Hi Chris,
It’s hard to know if the gender or color is what sets off your Amazon. Amazons can have strong personalities and can be extremely hormonal & territorial for parts of the year. But they can also have territorial aggression at any time. I’ve known Amazons who would strike out at men or women, people with certain hair color, other pets, and so on. My Red Lored was a gentle kitten unless she saw someone who resembled her original owner – this triggered aggression – or someone else with blond hair – this triggered jealousy. She never showed interest in other Amazons until she saw a Yellow Head and she was instantly enamored. The thing is, male cockatoos can also act this way, and some can be fairly dangerous when their hormones are triggered. There is no way to know if adding this bird will work out without trying it. And I know that isn’t ideal since the bird has already been rehomed. Unfortunately there isn’t an easy answer. In some cases, birds do fine in the same home but not in the same room. Or you have to take a bird to another room to handle him – out of sight, out of mind. Most of the time, birds will adjust. In some cases, the jealousy can be so strong that the bird never adjusts. I wish I could give a firm answer one way or the other, but it just isn’t possible. However, I have had birds who never liked each other, and just made sure they were across the room from each other and never had contact. Yes, they would each scream when I handled the other, but I simply went to a different room and that worked.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
