Help!! Conure seeking out hand to bite

[Grigals]

Hi everyone! My male yellow sided green cheek has been so aggressive lately. He at random decides my hand is evil and will seek it out to attack! I've tried to read the signs as to what might upset him and why he might want to attack my hand at a certain time but it just seems to be random!! He was so sweet, he did bite but there was always a reason and he never used to seek me out he's been doing this from the day I changed around my room. I moved my bed and moved out this old branch and put a new one in the room. Do you think this upset him? He is showing all the signs of being hormonal but he's only 9 months old? He gets 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I don't provide any dark hiding places or mushy food. I've tried ignoring him, shaking him off, making a funny noise those work but then he just does it again. The bird trainer also said to put a bit of pressure on his beak when he bites but that just makes him more mad. He bites so hard it bleeds, my hand is really ripped up please help!!!

 

[noodles123]

How old is he?
Moving things around could upset him, but it could also be hormonal, as this is spring-time (depending on his age and how long you have had him).


I disagree with your trainer...who was this trainer?...


How long have you had your bird?

Can you give me a time-line?


For example- "Got him at 6 months and he was great until around 1 year, when he started biting. I have had him for a year and a half, but he is 2, so he has been biting for a year " (or something like that)

How were you touching him before this all started? Any pets outside of the head and neck? No huts or shadowy spaces (you already said, so that is good).

What are you doing when you get bitten? If you can't think of specifics, can you tell me whether you were looking at your bird or attempting to interact, or whether your bird came after you while you were in the room but looking at the computer, TV, book, game or something besides your bird?

Is it just you in the room, or are there animals or other people around?
When you are bitten, does the bird come to you, or is it when you are trying to touch the bird?
Is your hand outside or inside of the cage on most occurrences?
Are you trying to take your bird out or put him/her back when it happens?
Is there a time of day when it happens more?


What is your schedule and how long is he out daily?


Does he ever leave your room? *This is also an important question* considering his apparent upset at you moving things.


On top of everything else, parrots often push away at sexual maturity. You kind of have to re-build trust if that is the issue. Make sure you are reading his body language. If you are getting bitten often, it means that you are missing signals and triggers (because biting like this does not occur in the wild except in a very last resort). Shoot for 10-12 hours sleep nightly (10 is okay too, but no lower--- if 12 is too much, you could try 11 or 10.) Keep avoiding access to huts/tents/shadowy spaces....


Let me know on the rest and I'll try to help if I can think of anything.

 

[Grigals]

How old is he?
Moving things around could upset him, but it could also be hormonal, as this is spring-time (depending on his age and how long you have had him).


I disagree with your trainer...who was this trainer?...


How long have you had your bird?

Can you give me a time-line?


For example- "Got him at 6 months and he was great until around 1 year, when he started biting. I have had him for a year and a half, but he is 2, so he has been biting for a year " (or something like that)

How were you touching him before this all started? Any pets outside of the head and neck? No huts or shadowy spaces (you already said, so that is good).

What are you doing when you get bitten? If you can't think of specifics, can you tell me whether you were looking at your bird or attempting to interact, or whether your bird came after you while you were in the room but looking at the computer, TV, book, game or something besides your bird?

Is it just you in the room, or are there animals or other people around?
When you are bitten, does the bird come to you, or is it when you are trying to touch the bird?
Is your hand outside or inside of the cage on most occurrences?
Are you trying to take your bird out or put him/her back when it happens?
Is there a time of day when it happens more?


What is your schedule and how long is he out daily?


Does he ever leave your room? *This is also an important question* considering his apparent upset at you moving things.


On top of everything else, parrots often push away at sexual maturity. You kind of have to re-build trust if that is the issue. Make sure you are reading his body language. If you are getting bitten often, it means that you are missing signals and triggers (because biting like this does not occur in the wild except in a very last resort). Shoot for 10-12 hours sleep nightly (10 is okay too, but no lower--- if 12 is too much, you could try 11 or 10.) Keep avoiding access to huts/tents/shadowy spaces....


Let me know on the rest and I'll try to help if I can think of anything.

He is only 9 months old, Ive had him since September last year and he's been pretty good up until a few weeks ago. I did a lot of research before I got him so I've only been petting him on the head and neck area from the beginning. He only bites me like this when I'm sitting on my bed. It's only just me in the room. He bites me sometimes when I'm on my phone or trying to pet him or touching his foot toys. His schedule is wake up at 10/11 and eat breakfast together then I take him out at random times during the day depending on what im doing, I try to make it 4 hours out a day minimum. Then he goes to bed at 10/11 so he gets 12 hours sleep. He doesn't really ever leave my room. We have a lot of other animals like dogs and cats so its not safe out of my room. I live in Australia so its Autumn.

 

[noodles123]

I'd say that hormones would make sense.


Do other people at least come in to see him often? Any chance of putting other animals away for a bit so that your bird gets used to spending some time in a place other than the same 4 walls?


Where is your bed in proximity to the cage?


Is there ever a time when he leaves his cage to come bite your on his own?

 

[Laurasea]

I'm sorry you are going through a growing pains time. Green cheek conure bites hurt a lot, and usually bleed...

When my Ta-dah feelings have been hurt, or something. She has sought out my hands to bite. She and your are nit evil or mean even. Its easy for a fear of hands to develop, for a disconnection that our hands are part of us. That's why you don't hear of them running up snd bite yiu on the neck or face or torso.

Yes sometimes a change up , or change in routine can cause them to be unsettled.

For me what has always worked. To explain things to them , to work on trust, to hand feed bribes many many times during the day. Read body language as a conversation, its always shifting. Mine is like a cat pet me, don't put me , pet me. Be respectful, a pause , and understanding they are an individual in charge of their own body and personal space.

Ta-dah would offer to bite or scold me, but I'm paying attention, and respectful. So I almost never get a bite.

A green cheek has no back down in them. Trying to avoid by putting hands on them or holding the beak or anything like that will not work. It will make them fear and not trust you.

Really just taking time, saying hi and feeding a little treat 10-50 times day. Talking and explain. Will heal your relationship.

This is a link to a fantastic article , so much helpful information and insight. Please read it. I 5hi k yiu will come away with ideas and understanding.
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

And this one
https://be.chewy.com/think-your-pet-bird-hates-you/

 

[Grigals]

I'd say that hormones would make sense.


Do other people at least come in to see him often? Any chance of putting other animals away for a bit so that your bird gets used to spending some time in a place other than the same 4 walls?


Where is your bed in proximity to the cage?


Is there ever a time when he leaves his cage to come bite your on his own?

My mum and brother come to see him sometimes but he's very territorial and will attack them. We put the animals away and he comes downstairs every once in a while to watch movies. My bed is about 2 metres away from his cage, we don't have a very big room he really doesn't like his cage he wants to he with me all the time

 

[noodles123]

I'd say that hormones would make sense.


Do other people at least come in to see him often? Any chance of putting other animals away for a bit so that your bird gets used to spending some time in a place other than the same 4 walls?


Where is your bed in proximity to the cage?


Is there ever a time when he leaves his cage to come bite your on his own?

My mum and brother come to see him sometimes but he's very territorial and will attack them. We put the animals away and he comes downstairs every once in a while to watch movies. My bed is about 2 metres away from his cage, we don't have a very big room he really doesn't like his cage he wants to he with me all the time

If at all possible, I would try to have him start slowly building trust with other people as well, because you never know when he may be forced into a setting where he has to be around unfamiliar faces (plus, they are flock creatures and need more than 1).


If you are your bird's main source of attention, it isn't entirely surprising that you are seeing heightened levels of aggression etc in your room. I would go so far as to say that it is possible that he sees your room as "his nest" and doesn't have enough trust/experience/socialization to know any differently.



I would make safe and low-stress, positive exposure to others a priority..In addition to moving at his pace, avoiding inappropriate touching, and ensuring a minimum of 10 hours sleep (while preventing access to any shadowy spaces).


NOTE- If you are watching movies, the lights are likely off and he is likely touching you, so this is actually a very sexual situation (if what I am envisioning is correct). Think more about incorporating him into daily routine, like breakfast etc (rather than a snuggle fest in the dark with you).