New cage ... new aggression

[FiFee Fiona]

I posted a few weeks ago about a GCC I had been looking after.
He's still here ... no one claimed him.
I'm thinking it really could be his behaviour. Maybe they're not looking.
Anyway he's still biting me. So hard sometimes I get upset with him. So silly. And I started wondering if I able to deal with this behaviour.
It really has me doubting myself sometimes.
I'm used to pets. But my others birds.. dogs.. cats .. rats etc. All were much easier and I could teach them not touch stuff and mostly they would.
This one couldn't care what I want. If he wants to do it he does. Over and over. Until I'm sure I'm losing it.
After a big drawn out saga he has his new cage.
Much better than his small temporary one.
I figured if he is staying he may as well be comfortable and have proper access to his toys.
Today I had a stack of cooking and washing. He stays in his cage for his safety.
And he really didn't mind like he normally does. He even played with his new toys.
It was what I was hoping would happen. Having more space helped him settle a bit.
Once I was done I went to get him out.
Told him step up and he bit into my hand like it was some terrible danger to him. Then he proceeded to huff at me .. which is usually reserved for the remote control. Which he hates.
I can't imagine he has cage aggression already .. ?
My daughters cockatiel has bad cage aggression. He doesn't bite as hard though.
Could it be he's annoyed from being on there ... or he doesn't want me in there..
He did get out and still wanted to get me.
Now I'm nervous that he's going to latch on again
And he's being really silly on my shoulder trying to bite my face and neck and roll over. I know he's playing but it doesn't help my nerves lol.
He seems to like the new cage or I thought he did 😬
So I'm wondering what happened overnight that he doesn't want my hand as usual. He just wants to bite it if I go anywhere near him.
He wants a scratch but the minute I go to do it he attacks. And it's more vicious than usual. This is new behaviour today. As I type he's cuddled up in my neck 🤔

 

[Laurasea]

aww... I see i already shared all my usual links in your other threads.

So I would just add, don't tell him to step up ask. Allow him to refuse, and try again after a couple of minutes. When you open the cage door spend a couple of minutes talking to him first. Before you try and get him out.

Record yourself when you go to get him out or other situations you think bites are likely. You will be able to then go back and see the cues the bird is giving that you missed in real time. Helping you improve your burd reading skills.

 

[FiFee Fiona]

aww... I see i already shared all my usual links in your other threads.

So I would just add, don't tell him to step up ask. Allow him to refuse, and try again after a couple of minutes. When you open the cage door spend a couple of minutes talking to him first. Before you try and get him out.

Record yourself when you go to get him out or other situations you think bites are likely. You will be able to then go back and see the cues the bird is giving that you missed in real time. Helping you improve your burd reading skills.

Haha bites are likely all the time. I don't ever push him to do it. When I usually go to his cage he's desperate to get out. It was just weird he didn't want to.
After the big bite I left him. But even him coming up to me he was still in attack mode.
I just kept walking away.
Eventually tonight he came over and went down my arm to my hand. He wanted a scratch. Which of course I gave him... but he was still weird and lunging at me.
He really gets into strange moods. If parrots have moods 🤔

 

[barw33zy]

Not sure the exact history you have with this bird but he/she sounds to be a little hand shy, at times at least. My first rescue was this way and it took a couple months to work through. A lot of sitting by the cage reading books aloud and giving random treats to build trust and familiarity. At first shoulders arms and knees were fine but fingers were an absolute no. Slowly we put the nipping behind us... Very slowly.

My favorite advice was that birds dont have hands and yours are super weird. Not completely literally true but helpful to keep in mind when interacting. More probable is that the last owner wasnt a flock member but rather a predator if you know what I mean. Patience, with it you will get there eventually. Keep it up it sounds like you are doing great so far!

 

[barw33zy]

Haha bites are likely all the time. I don't ever push him to do it. When I usually go to his cage he's desperate to get out. It was just weird he didn't want to.
After the big bite I left him. But even him coming up to me he was still in attack mode.
I just kept walking away.
Eventually tonight he came over and went down my arm to my hand. He wanted a scratch. Which of course I gave him... but he was still weird and lunging at me.
He really gets into strange moods. If parrots have moods 🤔

Yes! Moods are a thing! Pay attention to them 😆 this is why parrots will never bore you.

 

[FiFee Fiona]

Not sure the exact history you have with this bird but he/she sounds to be a little hand shy, at times at least. My first rescue was this way and it took a couple months to work through. A lot of sitting by the cage reading books aloud and giving random treats to build trust and familiarity. At first shoulders arms and knees were fine but fingers were an absolute no. Slowly we put the nipping behind us... Very slowly.

My favorite advice was that birds dont have hands and yours are super weird. Not completely literally true but helpful to keep in mind when interacting. More probable is that the last owner wasnt a flock member but rather a predator if you know what I mean. Patience, with it you will get there eventually. Keep it up it sounds like you are doing great so far!

Its just on 3 months since he flew onto my balcony.
Posted him everywhere but not found an owner.
I don't know what he has come from.
But he just does whatever he likes. And if I stop him he bites. It doesn't matter how often I stop him .. move him.. put him in his cage etc. He goes back and keeps doing it. It's like a test.
I have pretty much figured out he's staying. Not one person replied about him.
The guy at the bird store said he might have been deliberately let go.
Hes really hard work.
I'm OK with most of it.
But the biting really gets me either annoyed or upset.
It doesn't stop.
Now he has a new big cage. I hoped it would help.
He loves it. He can play with his toys.
Usually he is dying to get out. But he got funny with the new cage. And started lunging at me and biting really hard. Maybe he felt he needed to protect his new residence. Its a bit better now .. but he wants to sit on me. When he sits he bites. All the time unless he's sleepy. But even then he will have like a sudden biting fit. I'm really tired of it.
Now he wants to bite my face and ears.
I dont let him do either. He still does.
I do try to keep hands away ... but its hard when I'm doing something. He's into everything. I have to lock him in sometimes and he then screams.
This morning has been bad. I have put him in his cage. I can't keep trying to stop him.
He had no issues moving in. Its like he knew me. Straight in for cuddles and bites.
I feel like he been here much longer.
I was told I shouldn't have him if I feel its hard. I should let him out all the time. I shouldn't cover any furniture because he chews it. And basically I'm doing a crap job training him.
I really missed having a pet. So it's like he was sent with a purpose haha .... but not one animal .. bird.. rodent I've ever had was this hard.
He is like a boomerang. Goes back over and over. And I'm at a loss as to how to stop him. So it's either he is on me biting or he's chewing on something. And I can't move everything. And some things he just can't chew.
Patience is a bit thin at the moment.

Not sure the exact history you have with this bird but he/she sounds to be a little hand shy, at times at least. My first rescue was this way and it took a couple months to work through. A lot of sitting by the cage reading books aloud and giving random treats to build trust and familiarity. At first shoulders arms and knees were fine but fingers were an absolute no. Slowly we put the nipping behind us... Very slowly.

My favorite advice was that birds dont have hands and yours are super weird. Not completely literally true but helpful to keep in mind when interacting. More probable is that the last owner wasnt a flock member but rather a predator if you know what I mean. Patience, with it you will get there eventually. Keep it up it sounds like you are doing great so far!

 

[barw33zy]

That sounds really frustrating. I especially understand about the chewing on furniture, you just can't have that, also its a bad habit that could be dangerous with electrical cords. I don't usually recommend it but can you catch him with a towel when he does this and put him back in his cage? Parrots dont understand punishment but they are smart enough to learn action and reaction. Just dont scold him or anything else that he might perceive as a reward of attention (good OR bad). Also trick training will make him more manageable, it builds a relationship of "you say, I do" that carries over. Nothing is going to be easy but if you persist you will get there. Read ALL the links people give you and then some more, knowing parrot psychology will be your secret weapon.

 

[Cottonoid]

I applaud you for hanging in there! It sounds like he's learned that biting is how to communicate. I agree that target training and trick training might be a great way to show him that being gentle gets him yummy treats. With almost every animal species I've worked with in the past, I start with "touch" - gently touching with their nose or beak whatever I want them to target (either my palm, my finger, or a stick depending on the animal). I like starting with this because it's pretty easy to capture when they do it right, which for me means less likely to accidentally reinforce the wrong behavior

 

[barw33zy]

Just read some of your other postings, if you can move cage with you around the house and give him treats when hes not screeching it can 1. Teach him being quieter is rewarding. 2. Give him socialization with you in a safe way for now where he wont fly into a pot of boiling water. And 3. Minimize the chewing and biting.

Some people disagree with clipping wings which I totally understand, but it's something to think about. (Have an avian vet do this) he may have been clipped before and the previous owners didn't keep up with it and that could be how he escaped and came to you. I'm not specifically recommending it but it's something to consider.

My conure is clipped to the point he can fly across the entire house but not gain altitude, its a struggle for him. I dont have to worry about putting him away if the stove is on though and if he were to get out he couldnt go far. In fact I've been taking him for walks on my shoulder for years with no harness, he loves it.

 

[FiFee Fiona]

Just read some of your other postings, if you can move cage with you around the house and give him treats when hes not screeching it can 1. Teach him being quieter is rewarding. 2. Give him socialization with you in a safe way for now where he wont fly into a pot of boiling water. And 3. Minimize the chewing and biting.

Some people disagree with clipping wings which I totally understand, but it's something to think about. (Have an avian vet do this) he may have been clipped before and the previous owners didn't keep up with it and that could be how he escaped and came to you. I'm not specifically recommending it but it's something to consider.

My conure is clipped to the point he can fly across the entire house but not gain altitude, its a struggle for him. I dont have to worry about putting him away if the stove is on though and if he were to get out he couldnt go far. In fact I've been taking him for walks on my shoulder for years with no harness, he loves it.

Yes. I've been considering wings. He flies very well. But also in a temper. And loses his footing and slides off things. It can be dangerous.
I just worry it might make him sad.
He really has no idea. The stove can be on and he will go there. I've given up trying to stop him. He goes in the cage when there's hot pots.
He is out a lot with me. I'm thinking maybe a bit much.
So I'm trying to get him used to his cage. So there's a bit of chill time.
We have a bit of a routine with morning and bedtime. The daytime is still a work in progress.

 

[HeatherG]

Hi, I just stumbled upon your post. I had a greencheek conure for years. He could only handle being out and on me for about 15 minutes. Then he would bite and bite and bite.

Maybe your conure only has a short attention span and is too wound up after a little while and needs to go back to his cage. Could that be true? I’ve run into this with other bird species as well.

 

[FiFee Fiona]

Hi, I just stumbled upon your post. I had a greencheek conure for years. He could only handle being out and on me for about 15 minutes. Then he would bite and bite and bite.

Maybe your conure only has a short attention span and is too wound up after a little while and needs to go back to his cage. Could that be true? I’ve run into this with other bird species as well.

Since he had an accident and hurt himself he slowed right down.
He can't fly. But I think it will come back. The vet thinks his wing is bruised not broken thankfully.
Before that I had started putting him in his cage more.
He was still crazy ... and biting. But he needed the break. Too long out of the cage and he went silly.
Now in recovery he's out on me usually sleeping on my shoulder.
He'd not talked or screamed either.
He must be getting better. He's suddenly biting into my ear and hand.
He finally told me to stop it ... wanna scratch and to step up. Plus he's had a scream today.
I'm trying to keep the calm going.