Parrot Hickies
Yeah, that's the little culprit in the picture there. Don't let the innocent look and the colorful plumage fool you. Beneath all that feathered glory (and he IS a beautiful bird, I will give him that) lies a crafty, wiley disposition. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, living with Alex (the conure) and Rudy (the parakeet) is like living with Pinky and the Brain. Rudy will go along with most ideas, and Alex would gladly domineer over everything and everyone that is within his "territory".
It must be "find a mate" time in Alex's world, because he has been "wooing" me in a parrot fashion, snuggling with fluffed feathers, preening, and "creating a home" from a box in the front room. I keep pulling him away from his project, which entails trying to chew an access hole through the side of this large, cardboard shipping box, but he keeps returning to it.
Things escalated this weekend, as he has attacked Bry three times. Now, I'm not talking about him tagging Bryan for getting too close to his playperch. Oh no...he has taken it upon his bird-dom to fly across the room and latch onto bodily parts with that hookbill of his. Don't let anybody tell you that parrots peck. Parrots bite! The first time, Bry was trying to push him away (gently...Alex doesn't realize that he is fragile), and I intervened, receiving a chomp that went through the fleece arm of my pullover. He didn't break the skin, but I now have a quarter-sized purple bruise on my forearm that greatly resembles a hickey. Off Alex went, into his cage, covered up, what we named the "Covered Cage of Shame".
Now, Alex has an appointment for a wing clipping in a few days, but I decided to take him down a peg. I trimmed three feathers that I could easily identify as non-blood feathers. It didn't work. Alex flew at Bry again later that day, this time tagging Bry near the wrist a few times, as Bry tried to replace him on his play perch. Alex was too busy chomping to notice. I grabbed the nearest thing, my running jacket, and swept Alex up into it. Back he went, into the Covered Cage of Shame. Later, I trimmed another feather.
That didn't work. Alex once more took flight yesterday, missing Bryan, proving that I couldn't trust him to behave himself. Today has seen him spending the majority of the daylight hours in his cage, uncovered. He seems to be alright with it. The cage is oversized, standing five feet tall, with lots of room, water, food, and toys. He can still see what is going on, and can hear the Christmas music from the radio nearby. It's like a kid being sent to his room, one where he has a computer, books, and a GameBoy.
Needless to say, I can't wait for that wing and nail clipping in a couple of days. He is gentle with me, but boy, those sharp little claws sure can dig into one's jugular when he perches on the shoulder!