# One person bird !



## katar76 (May 6, 2008)

Jojo is very obsessed with me. When my husband tries to take him off my shoulder, Jojo acts very vicious and aggresive with his beak. He tries to bite anyone that tries to take him off my shoulder ( but he does not actually bite) or he runs from one shoulder to the other trying to escape wanting fingers.

When I'm not in the area and he can't see me he will spend some time with my husband or my older son, but once I get close enough he jumps off frantically trying to get to me.

I'm very flattered by this, but I do not want Jojo to become a one person bird. I am the one who spends the most time with him ( about 3-6 hours a day). Is he going through a phase? or can this behaviour get worse? Jojo will be 5 months on April 24th.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Unfortunetly, most birds do favor one perrson specifically, esspecially if you are the one that spends the most time with him, feeds, cleans, etc...I doubt it's phase. When I lived by myself, Baby only knew one person besides visitors, me. Now, she doesn't like anyone but me. My mom can't keep her on her hand as she will fly to me, Ziggy is a little more social with others.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

most of the time when this happens with Tiels (because its not common for them to be 1 person birds) it is because one person spends more time with them, and this is your case 

is it possible for your husband to do some of the care taking, or your son? like on the weekends or in the evening, it'll be their job to do everything he needs done?

Also I'd deter him from being on shoulders, It's known to make birds have Dominance issues - Which is what he is portraying when he goes to "bite" your family members or runs from them 

I wouldn't let him get past your forearm (just maybe 3" or so above your elbow but no further) 

it'll take a while to teach him no to the shoulders, But when he goes to get on make him step up on your hand tell him no and place him some where you'd rather him be - on your knee, on your arm, on your leg. etc. and keep doing it every time he goes to your shoulder. He will _eventually_ learn the shoulder is a no no place. and stop going.


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## katar76 (May 6, 2008)

Oh, I had no idea about them not supposed to be on the shoulder. I love it when he is on my shoulder, or when he is snuggled just right under my chin as I'm reading or watching tv. That is going to be a hard habit for ME to break. So when Jojo is on my shoulder, he is dominating me? or he thinks he is my equal because of the height/perch issue?:blink:


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

It's said to be with parrots like Quakers, and bigger but I 've noticed it in birds as small as budgies 

birds aren't supposed to be higher then eye level then the shortest person of the house (I use this only as me as the shortest since my kids have to wait for me before they're allowed to hold a bird any way) i do not allow any bird to be higher then me, If it gets higher then me I have no problem lugging in a chair to get it down so it's not higher the me 

I have a couple sweet lovable tiels who don't know the meaning of bite(really wish they'd teach the rest that though) BUT get one on your shoulder and go to get them to step up and you get bit - no hard but you do - and that is the only time they actually bite is when they're higher then the person trying to get them, if they don't bite they run away

So to solve the problem they're never higher than I am tall (i'm 5'6'') So if i have to go get a kitchen chair to get one down off a cage that is taller then me, then I will. and when i do that they step up no problems at all they step right up like they do normally

Give it a try for a few weeks (to a month) see if it doesnt help him running away and trying to bite.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I have heard that birds don't have height dominance issues. I think they simply like the high perches because they are the farthest from predators and therefore the safest. You always see your tiel go to the highest perch in his cage when it is time for bed. Although birds can become cage aggressive but I guess that is another subject. Here is an interesting link I found  http://www.parrots.org/pdfs/all_abo...tal_enrichment/The Struggle for Dominance.pdf


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I know with mine if they're higher then I am (doesn't have to be in a cage, can be on a play gym, curtain rod, where ever) they'll bite and just be big butt heads, but as soon as i'm higher then they are or the same height, they're stepping up and not giving me no problems. 

Specially the Cockatiels and Quakers 

but none of my birds go to the higest perch, but that is most likely because I stopped giving them the option. everything in their cage is the same height, I don't use the top half of their cages at all. Expect to hang toys 

their perches are put either Low (3-4" off the ground) or right in the center.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Always keep them at eye level or lower. As tame as mine are, they even try to fake bite if they are higher then me.


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## twig braker (Feb 17, 2009)

i have noticed that wwith petrie whenever he is on my shoulder he is really aggressive when we try to get him off or do anything with him but the second he is off my shoulder(or anyones shoulder) he wants scritches. i geuss i know why now


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