My bird wont step off my shoulder

[Relznot]

Hi guys! Ive recently bought a beautiful green cheek yellow sided conure. Igot from a recomended breeder nearby. When i first saw hem/her (dont know yet(; ) it was so calm and gentle. Its been three days since ive brought it home. Btw hes 2 and a half months old.
Since then hes a little scared esspacialy if its not me.
Weve bonded quite well so far but as of yesterday a problem has apeard. Every time he steps up he immidiatly goes to my shoulder and starts nibbeling my shirt/hair/ear. When i try to get hem off hes biting and hiding so its pretty imposible to accomplish. He gets quite cranky some times and biting pretty often. Thats why i dont scratch and pet hem at all since hes here. Im scared its going to stay that way, tough i want hem to feel safe and cuddly How do i make it stop? Thanks everyone!

 

[SilverSage]

1) birds who bite don't get shoulder privileges. It's hard, but important. When he goes to move up your arm, block him with your other hand so he has to step onto it in order to continue. When he does, move your hand away so now he is back on a hand instead of your arm.

2) work on "step up" as a command with bribes, even if he already does it automatically from places other than your shoulder.

3) as for biting at other times you need to isolate the cause. Is he biting to try to control your actions? Ignore the bites. Is he biting out of fear? Stop doing what scares him and start with bribes to reach him slowly to accept it. Is he biting because he asked you politely not to do something to him and you ignored it? Practice reading his body language so you can stop when he asks you politely. Is he biting because he is "kissing" or preening you, and just doesn't realize how hard is too hard, and he just uses too much pressure? Yelp, and turn away for a few seconds so he realizes he caused you pain.


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[Flboy]

This is absolutely a temporary thing, it is up to you to not build a wall with your new baby!
They are all this way in the beginning when they are babies! Your baby is still a little bit nervous of your hands! You have to find a way to not make it a big deal in getting him off of your back! Different techniques are, you can use a stick to help sweep him off, what I also used to do is I would bend over quite a bit forward which is caused him to walk up my back and at the same time with both hands I would sweep along my back and he will step up on one or the other!
You need to work through the nibbling, and learn to control it! With him so young, he really doesn't know anything else to do! He is also extremely nervous, just as you are!
There are many advantages to having your baby used to stepping up on a stick, I use one all the time! Having to fetch my guy off door tops, shelves up on the ceilings, he'll step up on a stick any time for me and let me bring him down! Also if he's in a little bit of a cranky mood I can just act like I don't even notice and I can use a stick to move him about and the mood passes quickly! Because I do not challenge him!

 

[FlockFive]

Hahaha he is just getting comfortable with you. GCCs tend to be nippy, and you can reduce the behavior using target training with a wooden coffee stick (clean and previously unused). Essentially next time she gets nippy offer him a coffee stick, if he bites it - immediately praise him and make a big deal about it. If he is motivated by treats, follow immediately with treats. Eventually he will learn to bite the stick instead when the stick is offered, then simultaneously get him to step up to your finger. He will step up while having the coffee stick to keep his beak busy. Good luck!

 

[Relznot]

Thanks all! Helped allot. I truely hope that this behavior will subdue. :16:

 

[clark_conure]

I prefer to give the bird a time out when he bites, I put him on the floor and make him walk back to me. The longer duration cements that his behavior was not welcome in his new flock. When he climbs back up he will be sweet again. Just be consistant and the biting will go away. He/she will learn biting just means being put away from you and won't do it anymore.

 

[Flboy]

Thanks all! Helped allot. I truely hope that this behavior will subdue. :16:

It most definitely will subside! But, it is important that you do not make it into a learned habit! This is how they treat each other, and at this point he knows no better than to treat you as one of the flock! It is not aggression, it is just been communal! Remember though, it is his mission, obsession, compassion, duty to remove every freckle or inperfection from your skin! It is a tough job but he is willing to do it!
As said, redirection is most likely your best approach! Ie..coffee stick.

 

[LordTriggs]

Thanks all! Helped allot. I truely hope that this behavior will subdue. :16:

It most definitely will subside! But, it is important that you do not make it into a learned habit! This is how they treat each other, and at this point he knows no better than to treat you as one of the flock! It is not aggression, it is just been communal! Remember though, it is his mission, obsession, compassion, duty to remove every freckle or inperfection from your skin! It is a tough job but he is willing to do it!
As said, redirection is most likely your best approach! Ie..coffee stick.

can attest to this.

It's so much worse when you're an anxious person who bites their fingers a lot. So many loose bits of skin that would get nibbled