Question: How to stop my sun conure from biting.?

(Posted by: Justine I on 2010-08-16 18:44:47)

I have had my sun conure since he was a few months old, I have had him for about 3 years. He has recently started biting, biting to the point that he is making people bleed. For the first year of his life he was very friendly, he would let anyone hold him. Once he was about two years old he was picking and choosing who he would let hold him. Put recently he was been biting everyone including me. He never bit me before recently and he is biting to the point where it is drawing blood. Is putting him back in his cage the right thing to do? Some told me to spary him with a squirt bottle like you do to a cat, is this true? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Posted by: Raven Beanybottum on 2010-08-16, 19:51:10

Well the first thing you need to do is figure out why your bird is biting you. They don't speak the same language as us,so the find different ways of telling you things. If you can't think of a reason to why your bird is biting you then try this trick. Put the opposite hand you are holding him in, up to wear he is able to bite it, and if he tries to bite your hand, quickly lower the hand he is sitting on from the hand he is trying to bite,this will put him off balance so he should flap his wings and very filmy tell him No. Sorry if this doesn't work, but that's the only trick I know of. Good Luck!

Posted by: Denise on 2010-08-16, 19:52:09

It looks like he thinks he is the boss right now. when he bites do not react I know this is hard but it will pay off in the long run. he is asking for attention and is getting it when he bites. ignore him put him on the floor or on top of his cage. Do not use his cage as a punishment that is his home and he needs to feel safe in his cage. Say a sharp no and put him somewhere else he will get the idea that bitting does not get him attention he wants. When he is on someone and does not bite then reward him with a treat saying good boy. do not let him on your shoulder until he stops bitting. this is a privileged to birds to be on a persons body. it will take some time but it will be worth it good luck.

Posted by: Sonnie on 2010-08-16, 20:13:03

Whatever you do DO NOT squirt him with water. You will enhanced his aggression towards you. Offer safflower seeds or sun flower seeds, give it to him one piece at a time. Or if you have pieces of fruits eat it in front of him, then offer it to him. If he takes it from your hand, then that is a good sign he will get back to being tamed. This happens to me a month ago, my sun conure got mad at me and starts ignoring me and when I try to pick him up, he will just bite me. I left him inside his cage but I change his cage and the location of his cage. then offer safflower and sunflower seeds. at first he never want to eat it from my hand, but then after a week he eat some. Gradually I got his trust back. Maybe your sun conure is reaching to a point of needing to have a mate that is why the behaviour changed.

Posted by: Ginny on 2010-08-16, 21:00:56

This is an EXTREMELY helpful video I highly suggest watching it no matter what answer you think is best!

Posted by: Sandy on 2010-08-16, 21:45:22

Grab the bird from its back like you were to clip its wings(see pic) and hold it down by your waist and say no. it shows him whos boss and tells him bitting is wrong( hate being upside down) www3.sympatico.ca/ davehansen/ wingclip.jpg