My conure is still aggressive

[kenny]

Hello guys
this is my first time having a parrot pet, I got him like months ago he likes me but still bites sometimes and never leaves his cage only rarely.. i tried putting food outside he looks hesitant, most of my family are scared of him but i think he knows im the safe place but he never leaves the cage..
I bought him toy balls but when i shake it he take it shake it for a bit and throw it mostly throw it, i bought him a fluff thingy to put it inside for winter he loves it but when i try to adjust it he bites me soooo badly.
I always kiss him by the cage and he understands it but sometimes when i pet him he turns fast and scream to bite my finger (i didnt touch a wrong place to pet).
Please help me how to get him out of the cage and stop him from being so aggressive.

 

[Psittacages&perches]

Hello guys
this is my first time having a parrot pet, I got him like months ago he likes me but still bites sometimes and never leaves his cage only rarely.. i tried putting food outside he looks hesitant, most of my family are scared of him but i think he knows im the safe place but he never leaves the cage..
I bought him toy balls but when i shake it he take it shake it for a bit and throw it mostly throw it, i bought him a fluff thingy to put it inside for winter he loves it but when i try to adjust it he bites me soooo badly.
I always kiss him by the cage and he understands it but sometimes when i pet him he turns fast and scream to bite my finger (i didnt touch a wrong place to pet).
Please help me how to get him out of the cage and stop him from being so aggressive.

Hello, try to be patient with him, with time it will see you that you are not a threat for him, some parrots (especially wild caught) take 3 to 4 years to be totally tamed. If it will bite you, take him to another room (dark if possible), and don't make an eye contact with him, just keep him there for a few minutes, then bring him back, he will understand that biting is not a good behavior.

 

[Jcas]

Good advice above regarding patience. Remember that parrots are not a domestic animal like a dog or house cat. They don’t naturally trust humans and yes, they will bite. Our job as a parrot owner is to learn to read their body language and not put them in situations where they feel the need to bite ( for example, insisting on petting them when they don’t want to be petted). If your bird is learning to trust and bond with you that’s great; continue to be patient and build that trust and you will have a friend for many years to come!

 

[wrench13]

Good advice, except the length of time for the 'time out'. If its longer then a minute, parrots will forget about the bite and not associate the bite with the time out.
THis is called shunning and usualy done when the parrot is out of cage. It needs to be done immediately when there is a bite and done every time any bite occurs.
Just be more obserant in his body language - every parrot has his own.
THe best bite is the one that did not happen!

SOmething I wrote awhile ago:

Biting, whether intentional or not, just over preening your skin or actually taking chunks of meat out - all are PAINFULL! In the wild that sort of behavior is not tolerated by the flock. They ostracize flock members who continue to act like that. We call it 'Shunning'. This WILL work, but needs to be done correctly to get the message across and it needs to be done IMMEDIATELY so the parrot can associate the bite with the shunning action. And it needs to happen every time and with anyone involved with the parrot.

When the bite or over preening occurs:

• Say in a forceful but not shouting voice "No Bite" or other endearments.
• Immediately place the parrot on a nearby, handy chairback. NOT the cage (that would only teach the parrot to bite when he wants to go back to his cage).
• Turn your back to him and ignore him for 1 minute. No peeking, no talking about or too him, NADA. NO eye contact. No less or the message is lost, no more or the bird will not associate the action with the bite.
• After a minute you can try to re-establish contact.

Rinse, repeat as needed. Most parrots get the message after a few times, some may need more. Also very important - make sure the bite is not your fault. Annoying your parrot, asking him to step up when he is otherwise preoccupied with eating or playing, bothering him during known moody times like mating season, or ignoring the warnings and body language of your parrot - these are bites that you deserve! Learn, and be a better parront !!

 

[maillet]

Birds are like people, and some are more shy and timid than others. I have heard of birds that acclimate within a day or two, and some that day a month or two to adjust to a new space. A couple best practices are below to help your new bird along:

1. Ensure the cage is in a quiet area of the room that does not have surprises often. The cage should be able to see people approaching, before they are nearby. If turning a corner puts you right next to cage this is in a bad spot. The bird should also be able to easily see its "flock" but from a safer distance.

2. Be mindful of your tone and body language. Birds are sensitive like dogs are to such things. If they sense fear, they will feel fear (for you). You need to smile often, talk in softer tones similar to how you would talk to a child. You also need to avoid sudden movements near the cage, let him warm up!

3. Treats! Place a couple Pine Nuts (my Go To!) in food until you are sure Bird is acclimates and then offer between fingers, and then eventually on palm. Your goal is make the bird associate your hand to delicious treats, doing so in the morning (before breakfast) or evening (before dinner) is more easy.

Your first mission is have the bird warm up to you and trust you, ignore the biting (self-defense). Once you have that trust, the bird will respond more to firm commands such as "Stop".

In order to stop biting behavior I have learned a touch to the wing every time often stops this in days. A lot of birds dislike wings being touched, so pairing that sensation to biting, and they learn to stop quick; you however have a responsibility to respect their feelings if they start to lightly beak instead.