hi everyone, im brum and ive just signed up to this forum, i have bought myself a green cheek conure and hes so cute, ive found a true friend in him, (i think hes a him anyway) he has a leg tag with a few numbers on it, ive named him rio because he looks like a parrot off the film rio also my kids love the name, he is talking but very quiet and difficult to understand what hes saying, he does bite quite a bit and i need to understand him more, when he does bite i grab a towel and show him then he flyes off to his cage he can be very loving and cute but he will just suddenly bite me, ive done quite a bit of reading about these parrots and obviously it will take time for him to get used to me, and me to get used to him, ive owned an african grey a few years ago, but he was very aggressive towards me so i had to sell him on, i do miss him but it didnt work out in the year i had him, but rio is quite tame considering. but does bite when i ask him to step up, time is a great healer i do believe, but some parrots are just that way overall. anyway, its nice to join another forum and hopefully some good sound advice would be very much appreciated, thankyou. Brum. x
new member... Brum
- Thread starter brum
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MomtoPercy
New member
Loved that movie! Percy also likes to watch it 
Welcome to the forum. Can we see a pick of little Rio?
Welcome to the forum. Can we see a pick of little Rio?
- Thread Starter
- Thread starter
- #5
Loved that movie! Percy also likes to watch it
Welcome to the forum. Can we see a pick of little Rio?
how do i add the pics of rio please. cheers
- Dec 18, 2013
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- Maya (Female Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Jolly (Male Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Bixby (Male, red-sided eclectus. RIP), Suzie (Male cockatiel. RIP)
Welcome to the forum, Brum! How old is Rio? Depending on his age, he could be going through a hormonal stage, a testing phase, or he might just be afraid of you. I think that the first thing you need to do is to try and learn exactly why he's biting so that you can adjust your interactions accordingly.
Sometimes parrots bite simply because we consistently miss every other sign that they've put out there via body language. Learning your bird's "tells" would be very helpful in this regard.
Other times they bite out of fear. You can only combat this by earning their complete trust. You mentioned using a towel, before. It wasn't clear exactly how you do so, but, judging from your little guy's reaction, it frightens him. Any tactic that induces fear is only a short term answer that will probably add to the problem in the long run. This isn't to say that you should just take the bite. But a different technique, like wobbling for instance, might get you more positive results.
Good luck with training Rio. I'm looking forward to seeing those pics. (Sorry, I don't yet know how to post pics, either.)
Sometimes parrots bite simply because we consistently miss every other sign that they've put out there via body language. Learning your bird's "tells" would be very helpful in this regard.
Other times they bite out of fear. You can only combat this by earning their complete trust. You mentioned using a towel, before. It wasn't clear exactly how you do so, but, judging from your little guy's reaction, it frightens him. Any tactic that induces fear is only a short term answer that will probably add to the problem in the long run. This isn't to say that you should just take the bite. But a different technique, like wobbling for instance, might get you more positive results.
Good luck with training Rio. I'm looking forward to seeing those pics. (Sorry, I don't yet know how to post pics, either.)
- Dec 18, 2013
- 22,301
- 4,216
- Parrots
- Maya (Female Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Jolly (Male Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Bixby (Male, red-sided eclectus. RIP), Suzie (Male cockatiel. RIP)
Oh, forgot to mention. Distraction is also great for diverting a bird when it's being particularly nippy. Having something handy to occupy his beak as an alternative to your skin when he goes for the bite, like one of his chew toys or a bird-safe piece of wood, will save you a world of pain.
Also, diversion and bonding can go hand in hand if you start training him. The training will give him something to focus on rather than any anxiety he may be feeling, and it would also serve to burn off any excess energy he may have... especially if said training includes flying. And all this while bringing you and Rio closer. Hope these suggestions help.
Also, diversion and bonding can go hand in hand if you start training him. The training will give him something to focus on rather than any anxiety he may be feeling, and it would also serve to burn off any excess energy he may have... especially if said training includes flying. And all this while bringing you and Rio closer. Hope these suggestions help.
Last edited:
Loved that movie! Percy also likes to watch it
Welcome to the forum. Can we see a pick of little Rio?
how do i add the pics of rio please. cheers
Hi Brum and welcome! There is some good info on how to upload pictures here:
http://www.parrotforums.com/technical-support/6287-how-post-pictures.html
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