Conure starting to become aggresive? Another question added to post 8 if you could please look.

[featherfinder]

I have posted before about Sonny and Sammie my 2 sun conure's. Well Sonny the past few weeks has slowly started to become more aggresive towards anyone but me. They are actually both my BF's but Sonny took a liking to me so I call him mine lol. But he would still let my BF take him out of the cage and handle him without a problem. I was the only one who could do anything else that involves touching him or playing without getting bitten. And he has always had a problem with anyone other than my bf or I and would bite them. Well the past few weeks he refuses to let my bf take him out of the cage and will bite him until he stops but will step up just fine for me. If I am holding him also and my bf gets close he will bob his head and try to bite him like he does with other people now. He has never been this aggresive with him before and it just slowly started getting worse and we have no idea why. The only way my bf can pick him up now without getting bit is if I put him on the ground away from his cage and leave the room. Any ideas about what is causing this change in him? I dont know if sex has anything to do with it but I do not have either of them DNA sexed so not sure if Sonny is male or female.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Quote: Sounds sexual in nature to me, or at least guarding behavior. Not an expert though, so I don't know.

 

[magnolia-1971]

Sonny has picked you as his/her mate. Sonny does not want anyone else. Soon when you are holding him he will become aggressive to anyone that gives you affection or even touches you. I am not sure what you can do. This often hap pends with parrots. I had Conure and he would attack my now husband even if he was just sitting next to me. I know that if your bf tries to handle Sonny and gets attacked and gives up, Sonny will equate that with winning. Good luck. That is really all I know.

 

[featherfinder]

Sonny has picked you as his/her mate. Sonny does not want anyone else. Soon when you are holding him he will become aggressive to anyone that gives you affection or even touches you. I am not sure what you can do. This often hap pends with parrots. I had Conure and he would attack my now husband even if he was just sitting next to me. I know that if your bf tries to handle Sonny and gets attacked and gives up, Sonny will equate that with winning. Good luck. That is really all I know.

My bf doesnt give up. He deals with getting bitten until Sonny steps up for him and then will make him step up on his fingers back and forth for about 10 times. We are trying to work with him now before it gets any worse that he wont have anything to do with my bf.


Anyone have any good ways of puting a stop to this before he gets worse? Or will he really one be a one person bird.

 

[magnolia-1971]

Your bf is doing the best thing possible.

Anyone who wants to pick up Sonny should be like that. No backing away. I worked with Macaw's for years. I Military Macaw really messed my arm up. I got him to sit on it after a long battle. OWE.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Nambroth]

I'm actually going to disagree-- your BF is forcing Sonny to act how he wants on his terms. The relationship will be based on force instead of trust, and while it may work out it will never be the same as a trusting relationship.

You need to do everything you can to reduce Sonny's hormonal triggers, first. Don't let him 'guard' his cage by sitting on top (this is a very male parrot behavior while his lady is nesting, in the wild). Be careful about not petting him in a sexual way-- this isn't necessarily what you think. Parrots preen each other often and sometimes petting our birds anywhere other than on the head can really trigger them.
Secondly, make your BF the source of all 'good' in Sonny's life. Every time he walks by, Sonny gets a tiny bit of a favorite treat. Once Sonny starts associating your BF with being near the cage, move on to the next step... your BF's hands in the cage (treat). You may need to go slow... each 'phase' may take a week or longer!! Eventually the idea is that you want Sonny to willingly step up onto your BF's hand when asked, and always make it a rewarding experience. Rewarding tone of voice, etc. The hope is that once Sonny is trained in this way he will do it without needing a treat each time, as long as you praise him in some way.

It may be worth your time to target-train Sonny.

 

[cmommyrun]

Has the conures wings been trimmed recently? I used to have one and still have an african grey congo parrot. Their wings need to be clipped every 3 mths or so. i swear it cuts down on aggression and territorial behavior. The vet told me its because its painful for them not to get trimmed so they get angry. Whenever our parrot gets in a snit we know its time for nail/wing/beak clipping. With a conure though you only need to do the wings because its smaller. Always tell the conure no when it bites. Gently but with an i mean it tone. Then when good behavior happens praise it and give it a bird treat. It sounds to me like the conure is maturing and has decided to bond with you. It may just stay that way but try these things I mentioned. Birds pick who they like lol.

 

[featherfinder]

Has the conures wings been trimmed recently? I used to have one and still have an african grey congo parrot. Their wings need to be clipped every 3 mths or so. i swear it cuts down on aggression and territorial behavior. The vet told me its because its painful for them not to get trimmed so they get angry. Whenever our parrot gets in a snit we know its time for nail/wing/beak clipping. With a conure though you only need to do the wings because its smaller. Always tell the conure no when it bites. Gently but with an i mean it tone. Then when good behavior happens praise it and give it a bird treat. It sounds to me like the conure is maturing and has decided to bond with you. It may just stay that way but try these things I mentioned. Birds pick who they like lol.

Yes Sonny has his wings trimmed regularly and his beak and toes. Even for being a small bird they still get sharp so it is easier if I just get it all done when he needs it. I am not the one he bites either and my bf does tell him no when he does bite but everyone else just leaves him alone.

One more problem I have with Sonny that I have been forgeting to ask is he always wants on my shoulder. If I hold him to close to my body he will try to jump and climb up to my shoulder. If I put my finger up and tell him to step up to take him down he squacks like mad till I finally get him up. But still will not bite me. His owner before us only use to pick him up and put him on her shoulder and thats where he would stay and I tried breaking him of that ever since we have had him which will be a year in June. I will not let him on my shoulder and when he jumps then I take him down right away and right back to his cage. If he is good and does not jump while I have him out he gets a treat. How do I fully break him of this?

 

[Nambroth]

One more problem I have with Sonny that I have been forgeting to ask is he always wants on my shoulder. If I hold him to close to my body he will try to jump and climb up to my shoulder. If I put my finger up and tell him to step up to take him down he squacks like mad till I finally get him up. But still will not bite me. His owner before us only use to pick him up and put him on her shoulder and thats where he would stay and I tried breaking him of that ever since we have had him which will be a year in June. I will not let him on my shoulder and when he jumps then I take him down right away and right back to his cage. If he is good and does not jump while I have him out he gets a treat. How do I fully break him of this?

You sound like you are doing well! You might just need to be patient with him and keep doing what you are doing. I once had a parrot that was so set in her ways that it took me two years to train a 'problem' away.

 

[featherfinder]

You sound like you are doing well! You might just need to be patient with him and keep doing what you are doing. I once had a parrot that was so set in her ways that it took me two years to train a 'problem' away.

I will keep at it since he has improved. I just didnt know if there was a better way. You mentioned target training? What exactly is that?