Get Expert Advice About Your Bird From Omar
Omar loves talking to bird owners about how to care for their pets and teaching them training methods that lead to better behavior. If you have a question that you would like to ask Omar about your bird, click the Ask Omar button below, fill out the form, and then check back on this page for the answer to your question.
If your question is medical in nature, please contact your Avian Vet for advice.

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Is it normal behavior for Polly, my Amazon, to be aggressive with me when my boyfriend or anyother guy is around? She is good when there are not guys around. I'll wait for your answer. Thank you. -Jessica, Aliso Viejo, CA

Jessica, remember to Read Your Bird. I'm sure at this time the tail fans and the eyes are dilating. This is a warning to you. Below is a paragraph from my Amazon eBook:
 
Sometimes the bird bites for what is called misplaced aggression. This is when a bird is on you and someone comes into the room that the bird does not like and he reaches down and bites you. In the wild when a bird is sitting with his mate and danger approaches, he pecks or bites at his mate to have her flee the scene. This is a protection mechanism and should not be confused with aggression. As soon as we act upset, scream at the bird, and put him away, the bird no longer understands. You have to be aware of the reason he is biting.

Just be on guard when they are around, and don't keep her on your shoulder where she can accidentally bite at your face. The more she adapts to them, the better she will be.  She may even prefer your boyfriend to you someday. That can be worked on also.
 
Thank you, Omar

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Hi Omar, I have two African Greys - Leo, who will be 3 years in March (her exact age ? rescued 2+yrs ago), and Kenji who will be 2 years in March, (brought in your El Toro store by a friend, and she could keep him). Now we have two, and last week things started to change. They have become very sexual with each other only in the late afternoon and in the mornings but not as "frisky". They both have there own sleeping room. There is a lot of day time activities and they have a very good diet. Kenji is showing some small signs of aggression, but for the most part he's still very sweet, a real talker and loves sports. Leo still will bite once in a while but she's 1000% better (her past was not the greatest and she carries her baggage with her all the time.)

The Question? What now? I am not interested in breeding them, I would love to make it easy for them, myself and my home. What should I except and what should each bird expect as good or bad behavior. Thank you-Mandy, Laguna Beach, CA

Mandy, I'm assuming you keep them together on a stand or somewhere during the day?  That is OK, but the longer he hangs with her the more he will like her and become more and more protective over her. This is natural, just as you would be if you are his mate. When you pick him up, read your bird. Notice if he fluffs up as to bite you and be protective. If so, then you need to approach him with two hands. Reach as you always do to pick him up and do the same with your other hand at the same time. He will step onto your original hand he always steps onto, but will be a bit more on guard and not focus on biting since your other hand is coming towards him. If he is very aggressive, which I don't feel he is from what you say, then a stick in the other hand works well. This will help getting him off without an incident. The more biting he is able to get away with, the more he will be trained to do it and become worse later.
 
Also when he is on you, pick her up too and take them together to other parts of the room or house. Just like a little ride. He will soon begin enjoying this time and willingly come to you. The African Grey Ebook will be available on our website soon and it will go over all these behavior issues.
 
Thank you, Omar

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Im thinking about making Darwin, my African Grey, a therapy pet. He will turn 1 April 29th. He is a very social bird and loves being petted. I was wondering at what age would be good for him to start training for pet therapy certification? -Tina, Costa Mesa, CA

Tina, that is wonderful.  I believe that you can start now.  He is essentially a teenager and he is not so set in his ways as he may become as he gets older.  Socialize him as much as you can to others.  Greys tend to be a little more one person birds, but the more socialized ones do really well with other friends and strangers.  Start now.  I think this is a great thing.  Omar

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Hi, I was looking for a mate for my Lovebird, Mango, and I was wondering if there would be any Lovebirds available at the Lake Forest store. I'd love to bring my bird in to see if we can find her a friend. Thanks! -Gigi, Carson, CA

Hello Gigi.  The two babies that we have at the Lake Forest store are already sold and waiting to wean before going to their new homes.  We have more babies in the nest boxes now so it will probably be about 3-4 weeks before more come to the store.  Call Cyndee there and ask her to notify you when the next babies come in.  If you start out with a baby Lovebird for yours, it will be very easy to socialize them.  Mango will probably become protective and thrilled to have a baby around.  Good luck with the new baby to come. 
 
Thanks, Omar

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Hi Omar, I am interested in having a handler, come with some African birds to an event in Westlake village (fund raising auction for a private school). The whole thing is African themed, and I am interested in having some live birds in the main room. I thought I'd reach out to you to get your thoughts/or referrals. Thank you. -Robin, Westlake Village, CA

Hello Robin.  We do parties, fund raisers and school events periodically.  Just email me the time, date, how long the birds need to be there, how many birds you need (caged or on play pens) and the location.  You can email me the information at omar@omarsexoticbirds.com and I can give you a quote and let you know what birds I will have available at that time.  There are many varieties of African birds such as Finches, Lovebirds, Senegals, African Greys, and more. 
 
Thank you, Omar

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Good morning. In June we will be moving from California to Mississippi. Currently our four Lovebirds are in two very large cages. What is the smallest size I can go down to for transporting them in comfort? Harper and Horatio were purchased at one of your stores last year. At that time I bought a wooden carrier covered in chicken wire. Is that too small? We will be in the car for 3-4 days. Thank you for your time. -Kristy, Pt. Hueneme, CA

Hello Kristy.  You can transport them in something like the wood carriers you got from us, but I would add a perch to the inside.  They will not get very stressed if they have a perch to hold on to and food, water and a toy inside hanging for them to play with.  I'm not sure which size carrier you got from us, but the one that is appx. 14" long x 8" wide x 8" tall.  Hopefully you can have two per carriers.  If it is all four in one carrier, I would go bigger.  Also when driving at night, cover the carriers so they can rest better without all the lights flashing.  Last thing.  If you are able to put them high enough to where they can look out the windowss, it will also be less stressful and this will help if anyone ever gets car sick.
 
Good luck on your trip. We can ship you whatever you need.  Omar

Hi Omar, this is my first time with a bird. I love animals, and have had many, but never a bird. He is 2 years old and I adopted him from an old person. Sometimes he is not friendly to me and will not always let me touch him. Also when he sees my husband, he screams very loud. What do I do to touch him?. Please let me know how to start training him. -Yadira, Miami, FL

Yadira, below is a paragraph on my Macaw Ebook coming out this next month.  Hopefully this will help.  It seems that your husband and the bird need to be more socialized.   You may also use this method to have him get closer to you.  If you take him outside, make sure his wings are clipped.  You would not want him flying away from you or get hurt in the process.
 
"One of the tougher things is to introduce an adult Macaw to a new spouse or roommate. There will be jealousy. The bird is used to being with just you and now there’s somebody who is taking some of the attention, much like a baby or child.  The best way to handle this is to take the bird and put him in his carrier and take him to a park. You will not be involved, but the roommate or spouse will. They will let him out of the carrier and hold him and spend an hour or so with him. Usually half an hour a day is sufficient if you cannot do an hour. You may not need to go away from the house either, but you do want to go to an area of the house that the bird is not familiar with. In neutral surroundings the bird will be more comfortable coming to the new person, especially if mom or dad is not around. Instead of using aggression to fend off the intruder (your spouse) as they would in their territory, the bird feels a closeness to that person and feels that he will protect him in this new unfamiliar environment. Just be careful with the adult Macaw. It is hard to know when he is going to strike and bite. He may allow being held for a while and then strike when he feels he can get away with it, when the person is not suspecting. This happens if you, his favorite person, are in the room, so I insist you have them do this training method without you around for it to work
best."

Hope this helps. Omar

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My Cockatiel, Abby has been making soft squeeky type sounds as well as mostly sitting at the front of the cage with her head slightly tilted forward. Prior to these changes, she used to climb all over the cage, play with the toys, and her normal resting spot was at the top of the cage - she seemed quite happy.

I seen somewhere online that it could be a mating coo, but not sure if that's it or not or what to do about it if it is. The main question is, is there something wrong with Abby that I need to address? If yes, how?

I had bought the bird from your store a little over a year ago and wish I still lived in the area. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated.- Cas, Modesto, CA

Cas, I hope this message does not get to you too late.  Birds just don't stop being active or stop climbing around and playing with toys, or talking unless there is something wrong.  Abby is probably feeling under the weather either due to a bacteria, stress, or even a virus if she has been exposed to other birds that were sick.  My recommendation is that you take her to the vet if she is not better right away.
 
The other reason asside from illness that would cause this is an accident where she got hurt.  This would also be a reason to take her in to see an Avian Vet.  You would probably know if she got hurt somehow.  Since you are not in the area, call your local bird store and see who they use that is an Avian Specialty Veterinarian.  Use who they use if you don't have a vet you feel comfortable with. 
 
If it is a breeding problem like her being egg bound during the laying process, this is very dangerous and she will also need to see a Vet to get the egg out if she does not pass it.  You will see a very large lump above her vent area and sometimes see the egg protruding.  But this is probably not the case if she has not been displaying nesting behavior at the bottom of the cage.
 
Feel her chest (squeeze lightly) and make sure it does not feel like the bottom of a ship where you only feel bone and no muscle tissue.  This would mean this has been going on for a few days and it is probably a bacterial infection that she can no longer fight, causing her to lose weight.  Unfortunately with birds you cannot wait too long.
 
Hoping for the best. Omar

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I have had a Half Moon Conure for 32 yrs. I think he has developed arthritis in his feet. Would it help to put a lamp by his cage on the cool winter nights? If so, what kind of bulb? How should I set it up? I have lowered his perches and made them easier to hold on to. Can you give me any other ideas on what to do for him? He has been a great pet and I am worried about him. How can you tell what sex these birds are?
Thanks. Denise- Lake Forest, CA
PS WE love your store and I have decided not to have his nails cut anymore.

Denise, I'm glad you have had him so long as a loving pet.  I would recommend that you use a heat lamp on the outside of the cage facing in.  This way he can go closer to it if he wants to keep warm or move away when he does not want it.  It won't be a bulb, it is a heat lamp,  usually ceramic and you can get it anywhere where they sell supplies for reptiles.  If you cannot get it let Cyndee know at the Lake Forest store and she will order one for you. We just don't stock them.  I like the fact that you put the perches and hopefully the feeders lower for him in case he falls.
 
You really cannot tell the sex of them without doing DNA testing on him and at this time I would not recommend putting him through the stress of pulling some blood for the test.  Make sure your perches are thinner and varied in sizes so his arthritic feet won't hold the form of the only one he is always on.  Thinner ones will help him grip better. 
 
As far as the nails not being done, I don't agree.  Don't do them unless they start to curl around or get too long that it is hard for him to get around.  I agree that maybe it is best not to put him through the stress of handling by strangers in a towel but you will need to do it yourself.  Just take toenail clippers if the nails are overgrown and he will probably let you clip the excess growth without too much stress.  If he has white toe nails then you will see where the blood supply is and cut just under that.  You may also take him into the store and have them show you how to do it this way without grabbing him up.  This way you can do it yourself later.  Just one clip per nail and you're done.  No dremmeling. They will be left sharp, but that will go wear down in a day or so.
 
Enjoy your old guy.  Thank you, Omar
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Hi, my Blue Myers, Spaz seems like he doesn't fully trust me. He will kinda like shiver when I hold him sometimes. I can't really pet him, I have to be carful if I do and watch closely. When I hold him I put my sleve over my hand. I do this because if it's my bare hand he will bend down and bite. Or if I use my bare hand when I go to pick him up he will put one hand on my finger then dive down and start biting. Also I just want your opinion, I bought a biting training course from birdtricks.com. I want to know if you're familiar with their methods,and what you think about them. If not I can explain more. I understand you are very good with parrots and want your opinion. Thank you. Chris, Mission Viejo, CA

Chris, are his eyes dilating in and out before he bites at you?  Is there anyone else in the room that he prefers?  I would try working with him away from the cage and even the room where you usually work with him.  Get yourself a small stick or dowel about 16 inches long and thin enough for him to really be able to grip his feet around.  Keep it in one hand coming towards him while you offer the other hand for him to step up to you.  Read your bird.  Watch his eyes, see his mood.  Make sure he is aware of the other hand with the stick and if he reaches down to strike at you, offer the stick to have him step up to.  For a while you will no longer offer just a hand for him to bite on to.  Usually they are unsure what you are doing with the stick and he will snap out of the trance that he is in, and step up to you. 
 
Take him into another room that he is not used to going in.  You want him to feel more comfortable with you than with his surroundings.  You will be his security blanket.  Set him on the back of a chair or railing or anywhere you can sit for a few minutes and talk to him.  Offer your hand while watching him and have him step up.  Remember to have the stick as a back up in your other hand.  You will not bring it up if he is being good.  Pick him up a few times and if there is a mirror in this room, take him to see his buddy just for about 30 seconds.  You want to work with him about two times a day for about 20 minutes each time. 
 
Chris, stop using your sleeve over your arm and hand.  This is almost like "I dare you".  You will get farther with the stick.  If he has a favorite person in the household, make sure you never take the bird from her or him.  The bird sees this as a negative thing that you are doing even if that person hands to bird to you.  Have them set the bird on the floor, have them back off, and you pick up the bird.  Remember to always keep the stick as step two if he is acting aggressive.
 
Hope this helps.  Omar
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Dear Omar, Thank you for all the wonderful things you do for birds and for your knowledge. My question for you is this: is it possible for birds to hate another bird much like people can? I never encountered this situation before even between types of birds. I have a Sun Conure and a Half Moon Conure that are best friends. They got along fine with my beloved Cockatiel who unfortunately passed away some years ago. When my fiance and I got a Yellow-collared McCaw named Houdini (most lovable bird ever to humans) for his traditional escape artist techniques (LOL) the conures hated him and they fought all the time. Houdini once put one of the Conures in the hospital after biting half her beak off (she survived). Some years ago Houdini was stolen from our yard while enjoying his time in his favorite palm tree outdoor experience.

We later got a Hahn's Mccaw who basically looks almost identical only smaller than Houdini. The Conures hate him since day one, refuse to play and they scream or he screams if I play with one or the other. They cannot be let near each other.

Can birds remember a specific bird and actually hate on another bird? Hay possible? Parese como ellos crean que el neuvo mariposa es Houdini otro ves!

Sorry for my bad Spanish but I wanted to try anyway. Can you help me? -Shari, Los Angeles, CA

Shari, thanks for the compliment.  Your Spanish is fine.  Wow, what a household.  I'm sorry about Houdini being stolen, that hurts.  Your new Hahns Macaw, they know is not Houdini.  The thing is that during the time that they were fighting off Houdini, the Conures started pair bonding more and building more aggression towards what they feel are intruders.  I am guessing that during the time your fiance came into the picture that possibly you gave him and the new bird more attention and since the Conures had each other to keep them busy, less attention was given.  This caused more bonding between the two.  They also fight with each other when fighting off the attacker (not really but they think it is).  This is similar to two dogs that are behind a fence and a new dog comes around and they fight and bite at each other.  They are so upset and riled up that they go off the deep end before they even realize what is going on.  It's a protective instinct and it is normal when they feel they are protecting each other.
 
What you can do.  If all the birds are clipped and you can take them outside, go to a park with all of them.  Bring all the birds out one by one and put them on the picnic table or on small t perches separately and just hang out with them.  You will see that they are more interested in being aware of their surroundings than into being aggressive.  This may work better with each Conure and the Hahns Macaw if the other Conure is not around.  If so alternate Conures with each time. They may even get along after this better than you hoped.  You need to get them to change their focus every time they see that bird.  Feed treats and do this periodically and vary the places you go with them.  Have even the conures travel separately if you take all three.  Hold each one individually to spend some time with them and learn to not be jealous since their time will come.
 
It is best to introduce them often like this just in case one day the Hahns decides to wander over to the top of the Conure cage and gets hurt.  This may not only give them quality time with you that they will appreciate, but also a different behavior that they will get used to when around the Hahns.
 
Have fun with it.  Thanks, Omar
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Omar, I just bought my Yellow Crowned Amazon from your Lake Forest store and am very happy with my bird but everytime anyone wants to carry him he makes a growling noise and wants to bite. What can iIdo to stop Loui from biting. He is still young and I don't want him to stay like this, and he scares me.. help. Maria, Covina, CA

Maria, does he always growl at everyone?  Is there anyone he does not do that with?  How often do you handle him?  This just means he is annoyed or bothered.  It sounds like he has not bonded to anyone in the family yet.  Without knowing any of this yet, I would suggest you take him for a ride somewhere.  In a carrier to a place he has not been before.  Bring him out and see how he reacts to you.  He should not bite or growl.  He should be so preoccupied with the strange surroundings that he will feel exceptionally close to you since you are his only familiar person or thing.  If this works for you, then do this a couple of times a week to build the bond.
 
Also, if he does this more when you get him out of the cage, then open the door.  Let him climb out first and then try to pick him up.  See if this works better.  He is still young like you said and correcting this should not be very difficult.
 
Thank you, Omar

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I have the sweetest African Grey that I purchased from your Placentia store in Oct 2001. She had a red band that the vet has now. Do you keep records of what breeder she may have come from by knowing the band number? She is smaller than most greys but her vocabulary is over 200 words. I would love to get another Grey from the same breeder.

Also, she needs company, but needs a gentle pal, besides a Timneh or another Grey what kind of bird would you recommend that bonds best with Greys?

Also, the last two times that I went to your Lake Forest Store I found that they were out of the 1 lb bags of Harrison pellets, wasted trips. Just FYI. Thank you for your response. -Linda, Newport Beach, CA

Hello Linda.  First of all, we have switched vendors for the Harrisons and we now can order it more often than from the vendor without the many restrictions we had before.  I can assure you that you won't have any more wasted trips.  We did move our store to Brea right off of the 57 now. 
 
As far as a buddy for Maya, as long as you start out with a baby of some sort, you will be fine and she will adapt well.  Probably being a mother figure at first with the baby.  Just pick what you would want and it will adapt to her. 
 
Do you have the red band that was on her foot, or can you get it from her veterinarian file?  It should not only have a number on it to identify the bird, but also initials to identify the breeder.  If it said OEB it was one of our own babies.  We used the red bands, but so did some other breeders.  Let me know the initials and I can look into it for you.
 
Good luck picking out a friend for her.  Omar