Untamed conure difficulties.

[crossru]

Hi

I have been working on taming my maroon bellied conure for quite a while now and he has learned to trust me in some degree.

He has considered stepping up onto my fingers (when i lure him in with an apple) at first he bites it softly to test if its safe to stand on. The second bite gets harder, but then the third bite is even worse! So much that I have to move it away from him in fear the next bite will make my finger bleed. I think hes seriously trying to eat my hand.

Their not agressive bites and he seems very curious as to what kinda jelly like substance my hand is. But the thing is is when I say ouch or move my finger slightly it shocks him and he moves away from me.

Hes been biting/testing my finger every single time Ive tried to get him to step up and Im worried that he wont ever step up.

What should I do?!?

Are there any tips on tricks?

Also Im finding it hard to open the window in my room during summer because of all the birds outside that he screams at, he also screams at every noise he hates which results in all day long. Is there anyway to get him to stop or decrease his screaming?

Cheers

 

[riddick07]

He probably has no idea how hard he is biting. He is trying to figure out beak pressure most likely. Let him know when he is starting to get too hard. Tell him no firmly when he is getting too hard. Tap his beak lightly to let him know at the same time or if twitching is enough to make him realize. It sounds like he backs off if you give him some indication it is uncomfortable to you. It doesn't sound aggressive to me. Does he play wrestle with you at all?

Also, are you just offering your finger in front of him? Are you pressing it into his chest and asking him to step up? You can also try a stick first so he gets the concept of step up before offering your finger again. It sounds like he would be a good candidate for target training

 

[hacatta]

i went trough the same thing with my yellow sided,just the last 2 months.
I went trough it and after a while he stopped and went straight for the treat.
Hopefully he will quit soon.

 

[crossru]

Thanks Guys
He doesnt play wrestle with my hand.
And I offer a treat in front of the hand I hold out so that he has to stap or touch my hand to get it.

 

[NiRD]

I just posted a long thread about biting in a topic called "Should I Throw In The Towel" or something like that.

When a bird bites and we pull away, it teaches the bird that the interaction will stop. This can be a game for some birds, or a way to control an unpleasant interaction. It's so important during these early interactions not to pull away from a biting bird.

Yes, bites are painful. Pick up one of these for under $10.
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/RI-Novelty-The-Surprising-Arm/dp/B000NFBZJC/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1393076657&sr=8-9&keywords=fake+hand]Amazon.com : The Surprising Arm : Fake Disembodied Apendages : Toys & Games[/ame]
Your bird will not know the difference if you simply tuck it in your sleeve and use it like a real hand.

 

[MonicaMc]

The only bite that can't be rewarded is the bite that never occurs. If you allow a bird to bite, you are thus teaching the bird to bite. If you push a bird into biting, you are teaching the bird to communicate through biting.

You want the bird to stop biting? BACK OFF! Give the bird space! Learn to understand your bird. Go slowly. Communication is a two way street, and when birds feel uncomfortable they'll show it, but when we force an issue the bird is going to bite because you've just ignored all other signs that they are not comfortable with what you are doing.


If the bird seems to be exploring more than really biting, then give them a toy to play with instead!



The best way to stop a parrot from biting is to figure out why the parrot is biting in the first place, then see if you can change something that you are doing to reduce the chances of your bird biting. In other words, don't give the bird a reason to bite!