Hi Wesley,
This is a common problem with couples who have a bird, especially if they didn’t get the bird together. Sadly, the “jilted” human often demands that the bird be given away. I’m very glad you are willing to work with him and make the situation better for both of you. Parrots can be great pets, but basically they are still a wild animal – they have not been domesticated like a dog or cat. So their behaviors are based on wild instincts. In the wild, adult parrots do not have friends. They often live in flocks for protection because they are a prey animal, but they do not interact physically with flockmates once they have their own mate. Other adult flockmates who venture too close are seen as rivals and driven away. In Pilot’s case, he probably struck out at your girlfriend’s roommates and they in turn teased him because they couldn’t handle him – another common, although immature, reaction that many people have. If Pilot’s wings are not trimmed, that might be the best place to begin because it will settle him down some. The feathers will grow back during his next molt, but meanwhile, you and your girlfriend can both work on trust with Pilot. It’s not good that he also bites her – it may be a reaction to the past teasing, or he may just be establishing control. If he only does it when someone else is around, then he is doing it out of jealousy – his instinct is to drive his mate back if he can’t drive the rivals away.
He may not ever want you to handle him, but hopefully something can be done about his cage aggression. This is also very common because his cage is his territory. But it’s not good when someone else can’t help feed him, as sometimes it is necessary. You need to go back to square one with Pilot and work on gaining his trust. Food bribes are a great way to do this. You can start by spending time near him and talking to him. Don’t try to get your hands near him – just talk to him and show him you are not a threat. Add some treats to his food bowl and praise him if he goes over and eats them when you are still there. I’m going to give you a link for both of you to check out – the articles on this link will help you both have a better understanding of his body language, behavior, and how to work with him. It’s important that your girlfriend establish more of a flockmate relationship with him than a mate relationship. When she handles him, she needs to limit any petting to head scratches. We have learned that petting a bird on his body sends him the message that we are the mate, and this creates behavior problems with any parrot, even if there is only one person in his life. Adult flockmates may engage in mutual head preening, but only the mate is allowed to have any other contact.
I know this is a lot of information. Nothing happens quickly when working with a parrot. Just have patience and be consistent. Pilot is reacting to you, so by showing him patience, he should eventually come around enough for you to at least be able to help care for him, even if you are not able to handle him.
Caring For Your Bird
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
