Conure overly clingy and biting issue

[quackerz]

Hello,

I guess this thread is a follow up to my last post. My GCC is usually just nippy which doesn't scratch skin or draw blood. But recently he would be mad at me and bite my VERY hard after I leave him in the cage for even just a couple hours. This aggressiveness can last up to 3 days during which he will seize every chance to bite me hard.

Apparently the issue is me leaving him in the cage alone. But this wasn't an issue before. He showed aggression after me getting back from work but that was really only for a couple minutes. During Christmas a winter storm hit so we got to stay at home all the time and he was out of the cage virtually all the time for about a week. Then this behavior started to show. I pretty much tried everything I can, distraction, putting him down right after he bites, putting him back to the cage or just leaving him alone. However after all that he is still very adamant about punishing me.

Then I realized If a bird is mad he will bite no matter what and I've been trying to correct the consequence (biting) not the cause (clinginess). My question is how to make him get over this clinginess and understand sometimes he needs to be alone.

 

[onamom]

I think the key to getting them to accept alone time is about making sure they are entertained while you’re away. What is his cage set up like? Does he have lots of toys and perches to keep him entertained when you leave him alone? Here are some things I try when I have to leave Ona alone for a few hours:

- putting on music (I think this really helps her not feel as lonely and makes a big difference)
- setting up a foraging toy with lots of special treats such as dried fruits, millet
- telling her “bye” when I leave
- making sure some of her favorite toys are in her cage

If he has a favorite snack you could even try putting some in a food bowl to keep him distracted for a bit.

 

[HeatherG]

With my Meyers parrot, when he’s making anxiety whistles I comfort him. Once I “got” that these were anxious calls I knew more what to do about them and do I would call back to him and tell him something like “it’s ok” or “I’m in here”. He makes those noises much less than when I just ignored the whistles.