Aggression or mating behavior?

[cosmoconure79]

Hi,

I have a 5 year old male pineapple GCC (had him since he was a baby). He's developed a behavioral issue that I'm trying to understand and hoping someone will recognize.

I've had issues with cage aggression before and worked on it with him. It seemed to have stopped earlier this year, but he's recently started biting and behaving oddly when put into his cage at night. He steps up to my hand happily at bedtime and I tell him "night night". However when I put him into the cage, he bites hard enough to rip skin and draw blood, then climbs down to the bottom of the cage and starts bobbing his head rapidly and making a noise I can only describe as "squealing" with an occasional wing bob. He is not regurgitating when he does this. He won't attack my hand again if I put it in, but will eventually step up and repeat this entire cycle. This only happens at night.

He will make the same squealing noise and head bobbing other times, occasionally when he is on my shoulder and feeling cuddly, or if he naps during the day and cuddles up against my hand.

I strongly suspect it's hormones/mating behavior but I'm not sure. This doesn't happen if he goes into his cage during the day when there's light in the room. When he does the same behavior outside the cage, there is no biting. I am trying to discourage him from seeing me as his mate (he does have a male conure friend), but I'm not sure if this is the issue or if it's something else. He's been checked out by the vet and has no health issues.

Anyone recognize any of this and have any advice?

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Just taking a wild guess here but is it possible he's just mad about having to go to bed?

 

[Mizzely]

It's neither. He just doesn't want to go in his cage lol. Try changing up the routine, maybe "lure" him into the cage with a special "bedtime snack"!

 

[cosmoconure79]

I didn't think it could be something so simple, lol. His bedtime is enforced because he wakes up early and I want to be sure he gets enough sleep each night. My other bird actually wants to go to bed earlier. I'll try using a raisin to get him in at night now, thanks.

 

[Monica]

You could also try Nutriberries, millet, dried bananas, mango or papaya or even nuts as other rewards.

 

[alshgs]

Every time my babies have to go in their cage, I ask for a kiss. If they give it like they should, they get a nutriberry. This works every time for us. There are a few times where Diego (gcc) has bitten. She will go into her cage after that with no nutriberry. Then I try again in a few minutes. It's worked well with us.

 

[Heather F]

We don't give our birds much food outside their cages before bedtime, so by the time it's time for them to go in they are usually ready for a nosh. Frodo my gcc often goes in of his own volition for a snack when it's getting close to time and all we have to do is close the door and give him a treat for being such a good boy.

 

[Rabb.D]

i think its very simple if her other companion gcc has temperamental issues then its just going with the flow of the flock, and it now does not have a healthy emotional connection with you i suggest giving him to a new owner to start fresh, usually when bad behaviours manifest itself it usually comes from the owners personal life as well as her/his personal relationships around the flock... once the behaviour spreads i'm guessing its too lat

 

[alshgs]

Have you tried target training? This has helped a lot with ours as well.

@Hankmacaw @JLcribber @webchirp
Any ideas y'all?

 

[JLcribber]

It's neither. He just doesn't want to go in his cage lol. Try changing up the routine, maybe "lure" him into the cage with a special "bedtime snack"!

This is my take on it too. It's got nothing to do with hormones. It's the cage and the associated routine of going to bed because that's the only time it happens. The solution is as simple as not having him on your skin while putting him in the cage. He can't bite skin that's not there.

Personally I would just take the cage out of the equation.

Cage Aggression | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[JLcribber]

now does not have a healthy emotional connection with you i suggest giving him to a new owner to start fresh,

There's one I haven't heard before.

 

[alshgs]

There's one I haven't heard before.

Me either...which is why I tagged y'all...finding a new owner is not gonna solve the problem...

 

[Mizzely]

i think its very simple if her other companion gcc has temperamental issues then its just going with the flow of the flock, and it now does not have a healthy emotional connection with you i suggest giving him to a new owner to start fresh, usually when bad behaviours manifest itself it usually comes from the owners personal life as well as her/his personal relationships around the flock... once the behaviour spreads i'm guessing its too lat

Those are two different members with different birds

Birds can be worked with! People might think that a new owner is the catalyst for a behavior change, and a small amount of the time this can be true. But what usually happens is simply that the new owner is doing training the previous owner wasn't. So, it's not the person that needs to change, it's the approach

 

[webchirp]

Zephyr is a turd bird big time to go back in his cage. Luckily his love for nutriberries trumps his need to chew on me for getting placed back in his cage. He has additional grumpies because he doesn't get to be with his girlie as she shares a cage with her other boyfriend. Rocco also will shred skin on me if I don't have Jewel next to him to step up. He is afraid Jewel will thump him if he gets too angry. But while they get mash for dinner, I change water and dry food bowls before bed. I add two nutriberries each in the morning before I go to work.

 

[Heather F]

Zephyr is a turd bird big time to go back in his cage. Luckily his love for nutriberries trumps his need to chew on me for getting placed back in his cage. He has additional grumpies because he doesn't get to be with his girlie as she shares a cage with her other boyfriend. Rocco also will shred skin on me if I don't have Jewel next to him to step up. He is afraid Jewel will thump him if he gets too angry. But while they get mash for dinner, I change water and dry food bowls before bed. I add two nutriberries each in the morning before I go to work.

I love your cheekie soap opera dramatics.

 

[webchirp]

I love your cheekie soap opera dramatics.

You should have seen him staring at Elvis that first night..."dude, what is the matter with you!"...lol I told him to go away he was being creepy...goof

 

[Rabb.D]

birds are super stubborn once felt betrayed

 

[cosmoconure79]

Took him to the vet. It's hormones related, he's been nipping at my other bird, screaming, and all the behaviors with a physical exam put together have the vet conclude he's just got so much extra energy because he's sexually frustrated. We're going to be working on some training and distraction therapy. Meanwhile, treats to get him into the cage at night have been working.

No I'm not giving my bird to another owner because of some bad behavior.

 

[Heather F]

I have had my green cheek for three years and he STILL gets a treat EVERY time he goes into his cage. These days when I'm ready to put him in all I have to do is lift up my forearm and hold it out as a landing zone and hold up a safflower seed behind my arm for him to see and sometimes I don't even have to call to him to come, he flies right to me and hops right down onto his door perch.

Bribery is totally the solution.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

mine get a reward each time they go back in. Have you tried that so it is something to look forward to? I'd try the highest value treat for him. Like mine love almonds so they get their almond at bedtime and that's our routine. They only get almonds for that.