12 week old indian ringneck

[sarahm22]

So im going to start my saying this is not my first bird. I had a beautiful african grey before who I still love and died due to old age. So after a while over grieving over my previous bird I got myself an indian ringneck from a breeder. He is a male and he was pretty tame when we got him. He however seems to be afraid of hands but seems to step up just fine and doesnt bite. He doesnt like being petted.

but ive noticed that he starts getting bitey and attacks at times when hes in his cage especially in the morning his eyes start pining and he screams and attacks. Then he goes back to normal, at first when we got him when I would touch his beak he would open it and I would get the impression he was going to bite but he did not ever attack. Im worried this will get worse? He nips at times when hes really energetic after his nap but I dont want him to start thinking being aggressive is okay what do I do

 

[mismi_struck]

At twelve weeks old he's possibly just really starting to loose the "baby" behavior and starting to act like a real bird. I'd go with all the old tricks - a puff of air to the face, or rotating your finger quickly to throw him off balance to discourage bites. As for attacking in the cage, he could be starting to show some signs of cage aggression. I would probably start off by opening his cage and just sitting in the room. If he starts screaming, shut the door calmly and walk away. Try again ten to fifteen minutes later. Repeat when you approach his cage, talk to him nice and calmly. I find that whispering/speaking softly encourages your bird to do the same. As long as he stays calm, you can then approach a few ways. Some birds prefer to come to their door and not have your big clumsy human hand wrecking their home, whereas others prefer for you to come fetch them. Figure out which he seems to like better, and work with it. Of course, you should always be able to handle food, water, and veggie bowls without being attacked, so you may need additional training for this. This way, he'll learn that he only gets to come out and play (or get fresh yummies! reward with his favorite num nums) when he's being nice.

 

[sarahm22]

Yes but his cage is already in our family room and we leave the cage door open so he can go in and out himself without being forced apart from when its bedtime. He seems to be a good bird most of the time I do shake my arm when he bites to lose his balance but his aggression in the mornings is getting me worried

 

[BEWolf]

I suspect that his being nippy after a nap and the morning aggression are the same as far as the cause. I think that I would try target training with him. While it could be that he is just waking up and doesn't want to be bothered, I think that he is starting to be territorial.