Hello Getty. I will sure do everything I can to help but some more information is needed for be to do my best for you. I will need for you to be as thorough and exact as possible.
Do you know the gender of the bird for sure?
Has it always been your bird or if not, how long have you had it?
Can you be more specific about what kind of "instability" is going on.
Do most of the bites happen when you reach into the cage?
Exactly how do you react to the bird when there is a bite or an attempted bite?
Please describe his/her daily diet for me.
The more information I have the better I can help.
Thanks, Patricia
Okay Getty, thanks so much for all that helpful information. I apologize for the delay in getting back with you but I wanted to take time to double check the most current behavioral information available to me. I will not try to gloss this over for you because you most likely have a long road ahead of you to try to bring him around to being a sweet, loving bird. There are a couple of things that are really working against you. One being his species. While Amazons have tons of positives they also have some negatives. Of course all parrots do. But with the Amazons, one of the hardest things to work with is their inherent tendency to strong independence and their famous attitudes. Even with one who has been a real sweet heart all it's life, they can reach a point in their sexual maturity where they can become a real hand full and totally try our patience. While true of both genders, if it should turn out that it really is a male bird, they can be worse with this than the females. Patience is going to be the key word, throughout the process. That's not to say you won't lose yours. We are human and they can really push our buttons. But when we have had all we can take for one session, we cannot let them see it. No matter what you are working on with him, when you feel your self getting "up to the eyebrows" with his "tantrums", walk away, go to another room, smack a punching bag, whatever it takes to get past it without him being aware he has "gotten to you". All parrots are drama queens and they like few things better than provoking a huge, and especially a loud, response from us. Do not ever play into his hands that way. The bigger the reaction he can get from you, the better he is going to love it and will continue whatever behavior got that result. Not only are you having to deal with his inherent tendency to push the envelope, you are also dealing with one who has had his trust in humans broken. The covering of the cage and that type of treatment accomplished nothing beyond making him worse. If your BIL had that little time and patience for him, he should have given him up long ago. Now, you and your husband have inherited the bad tasted he has in his mouth for humans and especially males. The fact that your roommate can interact with him, to any degree at all is a plus for all of you. The more positive socialization he can have from as many different people as possible is always great. The thing with all parrots is we have to have their trust, sometimes for quite a while, before we can even begin to have, or to re establish a bond with them. If he is having that kind of aggressive response to your husband, it might be better for now that they not have and exposure to each other while the bird is not caged. I do not make a habit of advising folks whether they should or should not ever consider trimming the flight feathers on their bird. I feel it is a personal decision we all make based on many factors in the household, the environment, the bird's safety, and so on. My personal feelings with my own flock is that none of them are ever trimmed. But, I'm very lucky at the moment that I do not have any with any behavior problems either. I have seen instances with problem birds, especially those that are trying to be the alpha of the flock, (which is your job by the way) where a very conservative trim can be a big help. Many parrots carry a lot of their attitude in their flight feathers. When one is properly trimmed, it does not take away their ability to fly and for obvious safety reasons, it must not. What it does is take away their ability to gain altitude. Properly trimmed, a bird can still fly/glide about 15-20 feet, gradually losing altitude and still able to execute a perfectly balanced landing, in total control. Once he is on the floor, he must become dependent on you to lift him back to his cage or play stand. The more dependent he is on you, the more alpha you are. If you consider going the trim route, just be absolutely sure it is done by someone who knows exactly what they are doing. An incorrect trim which makes him fall like a rock, that leaves rough edges of feather stubs under his wings and rubbing his sides and damaged blood feathers will make you job that much harder, plus it will put him at risk of serious injury and can push him into feather chewing and plucking. During the times that you are not working with him, be sure he has a big variety of toys and safe chew items to keep his mind busy. Keeping him from getting bored can be key to a lot of his attitude adjustment. In addition to working to make yourself the flock leader, you have to work on trust by just spending as much time with him as possible showing him that no matter how ugly he wants to act, the only response he will get from you for it is being ignored. There is not much a parrot hates more than being ignored. For any unpleasant behavior, turn you back and walk away. For every good behavior, no matter how tiny, shower him with praise, happy tone of voice and his favorite treat. Even if he only sits there and does not try to bite, that's a positive and must be effusively praised. It will be a long trip of tiny steps that will hopefully end with a happy bird and happy humans. As for the diet and the people foods, so long as you are aware of the few toxic exceptions and use good judgment, many people foods are not only acceptable, they are necessary. Actually his diet should not be more than about 20% seeds and seed products. It should be mostly a good brand of pellet mixed with a high quality seed mix and separately, everyday, he should be getting a big variety of fresh fruits, fresh and steamed vegetables and leafy greens. Just a few of the people foods he should have include cooked brown rice, cooked and raw pastas, well cooked bean mixes, hard boiled or scrambled eggs, toasted pieces of whole grain bread, small bits of well done chicken breast with all fat and skin removed and thoroughly boiled drumsticks. With the drumsticks, after they are well done, remove all the skin and most of the meat and give him the bone. He will love to chew on it, crack it open and eat the marrow. It's a great source of proper protein and calcium. All seeds are high in fat. If his diet is too high in fat, he is going to be a great risk of fatty liver disease, (Hepatic Lipidosis) and other health issues. Anytime we have a bird with a behavior problem, it's always a good idea to get them in to a very competent Avian vet for what we call a well bird check up, at least. If there is any portion of the negative behavior that can be coming from a health issue, you are spinning your wheels until that health issue is resolved. Working with a parrot who has a behavioral problem is very difficult at times, even when it can be done in person, at the parrots home where I can observe the interactions, and reactions, of the bird to it's humans and it's surroundings. Trying to do it from long distance is really tough. But, I hope that some of these suggestions will be helpful to you. If you have the time, patience and the strong desire to get him past this, you should be able to see some success. But don't discount the fact that at some point, you may have to give up and seek out a local bird behaviorist who can come there and work with you all for a few sessions. Let me know if I might be able to help you any further. Best of luck with him. Patricia
Here are some links to help you with more diet detail, some on those all important safey issues about household toxins, and some to help you locate a proper vet, just in case you don't already know one.
Click here: Parrots - Avian Vets Recommended - Judy Leach's Parrots - macaws, cockatoos, and african greys
Click here: Find local animal hospitals and emergency animal clinics - PETS 911
Click here: Avian Veterinarians Recommended by Bird Breeders and Owners http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm
Click here: Avian Vet List
Click here: BirdsnWays - Avian Veterinarians - Vets - Vet Services for Pet Parrots & Exotic Birds
This one looks like an advertisement for Harrison pellets but they are only sold by vets so it's another good list to check. Click here: Harrison's Bird Foods is a family of certified organic pet bird diets that were formulated to make your bird as he
Click here: Diet: Safe & Toxic Foods
Click here: More Birds Die as a Result of Air Fresheners: That Stinks!!
Click here: Alerts Dangers and Toxins for Pet Birds Parrots
Click here: Bird; Birds: Safe, Toxic Trees, Woods. Safe Tree Wood. Poisonous. Parrots.
Click here: Toxic and Safe Plants/Trees for Birds - Household Poisons
Click here: Birdsnways - Safe Plants & Trees for pet birds, pet parrots &exotic birds
Toronto Humane Society :: Common Poisonous Plants
Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home: Household Hazards for Birds
Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home - Avoid These Pet Bird Hazards
Parrot C&onsultant
Published author, free lance bird behaviorist, adviser to the parrots at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.