Help! My Conure is in attack mode!

[SnickerDoodles]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone might help me to understand my 8 month Jenday Conures newest behaviour.

He will be sitting on my lap preening, or sitting on the couch playing with his toys. He is obviously calm and relaxed, very content, then out of NO WHERE he lunges and attacks! It can be towards people, toys or even a box of tissue paper. It's crazy. There's no lead up, no loud noises, or uncomfortable situations for him. It's like a light switch goes off and he attacks.

Can anyone help identify the behaviour and how to fix it? I've attached a video to help explain.

Thanks
Jen:

 

[Flboy]

It's the drugs!



Unhelpful joke! But bumping you back up the list.

 

[OneHorseRanch]

Bummer! wish I knew how to help. Sheldon my GCC will be playing with his toys and his foot will come up to hold it and he'll bite it as if to say "it's my toy! dont touch it!". Crazy bird.. Maybe it's just a bit of phase your bird is going through. but how frustrating when the attacks are headed in your direction.

 

[Flboy]

This may help,
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

 

[SnickerDoodles]

Thank you for the link Flboy. I agree that I need to discover the lead measures to this behavior. But that is where I'm having issues. I'm normally really good at reading Snickers' body language. But this completely eludes me. It really has no warning signs that I can find. The only thing I can think is that he has a burst of pent up energy. However that doesn't really make a lot of sense either. He is out of his cage for at least 5 hours a day and he has dozens of toys to choose from. I rotate his cage toys and his outside cage toys weekly. And we do training regularly. I just don't know what else to do.

 

[Piasa]

Hey Jen,

I can't see the video, so flying blind. But is there any potential that he's seeing something as a nesting spot where he is playing or mate-stand-in toy? Sexual behavior such as digging or burrowing?

My conure, different kind, male, every once in awhile gets hit by Cupid's arrow or something and will get a look in his eye and slowly weave, one false move and he'll bite. It only lasts 30 seconds or so. No idea what brings it on, but I can see it in him to know when. A lot of times he is sitting with me doing nothing when this happens. I don't give him opportunity to bite, but find out that if I stay cheery, he snaps out of it quickly. Especially if I sing him the big bitey beak song, hahah! Maybe he just wants recognized! But anyway, eyes go back to normal and he is sweet as can be.

 

[Birdman666]

Can't see the video.

 

[MonicaMc]

Sometimes, it can be as simple as your hand moving startles him and sets him off. Or maybe it's a shadow caused by someone or something moving... or maybe it's a reflection of a shiny object that freaks him out?


It can be little things like that that we may not even pay attention to but clearly stands out to our feathered companions!

 

[SnickerDoodles]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! This site wasn't letting me post my video, so I've put it on You Tube. Here it is, [ame="https://youtu.be/nMK-IGVqkec"]IMG 0005 - YouTube[/ame] Let me know if you have any other ideas. I'm still trying to find out what is causing this behavior.

 

[MonicaMc]

The video isn't exactly very helpful. It shows his behavior, but not what's going on within the environment....