Enhancing Behavior

Every Amazon, is going to try and find it's place in a new home environment by testing with various behaviors to see where it fits in and what behavior is acceptable. It is very important to shape the bird's behavior with methods which will encourage positive behaviors. Negative behaviors can be discouraged with careful substitution and avoidance. It is especially important that an Amazon not be allowed to repeat biting misbehavior in order to prevent this from becoming habitual biting.

Here are some methods used to prevent negative behaviors:

Not allowing your Amazon to come out of the cage on it's own. By enforcing this rule in which your bird always comes out on your hand or a stick/perch that is hand held, you are taking a very important step which will preventing cage territoriality.
Never allow your Amazon to play on the top or outside of it's cage. Playpen tops are not the cage of choice for Amazons unless the playpen comes off the top to be used in another location. Dome top cages that tower over the owner are also not good choices UNLESS the cage is used as a play gym for only a few hours a day AND there is at least one other cage for the bird to use as a "home" cage. This is a very important step that goes hand in hand with the previous one in preventing cage territoriality.
*Cage territoriality is when the bird thinks that the whole cage inside and out, and all areas within reach of the bird while it is ON the cage are it's to defend, resulting with a bird that will reach out to attempt an unprovolked bite on anyone who happens to enter this alloted "territory".
Teach your Amazon that when it is placed on a perch, chair, or other location, it will not be allowed to fly down and roam around "at will". Enforcing this rule will prevent a bird from thinking that the floor is part of it's territory and will keep your bird safe from floor roaming accidents. Taking your Amazon back to the original location each time is a simple solution here, however it is IMPERATIVE to do this EACH time the bird fly's off since not only the repetativeness but the consistency will encourage compliance by your Amazon.
NEVER shoulder your Amazon. Your shoulder is NOT a handy bird appendage, and allowing any Amazon there is risking a bite to your face, lip, ear and eye. Your Amazon can just as easily be trained to use your forearm while leaning into your torso or if you are sitting, to use your knee or lap. The best solution however, would be a variety of bird stands ranging from a wicker laundry basket, to a homemade t-stand or modified tripod with toys attached to keep the baby occupied and prevent your body, clothing or accessories from becoming play things. Teaching your bird to chew on "real" toys will prevent future problems and not waste your valuable time attempting to untrain the bird once it has learned what emphatic reactions it can get from you when scratching your glasses, chipping shirt buttons, bending earings or necklaces or using it's beak to make a "new" hole in your favorite t-shirt!. You'll also save yourself the unpleasant nip should the bird miss your earring and pinches your ear, or include your skin while biting on your clothing.
Always make sure that your Amazon gets at least 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep in a quiet, dark area or room. Covering the bird's cage with a sheet, towel or blanket is not an adequate solution if the Amazon is in a room where there is still activity or a television playing after the bird's bedtime. Lack of adequate rest will affect your bird in the same way that it does a toddler who is allowed to make his or her own schedule for bedtime. The next day the parrot will be cranky and uncompliant. If the Amazon is allowed to continue getting inadequate sleep the result will usually be cranky misbehavior becoming habitual misbehavior, whether it be screaming tantrums or rebellious biting. Keeping your Amazon on a reasonable schedule will prevent these misbehaviors in the first place.

Biting

It is perfectly normal for your Amazon to attempt to modify your behavior with a bite. This is how fledglings play among themselves. Our reaction to this test nipping is very important with the best reaction being no reaction. This however, is also the hardest to accomplish especially if the nip is a hard one. I will usually just try to get my body parts out of the way without making a big deal out of it. Avoidance is good, as is immediately providing your parrot with an appropriate chew item. A stuffed animal, small wooden blocks, foot toys or a piece of twisted or wrinkled white paper can all be used to get the bird to bite an appropriate object rather than your flesh.

It is equally important NOT to verbally address a bite because telling the bird not to bite, or that it is a bad bird when it bites draws added attention to the bite and will tend to highlight the bite in the bird's mind as an attention getting activity. The result will be that the bird will probably learn to scold itself for biting, or to scold you before it bites. The biting will however be encouraged because you drew the birds attention to the behavior in an attempt to correct it.

Amazons will always clearly tell you before they bite that they are inclined to do so with their body language. Tail fanning and pinning pupils are the easiest clues, but even a ruffling of the feathers on each side of the beak and/or directly over the nares can be an indication of mood, excitement level or inclination. Unfortunately, the warning postures may ony last for a second, so if your not paying attention you might miss them. This is another reason to keep the bird off your shoulder, since you can't see any body language while your bird is up there!

Once you learn to read your Amazon's body language you will come to understand exactly what signs your Amazon shows before it will bite. My own pets have different body languages used to designate a readiness to bite. When I notice any of these signs I will try to change the mood of the bird by using positive verbal communication. I repeatedly tell them in a pleasant voice to "be a good girl" or to "be a nice, nice girl" and also what we are going to do. I can many times change their inclination toward biting in this way.

Should this not appear to work and your bird does not discontinue the body language that shows it is overexcited or inclined to bite, then getting a stick or perch to move the bird or to get the bird out of its cage is more acceptable than a physical confrontation where you may be bitten. The objective is always to avoid a bite if possible, instead of confronting an overly excited or angry bird with an attempt to force your will upon it. This type of confrontation doesn't work with Amazons because in almost every case the bird will meet your aggressive corrections with equal aggression, so in fact you will be reinforcing aggressiveness in your bird.

In responding to an aggressive parrot inside it's cage you may try these steps:

Use a stick or perch for your bird to step onto. If your parrot learns to run up the stick or perch to bite your hand which is holding said stick, then it is a good idea to use a towel folded lengthwise and rolled into a log shape to block him or her from any such attempt to bite. You may also want to use this towel to encourage your bird to step onto the stick or perch should he or she refuse to do so.

You might rather change to a stick that is more like a twisted branch because using a dowel is not effective in preventing a bird from attacking the hand as is a that is a L, V or U shaped. Even a forked tree branch can be used because when your bird begins to run up the branch you can rotate it to change the direction or angle on end where your parrot is standing. Having a variety of sanitized, parrot safe tree branches is much better than buying dowels that offer a super-highway to your hand when you hold the dowel!
Use the leading edge of a net for your bird to step onto, raising that edge upward once out of the cage to prevent the bird from running down the net to bite your hand. Once again, for an overly aggressive bird, a towel as a backup can make this less intimidating a task.
If you need to hang a toy or clean an aggressive Amazon's cage it is wise to move your bird to a stand, another cage or the back of a chair until you have completed your cleaning. Give your bird a favored treat to occupy it's time in the temporary location and to distract it from what YOU are doing.
It is also wise to avoid being bitten while replacing food dishes in an aggressive bird's cage by removing the bird before you reach into his or her cage. If you are buying a new cage keep in mind how easy or difficult the cage you are considering for purchase is to service. Dishes that can be serviced from the outside of the cage are preferable. They should also not be able to be removed from the dish holder by your bird to be flung or dumped. This will make caring for your Amazon so much easier on both of you!

Screaming

It is normal for any Amazon to use it's jungle call early in the morning and just before sunset. When deciding on whether you would like to have an Amazon join your household this type of noise must be taken into consideration. Having said that, let's look at how we can temporarily quiet a noisy bird.

Make the room quiet - turn off any non-essential motors such as air cleaners or fans, televisions, radios can be turned off in that room unless your bird enjoys watching or listening to them.
Give the bird something to do - food toys, blocks of wood, a nice warm meal if it's almost that time, paper or vegetable tanned leather to chew.
Monitor your Amazon - if you are sitting quietly reading or taking a nap it is much more likely that your bird will try not to disturb you. My two companions will not make a sound until they see that I am awake if I take a nap in the room with them.
An outdoor play area is an advantage if it is possible for you to provide one for your Amazon. The play area can be as simple as a large covered flight similar to those used by breeders. Outdoor cages need to be more secure than those used indoors because of predators that may be drawn to your bird. For this reason you should also check your companion frequently while it is outside. You will need an area safe from theft, predators, direct exposure to extreme weather (direct sun, rain, snow, etc.). Should West Nile Virus be prevalent in the local wild bird population you would want to reconsider an outdoor play area unless you are sure that you can use additional measures to keep your bird safe from exposure such as screening.

The most important thing you can do if your bird is not behaving in a companionable manner is to get the help of a REAL bird behaviorist. There are many people who will give you free advise and there are many local "experts" entering the field as behaviorists, however going with someone who has a proven track record and good solid background in bird behavior is always the best choice when seeking help. Following bad advice is worse than doing nothing to correct your bird!

Multiple Amazons

Having more than one Amazon can be either very rewarding or a living nightmare depending on how the birds interact with each other and your family. I have two Yellow Nape sisters who are full siblings, hatched one year apart from the same parents. They are as different as night and day in temperament and behavior. The Countess (last name Dracula - at her worst) is an extremely excitable and aggressive female, while her sibling, Gumbi is just the opposite. She is as mild mannered as you would expect a female Amazon to be. It is possible that being the first she received all the attention she needed as a youngster, while her little sister had to compete from the beginning for attention. No matter how equal we try to be, it may not be enough for some Amazons.

Boston & CoCoa - It is much less difficult with multiple females in the same home than if there are more than one male.

Boston was hatched in 1994. She is with her original owner Gene and his new bride, Gloria. CoCoa rounds out the family and is Boston's constant companion.

CoCoa was not hatched at Talking Green Parrot Aviary. She was purchased at the age of 5 for our breeding program. After making it perfectly clear that she had no desire to become a breeding bird she became our pet and companion. She was then introduced to Boston and Gene and Gloria decided that CoCoa should come live with them.

Here are Boston and CoCoa on their play stand. Just like children, making sure everything is "equal" is a good idea with your companion parrots. It sure makes life alot easier than breaking up a squabble.

NEW! From Joanie Doss on Amazon Behavior and Body Language!

Joanie is one of the formost authorities on Amazon behavior. Her first book is available now and discusses Amazon behavior and body language. Her second book will be available shortly, and will help Amazon owners interpret their bird's hormonal and nesting behavior. I highly recommend these books for every owner of an Amazon Parrot!
Read her articles
Buy her books!.

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