Green cheek is getting nasty. What am I supposed to do?

[JesusWasRussian]

I posted a recently about my green cheek conure, Buddy, about him not wanting to get off shoulders, and it's just getting worse and I'm really lost.

As long as he's doing what he wants, he's fine. As soon as you try to do something he doesn't want, specifically move on him my shoulder, he gets nasty, and persistent. He'll squawk and bite hard enough to break the skin. I've tried avoiding and not reacting to curious biting, but he'll keep going until I can't not react, and with the aggressive, it's impossible. It's just too painful.

Most of the information I've gotten is to not react when he bites.. I have to to get him off my shoulder.

Then more is don't let him on my shoulder, but how is he supposed to learn? And that's honestly the best place for him to be for me.

They say put him back in his cage. Doesn't seem to affect him. He doesn't get it.

And I keep seeing everywhere that I shouldn't punish birds because their trust is too fragile, but it's totally fine if he tears my skin open?

For now, I've just been bribing him off, but even that takes a few tries and I don't feel like it's a realistic long-term way to get him to do what I want.

I'm just getting very over this and I'm very lost about what I'm supposed to do. Anything information is much appreciated.

Would wearing gloves help just until I can somehow get him to stop? Or would he start up again as soon as they come off?

p.s. he was not with an abusive owner, they took great care of him. He's about four months old.

 

[Jayyj]

The difficulty with the bird being on your shoulder in this situation is that the bird is in a position of control: if he doesn't want to come down, it's very easy for him to dodge out of the way and his position is easily defended if any persistent hands continue to stray in his direction, so it's the worst possible situation to be trying to work on the behaviour. Ultimately if you want him on your shoulder that's up to you, but it sounds like you need to suspend shoulder privileges until he's not trying to use biting to get his own way anywhere else, and in the meantime meticulously practice stepping up so that when he does go on your shoulder it's drilled into him to step up to your hand if asked, and try target training so you can use your target stick to guide him where you want him.

It's easy and often repeated that you should ignore painful bites, but can you imagine doing that with a large cockatoo or macaw? I'm sure the more experienced members will chime in soon, but there have been a few recent threads on address biting that go beyond just telling you to ignore them, so worth doing some checking through older threads in the meantime.

 

[getwozzy]

I agree with jayyj....if he doesn't step up off your shoulder when asked then I wouldn't allow him up there until he "steps up" every. single. time. you ask him to. If he does happen to get up there and won't step up to your hand, then use a perch to remove him.

 

[JesusWasRussian]

Thanks for the information, guys. I will dig through some old threads, and try the perch. See how that goes. If not, I'll just keep him off my shoulder.

 

[getwozzy]

Good luck!! Remember- he's still a baby and he's got quite a bit to learn.. And he maybe is just being beaky, but you still need to teach him what hurts. If he bites you too hard say OW! stop the game for a couple minutes until he calms down, then continue....

 

[CheshireGrymm]

I am having a similar problem with my yellow-sided. He is very sweet, but he seems to bite too hard at times and most of the responses I got was to NOT react with an "OW!" because the bird will think of it as a game to get a reaction out of you. So far ignoring has not been working well and he just nips when he is told to step up. What seemed to work was distracting him with food. You could always try that!

 

[Nakiska]

Hello,

I just seen this post and thought I'd chime in with an idea that I used for a bit while our baby Franklin (Yellow Sided Green Cheek) was learning and growing. He is going to be a whopping 3 years old in March! I can't hardly believe it!

Anyway...as for the shoulder quandary - what worked for us was to either put on an over shirt, light jacket or sweater, even drape a towel over our shoulders, then when we wanted Franklin off our shoulder, we'd first ask with offering our finger, if that didn't work, then we just removed the shirt, jacket, towel...what ever and no fight, no harm-no foul.

What's great about this method is that you can first offer to get him/her to step up and willingly be removed from your shoulder, and if he/she is not willing, well...they get removed anyway with the removal of the garment.

Franklin eventually learned, without conflict...that when it's time to get down...it's happening whether he likes it or not. We didn't mess around, we offered our finger, asked him to step, as long as he didn't bite or get aggressive, we'd keep trying for success...but if he lunged, attempted to bite or run off behind us, down our back or to our other shoulder, we'd just remove the garment, no hard feelings, we "won" and that was that.

For us humans....It's nice to have our birds on our shoulders, hanging out with us, they're out of our way, so to speak, so our hands are free to do other things, typing, dishes, cooking, reading....

For our birds...they love our shoulder because they feel it gives them "power" - so to speak. They believe that they are the "big man on campus" and some parrots can become rather dangerously aggressive when asked to be removed from their "Throne" on their human.

Some parrots can become protective of their shoulders and simply turning your head or leaning in for a cheek nuzzle can cause a bite. And bites to the face are rather shocking, sometimes for the bird and ALWAYS for us!

Okay, so I thought I read that your Buddy is 4 months old? He's very young and in his very active learning stage...this is good

For our Franklin, we tried to curb the shoulder time until he was a bit older, so as to teach him other ways to be handled and played with. He loves to play "kick-back-bird" in our hand where he puts his feet on our thumb and the rest of our hand is wrapped around him as if we were holding a can or bottle. He loves to play games on our chest and lap and we tend to have little balls, rattles, bells, popsicle sticks and things around to keep his little brain busy during our "hang out" time.

Conures are A LOT smarter than some people give them credit for. I'm sure your Buddy will catch on really quick that fight or no fight, he has to get off your shoulder when you ask and he will most likely choose the path of least resistance once he understands it's a no-win battle for him.

Good Luck and keep us posted!

Toni

 

[Empath]

Franklin eventually learned, without conflict...that when it's time to get down...it's happening whether he likes it or not.

i've actually taken my tshirt off and removed a bird if they're being naughty and biting and refusing to get off. Also with my flighted birds, if they start playing up, i'll tell them "no" try and distract them, but if they continue i'll drop my shoulder or shake it and they'll take off across the room. they usually come back, but usually they're not so nippy (although my amazon doesnt always get it)

i've just replied to a post in the quaker forum about how learned helplessness is not necessarily being a bad thing. if the bird learns its happening either way, they eventually get the idea and stop fussing about

as for the "not reacting" thing, i wonder whether this is one of those urban myths. i've had sulphur cresteds latch on, been pierced by lorikeets, quakers etc and most of them hurt like hell. it's all well and good to pretend it doesnt hurt but it does. i react when i get bitten and i've never seen an increase in that behaviour from any of my birds.

 

[t0mmick]

THNK you so much for that i also have a bitting yellow sided lol he bit me on my back today the little bugger , I'm going to try this over coat thing, not to mention its extra padding for the next time he decides to chomp my back!! I do let my birds know they hurt me by saying NO not yelling i say it calm but firm and then put them down to let them know i won't have it, I've noticed improvement!

 

[Nakiska]

I don't think there is any harm, what so ever, in telling your bird NO in a firm voice...we did it with Franklin...if he went to bite we'd tell him in a firm louder voice...NO BITE! He does understand that as well as "beee niiiiice..." in a warning tone voice.

We also "controlled" how hard he could "exploratory beak" us....pretty much, any pressure was considered a "bite" and he was told..."Frankieeee...NOO BITE." Or "Beee Nice"

He learned "give kiss" where he touches us with his beak and makes a kiss sound...sometimes he get's excited and will give a little pinch and I tell him..Ouch, no bite...bad birds bite, good birds give kisses...he puffs himself up and totally bawls me out...in birdie chatter, with the words "Give KISS" thrown in there...it's sooo funny!!! He's grumbling, then he'll say...GIVE KISS then make the kiss sound and go on grumbling birdie chatter.

Basically telling me...I WAS giving you a kiss when I pinched you!