green cheek started swooping and attacking

[moonmoon]

so we all know green cheeks are nippy, i expect that from him and was able to limit his habbits by receiving helpful information on here. my green cheek is a male and has just turned one year old.
he is nippy like most green cheeks but for some reason he has just started to lash out like crazy.. he bites our earlobes, lips, necks, targetting my partner first each time he comes out of the cage its the first thing he does. and has started swooping my daughter and flying around the house rapidly.at first i thought something had spooked him but what? nothing has changed at all.. i feel like i could handle this until he settles down but he has been driving my partner and two neighbours crazy. he was always a loud bird but its all changed now, foil and plastic bags used to make him yell or if he saw someone outside but now its just happening over nothing.. its just random continuous screaming all day. if we put him in the cage and put him in another room he is quiet, but i dont want him in there all day, he needs out of cage time too but i just dont know why he is screaming so much, i fear for my daughter too, he knows she is off limits and he used to never go near her, he was such a good boy! but now its like a new game maybe? he tries to see how close he can get to her, hes very sneaky about it, he has a play toy drawer in my desk, he drops toys on the floor so it gives him a reason to be on the floor, then he will throw the ball near her feet and before he gets to the next step (which i assume is to bite her toes) i place him in the cage.
another thing... i got him the coloured ring peg game to teach him colours, but i cant touch them, he bites my fingers, im not allowed to pick them up, im so upset i really wanted to play this game with him and teach him but he has nothing on his mind but attack mode.
this new "attitude" has been going on for 6 weeks, ive been rewarding good behaivour and doing anything i can to reduce these problems but he has remained the same. im starting to get really frustrated with myself because i dont know what im doing wrong, has anyone got any tips?
thanks so much

 

[Notdumasilook]

Cant speak for your bird but mine will attack over toys and/or food. That is normal instinctive behavior and probably not worth fighting over. Pick your battles. As for his attack behaviors if I had to guess.... he is getting his first shot of teenage hormones and you need to draw the line or its gonna become habit.

 

[Birdman666]

I respectfully disagree. This is territorial aggression.

Swooping and attacking are generally territorial behaviors. This bird is laying claim to a territory and "defending it" against human intruders.

First, when a bird is swooping and attacking, I generally start by clipping wings. Sorry, but you lost your flying around the house privileges until the behavior improves.

Second, he really needs to go back to basics, starting with no bite training.

Third, how much are they getting handled?

Is there something/someone that triggers the swoop attack?

 

[moonmoon]

he is out of the cage all the time unless we go shopping or something, he is with us alot, sometimes even in the bathroom when we shower! we have been trying to teach him not to bite but nothing seems to be working, its the first thing he does when he comes out. nothing has changed, it has always been the same people and the same routine which is why we are confused as to why hes dong it. its like he just woke up one day and decided this is the way things are going to be. I will have to get his wings clipped next week when im able to afford it, i think thats a good idea, i just really hope it makes a change. thanks alot

 

[Flboy]

I so agree with birdman that is my Jojo to the tee! We came within minutes of clipping Jojo but tried a different approach. Whenever humans entered the room I locked him up and let him know why. I have been working with the most offensive of the humans to desensitize Jojo. Every time he walks in the room, go by the cage, a simple treat, walk away that's it. Now when he walks in the room if Joe Joe is out he is holding a treat and if JoJo flies to him he holds up to treat for him and that's it he doesn't see it as an attack and life is good. Now Joe Joe sits on his perch staring at his door hoping he will come out for a treat!

 

[moonmoon]

he targets my partner most so i told him to greet him with a very happy tone and give him some millet and it worked the first time but not the second time.. seems like hes on and off about it.. as for the screaming it has not stopped so ive tried distracting him by offering baths and something yummy, it doesnt take long for him to start up again though >_<

 

[Notdumasilook]

I respectfully disagree. This is territorial aggression.

Swooping and attacking are generally territorial behaviors. This bird is laying claim to a territory and "defending it" against human intruders.

Bingo.. yeah Im with ya birdman... but this bird just started this and is 9 months old...at which time his "teenage" hormones kick in.. which is when this stuff starts..at least in my experience with oodles of lovebirds and cockatiels I raised. Sheesh I've had lovebirds (and I think they were named wrong) were really nasty "teens".
As for clipping wings.... well you and I have discussed that before and its the last option for me on any bird tho it would darn sure stop it. )
As for teaching them not to defend food/toys I just rarely fight that instinct in them.. I adjust mine... but that's just me. I did draw the line on Booger when he attacked my face while chopping up his fresh food but I don't intentionally put my hands near his food when he is feeding..... but again...that's just me and Im comfy with letting him tell me "no" sometimes.

 

[moonmoon]

hes 1 year old sorry lol i just edited my information.

 

[moonmoon]

i just wanted to add that my partner told me he is nice to him and very well behaved but as soon as i enter the room he starts biting my partner and starts being naughty, then once i leave the room again he is fine, this is odd.

 

[Anansi]

Who is your conure's preferred person, you or your partner? And does most of this nippy behavior take place around his cage?

 

[moonmoon]

its a hard question to answer because im not sure. he bites my partner and harasses him, but he also sits on him way more and preffers to play with him. he does sit on me but nowhere near as much and does not bite me as much and certainly not the way he does to my partner, he pretty much attacks him untill hes decided to stop. as soon as he leaves the cage its straight to my partners earlobes. we sit at the computer desks and his cage is in the corner of the room about 3 meters away.

 

[Anansi]

Yet you said that when you're not around, he acts like a model citizen with your partner, right? Sounds like displacement biting.

In that scenario, your partner is the favored one. The "mate" pretty much. And when you walk in, he takes it out on your partner.

I'd take a two prong approach, here. First, back to basics with bite pressure training. Whenever he crosses the line with his nippiness, he should be put on timeout by your partner. Anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes at a time, with no attention directed his way until the timeout is over, done consistently with every transgression should eventually drive home the association between bad behavior and the inevitable consequence.

Second, you should institute a practice of shameless bribery. Let him come to associate you, his 2nd favorite, with lots of treats. You want your presence to become a reward in and of itself.

Between these two tactics, hopefully you'd get to see an improvement in his nippy behavior. It won't go away overnight. But persistence and consistency are key, here.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

 

[moonmoon]

thanks alot, will do! about the whole "mate" thing, he used to rub his butt on me and then he decided to do it to my partner and then me again.. he has not done it in a long time though so it really used to confuse me. anyway ill do what you said and post progression when it finally happens thanks again