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Last week a bought a yellowhead parrot and yesterday I bought another. So now I have two. The first is named Sirilo and the second Cuco. They're both young (about 8 months), but Cuco had already been handled and you could carry him arround on your shoulder no problem. Then I decided to put them in the same cage togheter and Cuco became wierder every day until he was biting me harder every time when I carried him away from Sirilo. Today, I decided that Sirilo's less experience with humans was affecting Cuco and that I would separate them.
When I brought back Cuco's old cage to put him in it, it was a very big show to grab him. When i finally did, he was biting me very hard. We really hated eachother for that moment and now Sirilo's brief progress has also gone to ruins. He was starting to eat off of my hands and now he won't even get close to me.

What should I do?
Where did I go wrong and will they become good pet's soon?

First all birds should be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days before letting them meet each other. 60-90 days is even better. Next they should be introduced slowly not just immediately put in together.

I would suggest starting over with them.

Even though if there is any sickness (hopefully there is not) they would have already shared it. Start them out separated in separate rooms. Let them get used to you before getting used to each other.

After you have worked with each one separately for a month or longer would be better. Then you can introduce them slowly. Start with playdates ouside of the cage on a perch or playgym. After they are getting along during playdates and still getting along with you, then you could move their cages into the same room so they could interact when not playing. Eventually after they seem to be doing well (which may never happen as some birds will just not get along while getting along with their owner) then you can place them in a neutral cage supervised then non-supervised.

To get them used to you and not biting. You will have to not react when bitten this may mean you need lightweight skin colored gloves if you can't keep from reacting otherwise, I realize some bites can be painful while others are just warnings. When behaving well give treats, praise and "scritches". When not place back in the cage with no reaction. No hollering, etc just no reaction at all. You can try telling them no when they are behaving badly but many birds will think "NO" is fun and scream no when they are being bad instead of quitting! Try to let them have as much time out of the cage as possible and at least 15 minutes of that time should be spent working with them. Working on step-up and other basic commands. Do not spend too much time actually "working" but spend more time playing and letting them play outside the cage.

Stephanie

I would actually recommend a `no.` But don`t yell or scream `no` in a big, dramatic way. Just give the bird a displeased look and a firm `no,` then put the bird down and walk away. They don`t really like displeasing you (well, they don`t once they get to know you), and they definately don`t like being ignored and alone. This is all the `punishment` you ever need to give your birds.

I would recommend working on `stick training` as well. (Teaching them to step up onto a perch you hold in your hand). Are your birds "double yellow headed amazons"? Stick training is a good idea for all birds, but is especially important for species like double yellow headeds. They have a tendency to go into `overload` (get overly excited by a game). Just like a little get that gets too carried away by a fun stick-fight, an overloaded bird can deliver a very nasty bite. Amazon body language is fairly easy to read, so once you get to know them better you should be able to know an `overload,` and when to use the stick to pick the bird up. Double yellow headeds also occassionally suffer from seasonal aggression problems. So at certain times of the year, using a hand held perch to move the bird can save you both a lot of grief.

Ok. Thanks both of you. I'll try starting over, because at this point I think they both have me by my tail.

there is a funny noice they make speccially at night. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it's low. It's a little like snoaring, but they're awake.

I think they're double yellow headed. not sure. I'll post a picture as soon as I figuer how to.

That noise I'm talking about is like if they were cracking their jaws........ it sounds creepy.

What does it mean when they sponge their fethers like a porcupine?

I'm not real sure of the noise you are meaning, they will sometimes do a grinding, clicking noise when they are content kind of like a person grinding their teeth is this what you mean?

Sponging feathers? Are you meaning they spread them out? They sometimes do this to show aggression it mainly depends on what is going on at that same time. IF you are meaning sponging like getting wet then spiking this is just cleaning their feathers and is normal even though it looks wierd.

Stephanie

The `cracking` noise you`re talking about sounds like beak grinding to me. It`s a good thing. It means they`re feeling safe, content, and sleepy when they`re doing it.

By `sponge` do you mean, when they fluff up? Birds that do this when you approach are more or less saying `hello.` They often accompany this with a stretch.