My Conure is suddenly trying to bite me?

Neptune, my green-cheeked conure has been with me for about 6 months. After the first week, he bonded to me very well and loves to sit on my arm or snuggle up under my neck. We take naps together, shower together, everything. But now he is trying to attack me for no apparent reason. He was just walking around his cage with his bell in his mouth and then he dropped it and tried to attack me. He is acting very strange. I got him when he was 8 months old so he's over a year old now. I don't know what has gotten into him. He also incessantly tries attacking my mom too. I have an amazon parrot and they are in separate rooms now because he hates her too. He only seems to try to attack me when I put my hands on his cage, like to fill his water or food. Any thoughts?

I'd like to hear some people's response. I don't think I can help though

Ours does the same thing. It is in a Conure's nature to behave in a rather territorial way and they can be bitey. They are especially cage territorial and food territorial. I've done some research and it appears that when a GCC feels you are on the mate level with him/her, they will be more likely to behave that way. And whatever you do, DON'T REACT! I know it's hard not to react when they bite, but it helps a lot to set the bird down, or move away into another room briefly, and say nothing to the bird. They will learn that they don't get attention and the biting behavior = no attention and being left alone. It's hard to do, but it works. You know, my GCC does this very same thing to me, and yet not to my husband (because I am the one bonded to her). But time-out will work! Good luck!

The only bite that can't be rewarded is the one that never occurs. Basically, learn to read the bird's body language, don't put them in a situation where they feel the need to bite, and don't get bitten!



When he is on his cage, was he stepping up from his cage willingly?


Did anything change before the behavior started?

A way I was told to help manage cage aggression is to periodically change around the layout and toys. If your bird is already like this tho you'll want to sit him in a travel cage while you do this.
Changing it around once a month is good, maybe leave a few perches he particularly favours so he has some fall back area (perches he'd use for sleeping might be good to leave).

Edit: start small at first, like moving a perch or toy. Then build it up.

i agree with ZephyrFly. My sun conure wont let me change anything in his cage when he's in it. i have to put him on his stand first...and I usually just change a few toys around especially if Im adding something, and I always leave his favorite spots in tact, like where he sleeps etc. Then he's good to go. His perch stick that we command him to get on if giving a treat etc and we dont want him trying to come out of his cage, is also always in the same place.
it sounds like because you share so many things that he may feel he is in competition with you for HIS things. Back off awhile and let him know what's his is his and whats yours is yours. You both need bounderies. skittles does the same thing some times if he drops something and I go to pick it up for him, he will get aggressive like it's his and he can get it I got mad at him one time for trying to chew on curtains while he was on me when I went to open them. He got upset and bit into my arm hard.I took him back to his cage after telling him "no biting" and I stood there gently chewing him out with my hands on my hips and a serious tone to my voice again telling him he was not nice to bite momma. (Lol) he just stood there likehe was listening to every word, not taking his eyes off me. the rest of the day he acted scolded and just stared at me from his cage all day. We're very close so he realized he had been bad and was paying for it. i wasn't sure what to expect the next day, but when I went to get him out as usual, he was relieved and things went on as usual. Getting upset just stresses them, but they will notice a change in your behavior so mabe back off a little and make then want to come back to you when they bite.. Just keep in mind they're territorial birds and need to know their things are theirs and your things are yours.. So be careful what you share.

bpenniman said:

Neptune, my green-cheeked conure has been with me for about 6 months. After the first week, he bonded to me very well and loves to sit on my arm or snuggle up under my neck. We take naps together, shower together, everything. But now he is trying to attack me for no apparent reason. He was just walking around his cage with his bell in his mouth and then he dropped it and tried to attack me. He is acting very strange. I got him when he was 8 months old so he's over a year old now. I don't know what has gotten into him. He also incessantly tries attacking my mom too. I have an amazon parrot and they are in separate rooms now because he hates her too. He only seems to try to attack me when I put my hands on his cage, like to fill his water or food. Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

When you say you "nap together" I hope that doesn't mean you have your bird in your bed? As that is a very all too common way people kill their pet birds...especially conures who like to borrow into things. I used to lay in bed with my tiel but never do that anymore as I'm too worried I would crush him if I accidentally fall alseep! I Crushed Skittles In My Sleep... : I Accidentally Killed My Pet Story & Experience

Your baby is also sounding hormonal!

I learned quickly with my macaw (the hard way) about birds and cage territoriality. Morning bowl changes were a problem. For awhile I had to remove her from the cage while I worked cleaning the cage and refilling bowls. My conure is fine with me, but if my teenage daughter approaches his cage he goes into evil batman mode-hanging upside down from the ceiling of the cage and jabbering away telling her on no uncertain terms what he'd like to do to her if she would just put a finger near his cage If he's out, oh boy! She's in for it and his tough guy act cracks her up. The other days she came over to him just to see him go off on her and she touched a couple of his toys up there on his playtop and then walked away. She walked to the kitchen table and he flew in there after her, flew around her head because he was still mad, and then flew back to his cage play area. It looked like a scene from Hitchcock's Birds there for a moment. She messed with his cage, he messed with her back hehe. She shrieked and ran and I laughed because the whole thing was so preposterous and funny. He didn't hurt her at all, he was just showing her who was boss of the cage lol They can be so funny, they think they are so tough. It reminds me of little dog syndrome but in birds instead. They really have something to prove about big things coming in small packages.

This is an old thread. Please notice the original post date was in July. According to other threads, I don't believe the OP even has this bird any longer.