Help! Lol.

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Hi everyone. I am new here and still figuring out how to use forums lol. I am in need of some advice please? I bought a hand reared conure parrot a week ago and I love him, I really do. He has fit in to my little family really well. He comes out of his cage daily and he will happily sit on me, my son and my husband for a snuggle or to have a good wash. He has learned to step up and we are learning thay banana chips work really well for recall. However, over the last 2 days he has started biting and being a bit moody. This mainly happens when we are trying to get him down from the light fitting on the ceiling or when he needs to be taken off of my head! He is lovely one minute and stroppy the next! We aren't sure of his exact age but we do know he was hatched this year. We also say he but he could be a she lol. I have been putting him back on his cage when he bites and then I ignore him for a while. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you x

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome! You have already made a great move: you joined US! This is the greatest, most supportive, most educational site anywhere! I'll resist any temptation to give advice, since my darling is the worst-behaved parrot I've ever met. Anyway, you sound as if you're already making great strides. Sounds as if you have common sense, patience, and a big heart. I'm glad you're with us.

 

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Welcome! You have already made a great move: you joined US! This is the greatest, most supportive, most educational site anywhere! I'll resist any temptation to give advice, since my darling is the worst-behaved parrot I've ever met. Anyway, you sound as if you're already making great strides. Sounds as if you have common sense, patience, and a big heart. I'm glad you're with us.

Thank you! I am open to any advice lol. I just want what is best for Nibbles. He is an amazing bird and can be so loving. I just want to nip his mood swings in the bud before I have a bigger problem on my hands lol.

 

[LaManuka]

Hi everyone. I am new here and still figuring out how to use forums lol. I am in need of some advice please? I bought a hand reared conure parrot a week ago and I love him, I really do. He has fit in to my little family really well. He comes out of his cage daily and he will happily sit on me, my son and my husband for a snuggle or to have a good wash. He has learned to step up and we are learning thay banana chips work really well for recall. However, over the last 2 days he has started biting and being a bit moody. This mainly happens when we are trying to get him down from the light fitting on the ceiling or when he needs to be taken off of my head! He is lovely one minute and stroppy the next! We aren't sure of his exact age but we do know he was hatched this year. We also say he but he could be a she lol. I have been putting him back on his cage when he bites and then I ignore him for a while. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you x

Welcome to the Forums Breeze and Nibbles! I'm assuming it's your new addition whose name is Nibbles but please correct me if I'm wrong!

I'm not sure if you've had a green cheeked conure (GCC for short) before - I hadn't before I got one quite a few years back now - but they are a species that is prone to being a bit bitey. In the wild this would be a trait quickly discouraged by a young bird's parents who would not put up with bratty behaviour, but unfortunately baby parrots that we bring into our homes are often taken from their parents before they get a chance to be taught some manners.

It does sound as though you have the advantage of him having settled in to your family quite well, and that he does want to have a relationship with you, in which case the "shunning" method might just work quite well for you. This involves each and every time he bites you or any other family member, you pop him down somewhere neutral, like a table or the back of a chair. NEVER take him back to his cage for time-out because that may be exactly what he wants, as the cage is his territory. It doesn't matter if he makes his own way back to the cage, but you should not take him there. Gently pop him down, turn your back and walk away for a minute or two, making no eye contact. GCCs are very smart little birds and it shouldn't take long for him to figure out that fun times stop when the biting starts! It is hugely important, however, that every member of the household does this consistently in order for it to work best. It won't mean that you will never get bitten ever again, GCCs are a little nippier by nature after all, but it should help to alleviate the problem enormously. It certainly did with mine, and I hope this helps with yours

It's also a good idea to have any new bird checked out for health soon after bringing them home if you possibly can. This helps to establish a baseline of wellness and can often nip any potential nasties in the bud nice and early. Just in case you don't know of a bird vet close to you yet, the following link may help you to find one...

https://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803

Good bird vets are also an absolute goldmine of information regarding behavioural quirks like biting too.

Parrot behaviour is a complex, multi-layered subject, made even more so by the fact that we have taken them from their wild surroundings and have brought them into the rather artificial domestic settings of our homes. Behavioural issues can be many and varied and what works for one may not work for another, so I hope that some others of our membership will offer their experiences to you too. I wish you the very best of luck with your little sweetheart, it sounds like he has you wrapped around his little claw already

 

[Laurasea]

welcome to your GCC
Yes they learn to use that beak .
For getting off head. I would hold an envelope in your left hand almost at arms length, and offer your right hand to step up. The uncertainty of the strange object should make them want to retreat to the safety of your hand. Then drop the envelope and praise praise praise.

I used to have a "naughty " flag, a tiny American flag. I would I would hold up to make mine get off my head. It worked very well, to the point I could walk towards were I had the flag and nit pick it up and she would jump off my head. So this might work fir you.

GCC will switch from love to I will bite and back to love quickly.. if you pay attention to body language, pause. You can usually avoid any bites. My girl offers to bite me nearly every day, but I avoid bites. She thinks my hand moved to fast, or I bumped a feather and was trying to kill her...whatever it is that has her on the defensive.. but I apologize, give her a few seconds to compose herself and we go on like no big deal. There are times that if she is just to wound up, she knows I say no, if that does not work its off to the cage for five minutes. Much longer than that and they loose the connection to the action.

Most of us treat bites as our fault, and missed ques. If you work from that angle you will reduce bites.

Also they can get over stimulated, or if you have had them with you fir sn hour they need a snack break and drink. Birds eat little bits all day long, so they are always flight ready. Instead of big meals at one time. Inker a snack dish near me for mine.

Also baby birds tolerate everything...but as they become adults they expect us to be more respectful, and aware they are their own selves. GCC run a tight ship! They expect you to tie the line.
They can like any parrot start to be cage protective, that's a hardwired behavior to defend the nest/territory . So just having them come out of the cage first makes everything better. Just keep in mind that's not a bird that's mean or doesn't like you. It's just defensive of the cage. My GCC is to some extent, my quakers are very cage defensive. If I tried to put my hand inside the quaker cage its screaming attacks, while if I let them step out its kisses and snuggle. This can happen after they become adults or during the spring and fall breeding season then disappear during the rest of the year.

Birds like routine. Use the same phrase, be consistent. Make sure they have plenty of out of cage time, 4 hours or more, one on one time with your attention 30 mins at least daily . Provide mental stimulation, foraging together, very simple tricks, foraging on their own. Watch bird tricks video on you tube, they have a few really great foraging teaching videos.

I highly recommend having a digital scale and weigh your bird weekly. All birds will hide being sick or health issues as long as they can. By picking up issues by a drop in weight early, and getting them to the vet before " sick" bird symptoms ( which by that point they are critically ill) they are able to recover quickly most of the time. It has been a true life saver for me and mine!!

 

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Good morning. Thank you for all of the advice! It really is great. I have a pineapple conure and yes his name is Nibbles. I will stop putting him back on his cage and go for putting him in a neutral space. Although as soon as I walk away from him he flies up on my head lol. But I will be persistent. He is a smart bird so I am sure he will get it. He doesn't go straight for a hard bite at the moment, it is more of a warning. So we back off. He has given my and the husband 1 or 2 hard bites so I am hoping that with your advice it won't get worse than that. Thank you again

 

[Tikitiel]

Good morning. Thank you for all of the advice! It really is great. I have a pineapple conure and yes his name is Nibbles. I will stop putting him back on his cage and go for putting him in a neutral space. Although as soon as I walk away from him he flies up on my head lol. But I will be persistent. He is a smart bird so I am sure he will get it. He doesn't go straight for a hard bite at the moment, it is more of a warning. So we back off. He has given my and the husband 1 or 2 hard bites so I am hoping that with your advice it won't get worse than that. Thank you again

My tip is not to pull away too quickly becuase it shows the bird that you fear its bites and it will learn to know how to use it agianst you when ever he bites keep as still as possible and dont say a thing just a stiern “No” and wait till he lets go reward after that by 10 secs if he bites hard and wont let go turn you hands into fists and very ever so gently push on his chest or side or whatever angle he is biting you from

 

[Tikitiel]

And what the age of your bird?

 

[Skarila]

welcome to your GCC
Yes they learn to use that beak .
For getting off head. I would hold an envelope in your left hand almost at arms length, and offer your right hand to step up. The uncertainty of the strange object should make them want to retreat to the safety of your hand. Then drop the envelope and praise praise praise.

I used to have a "naughty " flag, a tiny American flag. I would I would hold up to make mine get off my head. It worked very well, to the point I could walk towards were I had the flag and nit pick it up and she would jump off my head. So this might work fir you.

GCC will switch from love to I will bite and back to love quickly.. if you pay attention to body language, pause. You can usually avoid any bites. My girl offers to bite me nearly every day, but I avoid bites. She thinks my hand moved to fast, or I bumped a feather and was trying to kill her...whatever it is that has her on the defensive.. but I apologize, give her a few seconds to compose herself and we go on like no big deal. There are times that if she is just to wound up, she knows I say no, if that does not work its off to the cage for five minutes. Much longer than that and they loose the connection to the action.

Most of us treat bites as our fault, and missed ques. If you work from that angle you will reduce bites.

Also they can get over stimulated, or if you have had them with you fir sn hour they need a snack break and drink. Birds eat little bits all day long, so they are always flight ready. Instead of big meals at one time. Inker a snack dish near me for mine.

Also baby birds tolerate everything...but as they become adults they expect us to be more respectful, and aware they are their own selves. GCC run a tight ship! They expect you to tie the line.
They can like any parrot start to be cage protective, that's a hardwired behavior to defend the nest/territory . So just having them come out of the cage first makes everything better. Just keep in mind that's not a bird that's mean or doesn't like you. It's just defensive of the cage. My GCC is to some extent, my quakers are very cage defensive. If I tried to put my hand inside the quaker cage its screaming attacks, while if I let them step out its kisses and snuggle. This can happen after they become adults or during the spring and fall breeding season then disappear during the rest of the year.

Birds like routine. Use the same phrase, be consistent. Make sure they have plenty of out of cage time, 4 hours or more, one on one time with your attention 30 mins at least daily . Provide mental stimulation, foraging together, very simple tricks, foraging on their own. Watch bird tricks video on you tube, they have a few really great foraging teaching videos.

I highly recommend having a digital scale and weigh your bird weekly. All birds will hide being sick or health issues as long as they can. By picking up issues by a drop in weight early, and getting them to the vet before " sick" bird symptoms ( which by that point they are critically ill) they are able to recover quickly most of the time. It has been a true life saver for me and mine!!

Excellent advices as always! I almost died from laughing regarding the naughty flag xD Did you rewarded the bird once it went off your head even with the flag? I fully understand here that instead of associating your hands to be to shoo him away rather use a small flag/object as a sign, but I'm curious if they should be praised afterwards.

The part "ques for bites" and that biting can actually be a message should be in bold! I agree that we should approach this with "why was I bitten" and work from there. And the why very very often doesn't come from simple aggression and because a bird hates you.

Another thing to keep in mind is that young birds (for conures under a year/around a year) are still learning with what strength to give a bite or a nip. but in case of Nibbles, he seems to bite because he doesn't want to get off a certain place, and that's where Laura's naughty flag might come in handy...

 

[wrench13]

Excellent advice from some of our more senior members! I personally use shunning as my bite reaction, but ONLY if the bite was not my fault. That's important to know, as you should not "punish" the parrot if you were dumb. I say punish but generally, punishment does not work with parrots. Yelling at them, or god forbid being physical with them as a result of a bite or other natural action is so destructive to the trust you need to develop and maintain with them. Personally, I kept Salty wing clipped for the first couple of years, so that when I deposited him on a chair back ( my favorite place for shunning purposes), he had little choice but to sit there and contemplate why he was put there. I keep shunning time to no more than a minute, and absolutely no eye contact or even talking about the bird ( yes they know that you are talking about them) which would defeat the shun. I feel that if your bird is allowed to fly right back to your head when you try this method, it defeats the purpose of it, but thats my opinion only. My parrot has never shown any desire to go to the top of my head.

be aware that at some point Nibbles is going to go thru puberty, and at that point all bets are off, as parrots almost loose their minds when the rushes of adult hormones flood their bodies. Mood swings that are almost as quick as a metronome set at 440 beat per minute are common, and they can bite in a flash only to return to normalcy and look at you like "WTF was THAT???". Puberty is the time when most parrots get rehomed, as uninformed owners think their birds have turned evil mean. The important thing about puberty is to not let undesirable actions become habits during that phase. Conures generally start puberty anywhere from 7 months to a year and change and it varies by species AND individuals. Read up on puberty on our forums for much more info! My little Amazon Salty had a very mild pubescent phase, but his first full on mating season - WHOA, I got so many scars from him, people thought I was self mangling !

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to y’all!
Little to add to all the excellent advice! Not much different than a human two year old boy! I want it my way, NOW!

 

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Thank ypu all so much. Not only have you given great advice but you have also made me smile lol. He might be going through puberty but I'm not sure. I have tried to get his exact hatch date but to no avail. I know he was born this year but that is all I know

 

[Laurasea]

Yes I always reward good behavior, especially when modifying! The " naughty " flag may make them move, but the reward and praise is huge. That let's them know they did good, that's what I wanted, and they love to be told how smart and good they are. We all tend to take good behavior for granted, but make sure to find things to praise all the time.
I read a lot of Pamela Clark a parrot behavior person. She recommends that, and even try to feed a seed treat and praise stuff 50 time a day lol wow. I'm sure I do around 20, but I don't think I've hit 50.

They adore being praised. So as soon as they get off your head they are good, so praise big time. Mine use to hide on my back between my shoulder blades! But she is addicted to safflower seeds and praise! So I didn't take long to fix

 

[Briburd]

Hi everyone. I am new here and still figuring out how to use forums lol. I am in need of some advice please? I bought a hand reared conure parrot a week ago and I love him, I really do. He has fit in to my little family really well. He comes out of his cage daily and he will happily sit on me, my son and my husband for a snuggle or to have a good wash. He has learned to step up and we are learning thay banana chips work really well for recall. However, over the last 2 days he has started biting and being a bit moody. This mainly happens when we are trying to get him down from the light fitting on the ceiling or when he needs to be taken off of my head! He is lovely one minute and stroppy the next! We aren't sure of his exact age but we do know he was hatched this year. We also say he but he could be a she lol. I have been putting him back on his cage when he bites and then I ignore him for a while. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you x

Hi, we are in the same boat Lol I am a mother of a 6 month old GCC, also going with “he” or Mojito. First off, you are not alone and didn’t get a exceptionally crazy GCC. So far I’ve just been diverting him to play with toys when he gets testy. I highly suggest little toys you can hold while he plays with them or toys he can hold himself. (foot toys) Paper straws and finger traps have been my saving grace I just cut them small enough for him to hold. There have been a few times I’ve had to put him in a very short (5 min or less) time out in his cage then letting him back out. I’ve only had to do this 2 or 3 times but It has been successful. All other times diverting him to toys has been very successful. I have also noticed he is more grouchy if he doesn’t get at least 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Just remember he is young and learning and just as with any young animal they will test the limits. Be patient, lightly say no, and then divert him. Hope that helps.
*quick side note if he is starting to go into his first molt or any molt for that matter he will be even more testy so that could also be a factor

 

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Hi everyone. I'm not ignoring lol. I am working amd have been working with Nibbles. We have noticed tjay he only noticed tjay the biting mainly happens when he doesn't want to be moved from somewhere he wants to be. Am example would be when he is trying to eat a phone or lampshade lol. So we now use banana chips to recall him from said activity rather than just approach him amd it seems to be working. He is doing great I have tried to add a picture of him sleeping on my hand lol. I hope it loads. And thank you all again

 

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Ps, sorry for awful spelling of that and, and. My phone hates me today lol.

 

[LaManuka]

Aaaawwww, gorgeous pic, Breeze, he's a beautiful baby! Thanks for the wonderful update, it's great to know the two of you are doing so well together!

 

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Not long after we took this pic he decided to fly off to the Mr and nap on him lol! (Traitor) Nibbles is the best though and I love thay he is comfortable with all 3 of us. I am so pleased that I joined this forum though! Super helpful group and really friendly.

 

[LaManuka]

Not long after we took this pic he decided to fly off to the Mr and nap on him lol! (Traitor) Nibbles is the best though and I love thay he is comfortable with all 3 of us. I am so pleased that I joined this forum though! Super helpful group and really friendly.

Thank you! We do pride ourselves on being one of the nicest little corners of the interwebz. Very glad that you and your little traitor (LOL!) are aboard

 

[Breeze and Nibbles]

Hello you beautiful bunch! I hope everyone is well including your feathered friends! Lol. I have another question for you all if that is ok? I have been told by multiple people that we should not, under any circumstances stroke Nibbles on the back. The trouble with that is... he loves a cuddle! He will lean on to our hands and move his head around to where he wants to be loved lol. Sometimes he turns around making it difficult to not touch his back. He isn't pushing his back into us or anything it is just how he moves. At this very moment he is snuggled into the Mr's hand getting a head scratch and nearly asleep! I was wondering if anyone could elaborate further on the reasons for avoiding his back and wings please? Thank you all in advance!