Anything resembles a stick, we get attacked!

ChickensMom

New member
Apr 13, 2011
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I'm at my wits end with my Sun! I'm so mad right now so please forgive me if I seem, well, mad. What the hell am I to do with this bird? ANYTHING that resembles a stick we get attacked over. I was sweeping the kitchen and my Sun was sitting on my shoulder making her typical double "bark" squawk letting me know she doesn't like my broom and I purposely ignore it because she needs to get over this! I've had her for 4 years and she's 4 years old, its about time!! Most of the time she doesn't bite me, but now I have a nickle-sized triangle-shaped bloody bruise on my bicep. We can't use anything without being scared: paintbrushes, pens, pencils, knives, spatulas, turners, scissors, markers, Straighteners, perches (unless they're in her cages)! These items are ok as long as we are not touching them, but once we touch them she attacks and won't let go of us! She's been this way for years.

I've stuck pens and pencils in her cage as suggested by someone on this forum, but she just bites them, knocks them down to get them away from her, and that's it.

My fiance's daughter hates her because she can't just carry on with her normal routine (she straighten's her hair in the morning) without our Sun flying into her bathroom to attack her. So now I tell my fiance's son not to let her out in the mornings. My fiance, his son, and me love our Sun, but are extremely leary of her. Sometimes we will be watching TV and she will sit on our belly's just relaxing, we will scratch her head and give her love, then after 5 minutes of us not giving her attention she'll lunge at our face or neck. We've always put her on a time out for such behavior, but it's not doing any good. She's done this when she cuddles, sometimes not all the time - she'd be under our shirts cuddling, and once we lift our collar to check on her or to admire her, she'd lunge at us like a rattlesnake and bite our faces.

I don't understand how some people's Conures are good around company and kids. I'm always worrying about letting her out around my company in fear that she'll hurt them, especially our little nieces and nephews. What should we do?! Please help!
 

Nakiska

New member
May 30, 2011
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Washington
Parrots
4 Cockatiels 2 males Chicken Little & Charlie, 2 Females Chiquita and Sweet pea. Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure -Franklin and our now tame, rescued feral Pigeon - Belle.
Oh my goodness! I completely understand your frustration. I have to laugh a little bit though, because this behavior reminds me of the first cockatiel I ever owned. Chaco.

I got him from my father in law, who found him in his yard. After weeks of trying to find his home, he called me and asked if I'd like a bird. Of course I said yes.

Well, Chaco was amazing! He taught me everything he knew, he talked quite good and he absolutely loved me. A few months into our relationship. Chaco would get territorial of space...it could be anywhere, the dining room table, or some times the entire dining room. Sometimes it was floor space, sometimes air space...and you'd NEVER KNOW he'd laid claim to a space until you invaded it. Then watch out! Little Birds in attack mode are SCARY!!!

I called a friend who'd owned birds in the past and she said to get a spray bottle and put it on stream and fill it with water, and every time he flies to attack, you bean him with the stream of water, right in his face if you can. They don't like water sprayed at them like that.

So I tried it, I even placed various spray bottles around the house that I could grab in a jiffy should he lay claim to the couch or the TV! LOL I think we were making progress, slowly...and one afternoon, I was drying my hands with a dish towel and completely unprovoked, completely unprepared for it, I had entered Chaco's "claimed" space and he came at me with a vengeance! I saw him coming and reacted by yelling Chaco NO!!! And swung the hand towel in front of me, as he was coming for my face, it wasn't meant to hit him, just deter him but he was flying fast and as I swung the towel he flew into it and he went careening into the side of the computer, I saw feathers fluttering down....I was MORTIFIED!

I ran to the table to see a perfectly fine Chaco, he climbed up on my hand and I said to him. I am soo sorry, but you were a very bad boy!

And you know what? That was the last day I ever had the attacking problem. He NEVER again laid claim to any part of our house again.

Now I don't condone hitting birds, and I know it's not an effective means of punishment, but I just thought I could tell you my story and know you are not alone.

For your conure, I'd DEFINITELY try the spray bottle with water. If she aggressively flies at you because you have a pen or a crayon, broom or anything....then I'd bean her with a stream of water and also use your firm NO-STOP voice command. This was the advice given to me from my friend who'd trained several Macaws.

Good Luck and keep us posted!

Toni
 

Remy

New member
Jul 13, 2011
1,905
1
California
Parrots
Darcy (Golden-Collared Macaw), Puck (Caique - RIP)
Perhaps more cage time? That's what I do with Puck when he's agitated.
 

IcyWolf

New member
Jul 5, 2011
1,542
3
Etters, Pa
Parrots
~Alexandrine Parakeet~2 Red Lored Amazons~Blue Fronted Amazon~Black capped conure~4 Green Cheeks~4 Parrotlets~2 lineolated parakeets~9 American budgies~9 English budgies~ And lots of babies :)
I don't know that I would try the spray bottle thing, breeders and aviculturists used to always tell people to use spray bottles as a punishment and while it would work to deter their behavior, it also has a very high potential to make your bird afraid of water. I have had "second hand" birds that are afraid of water and it's very hard to get them over it, and bathing is a very important part of health care for our fids.
 

oled

New member
Jul 10, 2011
1,149
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South Sweden
Parrots
Ville a double yellow head Amazon
I agree but if that is the only possibility its better than come in to the"give up"situation



I don't know that I would try the spray bottle thing, breeders and aviculturists used to always tell people to use spray bottles as a punishment and while it would work to deter their behavior, it also has a very high potential to make your bird afraid of water. I have had "second hand" birds that are afraid of water and it's very hard to get them over it, and bathing is a very important part of health care for our fids.
 

merlinsmom13

Active member
Jul 27, 2010
1,445
1
Beckley, WV
Parrots
Merlin a Red Crowned Amazon
How about clipping her wings? Its usually a last resort for me, but if she's making enemies, it might help. Merlin is not clipped but theres times when I think it would do him good. Flight attacks are bad, you could brush him away & hurt him accidentally. Good luck
 

lexx510

New member
Mar 13, 2011
812
1
Bay Area, CA
Parrots
Pineapple Green Cheek Conure
I don't know that I would try the spray bottle thing, breeders and aviculturists used to always tell people to use spray bottles as a punishment and while it would work to deter their behavior, it also has a very high potential to make your bird afraid of water. I have had "second hand" birds that are afraid of water and it's very hard to get them over it, and bathing is a very important part of health care for our fids.

Very good point!

How about making a loud, unpleasant sound instead? Birds usually fear loud, startling sounds, and fly away from them. For example, clapping your hands very loudly, etc. Same principle but without the risk of developing an unhealthy aversion to water.

The goal would be to pair undesired behavior with an aversive stimulus. Naturally, your bird will learn to avoid the behavior in order to avoid the negative stimulus as its consequence. However, you have to be very consistent otherwise its ineffective.
 
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suebee

New member
Jan 13, 2011
2,394
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hummm wonder if your birds related to the nut?? she use to do flying attacks, and like nakiska i had to bat her from my face, she's never flown at it since, thought she does come from behind now to attack an ear! fetched blood yesterday!

but as said, DO NOT HIT YOUR BIRD! i batted nut out of the way simply as it was her 2nd attack and she meant business and it was a reactional hit rather then a punishment, and i think nut understood that as there was no hard feelings after, from her! though i was still bruised and not feeling the love for the nut

they bite when they are over excited, so when your sun see's these items they excite her, either cage her when using these items or do it out of her sight

when she is under clothing lift item from waist line an let her come out, she prob thinks its a game to steal your nose etc

when they clamp on and mean business, it hurts and i have no idea how to remove the little darlings, other then holding the top beak, in between crying in pain an doing a shuffling, wriggling, bopping kinda dance (thought nut clamping onto me is very rare)

i have set up a new routine for nut, she is now caged most of the day, even when we are in, this seemed to have settled her some, she gets out around 4pm till her bed time around 7pm, attacks have nearly stopped, we no longer have daily attacks (bites i can handle)

also i use to wave things at nut to get her to fly off things or spray with water, they learn to fly around object onto the skin, and it just creates tension i think, especially if they are feelin that way out. like very naughty children,

also i cannot use a pen etc when nut is out, or a phone, she gets a squint in her eye and i know if i continue she will either fly onto my hand to make me drop item or fly over to bite me!
 
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YNAMomma

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Sep 18, 2011
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Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Ianto-10yr old M. YN-Amazon,
Toshiko - 10yr old F. YN-Amazon (Mated pair)
For us we keep Empty pop bottles filled with unpopped popcorn kernals and maccaroni noodles in them so when the bird is being bad we shake them at them. Its easy to keep these around the house for easy pick up and my Amazons hate the sound so they make a U-e in the other direction to get away from it. Also the few times they have come toward it and werent able to stop and i knew i was gonna get an angry bird at me the bottle is often a make shift perch to catch them on or put between you so u dont get a bird in the face.
 
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Nakiska

New member
May 30, 2011
787
0
Washington
Parrots
4 Cockatiels 2 males Chicken Little & Charlie, 2 Females Chiquita and Sweet pea. Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure -Franklin and our now tame, rescued feral Pigeon - Belle.
Oh GOOD other points! I've been horrible sick the last few days and it's funny at first I was going to mention more cage time and wing clipping, but I forgot in my agony and all I could think about was Chaco bird claiming his territories. Hahahaha...it was funny, but not funny.

Anyway KUDOS to the others who mentioned it.

Yes, if it were me in this situation, I'd start with more cage time and make sure she's getting a full nights sleep, if that don't help, I'd clip...it's temporary and can be quite an attitude adjuster for a dominate bird such as what you are dealing with.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

Toni
 

JensFlock

New member
Jul 31, 2011
284
0
South Carolina
Parrots
Eclectus,
Blue Crowned Conure,
Quaker,
Lineolated Parakeet,
Diamond Dove,
Star Finch,
Spice Finch
I would definitely do a wing clip. That will avoid the air bombing and it will make him more dependent on you to take him where he wants to go.
It will give him a little attitude adjustment.
 
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ChickensMom

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Apr 13, 2011
6
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Wow, thanks everyone for your input! Along with all the things I mentioned in my original post, I forgot to mention she hates sponges, mouse of my computer, and AC adapters...extremely weird. I have notices that some of these items make a noise when being used (scrubbing of the sponges, the marking noise of a pen/pencil), but it doesnt make sense to me too because she is totally fine with a vacuum cleaner and our carpet shampooer. Also black objects...she HATES black things, even black fabric...BUUUTT if you're wearing black fabric she's okay...folding black laundry in front of her she's back to lunging at the fabric tearing holes in them. What gives with this selective aggression? It's not like she's been traumatized by these things. I will definitely try the things you guys have mentioned. Thanks so much!
 

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