Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Elye has gotten outta hand agressive.It started yesterday.Could it be hormones?He is five years old now.Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Since this is in the macaws forum I am guessing she/he is one of your macaws (can't remember if you have one or more LOL). It could be a couple things. Yes it could be hormones. Mac our newest B&G is hormonal right now on top of settling into a new home. He is still a good boy but really wants to test everyone either by nipping, biting or lunging. He has only drawn blood once but still keeps trying to scare everyone away. Once he sees its not working he will usually calm down. He is also doing a lot of flaring of his feathers around the cloacal area which can be a sign of hormones as well.

It could also be that your macaw is responding to a new member in your household. Since he/she was there first he may want to test you to make sure he will still get the same attention and care as always and to compete with the newest flock member. In most birds this will go away after the first week or so when they are used to hearing someone else in the home or seeing someone else. If you have a combination of hormones and jealousy it will take a bit longer but as long as you are patient and persistent it should calm back down soon. Let him know when he is doing wrong by ignoring and no treat etc, and when he is behaving by giving extra attention and treats. With this rewarding behavior he should overcome the aggression quicker. If he still seems to not be calming try and let your wife (hope I have the right person LOL!) Do more of his care to see if that helps.

he started his tantrum before the new arrival.He is still standing on his wing alot, and has calmed down since the start.i am still working with him daily.

Well again my first guess would be hormones and there really isn't any treatment for that just patience and understanding. I would suggest a vet visit though depending on how long it has been since the last one. Sometimes aggressiveness, excitability and mood changes are signs of sickness or other problems that may require a vet visit.

One other question though. Before the new arrival were you making any changes? Possibly moving cages, furniture etc to make room for the new arrival? Or did it start even before the new arrival was though of? Sometimes even without actual changes a bird can seem to pick up on our anxieties or stresses when we are thinking about making a change, even before the changes actually happen. Of course if it was before you ever even heard of the new bird then this wouldn't be the case