Why is my bird aggressive to me with my partner? How to sex it?

This is a very common issue, especially with birds that are kept alone or are not otherwise stimulated/enriched in their environments. A good first step is to try and distract Mango with other enrichment, such as toys he can preen and play with, puzzle toys that have food or treats that he has to work to get, or even activity centers where he can climb around and explore/chew on toys. Having him lose when around other people is not a good idea, especially if he bites or becomes aggressive. You can, however, reserve a special favorite treat of his to use only when you have company. Have your friends and family that come by toss this favorite treat to Mango every time they come visit to help him start to associate them with positive things (yummy food) instead of negative (taking away his time with you!). If you have other family that lives with you, having them start to spend time with Mango (and you less) can also help him overcome his attempts at over-bonding/interest in you. Adjusting Mango's diet (less protein/fat) and daylight hours (less sunlight) can also sometimes help change hormone levels in birds that want to mate, and return them to a more consistent baseline behavior.

Thanks for reaching out about Coco. Not all birds get along, and therefore will not always mate. How certain are you that you have a male and female? Many species of parrot are monomorphic, meaning you can not visually determine sex, and a blood sample needs to be taken. Birds who are ill will often not breed also, so a veterinary visit is recommended if any indications of sickness (lethargy, decreased appetite, being fluffed, etc.) are present. Good luck.

He may be going through a hormonal phase. At 2 years of age, he's going through his "teenage" years on his way to adulthood between 3-5 years. His behavior may be temporary and will require patience on your part. Some cage aggression may also be responsible as well. Have someone else remove him from the cage and take him to another room when you have to clean his cage or refill bowls. Speak softly and move slowly around him. Offer small treats and rewards. Do not force him step up onto your hand or interact with you. This will lead to a bite. Make sure he has a variety of toys and adequate attention from other to keep him engaged. The preferences with people will change over his lifetime. Cockatoos are quite lovable and he should eventually come back around to you as long as you are there for him.

Thanks for reaching out about Sara and including a photo. When in breeding mode, hormones can affect behavior. Possibly she is also re-establishing dominance. Removing any nesting material, decreasing photoperiod exposure and a veterinary visit can possible provide a hormone injection to decrease breeding behavior and egg laying. Good luck.

Going by cere color, I would agree with your assessment of gender. If you want to know definitively, you can have them sexed by submitting DNA samples (feathers or blood) on each bird. Your veterinarian can do this for you. An experienced avian veterinarian can also sex the surgically.

Thanks for reaching out and including photos. Training birds can be difficult, especially as they reach sexual maturity. Continue with the training process and establish a dominance hierarchy with you primary. A book titled "A Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot" is a good start. Good luck.

Palpation of the pelvic bones is certainly a valid method of sexing birds, but a somewhat difficult one. Even experienced veterinary professionals still have difficultly sexing birds by this method or many others. In all honesty the only way to truly sex these parrots is by either waiting to see if it lays eggs or with imaging modalities at your veterinarian. In terms of general avian care, the first thing I would do is locate an avian veterinarian and establish a relationship. It does not have to be a specialist, but at least someone who is familiar and comfortable working with pet birds (unfortunately there are not too many). They can help walk you through some of the quirks of parrots in particular. In regards to general husbandry, wing clipping is not usually necessary more than once a year. Occasionally, twice a year is needed but this is uncommon. Nail trimming / beak trimming frequency will be determined by their environment and behavior. The more time Julie spends moving around and gnawing on things, the less likely and frequently you will need to have her trimmed. With a new pet bird, I would recommend a thorough check up by a vet as soon as possible to try and determine age and health. I would also bring in a fecal sample to make sure there are no parasites that might require treatment. Hope this information is helpful!