Poor Kiwi is having a rough first year.

[Sterling1113]

So I'm sure I'm not the only one dealing with 'moody' parrots this time of year...

Kiwi is having an exceptionally difficult time with her hormones. it's been a few weeks now that she's gone from being my BFF(Best Feathered Friend) to being a grumpy, moody, bitey bird..

I'm sure it didn't help bringing Pascal home right around the peak of her 'issues'.


She still will chase me around her cage to bite me, lunges at me from her play stand, and gives aggressive displays if I look at her funny. She's fine with Loki, no fighting there, but she can't stand me.

But if I'm sitting on my bed she will fly over and crawl in my clothes/under any part of me and start the bobbing, wing flicking and bum raising. She will come to me in hopes of having babies but will tolerate no human interaction (ex. Won't step up or take scratches. She wants me to be a bird with her.)

It breaks my heart to see her so confused. It's her first hormonal shift, she's about a year and a half old so she's on time with it. I just wish I could do more to make her comfortable. I can wait out the bites and wear bandages, flesh wounds heal. I just miss my kiwi, and knowing that she could change for good once she 'matures' scares me a little. I love her to bits, I just wish I could show her without her seeing me as her 'mate'.

 

[MonicaMc]

You might just need to do target training with her while she's like this and wait it out. Also, try to avoid anything that makes her nesty. May need to change up her cage, her diet, and her day/night hours, too.

 

[Sterling1113]

Thanks much for the ideas, I'll have to look at what I do already and see what else I can do.

I've been doing target training up until she decided she didn't see me as a human anymore. Now if I do anything with her(including feeding, treats, baths) she'll puff and bite. She will angrily take the treat then bite me.
I've changed her diet a bit, more pellets, less seed. (I finally found a pellet she will eat.) and cooked food/veg whenever I can.
She doesn't have a nest box, and she still has shredder/ foraging toys but she doesn't get nesty unless it's on me or my clothes. So really it's at the point if she flies to me on the bed but won't step up I have to get her back to her play stand else she'll just try to get broody with me.
I'm just hoping with enough consistency and patience(from both of us) things will go back to normal before too long.

 

[MonicaMc]

Might try changing the way you offer treats, so you don't get bitten.


Can you cue her to do any behaviors while she's with you? Such as turning around or waving? Maybe spreading her wings? What about teaching her to play with foot toys while she's with you?

 

[Sterling1113]

She doesn't really know any commands, I never trick-trained any of my birds until the past few months. I'll try getting a little bowl on the end of a stick to offer treats and see how she does.
She talks back and forth with me at night time while she's in her cage. We take turns saying 'kiwi' in funny ways. Lol.

She likes finger traps and toilet paper. Usually I have something of the sort to offer her when she comes to me, but she very quickly loses interest then it's back to square one.

I was thinking about taking her more places, car rides and such. Something exciting that doesn't happen very often, it might take her mind off everything else at least for a while, yeah?

 

[JasmineGCC]

When my GCC Jasmine hit puberty she turned overnight from a cuddle bunny to an aggressive biter. I only ever got her out with covered hands ie inside a jumper and kept out time short but frequent. Fed her lots of treats through the cage wire and spent time just talking to her. The behaviour lasted around 4 months and then she calmed noticeably. Now she is 2 and no obvious hormonal changes this year. However whilst she still loves snuggling into my neck she doesn't tolerate body strokes - just head scritches. She's still adorable but instead of letting me do anything to her, I now ask if she eg wants to come out of her cafe, or wants a head scratch. If she does, she'll show my by her body language. If she moves away I respect that and try again later. NB she hasn't bitten me for months

 

[Superxdude]

when do Sun Conures hit puberty?

Chopper is being a little more nippy lately

 

[Sterling1113]

I imagine suns can hit it between 1 1/2 years - 3 years. Nippiness isn't the only hormonal behavior though. You'll know if it's hormones