Hi, I'm new here.

[Teena]

I bought my first conure from Petco, she is a green cheek. I used to have cockatiels. She is a lot different from a cockatiel. I'm trying to get advice, and tips. She bites A LOT and screams. She will sit on my shoulder and walk around with me, she talks a little, likes to play with her toys. I just can't figure out why she bites so much and seems angry.

 

[LaManuka]

I bought my first conure from Petco, she is a green cheek. I used to have cockatiels. She is a lot different from a cockatiel. I'm trying to get advice, and tips. She bites A LOT and screams. She will sit on my shoulder and walk around with me, she talks a little, likes to play with her toys. I just can't figure out why she bites so much and seems angry.

Hi @Teena, welcome to the forums to you and your gorgeous girlie! Please don't forget to tell us her name, will you?

I had a green cheek a few years back, it broke my heart when I tragically lost him to acute pancreatitis. His name was Baci, which is Italian for "kisses" and is also the name of my favourite brand of chocolates! Your little one has likely gone through a lot of frightening changes in her short life so far, so it's to be expected that she will be a bit fearful. Add that onto that green cheeks can be a bit bitier than many other species, plus many birds hand-raised for the pet trade are taken from their parents before they have learned not to bite, and that will go a long way to explain the behaviours you're experiencing with her. The best advice I can give you is something I used with Baci, a process known as "shunning". This works by mimicking what would happen to a young bird in a wild flock by teaching them that biting will not be tolerated in the social setting of a flock. It involves, each and ever time she bites, pop her down somewhere safe and neutral, such as the back of a chair. Not the floor as it's often not a safe spot and not her cage because you don't want her to learn to bite whenever she wants to go back to her cage, or to view her cage as "punishment". Put her down and turn your back on her for about a minute or so, but not for too long otherwise the immediacy of the lesson may be lost. I would do this with Baci, then go back as if nothing had happened and try again and he would usually be much better behaved. It works best when everyone in your household does this consistently every time she bites, it teaches a youngster that they may find themselves ostracised from their new "flock", and no prey species such as a little green cheek wants that. It won't guarantee that you'll never get bitten again, but as my experience with Baci showed me, it cut down on biting by a LOT, and I hope it will help you and your little one too

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed. Excellent advice on shunning. To work it needs to done everytime the bite occurs and make sure t was not your fault. SHunning should be for 1 min, no longer , no less. Good luck!

 

[clark_conure]

All I needed from your post was the picture of the bird out of the cage and yes......The bird will stop biting it's just a scary time for him/her. Green cheeks are very hardy birds and a good breed. AND they are called the clowns of the parrot world for a reason. If you spend time in about say one week you'll be reposting " BEST BIRD EVER"

1) do not get excited or despondent and get another bird because you think he needs a friend. You are his friend. Green cheeks get more aggressive if they have competition by their nature.

2) Take your time, if he will sit on your shoulder you don't have to involve him with everything, just let him/her watch you do stuff. Watch streaming shows together, you don't have to engage 24/7 just let him/her sit and chill. They are Naturally curious and will try non aggressive stuff out on their own.

3) shun the bird if it misbehaves, but talk nicely when it walks back. It's not punishment it's correction.

4) Watch body language....birds usually telegraph their intent even long before they do a bite.

5) Don't ever give the bird a gym membership because you will be paying for that forever and you can't cancel it.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Lots of good advice given! I have two green cheeks I just recently adopted, one of them nick-named 'Mosquito' for his habit of wanting to draw blood. I'd like to add, make sure they get enough sleep. A grumpy bird nips more!

Hail and Welcome!