Is this aggression (parrot)?

Question

I recently moved in with a boyfriend (2 weeks ago) and he has 2 very pretty african grey parrots (theyre 30-35 years old). He says the male is a bit on the mean side, and will even bite him (so Im to stay away from that one) but the female is supposedly loving and will nuzzle on anyone. However, Im a little apprehensive of going near them (birds scare me, esp such big ones)..

I pass by their cages daily when going down to the basement, and every time both of the birds fluff up and ruffle their feathers. Ive never been around birds before, but when my *cat* used to do that, it meant she was scared.

So, does that mean the birds maybe afraid of me or dont like me? Or can they maybe get some sort of vibe off of me that I'm afraid of them? They talk to me every time I go by, but I'm still afraid of getting close to them, just in case they dont like me.

Any advice too on how to handle a bird for the first time would be nice too :)

Answer 1

All birds are known to favor only one owner, and some birds are naturally agressive. But that doesn't mean they don't like you, they just don't know you. Spend several minutes a day talking to them and feeding them good treats  like fresh oranges, thats a favorite of the African Grey. You have to gain their trust. Remember to talk to them A LOT and lots of treats :)

Answer 2

its not aggression or fear its just feeling of stranger and distance. if you want to go closer try to stand in front of them confidently and talk to them, day by day decrease the distance and then slowly one day try giving your hand to female with wrist and fingers bent downward. mostly they will not bite as they are gradually exposed to you and vise versa. this will also give you confidence and comfort as you are handling birds for the first time. Don't do this when they scream or start shaking body or head very fast, this means they are uncomfortable, take a step ot two backward and let them relax.

Answer 3

Birds always sense fear. You can't show them that you are frightened. Be confident.

When you pass the cage talk to them, say hello, give them there favourite treat so they get used to you. See if they will climb on your hand while your man is present. The more you talk to them and handle them the more used to you they will get. You have to gain there trust which takes a while.

Answer 4

Birds aren't like dogs, who make up their minds about whether they like a person virtually right away. Instead they're a bit more like cats: some cats are outgoing and will greet a stranger practically at the front door, but most will be aloof and even react fearfully if someone they don't know is in their home. It takes time for them to learn that the new person is okay to be around. Fortunately in this instance, birds are not like cats in that birds take cues from the people they already know, and since your boyfriend likes you, they will pick up on that and be much more receptive toward you than a frightened cat ever would.

Fluffing up can be a sign of moderate unease or (in some cases) the faint beginnings of aggression, as opposed to all-out fear, in which the feathers are held tight against the body (which makes the bird more aerodynamic if it needs to flee). Ruffling feathers is a reaction that means something along the lines of, "Wow, *that* was something!" and usually indicates a cause of worry (or just intense interest) has just passed and is now gone, and the bird is straightening itself out and preparing to get back to whatever it was doing before it became so engrossed.

When you interact with the birds, you need to act calm, but not overly assertive; fear will be interpreted as some form excitement (although they might not know what kind, if they do know it's fear it may make them react aggressively), and acting dominant will be taken for aggression, and they may become defensive. Body language-wise, try to present yourself as collected and relaxed, but keep your voice friendly, just like if you were greeting a dog for the first time. This will help them see that you aren't about to "do" something that they need to try to anticipate, and that you want to be friendly. You can try offering them each a treat, but make sure it's something they've eaten before so they can appreciate it as a gift rather than regarding it with suspicion as a New and Unknown Item. If the treat is something flat, like a pumpkin seed, hold the end between your fingertips so that most of the treat is free for the bird to take; if it's wider, hold it loosely between your fingers, parallel between your nails. You can hold it between your thumb and index finger if that's too tricky, although I stopped doing this early on with my cockatiels because something about it bothered them and they wouldn't take the treat.

When you're going to have a bird on your hand for the first time, hold your hand out sideways so that your thumb is toward the top and your little finger toward the bottom; you can expect the birds to be a bit heavier than they look. Keeping your thumb low, hold your hand still while your boyfriend taks one of the birds on his hand and coaxes it onto yours. Note that the bird will probably touch his beak to your hand when he steps onto it, just as you would steady yourself with your hand when you step onto something; this can be alarming if you don't know what's going on, as seeing that big beak coming toward you may make you think you're in for a bite, but if the bird's face appears relaxed and the feathers are at rest and its tongue is maybe even sticking forward a little bit, you'll know it isn't an attack, it's just 'casual exploration'. Praise the bird in a quiet, happy voice.

One other thing you need to know is if you are about to be bitten. The nice thing about birds is that even though they use totally different mannerisms from mammals like cats and dogs, they generally let you know when they aren't happy with something. Cues that a bird is considering being aggressive or defensive about something include lowering the head into kind of a hunched posture and angling the feathers over the shoulders so that they stick slightly upward, often with beak partly open and a subtle tension around the eyes (like focused staring or narrowing the eyes just a bit). If you see a bird act like this it's generally best to back off from whatever you were about to do, because it's considering biting you, and is giving you a warning first. A nervous bird often behaves normally, but they may move a little faster, and keep glancing at whatever they're nervous about.

Answer 5

birds normally act agressive. its their way of showing you not to mess with them or something.  they are probably more scared of you than you are of them so if you wanted to try and tame or play with them or at least try and make them know that you are safe is to stay by their cages for at LEAST 15 minutes a day. just like talk to them( im not sure what you want to talk to them about though. ). let them know you are afe and not a danger to them. and if you wanted to handle the parrot you would maybe wanna get a pair of heavy duty gloves. a parrots bite could break your finger off. you might also want to get a treat that they would like to try and stop them from the biting( like giving them one every time you handle them and they listen to you like not to bite.) then after a while they should start to not dislike you. they are probably just frightened for seeing a new face in the house. they should get used to you after a few weeks.

Answer 6

Birds fluff their feathers for many reasons, but rarely due to fear.  Usually scared birds flatten all their feathers down - see what happens when something startles them to see what I mean.  Parrots tend to fluff their feathers when they are confident (or cold, actually) - but remember that a confident parrot is not necessarily a friendly one!  So it's actually quite easy to tell that they're not afraid of you.  Whether they're ready to be friendly or not is still in question, though if your boyfriend says the female takes kindly to strangers he's probably right.  (I'd follow your boyfriend's advice and leave the male alone!)  If you'd like to get to know the female more gradually, here's how to do it:

The best way to make friends with a parrot is to get to know them while you have the safety of a cage between the two of you (and this should take the edge off your fear too).  So you might start by putting a chair next to the female's cage and sitting there when you have something to do that requires sitting down for awhile.  This will give her the chance to get used to your presence and give you the opportunity to get used to all the wierd things birds like to do.  In fact, she'll probably quickly decide that she wants you to pay attention to her and not to whatever it is you are doing.  (Parrots are very two years-old that way.)  Encourage her to like you by talking to her and giving her lots of attention - parrots love that.  You might even consider giving her treats if the cage's bars allow you to do so without getting your fingers too close to her beak.  By doing this you should be able to gain confidence because you'll be perfectly safe and make friends at the same time.

Once you've gained enough confidence to take the next step, you can try giving her treats without the cage in the way - either through the door while she's inside or while she's climbing around outside of it (have your boyfriend around for this!).  Once you've done this often enough that you're sure she has no intention of biting you, you should then feel confident enough to pet her - ask you boyfriend to instruct you in the proper technique.  Once you're confident with that, holding her on your arm shouldn't be a big deal.  And after that you should be as comfortable with her as your boyfriend is.