Conure problems?

Question

MY pet conure has a problem with bitting. What should i do?

Answer 1

I am not sure what it is that you want to know because you did not give much info.

I have a sun conure. He will nibble my finger a little most everytime he steps up. It is just a lite nibble. Not really a bite but to someone not expecting it they would think they got bitten. If you walk up and he puts his head down and opens his mouth and puffs up you are going to be missing a chunk of meat so stay back. In this mode he will come to you to attack. He at times will be walking across the floor and see the cat asleep by the fireplace and he will walk over and pinch him just to see the cat jump. He don't bite hard enough to bring blood just enough to make hte cat jump. If we are eating he will come over and pinch a toe to let you know he is there and wants a bite of food.

Back to your bird, If he is just putting up with you and letting you put food and water in his cage and you move very fast he will nip you pretty hard. Just letting you know to stay back. Try moving slow and give him a sugar cane or hand him a sunflower seed. You have to let him know that when he sees you is a treat. Don't move fast or talk loud. Both of my birds respoind better to baby talk.

If your bird has always let you pick him up in the past but now bites you then he might be molting or wanting to mate. Birds do get mad at you as well. I tried to put mine in a flite suit and he was mad at me for about 3 days. He would back off in the corner of his cage and try to bite me if I got near but he got over it. During this time he would go to my girlfriend with no problem. So he was pissed at me only.

People have came over and he has bit every single one of them. Bit a little girl and made her finger bleed. But one buddie of mine came in the house for the first time and the dumb bird jump right on his finger and ran right up his arm and stood on his sholder. When I tried to get him he would run around to the other side and down his back. So they pick who they like.

Are you wearing some thing that might stink to the bird? Or maybe you are the same sex as the bird and the bird only likes males or maybe only likes females.

You will just have to test things.

Enjoy,

Answer 2

Do not point your finger at it. Birds find fingers to be threatening. When talking to your conure hold your hands behind your back. Also, if you want you conure to perch on your hand keep your fingers together and offer your hand at its belly. Never pinch the bill/beek as the bill can come off...it grows back like a finger nail. Conures are high strung...just work with it using treats and lots of patience. Read books on parrots / conures they are very helpful.
A trick i was taught was...if the bird is on your hand and it bites you, tilt your hand as if to make it slide off...that is a distraction and will sooner or later teach the bird that if it bites it will fall.

Answer 3

There are a number of follow up questions needed before a real answer can be given.

Conures tend to be nippy. It is their way of life. They beak things more than other birds and their bites can deliver a nasty pinch.

How often is the bird handled? If you don't handle her often, she will continue to nip because she isn't used to your hands. Does she nip at you when you scratch of touch her? Odds are she doesn't like whatever it is you are doing. Some birds are snugglers, they want scritches all the time. Some will NEVER be "lap birds." If a bird is too excited and can't let out their energy, they will often redirect and bite whatever is closest to them. This is often the case if a bird doesn't like someone and is sitting on their favorite person. They can't reach the person they don't like, they get too excited, and they bite the finger that's holding them.

Birds often use their beak as we would our hands. When you offer your finger to your bird and they reach out with their beak, they are not trying to bite you. They are testing the new perch that is your finger to see if it is stable enough for them to hop on. They use their beak for balance.

Beaking is when a bird uses its beak to explore things.
Nipping is when a short pinch is delivered, often in annoyance.
If you aren't missing a piece of flesh, odds are it was not a bite.