Hello I'm a new bird owner with a unique problem.

[McCaleb]

Hello, my name is Gary. I just recently purchased a lovely little black capped conure. His name is Thoth and was purchased from a generic pet store from a bin. Yes, Yes i know bad idea, but hear me out when i locked eyes with this guy something compelled me to buy him. I bought the biggest cage i could find "*easily 3 feet high by 3 feet long" bought him tons of medium bird toys and the best pellet food i could find in the store, *with a bag of seed mixed fruit food for treats.

Well i got him home and he was wild. The next day he would take seed from my hand and would let me pet him. well i have started clicker training and plan to teach him target training.

Now to my unique problem, i was in a motorcycle accident many years ago and have lost almost 75% of feeling in my body (cant feel needle pricks any where but my head and feet.) Now this posses a unique problem with his biting vs nipping. I can't tell when he is biting hard to tell me no, or just testing to see if my finger is a firm perch (my dad owned 2 blue macaws, so I'm use to birds but he is deceased now so i cant ask him.)

So how can i hand tame this little conure. Hes looking at me and trying to talk as we speak.

Side note- he likes to put his beak around my hand and flick his tongue around it. Is he nipping or just tasting for salt? Also he puts his beak on my finger when i am cleaning his cage he does not draw blood but it appears he is applying quite a bit of pressure, no feather fluffing or wings back or squawking during this.

"t;dr" - I cant feel my hands and arms due to an injury and how can i tell if he is biting hard because he is mad or terrified of me.

((So i dont double post, yes i have taken him to the vet and he is just fine.))
((Will add * to where i have edited over time to clarify to save tons of posts))

 

[Beilana]

Welcome to the forum Gary black capped conures are sooooo cute, whats his/her name??? Sorry I can't offer any advice about your problem, it is definitely unique...hopefully someone will chime in for you enjoy your stay here

 

[McCaleb]

Haven't had the little birdy dna sexed yet but plan on naming him/her Thoth the Egyptian god of knowledge and higher thinking. Yeah my problem is unique but helps with training i wont pull my hand away ever

 

[Beilana]

eeek sorry I re read your post and realized after that you had posted the name derrr. lol I like the name, awesome meaning too!

Conures are known to be quite nippy and usually do it to test their boundaries or explore. Maybe you could watch to see how much the skin is being clamped on to tell how hard the bite is????

 

[McCaleb]

That might work, thanks!

Also heres a picture of Thoth! Plan on getting a bigger floor cage from amazon next pay check.

 

[Beilana]

Awe Thoth is adorable!!!!!! Just look at those bright curious eyes

 

[madparrotwoman]

Wow a cutie!

Gary, not meaning to belittle your dissability at all but having no feeling in your hands sure could be a good thing when owning an untamed parrot! My thoughts on your question: if the parrot draws blood or even takes skin off it's a bite, anything else is best ignored. If it doesn't hurt then it's a bonus, I'd imagine Thoth would train easier with you than anyone else because he/she will soon learn that nipping you gets no reaction so it will become a pointless exercise. I wish you loads and loads of luck and thank you for taking on a needy bird especially since you have problems of your own.

Oh and a warm welcome to the forum.

 

[McCaleb]

Thank you, im surprised he looked so well since he was pulled out of a bin of conures in a crappy pet store.

 

[Spiritbird]

We are all happy to have you here with us. Conures are so much fun I am told. I am suggesting that you get him used to NOT being on your shoulder at all becaue the bites can be on the back of the neck and you would never know it was there. I would also get him stick rained rather than to your hand. That is all I can think of now.

 

[McCaleb]

We are all happy to have you here with us. Conures are so much fun I am told. I am suggesting that you get him used to NOT being on your shoulder at all becaue the bites can be on the back of the neck and you would never know it was there. I would also get him stick rained rather than to your hand. That is all I can think of now.

I never even thought of the shoulder thing. Your absolutely right he could mess my neck up and i would never know... Also i planned on stick training him after target training then with some luck and a lot of trust get him on my finger.

 

[AndrewH]

Good luck! I'm sure you will be fine. This is a unique problem. I think the advice about drawing blood and removing skin being a bite is right on. You might also put in this category nips/bites that that leave an indentation/red mark/bruise. I think the main reason you woud want to know this is to ensure that you are not forcing the bird to do something it is uncomfortable with (like being handled when it doesn't want to).

 

[McCaleb]

Good luck! I'm sure you will be fine. This is a unique problem. I think the advice about drawing blood and removing skin being a bite is right on. You might also put in this category nips/bites that that leave an indentation/red mark/bruise. I think the main reason you woud want to know this is to ensure that you are not forcing the bird to do something it is uncomfortable with (like being handled when it doesn't want to).

your right i would never want to force a new bird into an uncomfortable situation hence why i was asking. Also thanks for the tips will keep that in mind!

 

[Dj tweet]

I agree with the other members
eye pinning and general body language will help you also
watch what he does when he is happy and playing and I think by learning these it will help you establish what behaviours show his displeasure

Good luck and I wish you all the best

Just a side note on cages watch out for your bar spacing
they are such little guys and could easily fit thru Some iv the bars in cages designed for amazons

 

[bogo1]

Welcome to the forum Gary,

Agree with all said to this point and might add some thoughts based on answers to a few questions. Feel free to PM me if you wish to answer them off the main forum. Just FYI, I am an AP RN who works with a lot of folks in post trauma recovery.

Are you able to move easily or do you use mobility aids or braces? If so, what kinds? How well do you sense temperature changes and air movement past your body. Do you get chills/goose bumps/overheated? Can you sense how much pressure you are applying around (for instance) a paper cup?

Based on your responses to these questions, there might be some other things for you to do to support your relationship with your great looking bird.