One year old GCC

[cedesmac]

I got a one year and four months old GCC yesterday, from a friend who is moving and can no longer keep him. I have been doing a little research on them for a while now, but it's not like actually owning one. He(Simone) stayed in his cage all day yesterday, to get him to calm down and get used to his surroundings. He is eating, drinking and eats treats out of my hand. Today I have opened the door for him (he actually just took his very first step out, its been a few hours). Anyways, is it normal for him to bite, extremely hard? How can I stop the biting? Do I need to get his wings clipped before I start training him? I can tell my friend hasn't had much hands on time with him. He doesn't know step up or down, and is afraid of the stick. Any tips, he is my first "hands on" bird. What are the pros to being a GCC owner and what are some downsides. I noticed he is territorial of his cage, is this normal?? I have many questions. So any advice will be very helpful. Last question, I know they don't talk very much and sometimes not at all, But is it too late for me to try to teach him? I know I have to build up the trust between us, we are both new to each other. What would be a good way to build the bond? Thank you all in advance.

 

[critterman]

Congratulations on your new baby. The best way to bond with him is to talk to him alot. Talk softly and lovingly to him and continue to try to offer him treats by hand. It will take time but he will bond with you once he realizes that he can trust you. The biting is a issue I have not had to experience. My crimson bellied conure doesn't bite so I am not sure how to tell you to handle that but someone on here with the experience will help you. Again congrats and enjoy your new baby.

 

[JasmineGCC]

When my GCC was about 10 months old she hit puberty and turned overnight into a biter. Now she's a year old she can still be quite unpredictable - cuddly one minute then a sharp bite the next. The best thing that helps is to avoid the bite in the first place. I wear an old jumper and when I'm not giving her a treat I retract my hands inside the sleeves. She sits on my arm quite happily. If your bird bites my advice is to not overreact by shouting/shaking him off - but don't take the bite and let the bird hurt you either. With Jasmine I put her down nearby and say 'no biting' quite firmly then ignore her for a few minutes. During those minutes I think about what I have just done which triggered the bite and so can try and avoid that situation again. Then we make friends again and when she sits on me again nicely she gets lots of praise and a treat.

With a new bird - you can't give too many little treats. Every time you pass the cage. Every time the bird makes one little step towards you. Even looks at you! You want him to think you are the best friend ever and food helps a lot. Mine loves pine nuts and blueberries so she only gets these as a treat.

Don't try to rush things. Sit and talk. Give treats through the wire. Jasmine on her hormonal days wouldn't leave her cage so I taught her to target a chop stick - she touches the end when I put it through the wire and instantly gets a 'good girl' and a treat. This is a great way to build trust while avoiding bites!!

Hope this helps. Good luck !

 

[legal_eagle]

Yes, get his wings clipped. That will make him more dependent on you and less bold. Practice stepping up for now. If he flutters to the floor he will learn to step up on your finger rather than bite you. Hang out with him but don't do things that provoke him to bite so it doesn't become a pattern with him. I would not avoid labeling his behavior as territorial, etc., as the real problem is the biting, or refusing to come out of his cage (for example, in other birds) or whatever. I think it distracts when we start to try to psychoanalyze our birds.

 

[cedesmac]

He flew over and landed on my hand, bit me hard a few times and went up my arm(few more hard bites) and onto my shoulder(few more hard bites). It doesn't seem to be an aggressive or mean biting. He sits on hand and bites me as hard as he can. Like he is eating food. But I can pet him(tail, back and head). He is continuosly biting me though, and trying to eat my shirt. He has plenty of food, and has been givin treats all day. He also preens my knee very lightly(no biting) But my hands, arms, neck and ears he isn't gentle with. And when he bites he doesn't let go. I firmly say "NO BITING", and rub his head. So things are already getting better. In a sense anyways. If I trade him from hand to hand, I will get very hard bites as well. Thank you everyone for your advice. He is constaintly biting at something.

 

[MonicaMc]

You don't need to clip his wings, but it sounds like he needs some clicker training! Target training is a great first step to this! And this in turn can be used to teach him other behaviors that *do not* include biting!

 

[JasmineGCC]

Try teaching him some tricks - like turning in a circle (following treat), hang like a bat (for treat) - Jasmine does this on my finger but you could do on a perch. Lots of praise and treats. She learned both very quickly. Now she can do a somersault and I'm working on a wave!! I also have a bowl of toys eg cat toys, scrunched paper, plastic lids and she will play with these alongside me on the settee or drop them onto the floor (for me to pick up)

 

[Grenage]

GCCs are nippy birds, so there will normally be a lot of nips; they shouldn't be full on bites. Aside from general training and putting the bird down* if it doesn't stop, having toys to hand can help. Give them something to savage, and certainly don't let them on your shoulders; an angry bird on the back of one's neck can be very difficult to remove without someone getting hurt. Reading the signs is the best way to live with a conure, but remember that he'll read signs, too. When I've finished watching something on TV at 2030 and I bring up the menu, he knows that I'm going to put him in his cage soon, so he runs to the other end of the Sofa.

*It's not as effective with flighted birds; mine doesn't like to fly unless it's required.