friendly biting and Flying

[Scotty T]

OK, so I have 2 issues I'm sure what to do about.

1) The bird is very friendly, very sweet, loves everyone but he seems to want to nibble on your finger and what not, nothing too hard. But slowly he get's stronger and strong until you have to tell him no biting. I know it's not agressive behavior, but, What to do?

Mind you he's only 4 months, maybe it's a maturity thing.

2) I have and want my bird to be flighted. Problem is, now that he has discovered his freedom he decides to fly from room to room. When I try to get him he flys away from me. It's quite annoying. I don't want him getting into something that's going to hurt him that's why I get him. What I have to do is get him in a room, with the door closed, and keep at it until he gets tired then I'm able to snatch him up and put him in his cage.

Any advice to make him more compliant?

Again, I think it's a maturity thing. It seems as if he's playing a little game with me.

 

[oled]

There could maybe be a connection betwen biting and flying and not comming to you, you have to catch him. That he could take as agression from you hand and he is meeting agression with agression. So I think he not should be allowed to fly free before he has lerned comming to you. But as you are wrinting that is it maby not an agressive biting but still my surgestion is that dont have him free untill he will come to you

 

[suebee]

keep a toy handy for when he is on you, he can chew on that!

as for putting him away start with training him to come to you for a treat etc

start training with plenty of time to spare! as soon as he comes give treat lol

 

[Scotty T]

Well, it's not quite like that.

He comes to me quite a bit, he loves to fly over to the kitchen, realizes I'm not coming and flys back to me. So it's not an issue of that.
I think he realizes I'm getting ready to put him away and he doesn't want to go back.

Mind you this isn't all the time he does this.

The biting, in the fashion that he does it, you can tell it's a kind of "I don't know my own strength" kind of thing. He's play nibbling.

It's not a matter of me thinking he's being agressive, it's a matter of....
What's the best method of working with this.

 

[Adz]

If this is a new bird I'd consider having it clipped just to begin with. This will make the bird a little easier to control and you can tech it the basics. I did and now after about 10 months Loco is just getting his flights back. He's now very well behaved and I'm happy to let him move around by himself.

On the biting, man, they LOVE to bite. Good luck with that one....

 

[Mayden]

Gonna keep tabs on this as I'm having the 'friendly biting' issue too. My senegal isn't clipped but he's a real velcro bird, hates being away from me>andy>any person. This is fantastic but he can have a right nasty nip occasionally when he's just mouthing a bit too hard...

 

[Scotty T]

At this point he already knows the freedom of flight and I feel it would be horrible to clip his wings. Not to mention he might hurt himself because his knowledge tells him he can fly well and the first time he tries it he might under compensate and smash into the ground.

I'd prefer to have training knowledge of how to get him to fly to me on command. I'm doing my research.

 

[Mayden]

At this point he already knows the freedom of flight and I feel it would be horrible to clip his wings. Not to mention he might hurt himself because his knowledge tells him he can fly well and the first time he tries it he might under compensate and smash into the ground.

I'd prefer to have training knowledge of how to get him to fly to me on command. I'm doing my research.

Have you tried clicker training?
I don't use the clicker on my birds but lots of people have success with it.

Merlin knows the 'come' command and /usually/ follows just because he has the pleasure of spending time with mummy/daddy when he gets to us as he won't take food as a reward, just 'company' and some tickles now and then. Whats your conures 'weakness'?

I'm /generally/ against wing clipping, especially in already flighted birds as it's like teaching a baby to walk, chopping off his legs then giving him a wheelchair 'because its safer' type thing.

The only thing I can recommend is just CONSTANT positive reinforcement when he comes to you on command. If you see him flying to you, call out a word 'come' or whatever you want to use and then when he lands on you give him lots of praise/treat etc.

I prefer to not use food as to reinforce though as if the birds not hungry, it's not interested (or so seems the trend I've seen)!

 

[Mandy60]

I have a keet who screams and bites, if it bites me I just tap it on the beak and say NO! Try replacing your finger with something else.
Good Luck!