New to forum-need advice for my bird

[Birdmom713]

Hello everyone! I am new to this forum. I bought a sun conure when he was about 3 months old who we named Winnie (also I do not know if my bird is a male or female), but I really need some help from someone with experience with conures. The first year or so Winnie was very friendly, easy to teach and cuddly, I tought Winnie how to step up within the first 2 days. For some reason Winnie prefers men usually. Winnie gets a little weird if a women try's to interact with him, I was always the only women he would ever let near him, he always prefered me over my husband, Winnie would try to bite my husband all the time. Now they get along fine me and my husband both make an effort to make sure Winnie spends time with us outside of his cage (which is huge by the way). But lately, about the last six months Winnie has been biting, and it's now getting worse . I'm not sure why he is biting. It started a few months ago, I'd i was holding him he would just bite out of no where, and then he started to bite harder, so I would start saying "no" when he would bite me. After that Winnie continued to bite only now Winnie bites and then looks at me and says "no" to me!! The past month the biting has become out of control to the point where I don't think it's a game to Winnie any more because he will totally attack, which surprised me because he always loved me more then anyone else. I tried spending more time with him. Winnie eats fresh fruit everyday, I change his toys, he listens to music, and always has play time outside of his cage. He used to always step up on me no matter what, now if I put my if true near him he attAcks. He drew blood tonight ( not much but enough to upset me). And I e read about biting, I don't give him a reaction when he bites, and I don't let him win either. I just do nothing at all, if I'm trying to make him step up and he bites I continue to put my fingers under his foot until he gives up and just steps up (I never used to have to force him, he would always do it on his own and be happy to). Please help l, I love him so much and I feel like I'm losing control How can I stop this biting? Should I only make him step up when wants to? How should I react when he attacks??

 

[Allee]

Hello Birdmom! Welcome to the forums!

When there is a dramatic change in a bird's behavior it's usually wise to make sure the bird is physically healthy. If you are unsure, a vet visit may be a good idea.

I'm not sure how old your bird is but it sounds like s/he has probably reached sexual maturity and may be hormonal. Some birds don't react much at all, others become more aggressive, noisier, territorial, nippy or all the above.

I would suggest working on step ups with Winnie when s/he is behaving normally. While it's never productive to react to a bite with too much drama, it's perfectly all right to tell your bird, No or Careful or Gentle, in a firm voice and immediately put him in a time out for a period of no more than ten minutes. Designate a time out place, it doesn't have to be inside the cage, a perch or play stand works just as well. After your bird has calmed down it's okay to approach and offer a treat and friendly words. If you are consistent, it doesn't take long for the bird to realize bites are always rewarded with time outs.

Best of luck to you and Winnie.

 

[Birdmom713]

Thank you for the response!�� Winnie was actually checked out by a vet not that long ago. And Winnie will be 3 in April, is it to early for hormones or not really? Because Winnie has aggression if I try to take him out of his cage now he will pretty much attack, sometimes in the mornings when I wake him up he jumps on my finger, says "step up" to me all cute and then chomps down ��. But then other times Winnie wants to be in my sweater and just cuddles and he's fine, I'm so confused. Do you think it's hormones? And if so, do you think it matters if Winnie is make or female? And thanks you for the time out suggestion, I will give that a try.

 

[Allee]

Sun Conures typically reach maturity at around two years. Elevated hormone levels effects both male and female parrots, occasionally a female, even if she has no mate or other birds in the house will lay a clutch of eggs. Hormones can transform even the sweetest birds into little fanged dragons. I'm no expert and I can't be sure, but it does sound like hormones to me and if so, Winnie is not alone, it's been a rough season for lots of parrots. Make sure Winnie is getting enough sleep, if you are giving Winnie soft, warm food to eat you may want to temporarily serve something different.

Try to be patient, the good news is, if it's hormones, Winnie will return to normal soon.

Sun Conure Parronts may have species specific advice for you too. Hang in there, you are also not alone.

 

[Flboy]

Yes, you have a hormonal teenager on you hands! He still loves you and NEEDS you! But for now, well, please, hang in there! It is worth it!

 

[Birdmom713]

Thank you for the advice! I will hang in there I know Winnie will get better, hopefully it won't take years. This morning he was fine and cuddly before I went to work (I always hold him and kiss him/her goodbye every morning) I will see how it goes tonight. I was also wondering do u guys think if I go to have him step up and he ATTACKS, should I continue to make him step up in that same moment even though Winnie is biting me? Or should I back away and try later when he wants my attention? Like should I make this happen on his terms only?? Or should I have him step up even if he does t want to? Thanks again for the support

 

[Birdmom713]

Just wanted to say....I came home from work today and Winnie was better . I noticed the good mood Winnie was in and took the apportunity to practice more happy step ups. It worked out great we had play time, treats and cuddles!!!! I'm so happy, I was so upset last night in tears thinking my little Winnie was just going to be a demon bird, or thinking that he/she just doesn't like me anymore, so today reminded me that Winnie does still love me

 

[Minimaker]

You should look into parrot training videos, they really helped us. This is an example of what you can accomplish with training from one of the best teachers:
[ame="https://youtu.be/-EEBwjIoyXk"]https://youtu.be/-EEBwjIoyXk[/ame]

 

[MonicaMc]

After that Winnie continued to bite only now Winnie bites and then looks at me and says "no" to me!! The past month the biting has become out of control to the point where I don't think it's a game to Winnie any more because he will totally attack, which surprised me because he always loved me more then anyone else.

I don't think Winnie ever thought that biting was a game... he simply learned that the phrase "No" comes after biting. He doesn't know that the phrase "no" means to "stop biting".

His biting is a form of aggression, and simply telling him "No" doesn't teach him anything.

He used to always step up on me no matter what, now if I put my if true near him he attAcks. He drew blood tonight ( not much but enough to upset me). And I e read about biting, I don't give him a reaction when he bites, and I don't let him win either. I just do nothing at all, if I'm trying to make him step up and he bites I continue to put my fingers under his foot until he gives up and just steps up (I never used to have to force him, he would always do it on his own and be happy to).

Sounds like your behavior is making him more aggressive. He's trying to tell you something, and when you ignore him, he bites you. You then force him to do something which results in him getting frustrated with you, which, consequently, leads to more bites.

How can I stop this biting?

Simple solution! Don't get bit!


I know... easier said than done! But seriously! The only bite that can't be rewarded is the bite that never occurs. This means to try and avoid situations where you know he'll bite, and try to back off before he has a chance to bite.

Think about it this way... if a bird is never put in a situation where they feel the need to bite, they will never learn to bite. It is only when we put them in situations where they feel the need to bite, and we ignore them, that birds learn to bite in the first place!

Should I only make him step up when wants to?

Yes. If he doesn't want to step up, that's ok! Leave him be and try again later. It could be in a few seconds or in a few minutes. Either way, if he doesn't want to step up, don't force him!

When he does step up, give him a favorite treat of his! Make it rewarding to step up!

How should I react when he attacks??

Try not to put yourself in a position where you'll get attacked. If it happens, get him off you, walk away, and try to think where you went wrong. What could you have done differently to avoid getting attacked?

And Winnie will be 3 in April, is it to early for hormones or not really?

Although it could be hormones, it could also be something else.

Because Winnie has aggression if I try to take him out of his cage now he will pretty much attack, sometimes in the mornings when I wake him up he jumps on my finger, says "step up" to me all cute and then chomps down ��.

You might need to change your approach to his cage, or as soon as he steps up, reward him with a favorite treat and as soon as he's done eating it, give him another. Keep his beak busy with something other than your flesh.

The more that he is rewarded for good behavior, the less he may do undesired behavior.

And if so, do you think it matters if Winnie is make or female?

Nope. Males and females can become hormonal, grouchy, have a bad day or anything else!

I was also wondering do u guys think if I go to have him step up and he ATTACKS, should I continue to make him step up in that same moment even though Winnie is biting me? Or should I back away and try later when he wants my attention? Like should I make this happen on his terms only?? Or should I have him step up even if he does t want to? Thanks again for the support

I agree with Minimaker. If he attacks you, get him off and think about what you could do differently to avoid getting attacked! (as already mentioned)


Some great trainers and behaviorists to learn from include Barbara Heidenreich, Lara Joseph, Hillary Hankey, Susan Friedman, Karen Pryor, Melinda Johnson, Kelly Ballance and Chris Shank!