I have GC conure. I have had him since he was a baby. He is around 9 months old now. I am having serious issues with biting. Not just a little bite, but blood drawn biting. I have tried everything to stop it. I have put him down and walked away, I have grabbed his beak and said no and put him down. I have put him back in his cage for my own safety because he wouldn't stop biting. I have scars on my nose, lips, chin, fingers and ears. Rehoming him is the last thing I want to do. Even though he is a brat bird sometimes, I love him dearly. I just don't know what to do anymore. I am desperate please tell me what I can do to stop the biting. My heart breaks everytime he bites me. I don't know if/what I am doing wrong. We can be just sitting there and he goes from sitting on my shoulder to biting my face or ear. Sometimes he won't even let me pet him.
Please help!
- Thread starter GCRiomom
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noodles123
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Thanks for reaching out. I don't know your bird, but If you have only had him for 9 months and you have tried so many things, I would think that you are changing things up too often. That having been said, have you had him checked by a CAV ? How much quiet and dark sleep does he get nightly? How much out of cage time? How much interaction? What does he eat? Are there other birds around? Does he have access to any dark spaces? Do you pet places other than the head?
It sounds like there could be many issues (nothing INSANE though), but it is hard to know the cause w/o more details. When does he bite? Who initiates step-ups etc? Birds bite for so many reasons that without more antecedent (before behavior) information, it is hard to even make an educated guess..Beaks are like hands to them.
It sounds like there could be many issues (nothing INSANE though), but it is hard to know the cause w/o more details. When does he bite? Who initiates step-ups etc? Birds bite for so many reasons that without more antecedent (before behavior) information, it is hard to even make an educated guess..Beaks are like hands to them.
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I have had him checked by a vet, the vet said he is in good health. He is the only bird. I take him out of his cage when I am home. He is out for at least 5+ hours a day. If I am off he is out all day unless I have errands to run. He eats Zupreem pelleted diet and a Zupreem seed variety. A few times a week for the seed and daily for the pellets. I have tried to feed him veggies, but he won't eat them. I only pet his head. I did my research before I bought him and know not to pet anywhere else. He gets sleep at night and naps during the day. He has a Snuggly Hut that he goes to when he doesn't want to be bothered. I usually just open his cage and let him come out on his own. When he bites it is at random times. Sometimes I am not doing anything, but sitting on the bed with him, other times I am trying to give him a bath or moving around the house. As far as I can tell there is no trigger that I can see for the biting. He will be fine one minute sitting on my shoulder and biting the next. I can be sitting perfectly still and he bites me.
I can feel the pain ( the emotional kind) with you and your GCC. I am going to make 3 suggestions.
1 - shoulders are a priviledge place for parrots that have proven themselves to be well behaved. it must be earned. So no more shoulder for your GCC untill he has proven he can be trusted
2- when he bites , say NO in a authoritative voice ( not sreaming) and place him on a chair back. Not on or in his cage. Cages are his place of refuge - you could be rewarding him by putting him back in his cage. Chair backs are easier to get him onto, and are neutral. do it IMMEDIATELY when bitten. Turn your back immediately to him and totally ignore the bird for 5 minutes. Absolutely no eye contact, not sneeking a peek, nothing. YOu can then pick him up and resume what you were doing. If he bites you rightaway, back on the chair back he goes.
3- Too many parrot owners expect instant results from a reconditioning or training action, and move on to another method. This only serves to confuse the poor bird. Stick with the above training and reconditioning activity for 3-4 months, but i will bet it takes a lot less time for your GCC to catch on.
You have to out stubborn your parrot and some are champions when it comes to being stubborn. Good Luck.
1 - shoulders are a priviledge place for parrots that have proven themselves to be well behaved. it must be earned. So no more shoulder for your GCC untill he has proven he can be trusted
2- when he bites , say NO in a authoritative voice ( not sreaming) and place him on a chair back. Not on or in his cage. Cages are his place of refuge - you could be rewarding him by putting him back in his cage. Chair backs are easier to get him onto, and are neutral. do it IMMEDIATELY when bitten. Turn your back immediately to him and totally ignore the bird for 5 minutes. Absolutely no eye contact, not sneeking a peek, nothing. YOu can then pick him up and resume what you were doing. If he bites you rightaway, back on the chair back he goes.
3- Too many parrot owners expect instant results from a reconditioning or training action, and move on to another method. This only serves to confuse the poor bird. Stick with the above training and reconditioning activity for 3-4 months, but i will bet it takes a lot less time for your GCC to catch on.
You have to out stubborn your parrot and some are champions when it comes to being stubborn. Good Luck.
Until you can trust him, keep him off your shoulders and away from your face.
noodles123
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Snuggle huts can be dangerous for many reasons, but they can also encourage hormonal behavior..Consult w/ others, but I would remove it ASAP.
Jen5200
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Aw, you have my sympathy on the biting! I took in a GCC (Stanley) in August - his family didn’t want him anymore because he was a notorious biter, he’s around 4 years old. I absolutely agree with the things said above. Decide on your method and stick to it, don’t switch it up if you don’t see results within a few days/weeks. I use the method that Wrench suggests above. I started working with Stanley in August and in November I can say that I started being able to have full weeks at a time without a bite from him. I can say now that I’m over a month now without a skin-breaking bite from Stanley. Stanley is my second conure that came to me with biting issues and I used the same method with both of them. They continue to test those boundaries on occasion - but my reaction is always consistent...they get a time-out on a chair back or plain perch, and then we can go back to being friends.
They do understand....just keep with it and be very, very consistent. Make sure that good things happen - treats or play or cuddles - when they are being good. And boring, alone things happen when they bite. You’ll do great!
They do understand....just keep with it and be very, very consistent. Make sure that good things happen - treats or play or cuddles - when they are being good. And boring, alone things happen when they bite. You’ll do great!
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Welcome, you've received terrific advice thus far! Hopefully you will find effective behavior modification techniques. I commend your dedication and willingness to find a solution.
Snuggle Huts are among the most dangerous of accessories. Primary issue is birds will often peck at the soft threads and consume, leading to a blockage. The second post in this thread illustrates the problem: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-toys/38678-list-hazardous-toys-here-please.html
Two threads sharing techniques for managing biting:
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/63988-bite-pressure-training.html
Snuggle Huts are among the most dangerous of accessories. Primary issue is birds will often peck at the soft threads and consume, leading to a blockage. The second post in this thread illustrates the problem: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-toys/38678-list-hazardous-toys-here-please.html
Two threads sharing techniques for managing biting:
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/63988-bite-pressure-training.html
greytness
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Take a step back and see if you can ascertain under what circumstances he bites. Also, see if you can see if he pins, slightly opens his beak immediately prior, fluffs up, etc. If he does any of the things you see right before he bites, then don't touch him! Talk softly to him; perhaps distract him with a treat, or do whatever behaviors with him that will bring you a favorable outcome.
My pineapple GCC is quite a nippy little guy, but I've learned what his triggers are and make certain that I avoid whatever it is that causes him to bite. Some days are great while others he's quite a nippy little thing.
I think he's too young for hormones to be taking over. I really think you might be crossing his personal line of discomfort; hence he bites.
My pineapple GCC is quite a nippy little guy, but I've learned what his triggers are and make certain that I avoid whatever it is that causes him to bite. Some days are great while others he's quite a nippy little thing.
I think he's too young for hormones to be taking over. I really think you might be crossing his personal line of discomfort; hence he bites.
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I would also very strongly urge you to remove the snuggle hut. It could be encouraging hormonal/cranky behaviour but the bird may also be chewing on it unbeknown to you and ingesting those synthetic fibres which can get stuck in their intestines and can prove deadly.
My GCC Baci would get a bit bitey from time to time and the “shunning” method as described above does work provided you’re consistent 1000% of the time. By now though you may have been made wary having been bitten so often. You may be involuntarily flinching away from that beak even when he was not intending to bite, even just a tiny bit, and that may in itself result in a bite! You have to extend your hand with total confidence so that there’s not even a hint of hesitation on your part. If I knew my guy was cranky and bitey I would put a precautionary band-aid or several on my “step up” finger if required so that I wouldn’t have to worry about another painful bite or him noticing any hesitation from me.
My GCC Baci would get a bit bitey from time to time and the “shunning” method as described above does work provided you’re consistent 1000% of the time. By now though you may have been made wary having been bitten so often. You may be involuntarily flinching away from that beak even when he was not intending to bite, even just a tiny bit, and that may in itself result in a bite! You have to extend your hand with total confidence so that there’s not even a hint of hesitation on your part. If I knew my guy was cranky and bitey I would put a precautionary band-aid or several on my “step up” finger if required so that I wouldn’t have to worry about another painful bite or him noticing any hesitation from me.
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- Aug 29, 2018
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Honestly I don’t know that they really “need” a hiding spot as such at all. Dark confined spaces like that do encourage hormonal/mating type behaviours which can become aggressive in a species like the GCC which is already prone to cage territoriality. You probably won’t be very popular for a few days but I think in the long run it’s best if you remove it.
noodles123
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If he wants to get away from people, he can just walk/fly away or even go into his open cage. There should be no need for him to hide really.
EllenD
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At 9 months old he's most-likely starting to go through puberty, and unfortunately the Snuggle Hut probably made the hormones so much more worse than they would have been to begin with...Parrots don't need a place to "hide" at all, as ANY small, dark places cause hormonal/nesting behavior, and Conures are particularly susceptible to this...And the Snuggle Huts actually have a warning on the outside of their packaging now that states "Not Intended For Use With Conures" because so many different Conure species have died from eating the material they are made of and then suffering a GI Blockage, or they end-up hanging themselves from a loose string that they work free...They are dangerous for all birds/parrots, but Conures seem to really be effected by them with regards to their hormones...
I would simply remove the Snuggle-Hut permanently, make sure he has no other boxes, tents, huts, etc. that he can get into, no small, dark places to hide, no "nesting materials" inside his cage or outside, meaning no bedding, wood chips, newspaper he can get underneath, or any type of towels or blankets...Make sure he cannot EVER get underneath any furniture outside of his cage, like the couch, chairs, the bed, dressers, desks, etc. because that will cause this issue too...My own male Green Cheek had his only psychotic hormonal episode after hiding under my couch for 20 minutes, it completely turned him into an aggressive vampire almost instantly, and it resolved itself within the day...Give him some time inside of his cage without the Snuggle Hut to calm down, and I'm willing to bet you'll see his biting/aggressiveness get better as he gets through puberty...It's just a part of life that we as their owners have to deal with, it's normal, and it will pass...
I would simply remove the Snuggle-Hut permanently, make sure he has no other boxes, tents, huts, etc. that he can get into, no small, dark places to hide, no "nesting materials" inside his cage or outside, meaning no bedding, wood chips, newspaper he can get underneath, or any type of towels or blankets...Make sure he cannot EVER get underneath any furniture outside of his cage, like the couch, chairs, the bed, dressers, desks, etc. because that will cause this issue too...My own male Green Cheek had his only psychotic hormonal episode after hiding under my couch for 20 minutes, it completely turned him into an aggressive vampire almost instantly, and it resolved itself within the day...Give him some time inside of his cage without the Snuggle Hut to calm down, and I'm willing to bet you'll see his biting/aggressiveness get better as he gets through puberty...It's just a part of life that we as their owners have to deal with, it's normal, and it will pass...
EllenD
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I'm so glad you removed the "Snuggle Hut", they are totally unsafe, that's the main-reason that you should remove it, the hormonal issues they encourage are just another side-reason to never use them...There have literally been thousands of pet birds/parrots that have been killed by having a "Snuggle Hut" and/or a "Happy Hut" inside of their cages (same things, two different manufacturers/brands); it seems to be a 50/50 split between them dying from a blockage in either their GI Tracts or their Crops from them eating little bits of the material, and then from them literally "hanging" themselves by freeing a thread from them while chewing on them,
and then getting either their necks wrapped up in them and dying from actual hanging, or they get their legs caught in the loose threads and hang upside down all-day, until their owners come home and they have either bled to death from chewing their own legs off (or trying to), or from the thread actually cutting through their legs. Here is a link to one of the hundreds and hundreds of websites/forums where people are listing the deaths of their birds due to a "Snuggle Hut" or "Happy Hut"...Happy Hut Warning
Anyway, just keep in-mind that at 9 months-old he is also going through puberty anyway, so removing the Snuggle-Hut should calm him down significantly, and if he was having any really aggressive, violent "episodes" after being inside of his cage, then they should stop, because those were no-doubt related to the Snuggle-Hut...I cannot explain to you how horrified I was when my Bowie went under the couch that one time...I couldn't find him, I looked all over the house and I was calling to him but got no answer, so I was sure he was dead or dying somewhere or that he somehow got out of the house and was gone...But finally I found him, under my couch (which is extremely low), making a little "nest" for himself out of crumbs, change, Cheetos, lol, anything he was finding under the couch...I called to him and he wouldn't come out for anything, and the entire time he was under there he was "talking to himself" in this extremely soft, rambling kind of voice, with this constant, soft "chirping"...It was creepy, he just stared at me but it was like he was in a trance or something...So finally I got a yardstick and gently swept him towards the front of the couch, and when he finally came out from underneath, he literally "charged" at me, ran purposely towards my hand and latched-onto it and wouldn't let go! Blood dripping, it was like having a vampire bat stuck to my hand...Once I managed to pry his beak off of my hand, he fell to floor and ran right back under the couch...I went and cleaned-up my hand, then again used the yardstick to sweep him out from under the couch, this time careful to not let him bite my hands....Well the second time he again "charged" at me, but at my feet!!! He then latched onto the skin on the top of my foot and wouldn't let go!!! It hurt so badly, I was trying to not start screaming at him, but this time he wasn't getting away...I walked to bathroom with Bowie attached to the top of my foot and managed to pry him off of it, this time I got hold of him around his body and did the "Vet-Hold"...And he went back into his cage for an hour, and after that he was completely normal and it's never happened since (I've blocked-off everything since so he can't get underneath ANYTHING)...
So that's just how hormonal being in small, dark places they can become...but just remember that your guy is going to still be hormonal for a couple of months, it will gradually get better, and the first time they go through this is obviously the worst...So removing the Snuggle-Hut should help quite a bit, but don't get discouraged if he's still moody, cranky, nippy, etc. for the next couple of months, as puberty in birds is no different than puberty in a teenage human...they turn into little monsters, lol...
My best advice is that whenever he's out with you and he become nippy, don't act like you're "punishing" him, don't scold or yell at him, because it's not his fault, he isn't doing this because he's angry or wants to hurt you, it's just his hormones going bonkers...I would just quietly put him back in his cage for a few minutes to calm down if he becomes nippy when he's out. Now that the Snuggle-Hut isn't in there anymore, a few minutes in his cage by himself will actually help to settle his hormones and calm him down (I'm sure that putting him in his cage didn't help but probably made it worse when the Snuggle-Hut was there)...
- Thread starter
- #18
He actually does seem to be doing better now. He isn't screaming as much and when I took him out this morning he didn't bite me. He tried to bite me yesterday, but today he seems good. I am so glad. I will see what happens in the next few days.
noodles123
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lolololol.../not...but the muttering and Cheeto/coin nesting is totally..believable/legitimate, but hilarious. My bird does this thing that I call "chompy chompy" when she is in the most mildly shadowy of places...so far she hasn't bitten me over it (that I know of), but she did very quickly chomp a big hole in my shirt--on more than one occasion(only petting her on the head)--- while gazing up at me adoringly (due to the shadow of my shirt/torso)...anyway, back to her play perch she went (oooohh look Noodles! Non-sexual distractions!)
I am worried she is about to go on a hormonal bender, as at least 4x this month, I have uncovered her cage at 5:30 AM, only to find her chomping (shredding) paper towels through the grate on the bottom of her cage-floor and looking up at me like, hello my dear, care to join my nesting party (and no, she didn't sleep on the floor- she is healthy but I am a light sleeper, so I have heard her climbing down through closed doors at like 4:30AM-OY!)- I swear, I do everything to keep her hormones at bay, but I do cover the cage when she is ready for bed (via her signal!)--sometimes I do think she shreds in the evening after I cover her (maybe it's a plot
! )...We have been through winters before, so I am hoping she is just being her weird cockatoo self and not actually on the cusp of hormonal crazy....Still super sweet with me most of the time (knock on wood), but she hasn't tried this new cage-floor nesting tactic in the past.
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