Biting Conure

I'm feeling a little defeated right now! I've had my 7 month old GCC for 2 months. She's loves being out of her cage and is not scared of me at all. (I say she but I haven't had her DNA tested to know her sex) She seeks out my hands and does this thing where she stands on my thumb, flips over so she is laying on her back in the palm of my hand and starts attacking my fingers/hand whatever she can get hold of. It's hard to describe...its almost like she's playing except its a little vicious.
She makes an effort to find my fingers to bite me. I've tried everything I've seen on youtube and here to stop her but it's not stopping. I read all these stories about these sweet conures who snuggle up to their people and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. She loves to interact with me. Shares all my meals, has a parrot gym with toys, I cover her cage at 9pm every night and uncover it at 7:30am. Is that not enough sleep time? Sorry I'm rambling a little but I'm at a loss. Any help is appreciated!

It sounds like she IS playing, but no one ever taught her boundaries. She's obviously very content since she is laying on her back while doing it. Sometimes my conure will play this game -- she'll flip over super cute in her cage and I'll poke her belly. The difference being, I taught her the game stops (and thus the fun) as soon as she bites too hard.

You have a bit of work ahead of you. You need to make sure you have as little reaction as possible (a quick 'no' 'no bite' 'be nice' etc is all that's needed) when she bites and to walk away. I'm going to guess your reaction (maybe a raised voice, dramatic motions, etc) are very fascinating to her and she loves to illicit them. Work instead on building your relationship with a more productive means of positive reinforcement -- or trick training. There's lots of super cute parrot tricks out there to teach that they can master quickly like 'wave', or 'spin'. Google is your friend if you need more ideas for parrot tricks.

Shucks the little stinker! Sounds like she trusts you, and had given herself the job or game of get the fingers! That sharp little tip on their beaks hurt I know there is the shun method, the threads on bite pressure training, setting em on the floor for a second ( if no dogs or cats down there) welcome to the forum and welcome to one of the most posted topics... You've gotta give her a new game, 100% consistency on what you will allow. Use the same word, like no bites. If bites happen say no bites put her back in the cage turn your back on her, wait a couple of miniuts get her back out repeat, stretch out the time a few minutes longer on second and third bites in a row. Try to end on positive no bites note with lots of treats and good girls. Try to work on teaching simple tricks. Sometimes this is a phase like if she is in puberty abd once you get past this she will be better. My GCC is a love bug, but I get bites too, sometimes one a day if she isn't getting her way, or if I talk on the phone she Hates my phone!

Sounds like you are doing great with her and she’s playing. Like suggested above, she just needs to refine her bite pressure. There’s several threads on bite pressure - this is one of the ones that gets referred to regularly. http://www.parrotforums.com/training/63988-bite-pressure-training.html

All the above!


Sunny does the same thing- and then forgets she needs to be carefull (steep learning curve here as she has many things to learn already).
Just 'freeze the play', correct her and give her a stinky eye if she does forget (again and again and again and again) and try again (and again etc.).


You will get there!

Just some ramblings about my darling, the Rickeybird?

It sounds to me as if your bird is young, ready to learn, and full of potential. So my input is aimed at understanding/accepting whatever problematic behaviors remain.

Personally, I have reduced biting to almost zero over the years I've spent with the Rickeybird... and a lot of that has involved compromise. I don't do stuff that gets me bitten. Some will say I have let him get away with too much, and that's a fair criticism, but, well... I'm okay with it. I don't do stuff that makes him mad... I don't touch others when he's out; I rarely try to get him to step up onto my hand first. Hand-held perch first, then hand. In some ways, I'm disappointed/embarassed at having such a little monster for a pet, but he is what he is. I ALWAYS wear my hair down when he's on my shoulder, so all he can bite is hair. Really, I don't involve hands much... he doesn't like them. He seems to think the real ME is my head, perched on a weird moveable tree with questionable appendages.

Since he's fully flighted, the ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a chile pepper in and he flaps in after it. So food reward is a necessity for me. Time-out doesn't exist in the Rb's kingdom.

I have had some success with using the "earthquake" technique for biting. When he bites, give your hand a swift shake... it should make him let go. The idea... every time he bites, a mysterious earthquake shakes him up. Some people feel this is mean and/or engenders lack of trust. The same can work for clothes biting... give your shoulder a shake, or jump! For me, it has helped.

But please... listen to and try all the good advice you'll get here.

Don't compromise until you know you've done your best. Then just accept and love whatever/whoever your bird turns out to be.

Parrots aren't always easy pets to understand and control, and your bird sounds ALL-PARROT!

My Rickeybird is in some ways kind of a worse-case scenario, but we have it all worked out between the two of us. Parrots run the gamut (just like people) of temperament and mental stability/brain chemistry. Like the proverbial box of chocolates... ya never know what you're gonna get.

Parrot-owners usually wind up determining their own personal comfort level with various behaviors.

Good luck, and good for you for reaching out.

Again, your bird seems to have great potential, and is so young, and there is a lot of great advice here. I am so glad you found us.

All good advice!

I had this problem when Comet was young. The method I used was very effective for me. It also worked to stop him from biting my necklaces, earring, glasses.

I simply pinched his beak between my thumb and pointer finger and held it for a few seconds. He didn't like it, but it didn't hurt him. I'd say in a low-monotone voice NO BITE. Firm, but not loud.

He would struggle to get away and when I let go if he came back to my jewelry all I had to do was make the pinching motion and he'd stop. Of course, it didn't happen overnight, this took months of constant reinforcement but I can now safely wear jewelry again, and he rarely bites hard even when we play. He likes to play rough sometimes, he flips on his back and we play the tickle game. I use all my fingers and wiggle them on his belly. If I get too rough he squawks or bites hard and I stop. I never pinch his beak if I know he's warning me about something.

I should mention clothes - well, that's a whole other ballgame. I actually have sets of bird clothes that I wear when he's spending time with me *sigh*

All great advice above...

First, know that this behavior is very normal for a Green Cheek Conure, and for most other species of Conure for that matter. The are extremely cuddly, clingy, "Velcro" birds, and once they bond with their "person", they will very quickly start testing their boundaries with you; Also, based on her age she's getting close to puberty, so she may have started some hormonal behavior already; even though it's a bit early, we have another post in this forum right now where an 8 month-old Sun Conure is showing extreme hormonal behavior already. In the case of the Sun Conure, the early and strong hormonal behavior is due to the fact that the owners put both a Nest-Box and a "Happy/Snuggle Hut" inside of the bird's cage, both of which create a small, dark, warm place for the bird to get inside of any time she wants to, which triggers extreme hormonal behavior (No parrot should ever have a Nest-Box inside of their cage unless they are laying eggs/have chicks; The "Happy Huts" are extremely unsafe in addition to triggering hormonal behavior, and should never be used due to the hundreds and hundreds of sudden, untimely deaths of pet parrots due to them)...

***So, if there are any boxes, "Huts", tents etc. inside of your Conure's cage or that she has access to anywhere, any small, dark place she can get into/underneath, even getting underneath furniture or inside a cardboard box that is close, the first step is going to be removing these and stopping her access to them.

***Usually though, with a young, juvenile Green Cheek, this behavior of nipping/biting "their person" is just a very cuddly, tame parrot testing their boundaries in their new home. This behavior usually doesn't start until the bird has settled-in to their new home and feels totally safe, secure, and comfortable there, and with their new "person"; this is why this behavior doesn't typically start right away when you first bring home a tame bird, as they don't start testing their boundaries until they feel comfortable enough with you and their home to try to get away with it; this is why it's happening now, after she's been with you in your home after 2 months.

You need to nip this behavior in the butt now, before she hits puberty, because at that point she may get very out of control. Uncontrollable hormones usually cause behavioral issues anyway, so if she's already nipping/biting your hands on a regular basis, once she hits puberty around a year or so old, she's going to really start causing issues...painful ones.

With Conures, since they are "Velcro Birds" and they absolutely love and crave attention and affection, the best method that I've found to stop biting pretty quickly is by using the "Shunning Method". In fact, they hate this so much and they are intelligent enough that they usually stop the biting on a regular basis within a couple of weeks, which is quick. Basically the "Shunning Method" is just that, you have to "Shun" her immediately every time she bites you, and you have to make sure that you stick to the program and do this every time she bites you, and everyone else in your home has to follow the program as well when she bites them; if not, it won't work, because she's still getting away with the biting.

***Here's what you do: First, choose a phrase that you will say immediately every time she bites you, something simple like "No Bites!" that she will remember and understand what it means, and that she will attach to her biting behavior. You need to say this phrase immediately upon her biting you, every time she bites you, and you need to say it firmly, like you mean it and you're not playing around with her, but you don't want to "yell" at her or "scold" her...So whenever she bites you or anyone else, you need to immediately say "No Bites!" firmly, and then immediately after saying the phrase,
you put her right down on the floor where you're standing/sitting, and then immediately turn your back to her. The reason you want to put her on the floor and not on her cage or on a stand is because they HATE being on the floor, as they are then the lowest thing in the room, and this eliminates any dominance that they feel like they have. After you put her right down on the floor, then you quickly turn your back to her, literally, and then you completely ignore her in every way for 5 minutes, no shorter, no longer. If you ignore or "shun" her for too short a time period it won't mean anything to her, and if you shun her for too long a time period she'll lose interest and forget that you're ignoring her.

During the 5 minutes that you're "shunning" her, she'll most likely start making noises/calling to you, which you must totally ignore. You do not want to face her, make eye contact with her, or acknowledge her existence in any way for a full 5 minutes. If she starts crawling up your leg, you don't say a word, don't look at her or make eye contact with her, but simply remove her and put her right back down on the floor and turn your back to her again. Same thing if she flies up onto your shoulder, you simply remove her and put her right back down on the floor. If she flies onto her cage, a stand, or a piece of furniture, keep your back turned to her and walk out of the room, ignoring her completely. Typically they are so confused and then frustrated by your "shunning" them, and their inability to get your attention that they just stand there on the floor, perplexed. After the 5 minute shunning-period is up, you go on like nothing ever happened, but often right after the first few times you do this, you'll have her step-up and she'll immediately bite you again...If and when this happens, you immediately do the same thing again right away...You say "No Bites!" firmly, put her right back on the floor, turn your back to her, and totally shun her for another 5 minutes...

Typically after you do this a handful of times they start to get it. They're extremely intelligent, and Conures specifically are so needy and feed off of attention and affection so regularly that this really upsets them and frustrates them, and it gets the point across very quickly. The key to the Shunning-Method working is consistency, with every person in the household sticking to the plan and doing it every single time she bites them.

Thank you. I will definitely try this. But what do you do when,as you try to put her down,she won't let go of the bite on whatever part of your body she has?

CreativewKids said:

Thank you. I will definitely try this. But what do you do when,as you try to put her down,she won't let go of the bite on whatever part of your body she has?

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If your bird is mostly biting when your hands when you go to set her down (and not at other times) then it's likely because you have inadvertently taught her to do it on order to avoid leaving you..especially if you tend to use your hands more when you need to put her in the cage. A bird that refuses to get down and bites when you go to remove from shoulder etc needs to work on further training before claiming that privilege. Does your bird know how to step up (I don't mean, can she--- I mean did you teach this as a trick?)


Normally, I don't say to force birds to do anything, but you need to be consistent here. I have made it an effort to let my bird know that when I decide it's time for her to get off of me, I always follow through. Don't ever punish, shake or scare your bird to remove her...have you tried standing by the cage and allowing he to step off onto the cage top?


What have you worked on as far as training is concerned so far?

CreativewKids said:

Thank you. I will definitely try this. But what do you do when,as you try to put her down,she won't let go of the bite on whatever part of your body she has?

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Same question! I'm having trouble with an acquaintance's GCC I'm taking care of for a few months, she gets over-excited while training and starts to bite, but she also refuses to step down when she's like that except for a treat or target stick. I'm worried if I use a treat that's reinforcing the biting. If i target her off she'll associate the shunning with the targeting and not the biting. I'm stumped.

Give the treat before the bite for something else-- catch them being good and give them what they want before they start trying to be bad to get it.
If she is biting for attention and shunning would work, then no, she won't associate it with the wrong thing if you make it a lifestyle...these things have to be consistent- not just for training sessions.


How is your bond? Just because a bird bites doesn't mean it is for the same reason. How long have you had this bird ?