My Orange Wing Amazon pair is laying on 4 eggs currently. Is it normall for them to be aggressive ?

Question

Before the mating season, neither were really tame but I could get them out and hold them, take them to the shower for a bath, etc..
Now they barely let me change out their water or food without getting BIT!
Will they go back to being easier to handle after I remove the babies in a few weeks?

Answer 1

Amazons can be aggressive especially during mating season and around their young. Be patient and in the end you will probably be able to handle them as much as you did before but it may take some retraining. In the meantime, give them a quiet place to hatch and raise their young and avoid letting too many people, especially strangers, near the cage. Check out the website below.

Good luck!

Silver2sea

Answer 2

I do not have this perticular bird and every bird can be different, even within the same species. I do breed birds and can tell you that the majority of the birds do become aggressive towards people at that time. Be careful, they will not think twice of attacking you during this time. Also be careful they do not hurt the babies as you try to do things that use to be normal to you, when they become aggressive they don't pay attention to where they are stepping. It seems to me that once they have their babies, they are never 100% the way they use to be, but, that does not mean you will not get your relationship back with them. With my breeder pair that use to be my pets, the only way I could get them to be friendly to me again once the babies were a few weeks old, I put them in something like a bowl and took the nest box out. Then I would put the bowl on the outside of the case, like in my room and then go back and handle the parents. They still would not let me inside the cage but if I opened the door they would come out and they stayed friendly again. I would take them to my room where the babies were and not have any of them caged up. That was the only way I was allowed to handle the babies with the parents around. Doesn't mean it will work for you and your birds. Another pair I did that with, let me feed them and the father would come and feed them with me. Another pair I did that with, attacked me. Good luck in seeing what your birds will allow. Whatever you do, don't get mad at them, they are only doing what comes natural and that is protecting their young.

Answer 3

I have a 13 year old Orange Winged Amazon myself. Here in California, there aren't too many around. They are not known to be big talkers, so they aren't really popular. But I love my parrot and he is so affectionate and loyal.

I don't have the technical answer for you. But my gut feeling would be that your Amazons are being very overprotective over those eggs. Those are her babies! I am sure once the eggs have hatched (how cool is that!) both birds will go back to be their normal parrot self.

I only have the one parrot. And he is very bonded and over protective with me. He demands my full attention when someone else is in the room. It would make sense to me that your parrots are "controlling the roost this month"!

I'm curious...are both your parrots Orange Winged Amazons or a mixed breed that mated?
Have fun and enjoy your Amazons! Thanks for caring about birds and their babies. We need more people like you.

Answer 4

You have to think of it as you would be to your child! A bear to her cub. Mothers to their children. Birds are the same way. Some species of birds even get worst when you remove the chicks, so look for aggression when you remove the chicks. Mostly from the males, but look for any signs. Amazons don't normally have aggression after taking the chicks, but each one is there own individuals.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

when they breed and molt they can be very aggresive