i need help to stop my baby conure from biting!!

[jmigs6]

i have a 4month old sun conure, male. All he seems to do is nip my neck. he would bite my hand but with no real force when trying to pick him up but now the biting seems to be getting harder. i've tried blowing in the face, doesnt work, saying a firm "NO BITE", doesnt work. i've searched online, and i came across using a Popsicle stick to put in his mouth every time he nips me. it hasn't really been working, seems like the biting is getting harder. can somebody please give me some tips on how to make him stop biting. other than him doing this he is the most affectionate bird i've ever had. its just frustrating when i'm trying to hold him and all he wants to do is bite. someone please help. i'd greatly appreciate it!!

[Monica]

Babies often explore with their beaks when young. They need to be taught what is and is not acceptable. If done improperly, you can be teaching them to bite rather than otherwise.

When he is with you, I suggest having some foot toys or otherwise for him to entertain himself with... maybe making or buying a birdy necklace, or getting an old shirt/sweater, putting a bunch of holes in it, and then hanging various toys from the shirt! Nipping at your neck could just be a way of him saying that he's bored! It could also mean 'danger', such as another pet or human coming into the room... or maybe he's preening you!

As for biting your hands... you need to work on step ups. If the bite bites, firmly (but don't yell it!) tell the bird "No biting" and continue. Really though, just ignore the bites, and praise the bird each time they don't bite! It takes time!

[mmr]

Originally Posted by jmigs6

i have a 4month old sun conure, male. All he seems to do is nip my neck. he would bite my hand but with no real force when trying to pick him up but now the biting seems to be getting harder. i've tried blowing in the face, doesnt work, saying a firm "NO BITE", doesnt work. i've searched online, and i came across using a Popsicle stick to put in his mouth every time he nips me.

WOW, Sounds like you are forcing him to do things that he doesn't want to. You should never force and bird to do anything. You should be moving at the birds pace. Let him come to you when he wants to. Right now you need to gain the birds trust and it sounds like you haven't gotten it yet. Also when and if he does bite, don't react. What you were doing above will only make 1- the bird not trust you, 2- make the bird bite more. Birds bite to make a poaint or to get attention. Even if it is negative attention. When he bites don't react, not a word, nothing. You simply just put them in a time out for about 3-5 minutes and then try again, continuing the time outs till he gets the ideas. Parrots love attention and he will learn that he isn't going to get a thing from you if he beahaves like that. He willc atch on, just have to be constant!

[Sondra Peterson]

OK so what do you use as time out The cage is not going to work because with mine he loves his cage and don't try to get him out. If he happens to get out of the cage or off his play area then there is no problem with stepping up and being nice but in the cage or anywhere near then it is katy bar the door. This one is 6 mo old

[Luisa]

I've had a similar problem with my Senegal. He bites too hard when he gets playful and can get VERY carried away. I have been told to give him a time out on the floor, this might work better for you. The ignoring part is what bothers my bird, he REALLY craves my attention. Unofortunately, since he is flighted, this time out does not work for me, he just flys right back to me, so I have to put him in his cage for a time out.

[Sondra Peterson]

mine I have just had 10days I knew he was a biter recently just because they thought from no attention. the first two days he was just fine after the first couple of tries getting him out of the cage the last 4 days have been horrible , he is a p'let and he bites hard. he also has started chatering terrible when I talk to him like he doesn't even want to be bothered.

[Monica]

Having a second cage or carrier for time-outs would work! Time-outs are short so there should be no toys or food within the time-out cage. Besides, you don't want the bird to have a reason to be in there! I've got a cat carrier, small critter carrier, and a bird carrier. I don't currently use any of them, even though the cats do enjoy the cat carrier! I used to use the small critter carrier as a sleeping cage for Charlie, but then I upgraded him to a small bird cage.

[Addicted to Tequila]

Ok...

IMMEDIATELY AFTER (or better is WHILE) he bites you:

(1) Look at the bird like he is lower than pond scum. Like something you have to scrape off your shoe. Furrow those brows, turn that frown on big time, wrinkle up that nose. We are not just talking anger here... go for the look you make when you find something in a non-see-through dish in the very back of the fridge and open it up and almost vomit. Birds are really good at reading visual cues. This one works well. I save the "angry" look for BEFORE the act... and use this one for the act having actually occurred. Kind of like counting to 3 for toddlers. When he gets the point, you can go with the full thing (saying "no", giving the angry look, THEN "punishing" for doing it anyway).

(2) Now deposit the bird. If he is clipped... this is REALLY easy and works wonders. Drop your hand to your side rather slowly and with no further warning. As it reaches your thigh and the hand is dropped... the bird slides right of and flutters to the floor. By no means should the bird "hit" the floor. Especially a hard floor. If he is severely clipped or you have hard floors... do this onto the couch or such. The floor is really best as they feel very uncomfortable and vulnerable there and will do anything NOT to be there alone... but not if there is the possibility of injury!

(3) Walk away! Turn your back, do NOT look back... and simply walk off. If he yells for you... ignore it. Wait a full minute or two (while you make sure you have bandaids, or say all those choice words you do not want him to learn). Return and ask for the step-up command. If he does so willingly, praise is in order. If not... rinse and repeat.

[Addicted to Tequila]

BTW...

I am of the Sally Blanchard way of thinking. You should not physically harm your bird or force him physically to do something... but you SHOULD expect compliance to a simple request.

If he were a child, you would not let him bite you every time you asked him to do something he did not want to. That is ridiculous. If you would let your kid do that... by all means, go for it. Most people would not.

Parrots are wickedly smart little guys. They can learn boundaries. That does not mean you can make constant and unjustified requests... any kid would throw a temper tantrum if you did! But if make a reasonable request, it should be responded to in a reasonable way.

If he always bites you for the same reason, like when you are asking for a step-up... make it worth his while to comply. If he does it... give him his favorite treat or major scritches that he adores. Periodically ask for a step-up for no other reason than to give this reward. If every time you say step-up it means he is put back in the cage... you can understand the problem! If every time you ask he gets lovies and treats... and then goes in the cage only one out of 8 times... he likes the odds and will be willing to take his chances!

Birds are selfish little stinkers... the first thought that crosses their mind is "what is in it for me". You find the right reward, set the training up for success (so it is hard for the bird to do the wrong thing)... and you will get the right response with little coaching!