Aggression Problems

[AS91379]

My Green Cheek has been aggressive since we got her. She's so aggressive that no one can come into my room or within five feet of me without her attacking or getting ready for attack. We know she is a one-person bird, so this is understood. However, she bites me all the time without provocation. We think this has to do with her not "getting her energy out." She has a ton of toys, but she won't play with them. If I'm in the room, she has to be with me, and she gets her energy out by playing rough with me (biting every possible body part). If I leave, she crawls into her bed and stays there until I come back, even if it is hours. She just stays there and pouts. Would removing her bed during the day be a good idea, or is it a bad idea to take away her "comfort place?" Has anyone else had to deal with aggressive birds? Could there be another reason for her biting?

 

[aliray]

I am not sure if I understood you about being in your room. is that where her cage is .if so try moving the cage to the family areas of the house so she can see all the household activity and interact more with other people. their social creatures and you and your family are now her flock. have other people talk to her and try to hand her good treats while in the cage thru the bars. My quaker is in our dining area so he sees me in and out of the kitchen all day he can see my hubby when he is on the computer or watching tv in the den. the tv is on all day. his cage is also in front of a sliding glass door on the noth side of the house no direct sun but he has a veiw of the wildlife outside. We also talk to him a lot during the day even in passing or from the other room. we are also retired wich helps....Alison and sweetie pie

 

[dishgal1]

Honestly I think they are bipolar. We will go for days and my little Forrest will be so sweet. Then he turns and we can do nothing right. We just leave him alone. When he is ready he comes to us, then if he bites he goes to his cage. I tell him NO.........then put him in saying "Good boy" Be a Good Boy". In about an hour I open his door.....there are days when he goes in several times for being aggressive, other days, he stays out al day long. I think they get in moods and everything agitates them. Ignoring them for a while makes them a lot nicer when they reunite with you or at least that is the way it is here. Is he clipped? Forrest is clipped but still flies from room to room. He doesn't have a drastic clip just enough to keep him from acting like a stunt pilot with his loop d loops.
He may need more exercise because Forrest doesn't like toys and has tons of them. His Jungle talk phone will keep him entertained for an hour or more at a time. Hope this helps.

 

[AS91379]

Her cage is in my room. Moving her is a great idea, but the cats try to harass her to death, so I'm not sure how that would work out. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[AS91379]

I may have to just put her in her cage when she bites. I hate it though, since she screams this incredibly pitiful scream. She can fly, though she never does unless she gets spooked. It has already saved her from a cat once. I'm trying to get a flight harness, but the last one was a size too small.

 

[greycloud]

It sounds like your girl does not know how to entertain herself and depends on you to do it for her. Learning to play on her own is very important and will help her to become more independent. It is a good idea to keep her cage where she can see the hub of the household and learn she is not alone even if no one is paying attention to her. I would not take the bed out at this time but move the cage and teach her how to play.
While she spends time with her play with toys in your hand. Praise her anytime she shows the least bit of interest in it. Invest in some good foot toys. Balls with bells(like cat toys*no catnip) are always a conure favorite. Finger traps and whicker toys to chew and tear up. Hide yummy nuts and popcorn in them to inspire her to forage.
Punishing a bird for biting is not beneficial to either party and can back fire. It is best to ignore the bite or just place the bird down on a chair or stand for a minute and step back up again. Time outs should not last any longer then a few seconds to a minute at the longest.Patience and baby steps are the key.

 

[Spiritbird]

I know how conure bites hurt. They latch on and do not let go. They can be little warriors. If you understand their nature you will be better able to handle her. Study up on how GCC are in the wild. Often you may learn something is missing from the home environment. My little GCC had to be the center of attention and hated to be put back in the cage. What is the bird's history??

 

[AS91379]

Thanks for the recommendations about moving her! I took her travel cage downstairs, and we watched TV together. The cats and dogs didn't mind her, so long as I was there. She still screamed, but she was much nicer when I went to hold her. She has foot toys, but she just drops them off the edge of her cage and makes me go get them. I'm going to try getting foraging toys. Thanks for the advice on the time outs. I was leaving her for about an hour to cool off. I'll try only two or three minutes.

 

[AS91379]

I got my GCC in August. She came from PetSmart. They commented that she was more aggressive than most of the birds that they had had, but they also said they hadn't had time to socialize her. I suppose I'll have to make up for all that. She's a very sweet girl, when she isn't wound up. It's just that she gets upset and bites very often. My cheek and upper lip was today's victims, though that wasn't normal.