gcc nippiness

[ilovegccs]

I have read that young green cheek conures can be nippy, and that they grow out of it. My gcc is about 4-5 months old now and he is nippy. If i put him close to my face he'll nibble and sometimes bite my nose, lip, or ear. I want to discourage this behavior so that when he grows older, he won't carry the behavior with him. How do i discourage the behavior? How about biting and chewing on my clothe, should this be discouraged too? Of course he isn't trying to hurt me, he just doesn't know its wrong.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

When my birds are nibbling on me gently I say "good bird, your being gentle" and when they bite a little too hard I say "owwww, that hurts!" And walk away(if that is something they don't want, if they want to be alone you are only rewarding the biting) But this usually only works if they are accidentally biting you hard.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I don't know if this will help but first off, I never allow any bird near my face. I don't even like them on my shoulder. But that's just me. The reason being you can't really tell their body language and since birds can be unpredictable this can lead to a nasty bite.

That being said, Rio my 6 month old Sennie is so mouthy, she is like a teething puppy. She likes to play with my fingers in her mouth but so far she has never even applied pressure. I have been bitten by her once, so I definitely know the difference. She will play with my fingers and rub her cheeks on them to get scratched. I like it when it's on her terms, and it seems help to build our bond. I like to play with her feet, so when we are playing this game I tell her "I'm gonna get your toes!" She seems to like it and will play along. But she definitely has a threshold that I never cross.

As you learn about you bird, it's body language, etc., you will know what you can and can not do. If you do not want him to do something then don't put him in that situation. I also have a parrotlet that is a sweetheart but she likes to pinch you and she will draw blood, especially around the neck an face of her victim. So we just don't allow her to be in any situation that will allow her to do this. If she flys or jumps to the shoulder we remove her immediately. I don't know of any of this helps but it's just what I do.

 

[MonicaMc]

Prevent and redirect. Conures are curious creatures by habit, so it may help to have extra toys, foot toys and foraging activities to keep your conure busy! Also do some trick training! It can be fun for both you and your conure!

 

[ilovegccs]

yup thanks for the help. He likes my attention so if he nibbles, ill stay, and if he bites too hard I leave. What about clothes? I can't tell how hard he is biting it but should I let him? Would it confuse him if he thinks the clothe are like a part of me?