Attitude Change

[Christina]

Finnigan was severely clipped when I brought her home. As she has grown older and her feathers have grown out, she is much bolder. Is this due to age or flying? She was a mild mannered young lady for almost two years. Now she is a demon. She flies at everyone in the house that she decides she doesn't like at that moment in time to include our macaw. She hates going back in her cage and will fly from one thing to the next trying to not back into her cage. She has started biting to try to get to me to do something or behave a certain way. For example, if I'm touching the macaw, she will come right over and bite me, if that doesn't get her desired result, she has no problem going after poor Loki, who happens to be a very mild mannered macaw. Don't get me wrong, she isn't a demon all the time, but she definetly has come into her own. I do take the standard discipline with her, but am wondering, if anyone else has noticed this type of attitude change as they get older or when their feathers grow out.

[Dave007]

It's common behavior for a bird who hasn't had the ability to fly but now does. Age means more assurance and independence and wings give the ability to express that independence. When severely clipped, she depended on you. Now she can get from one place to another without you. As far as aggression to the other birds, she may have had those aggressive attitudes when she was severely clipped but couldn't do anything about it. Either boldness develops or extreme fear develops of all the potential things that are open to the bird. Your bird chose boldness. Jealousy is not an uncommon trait in greys. She may have felt jealousy in the past but couldn't do anything about it. Hating to go back to something she now feels free of isn't abnormal. Her going after the other birds needs to be monitored and possibly she'll tire of doing that and it will lessen.

[Twosteph]

Good luck with her, can't help you because i'm not so experianced. I did see a post on here (here or another forum) where it happened to someone else though, and they had to reclip the birds wings because the behavior got so out of hand.

 

Goodluck

[Christina]

Thanks for the replys. I figure she is pretty normal and I'll just be firm in my expectations of being a good flock member for her. Which does not include flying at the flock members. I can't imagine clipping her wings now. Both of our birds enjoy flying, its a great way to exercise out that extra energy they have in the evening. I think an attitude from them and the extra effort to make them safe is well worth the effort.