally attacking the cookie tin lid, after which he went after John:

It's hard to believe he can be such polar opposites....Jekyll & Hyde bird. I love him and can't bear to part with him, but I know the current status quo cannot continue forever. :-(

Zoo Nanny · 03-21-14, 12:35 PM

This is hormone season so behaviors will be on the rise. First off don't take him out when you have guest and put him in his cage for a cooling down period before he starts to stalk John. You put him in his cage and let John go get him after 10-15 minutes. By allowing him to remain out in situations that you know are favorable for him to begin stalking and biting is not fair to him. Stop cuddling, no matter how cute it will only increase his hormones. Increased sleep and darkness to 12-14 hours, no warm mushy foods, decrease his diet not in amount but in variety. Breeding takes place at the height of availablity of foods so you want to make him think that it's not a good time. You may want to think about getting a small cage or travel cage to use at dinner. Cockatoos are flock eaters and want to eat with their flock. I use a smaller cage that I pull up to the dinner table to allow my girl to eat with us. I got a little tired of foot prints in my potatoes.
By changing your behavior Angels will change for the better.

Will0W783 · 03-21-14, 12:39 PM

Ok thank you! I will make those changes. I did stop giving him warm cooked beans a week ago, because he got really nuts after the beans.

I get home around 5 and let him out. John usually comes home an hour or so later, and Angel is fine for a bit with him. Should I let Angel be out at first, or should he go in the cage when John gets home?
Angel's cage is right next to our coffee table, where we normally eat; is that ok?
I tried putting a blanket over his cage to give him more night last summer, but he shredded it. There are no rooms in the house that have no windows; any other suggestions for increasing his night time?

My biggest question is how to know when to put him away before he starts stalking? I don't want him to feel punished, but I don't know how long to keep him out for....should I wait for the very first inkling of any challenging behavior, or put him away while he's still being good?

Zoo Nanny · 03-21-14, 12:55 PM

Put him back in the cage before John gets home. If you eat soon after John gets home leave him in it until after dinner. Have John offer him a small portion of dinner.
Have John take him out of the cage after dinner. Don't take your eyes off of him. You will see through his body language when he is ramping up. As soon as he starts to get excited before the stalking starts you put him back in his cage with a small treat. Don't treat it as punishment. Have John let him back out.
Sleeping can be addressed by having him sleep in his travel crate. A lot of my friends use sleep cages at night. Put the travel cage in a quiet dark area of the house. Even a large closet that stays comfortable temperature wise works great. If you do the above consistently you will be amazed at the difference in his behavior with in just a couple of weeks.

Zoo Nanny · 03-21-14, 01:00 PM

You may also find that there is a time frame that he remains calm like 30 minutes or an hour. If that's the case put him in 10 minutes or so before hand. Body language is the best indicator though.

shaunyboy · 03-21-14, 02:02 PM

i know nothing about birds pal.....

just wanted to say...

i DON'T fancy a bite with that beak...!!!

hope you get things sorted out

cheers shaun

Gungirl · 03-22-14, 06:11 AM

Kim, the information Zoo Nanny gave you is 100% spot on. I know with our African grey sleep is a big key to happiness. I have to put Boomer to bed no later than 7pm and wake him up at 7am otherwise he is a brat.

Will0W783 · 03-22-14, 01:17 PM

I really appreciate all the advice guys. I will work on more vigilant watching and letting John do more for Angel.

I spoke with him last night about ZooNanny's advice, but came down this morning to John playing video games and Angel tearing around the downstairs trilling gleefully. I told JOhn he HAS to watch Angel and give him attention if he's going to be out. No sooner had I said it than Angel bit John's foot and had to be pulled off. I need John to commit to working with me on this if it's going to get better. He can't have Angel running around getting all wound up while he's absorbed in video games. The cats or dogs could attack him or Angel could get into something dangerous or bite.

I will work as hard as I can, but John is going to have to change things too if he wants Angel to change to him.

TheZoo · 03-27-14, 12:23 PM

Also being that you are a girl and he is a boy he could see you as your mate and is trying to say to everyone else you are my mate I will protect you and let no one take you

Hyokenseisou · 03-27-14, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoo Nanny

I got a little tired of foot prints in my potatoes.

I lol'd too hard at this. Too cute!
(My cockatiels LOVE mashed potatoes, they'll scream and scream until they get some - even if they can't see it, I swear they can smell it and just KNOW)

Zoo Nanny · 03-27-14, 03:29 PM

Cassie goes crazy for garlic mashed. She looks so cute with a foot full chomping away. Birds aren't suppose to have a great sense of smell or so they say. I think they're wrong! Cassie knows exactly what's for dinner and God help me if her plate doesn't look like mine!!

Will0W783 · 03-27-14, 07:24 PM

LOL, that's adorable that your 'too eats your food! I've never let Angel steal my food, and I generally don't feed him table food unless it's something simple, like grilled chicken or steak. He LOVES steak trimmings and grilled chicken.

shaunyboy · 03-27-14, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will0W783

LOL, that's adorable that your 'too eats your food! I've never let Angel steal my food, and I generally don't feed him table food unless it's something simple, like grilled chicken or steak. He LOVES steak trimmings and grilled chicken.

wow Kimberley..... your bird eats better/finer than most of my friends,who live on microwave meals for one

cheers shaun

Hyokenseisou · 03-27-14, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

wow Kimberley..... your bird eats better/finer than most of my friends,who live on microwave meals for one

cheers shaun

When I bred various rodents for prey, they ate better than I did. :P I would spoil them with several variety of veggies (and some fruit) and nuts/seeds. So spoiled. I would have meal preps for weeks for them. Me? pack of instant noodles lol