Territorial (?) Sun Conure

[noct]

Hello! I've been meaning to get some advice with this for a while.

We have a 3 year old sun conure, Kiwi. We've had her for two years, and she's always been slightly aggressive and territorial with her cage, or us (my brother and I). She'll attack guests or get really upset if she's with one of us and attack us instead. We had an incident just today where Kiwi flew to my aunt and attacked her just for walking by her cage (where she was sitting). She does this with anyone and anything she doesn't know.

Is there any things I could do to make her less aggressive/territorial? We assumed it would go away as she got older but it seems to be getting worse. I did read a few posts here that said to grab their beak when it happens and tell them 'no biting' or 'calm down' but that doesn't seem to work for her.

 

[Laurasea]

One thing to research is puberty, sounds like that could be what KiWi is going through, and this is a trying time for the parrot and you. They can become much more territorial at this time. Set up a place for your bird to hang out away from the cage. If space is an issue, I put a screw in the ceiling then used fishing line to hsnge a big hoop for the parrots to hang out on and put a shoe tray underneath with news paper to catch any mess. You need patience, and dedication to more time on training, activities, foraging, puzzle toys to burn up some of the frustrations the bird is going through. You can so fons big rearranging of the cage perches and toys, and move the cage to s different area. Plus put that birdie in a safe travel cage and spend time with KiWi outside, with you always right there, s bit of sunshine and sitting in the shade is excellent for their mind and healthy for them.

 

[noct]

One thing to research is puberty, sounds like that could be what KiWi is going through, and this is a trying time for the parrot and you. They can become much more territorial at this time. Set up a place for your bird to hang out away from the cage. If space is an issue, I put a screw in the ceiling then used fishing line to hsnge a big hoop for the parrots to hang out on and put a shoe tray underneath with news paper to catch any mess. You need patience, and dedication to more time on training, activities, foraging, puzzle toys to burn up some of the frustrations the bird is going through.

Thank you for the response! I haven't looked into puberty but I definitely will. How long does that usually last? She's been this way for more than a year. She always has toys around but she doesn't show much interest. I'll definitely try what you said though!

 

[Laurasea]

Toys, you can work on target training to get them more interested in toys, they look st toy give treat praise, touch toy treat praise, pick up toy treat praise, you can get them playing more. Try behavior enrichment toys, I cut up a brown paper grocery bag into fringes like a hawain skirt, hung across the cage with a perch so walks through the fringe, usually want to rip up the bag. Take a shallow sturdy dish put a few inches of water in it, and float a Gatorade plastic cap or water bottle cap, in the cap put a few of the favorite seeds, so bird had to work out getting the seeds!!! Fun for all. Hang a bell pepper cut a hole in it and stuff some yummy things in it. Put a paper towel partly covering the food dish do they have to throw it off to get the food. Put a ball they can roll around on the bottom bof the cage. Sounds like your bird is flighted work in recall training. Burn up that birds energy!!!! I out cardboard tunnels for mine to wk through with surpriseing stuff in the tunnel. Get creative!!

 

[Laurasea]

For being better with people, put a cup by bird, when people walk by they put (usually a seed works best) a treat in the cup. So people become good things. Work in having the bird step up to family members arm then back to yours and give treat, if the bird gets better the other person gives the treat. I do this and I'm there to to take the bite if they look like they will bite the other person. My birds will gladly step up to anyone's arm hand, even if just for a second. My elderly mom can even give them a kiss on their back shoulder, but I don't have any friends or family brave enough to to scritch the head or anything, but they are all willing fir a quick step up hi. And a few are brave enough to give a treat, especially my GCC as she always says thank you!

 

[noct]

Thanks so much for all the tips! I tried in the past to get her to do activities but when she showed no interest I stopped, and I see that was very wrong. I tried the bottle cap in water, and she was hesitant at first but she got a few of the seeds. I definitely want to try the other things when I get the chance.
The cup by the bird is a really good idea also! I'm hoping that will help. She behaves the worst when around people, and it's embarrassing when they end up getting bit.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Pretty sure if you look up "territorial" or "possessive" in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of a sun conure. lol.


In all seriousness though, the protective instinct is common in suns and SOME is to be expected. HOWEVER, the key to keeping it under control is by providing proper social interactions with your sun as well as providing toys that stimulate (ie chewing toys) their natural instincts, like chewing. Above all else, creating and enforcing boundaries is a must with any sun. I cannot stress that enough. Once you've established the boundaries and enforce them regularly things will get much easier and more manageable. They'll still try to test them, but for the most part they will obey them as long as they are enforced.

 

[Laurasea]

You can also work with her on the table out for. A towel do not slippery out her on one side you walk around and have her come to you and get treat, then keep walking around the table tell her to come here give treat and lots if sweet talking. Then get an embroidery hoop from a craft store they have different size pladtic ones for like a dollar. Hold the hoop and have get stuck her head through for a treat, when she gained confidence have her step through for a treat, as she does this easily raise the hoop higher so she had to hope through the hoop to get treat, abd you can keep going till she had to fly through fir a treat. Everything thing takes time patience and go at her speed... Do this only for a few minutes st a time then do something else abd come back to it later, can take a day, a week, it more but she will get there. The more things you do with her the greater her confidence will be. Sounds like you definitely iwe it to her to put in done time. Elect some bites but be the bigger person don't give up. If get frustrated take a break and out yourself in the right mindset she can read your body language. When I obsereve my birds squabble they immeaditly work it out and go on, they don't seem to pout. You are going to see rewards and set backs to. Don't give up in her, eventually you are going to be closer than ever before. If you have a different bare if the house with a nice big window that she never gets to look out, set up a little are for her there and just sit with her reading outloud or talking. My parrots like to watch YouTube videos if other parrots, I also do children song cartoon videos they are mesmerized by the singing or nursery rhymes. All right am talked out! Soend more time with her even if it is hard at first!!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Wonderful replies, y'all!

I keep this handy for sharing... it's a essay by Anansi on this subject... originally posted as a reply a similar inquiry.

"So one of your gcc's has become cage territorial. One thing to remember is that there's no need for you to go through a bloodletting every time you need to take her out. Invest in a perch or perch-like stick and use that to remove her from her sleeping cage. And as you've pointed out, her behavior is fine once she's out.

Many people have birds who are stubbornly territorial, so they use the stick method to bypass this hardwired instinct to protect their "nest".

That said, one thing that sometimes works to snap them out of that behavior is to completely rearrange everything inside of that cage. Perches, toys, foraging activities... the works. Doing so might take her far enough outside of her comfort zone that she no longer views the sleep cage as her nest.

Another tactic is to attach a perch to the inside surface of the sleep cage's door, and then train them to go to that perch whenever they are ready to come out. You'd do this via target training, targeting each of them to the "exit perch" before opening the door. Then, once they are on that perch, you can swing the door open... thus taking them outside of the sleep cage's boundaries. (Of course, that particular method only works for doors that open by swinging from side to side, rather than those that either slide or open and close vertically.)

Another thing to be on the lookout for, btw, is if that territorial aggression begins to manifest against her cage mate. The smaller size of the sleep cage might be the trigger, and unless she's viewing her cage mate as her actual bonded mate, the aggression might not stop with you. If this wound up being the case, you would indeed have to separate them."

 

[noct]

Thank you all so much for the replies! It's given me a lot to think over and do.
Getting her to do activities and playing with toys seems to be what I have to do, since at the moment she shows no interest and just climbs/flies back to me (unless she can chew it up).

 

[MonicaMc]

I have to highly agree with teaching Kiwi desired behaviors. If she can't be trusted out of her cage to not attack people, then keep her caged with that special treat cup (metal works great!) and so whenever *ANYONE* walks by the cage, drop a treat in. Use treats to train her. Keep her busy. Tire her out with flight exercises.

As she learns to associate good things with various people, then we can consider having her step up or down on people momentarily. You may have to take it a step back though and have a person sit in a room and you give her treats directly for remaining calm as you enter the room, get closer to the person, etc. Any time she looks distressed or not paying attention to you, take it back a step.


How's she doing now?