Ringneck Suddenly Aggressive

[Andrea Arce]

I just brought home my baby ringneck last Monday. She is eating normally (most of the time while she's in her cage) and has become more vocal and is very explorative. She likes being on my shoulder and preening my hair and playing with my necklace. I am a bit concerned because just today she attacked me when I asked her to step up from her cage. This is not a change from any of the other days which is why I am confused. The only thing that changed from what I did the previous days was I did not take her out in the morning when I was eating breakfast because my dog had a vet appointment early this morning. She stays on her top perch and I ask her to step up and take her out of her cage which she did without any issues until today. I didn't change anything and didn't make a sudden movement but she continued to attack and bite my finger very aggressively. What should I do to prevent this and do you know what triggered her to do this in the first place?

 

[Birdbabe]

Merlin has never been aggressive with me, maybe she's becoming terratorrial about her cage and dosent like you sticking your hands in it, can you just open the door and let her come out and then try to get her to step up?

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Birdbabe gave excellent advice. I also wanted to say that birds do keep grudges. Maybe she was mad that you didn't let her out in the morning, like you usually do?

 

[JLcribber]

You've only had her one week. You haven't seen any normal behaviour until today. She's just starting to feel a "little" comfortable enough to finally tell you in no uncertain terms that she did not want to step up. You didn't "listen" so you got bit because it wasn't really a "choice". You insisted. Where was the high value reward/treat for making the right "choice"?

 

[Andrea Arce]

You've only had her one week. You haven't seen any normal behaviour until today. She's just starting to feel a "little" comfortable enough to finally tell you in no uncertain terms that she did not want to step up. You didn't "listen" so you got bit because it wasn't really a "choice". You insisted. Where was the high value reward/treat for making the right "choice"?

How did I not listen? I reached my hand in and when she attacked me, I closed her cage and tried again in an hour and she wanted to come out then and had no issues. She is a baby and is hesitant to try new foods. I give her verbal praise when she comes out and offer her papaya and mango treats and she takes them and chews on them for a little before losing interest. I constantly speak to someone who's cared for birds for 40 years and she said to try almonds because from her experience most birds like them and they are healthy. Hopefully she will like those.

 

[JLcribber]

You "reached" into her cage. Open the door and offer the "choice" to come out or not.

Reaching is predatory behaviour to a bird.

 

[Anfsurfer]

Your bird is in a completely new world from where she was last week. So what's happened in the last week...
She's away from everything she's known. She has a new space all to herself! As John said, you haven't even established what her normal behavior is, because she's been a fish out of water since you've had her. My guess is, she understands the cage she's now in is HER space, and she wants to keep it that way. She's liking being able to have time to herself, away from clutchmates and people. If she's telling you in the only way she knows how..."I want to be alone" or "I don't want to come out right now", if she doesn't have to be out at that time, then respect her wishes. Take the hint.
As others have said...leave a door open. If she wants to come out on her own, then great! I have two male IRNs. One doesn't like me putting my hand in to get him, one does. On top of that, they're two completely different birds in every way. Just like people. Go forward learning about each other... She can't have intelligent conversations with you. She only has limited ways to tell you things.

 

[Andrea Arce]

Thank you all for the advice. I have since tried bananas and she is elated by them. I give her a tiny bit every time she comes out of her cage without biting. I had her out of the cage for a while as I was watching a movie and when I asked her to step up to go BACK to her cage, she gave me a little nip because I assume she knows she had to go back in and didn't want to. She was exploring the living room couch. Ironic But she hasn't bitten me since that day (the day she discovered bananas). I also have a silly video of her making really weird sounds to herself when I left the room and she thought I wasn't watching. It sounds like she is having a gibberish conversation with herself. Not sure how to post it though. She is only 4 months old and sounds like she is experimenting with her voice.