Hi Rob, Welcome to BB.  I think your macaw has decided the honeymoon is over.  Birds who come to our homes are usually pretty sweet and quiet for just about two weeks and then they decide it's time to test my new Dad (or Mom). The nipping or outright biting and screaming begins and we just shudder to think what we have gotten into. Personally I think fear plays a part in them being sweeter at first, not knowing what on earth happened to land them in the new, strange place.  Then they begin to realize this is home, maybe I can be the boss.

Be gentle with him, softspoken, even whisper to him. Tell your wife to whisper, too. Move slowly, without a lot of arm movements. No yelling back at him. Then when you leave the room, if he yells, whistle to him. It's a wonderful contact call that they learn to respond to without all the racket. Mine all whistle if I am out of sight and I whistle back. Often I whistle first, and they whistle back to let me know they're OK.

And yes, he's being a brat, but he doesn't know what to do.

Katz has a macaw, Vin, who she got at age 6, a spoiled rotten fella. She has worked hard with him for years and has success. She's at work now but will probably see this tonight and advise you.

Annie

I have had Macaws for several years and many macaws seem to issues with dominance.  They like to see if they can bully you into doing what they want you to do.  If you react to their big beak with fear and don't become the leader of the flock they will become brats and that is why so many macaws are rehomed several times in their lives.  When my macaws are trying to test dominance I will open the door of the cage and not stick my arm into the cage Scarlett usually will get up on the door of the cage and step up once she is on my arm we practice multiple step ups and then I put her back in her cage.  I then put my arm into the cage and usually she will step up but if not I repeat the process of letting her come out and then doing step ups until she will step up from inside her cage.  I'm not sure if I would press the issue with a new bird since she may be having issues about being rehomed but in time she should step up. 

 

When my macaws call it is usually because of a couple of things:  they are lonely and want to know where I am and they want attention.   Or they are hungry or want new water.  Or they see a danger in the yard like a cat or a wild bird.  Morning and evening calls are natural for a macaw.  In the wild they call the flock together or try to find out where everyone in the flock is.  Annie is right respond to the calls with quiet and never scream back or yell.  Part of owning a macaw is some noise and in time you will love the sound they make.  (that sounds really stupid but I really do love the way they call.)  I just hope you don't have neighbors too close.

I am not an expert on macaws but I love them soooooooo much if I can help at all let me know.

PS  I have a B&G and a GW.

Hi--I only take preowned birds--I am much better with the than with babies. My macaw was 6 when I got him and what nobody has mentioned here is you are dealing with a hormonal teenager at the ripe old age of four--and its just starting. That is the reason so many large birds are rehomed between 4 and 6 years of age. I doubt you have broken any bad habits yet--sorry --it takes a lot more time-(we still have some issues and its been 12 years). I would highly recommend the book Peggy suggests and 'guide to a well behaved parrot' by the same author.  Drop any expectations you have of how the bird should behave and start your own retraining program--be consistent and respect the bird too. He had a life--he had no say on the change in that life and he is a very intelligent thinking creature--if he was spoiled and had the run of things he probably liked it very much--He will try everyday to maintain the staus quo.

I would also suggest that you relax--and tell your wife to relax--they sense fear and frustration and everything else that humans feel--and they use it!  like screaming at your wife--The actual best reaction to bad things to a macw in training is NO REACTION AT ALL>  Loves and affection when they get it right but a poker face and no intonation when they get it wrong.  And try a few unsalted pistachio nuits as a bribe--mine will stand on his head for them.        Katz

 

Thank you all so much for your advice.

 

I will give you a little more back ground info.

 

My Macaw was owned by a chinese family not sure why they sold him but they did to a lady.  She bought him and she had many other birds, so from there her kids had no interest so it was on her, and he was taking his tole on the whole family so she asked me if i wanted him I said sure.

 

When she got him it took weeks to be able to get him to step up out of the cage me it was 2 days, he would not let anyone touch him except her, me the 4th day we were wrestling on the floor he would lay on his back and i would tickle his stomach and he would try to catch my fingures with his feet, this is a usual morning ritual for him and me. 

 

Though at the same time he is extremely stubborn, his cage has to be in a certain order, food on one side water on the other or he flips out.  His toys have to be in a certain spot, and nothing new, nothing over his head.  I though decided to change his cage around on him and he has toned down now.  I put his toys in different spots and stuff.  He acted devistated but now plays with them more.  Or what my wife calls beating them up, he attacks them screams at them.

 

What I am finding now is i could go and put my arm in aslong as he was not sleeping or tired and he would step up, now when i try to get him he jets for inside his cage or to the back and squaks at me, I usually tell him to be nice and he steps up  when i have him he is a suck holds my shirt with his beak or puts his head under my chin as we move.

 

He has some body language i do not understand either.  For example he will extend his neck out at something then jerk it back fast and keep doign this over and over again.  The latest one is he will stand infront of something and bob his head up and down really fast at something, sometimes followed by a scream.

 

My wife has been pretty much scared of him since day one, and when ever she walks into the room he is in he screams at her, she thought maybe he wanted her but lately he has been lunging at her when she goes near him.  When I am in the room not a peep out him. 

 

The other day he seemed to be out of control and nothing gonna stop him he was being really nasty so i picked him up put him in the bathroom with the light off and left him for 5 minutes told him he had to be nice to come out.  He was nice the rest of the day.

 

I hope I am doing the right thing and I thank you all for your advice.

 

Rob

 

Why would you change his cage from the way he wanted it?He has likes and dislikes.

Why would you punish him by shutting him in a dark bathroom?-Birds don't understand that kind of punishment.

A macaws body language is very easy to read and there are several good books and web pages on the subject.

He dislikes things over his head because these are prey birds and its a natural instinct to think danger comes from above.

He is beating up on the toys --not because he is having fun-because he is probably very angry. He may not like your friend--they don't like everyone just as people don't and if they sense fear that is going to make him lunge and bully--and probably bite at some point.

He is behaving somewhat for you because he sees you are the dominant person--the flock leader. When he misbehaves for you he is testing that theory--he will do that all of his life-and yours.

If you have only had the bird a couple of weeks you are still in the honeymoon period--and its all about building trust--and that includes respecting the bird and his toy arrangement and feeding stations and responsible discipline. What you have is a potential companion for life--but neither of you should be bullying the other.  You are dealing with a bundle of feathers that thinks much like a 3 year old child and has the emotions of a 2 year old human child- will respond to fair treatment and give back more than it will ever take--but he needs to trust you to respect him too.     Katz

 

 

I only did this stuff cause i was told to do it.

 

I have no idea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am going to go find them books, I think I saw them at super pet if not I will check out Chapters.

 

He has been to the vet and he checked out fine across the board exxcept for 2 stess feathers he has on his outer wing.

 

I have not moved his toys back at all he is playing with them more now then before.  Not aggressively at all either. Right now he is all interested in the loop lock that its attached to.

 

TO be honest I find his aggressive behavior is mostly at dusk after dinner. I am wonding if this is his calling the flock time or not.

 

Today he is all calm and relaxed, has not even lunged at my wife or anything he is being a perfect angel again.  Though he will not step up out of his cage at all still you can pet him and everything else, goto get him to step up and grabs the bars of the cage with his beak and will not let go.

 

I put him in a huge window where he has an excellent view of the area and he seems to love that looking out the window at the people and cars going by.

 

Him and my senegal have conversations all the time which is funny.

 

Anyways I am going to look for them books see what i can find.

 

Rob