Conure biting out of curiosity?

I just got my little Nico (Green Cheek Conure) yesterday and he's quite the rascal!
I've just got a couple of questions.

Nico is super active some of the time (flipping upside down, bobbing his head up and down, walking around) but spends a substantial amount of time with his feathers moderately fluffed (probably not the fluffiest he could be but more than when he's doing his acrobatics) and making peeping noises. Is this normal? Why is he doing it? He also takes a lot of short naps right after he does this.

I also have a problem: Nico is biting. A lot. And I'm pretty sure this isn't the kind of biting that's a form of aggression or anger? He'll bob his head up and down and come to the door of his cage so I'll open it and he'll fly down to play, and I'll just sit back and offer toys and watch. However, I think he thinks my hand is a fun chew toy because he'll toddle over to me and then start biting my fingers if I have them anywhere near him. It's not a sudden bite, seems to be more of a "hey this is fun to chew on" bite that progressively gets more painful. I've done the "grabbing his beak and telling him no" thing but I've done it more than a few times now and it doesn't seem to be getting through. If you could give me tips on how to control this behavior that would be greatly appreciated.

If he bites, pull your hand away and turn your back on him and ignore him. Birds a little toddlers that LOVE attention. So giving him attention / letting him do it isn't gonna change anything. So giving them no attention when they do something wrong, they tend to learn really quick not to do the thing. Though I am obviously no expert so someone correct me if I am wrong.

As a general rule, any new parrot should be taken to see a vet for a wellness check and also gram stains, blood taken to ensure there are no underlying health issues. They will be able to decipher if the 'puffiness' you are seeing is normal or sign of an illness.

As for the biting, it should be discouraged and as stated above, many utilize the 'no attention' when their birds bite as a sort of time out, as they crave attention from us so withholding that and/or placing them in another room is used the same way as when a toddler throws tantrums and tests their boundaries. Biting is never acceptable behavior and should never be tolerated.

I've also noticed that when he is fluffed up, he is also more likely to chirp and flinch at me whenever I change anything in the room (walking across the room, turning off the light, opening his door, looking at him, etc).
I adopted Nico from an avian vet tech, just called her and she said he's been through an avian vet check-up and that he's sleepy. She explained that Nico is only a baby (he was weaned just a couple of weeks ago) so it's understandable that he needs more sleep than adult birds. His stools look completely normal, he's eating and drinking fine, and he is pretty active when he wants to be so I shouldn't have anything worry about. The flinching and peeping noises seem to be irritation about being disturbed when he's trying to sleep. He beak-grinds before he goes to bed at night so I can conclude that he isn't completely unhappy with me though.
The call kinda cleared things up for me in the fluffed up department but I'd like to post what happened for anyone who might be going through a similar situation.
Please keep leaving tips for the biting behavior if anyone can!

You basically just adopted a feathered puppy with a can opener on it's face! What you are describing (re: beakiness) is quite normal!


As far as the biting/nippy behavior actually goes... instead of thinking of how to stop the behavior, try to instead think of what you want Nico to be doing. Could Nico be learning new behaviors? Learning how to forage? Playing with a toy? And how can you make those behaviors more rewarding than chewing on you? What treats does he find rewarding?