My year and 8 month old went from being very loving to extremely aggressive

Chrispuy94 · Aug 18, 2026

I bought a conure i had worked with at the LPS. We worked together for 8 months before purchasing him. Taught him to come here and step up. How to say I love you and what!?. He'd cuddle me and kiss me even saying "mwah". Now all I get is extremely loud screams and biting. I try to let him out and he immediately goes into attack mode and launches at me claws and beakat dig into any part of skin he can get ahold. My old work schedule had me home very little for a while and he wouldn't go to anyone else. I still try to be positive and not yell or spaz out when he flies at me and attacks. It just hurts when he's biting your neck. I miss my partner. I could walk around with him on my shoulder everywhere I'd go if I'd take him. What can I do? I don't wanna get rid of him.

wrench13 · Aug 18, 2026

Sound like puberty and hormones have hit. Patience and more patience. Your buddy is still in there.

LaManuka · Aug 18, 2026

Chrispuy94 said:
I bought a conure i had worked with at the LPS. We worked together for 8 months before purchasing him. Taught him to come here and step up. How to say I love you and what!?. He'd cuddle me and kiss me even saying "mwah". Now all I get is extremely loud screams and biting. I try to let him out and he immediately goes into attack mode and launches at me claws and beakat dig into any part of skin he can get ahold. My old work schedule had me home very little for a while and he wouldn't go to anyone else. I still try to be positive and not yell or spaz out when he flies at me and attacks. It just hurts when he's biting your neck. I miss my partner. I could walk around with him on my shoulder everywhere I'd go if I'd take him. What can I do? I don't wanna get rid of him.

At your conure's age, he is exactly in the frame for the onset of sexual maturity and the various changes associated with it. Your situation sounds very similar to what happened to my boy - his name was Baci because he was so sweet I named him after my favourite brand of Italian chocolates, and "baci" is also the Italian word for "kisses". Anyway at the age of around 2 years his behaviour changed from sweet loveable baby bird to an angry bitey little demon, and because I had not previously had a bird whose behaviour changed like that I didn't recognize it for what it was, and I was at my wit's end because I loved that bird with all my heart and it just felt like he had decided that he hated me.

What actually did work for me was a few strategically placed band-aids on my hand. I did some reading here and elsewhere and realized that my response to him biting me was part of the problem - little conures can bite REALLY hard and in Baci's case I think he could read my hesitation on putting my hand out for him to step up and it seemed to encourage him to bite me. So one day I hit upon the idea to make myself what I called my "armour plating" with some band-aids on my hand where he was most likely to bite. This had the effect of stopping me from flinching when he did bite, then I would swap him from one hand to the other just a couple of times until he realized he wasn't getting the same payoff as before and he stopped biting. Then I'd pop him down somewhere neutral such as on the back of my couch, not his cage because conures can also be rather territorial and that is another factor in this behaviour, the onset of sexual maturity also increases their likelihood to be defensive and bitey around their cage. Baci and I would go through this ritual early in the morning and he'd generally be much happier for the remainder of the day, but I'd keep those band-aids handy just in case.

I hope you will post some pics of your little guy, and please let us know his name too, I bet he's very handsome

Chrispuy94 · Aug 18, 2026

I've been trying to find ideas for some form of armor and that's a perfect idea with the band-aids. Chuckles, is his name because he mimics my laughs. Has since i worked with him and i absolutely fell in love. He has a big love for sunflower seeds so much that if it's in his feed that's all he'll eat and toss everything else all over the place. So if tried feed without sunflower and he won't touch it. He is very very picky about his treats if I doesn't have blueberry yogurt or isnt freeze dried mango he won't touch it either. I've been trying others with him in attempts to change his diet a bit but it's hard. I will post pics very soon.

LaManuka · Aug 18, 2026

Chrispuy94 said:
I've been trying to find ideas for some form of armor and that's a perfect idea with the band-aids. Chuckles, is his name because he mimics my laughs. Has since i worked with him and i absolutely fell in love. He has a big love for sunflower seeds so much that if it's in his feed that's all he'll eat and toss everything else all over the place. So if tried feed without sunflower and he won't touch it. He is very very picky about his treats if I doesn't have blueberry yogurt or isnt freeze dried mango he won't touch it either. I've been trying others with him in attempts to change his diet a bit but it's hard. I will post pics very soon.

Chuckles is a wonderful name, and I'm looking forward to seeing those pics!

The band-aid method didn't mean that Baci never bit me again, but it did cut it down by a LOT!!