Need some advice about my new pet

[Goldenblue]

My parrot (a green cheek conure) is always perched on me, and recently he has even started biting me unexpectedly. I’ve heard that when parrots bite people, it can actually be a form of communication. I have noticed that sometimes when he bites me, it seems to be telling me to give him food quickly. However, I feel that he more often bites me without any reason. For example, when I sit on the sofa watching TV, he suddenly bites my toes or thighs. Or when I’m walking around the house (he almost always perches on my shoulder), he will suddenly bite my neck for no apparent reason.

He is a rescued bird that a friend of mine found. After keeping him for a few months, my friend gave him to me. I’ve had him for three months. During the first two months, he might have still been adjusting to the new environment, so his behavior was appropriate. But now that he’s familiar with the environment, his behavior has become very problematic, which causes me a lot of stress.

I think he may have trauma-related issues. I originally allowed him to freely move around the house (most of the time he just wants to perch on me, but sometimes he flies around the house), but now I only want to keep him in his cage. I feel very conflicted and don’t know what to do.

 

[onamom]

Welcome!

The first thing I want to say is make sure you know the difference between a bite and a nibble. Conures can be nibly - they can also bite. Generally, if it’s a bite you’ll know because it will hurt and possibly even bleed. Usually bites leave a pressure mark on the skin as well. If it’s a nibble, it could be preening, just being curious, etc.

Birds do communicate with their beaks, and a bite can mean many things. I’d start by reflecting to see if there is any pattern or connection at all to the times when he does bite. For example, I learned my GCC bites me on the neck when I specifically take caps off of things to this day I have no idea why. She just hates me doing that. So, I’d pay close attention to see if it’s truly random or if there is a pattern anywhere.

If this is a bite, I would remove him from your shoulder each time he does it. You can place him on a neutral surface, like the back of a chair, and ignore him for a minute or so. This method is calling “shunning” and you’ll see many posts here about it.

 

[wrench13]

I will post my standard response on shunning, but really the way to get your parrot to not bite is all about trust. Parrots are ALL about trust. Knowing them well enough to not give the conditions where they feel they must bite in order to communicate. And that can take significantly longer then 3 months, especially with a bird who has seen a few homes and possibly was not well treated in the past. OP, be patient, observant and keep in mind that trust with parrots is hard won, very hard won, but easily broken.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I hope you don't keep him confined to his cage. It's a terrible way for a bird to spend its life unless the cage is very large and allows him to fly, not just hop and climb. I suggest you wear a hoodie when he's on your shoulder to protect your neck, ears and face. Better still would be to not let him on your shoulder.