Adopted 3 year old Sun Conure 12 days ago, behavior issures coming out.

[Betty Lou]

Hi! I am new to this forum. I just adopted a 3 year old Sun Conure 12 days ago and she has been the sweetest bird until today. I had a cockatiel 10 years ago and I missed having a bird so I just adopted a bird from a foster situation in Madison. I was told the bird was a bit nippy but it was mostly because she had not been handled much in the last several months. I was also told she was very quiet for a conure. I know conures can be loud so I took this with a grain of salt. I visited the bird a couple of times before I brought her home. She was sweet but shy, she stepped up and liked shoulder time. I decided to adopt her. I have a 7 year old daughter, I was told she had been around kids and other pets, was not aggressive....

The first 11 days she was an angel. She was so quiet, I hardly knew I had a bird in the house...I worried she might even be sick, she was so quiet! She loved my daughter and sat on her shoulder giving her kisses and snuggles daily. I work from home so since I brought her home, I thought it was a good idea to set her stand on my desk and let her sit/snuggle on my shoulder for most of the day while I worked. Every day the bird became less and less shy until she was very comfortable being handled by both me and my daughter. My daughter is in school all day so the bird spent most of her time with me. She really was not nippy at all, just sweet. Today I set her on my daughters arm and she lunged at her face chomping on her nose really hard. My heart sank. My daughter had so much confidence with this bird. My daughter started crying from the bite and the bird immediately started giving her kisses and began stroking her neck and shoulder with her beak as if she was apologizing. We chalked it up to an accident... about 30 minutes later, I was sitting on the couch with my daughter reading her a book. The bird was on her stand next to us and hopped over to my shoulder to snuggle. My daughter who was on the other side of me snuggled up to me- The bird immediately jumped over to her and pulled her hair and chomped her neck leaving a mark...and to back up, she lunged and nipped at the cat this morning when the cat came to lay on my lap (cat wasn't even looking at the bird and up until now the cat and bird were fine around each other, my cat is so mellow and isn't a threat) I am realizing I must have over bonded. Have I totally screwed up or is there still time to fix this? This bird was so sweet and funny, I don't want her to be jealous of every other living thing! I was so shocked at her biting since she had shown zero signs of aggression the first 11 days. Thanks in advance for your suggestions and advise! I really like this bird and I want my daughter to feel confident in handling her again...I don't want to be the favorite person...I would prefer the bird likes everyone Is that unrealistic??

 

[Anne & Gang]

firstly, do not react when you get a nip..or a bite..as hard as it is, that is what the birdie is looking for...better to have NO REACTION whatsoever no matter how hard the bite....also no you have not overbonded...no such thing...I suggest also getting more toys and shreddables etc for the bird to play with when outside the cage.

 

[sweethartza]

It could be hormones or just plain jealousy because she hasn't been handled in a long time before that. I agree with Anne that you should invest in buying her some toys and shreddables to keep her busy and take out some "aggression" on. Don't worry, it can be fixed. Hope your daughter is ok.

 

[Holiday]

I thought it was a good idea to set her stand on my desk and let her sit/snuggle on my shoulder for most of the day while I worked. Every day the bird became less and less shy until she was very comfortable being handled by both me and my daughter. My daughter is in school all day so the bird spent most of her time with me. She really was not nippy at all, just sweet. Today I set her on my daughters arm and she lunged at her face chomping on her nose really hard. My heart sank. My daughter had so much confidence with this bird. My daughter started crying from the bite and the bird immediately started giving her kisses and began stroking her neck and shoulder with her beak as if she was apologizing. We chalked it up to an accident... about 30 minutes later, I was sitting on the couch with my daughter reading her a book. The bird was on her stand next to us and hopped over to my shoulder to snuggle. My daughter who was on the other side of me snuggled up to me- The bird immediately jumped over to her and pulled her hair and chomped her neck leaving a mark...and to back up, she lunged and nipped at the cat this morning when the cat came to lay on my lap (cat wasn't even looking at the bird and up until now the cat and bird were fine around each other, my cat is so mellow and isn't a threat) I am realizing I must have over bonded. Have I totally screwed up or is there still time to fix this? This bird was so sweet and funny, I don't want her to be jealous of every other living thing! I was so shocked at her biting since she had shown zero signs of aggression the first 11 days. Thanks in advance for your suggestions and advise! I really like this bird and I want my daughter to feel confident in handling her again...I don't want to be the favorite person...I would prefer the bird likes everyone Is that unrealistic??

Well, first of all, I'd like to say how glad I am that you chose to offer a home to a bird in need; good for you . And this little Sunny sounds like an absolute angel and a very normal parrot. She has chosen you as her "special someone," which is something that adult parrots often do, and the symptoms you describe, of her "protecting" you and not wanting anyone near you are typical of a conure or macaw who feels secure that she now has a home and someone to protect it with. These instincts are natural; and, if it is any consolation whatsoever, you did not put them there. Did letting her stay on your shoulder much of the day while your daughter was away contribute to the bird thinking that you are hers? Well, yes, very likely. But, there's no guarantee that she wouldn't have thought so anyway, since these instincts are inborn and usually need an outlet of some sort. Many birds choose a special person in a household without that sort of bonding. Some choose a person in the house who doesn't even care for birds.

Is it unrealistic to want her to like everyone equally? You'll get different answers from different people. But, I'm always going to fall on the side of the debate that values the bird's natural instincts and behavior. So, my answer is going to be: "Yes, a little." Many, many birds choose a special someone because nature has hard-wired them to seek a mate when they reach adulthood, and to carry out the tasks appointed to them in their natural habitat: finding suitable territory, protecting it, and bonding for life with their significant other. Can you modify this natural behavior with training? Here again, I'd say: "Yes, a little." Depending on the bird, and the environment, you can use positive reinforcement to modify the bird's behavior. The first thing I'd recommend is not to have the bird on your shoulder all the time. I'd start out by rewarding her for independent play and foraging. Next, I'd have your daughter spend some quality time training the bird with favorite treats. It would be good if the absolute favorite of favorite treats was only given by her. She will associate that reward with your daughter. Try to strike a balance in terms of how much time you spend with the bird. And when you pet the bird, avoid the back and stomach. Try to keep "scritches" to the head and neck area.

If you haven't already read this, please take a look here at a good article on how mating/bonding behaviors manifest themselves in captivity:

http://parrotisland.mainsecureserver.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=58

 

[Betty Lou]

Thanks everyone for your positive replies. Thank you very much Holiday for your all of your great information. I do know not to react to a bird nipping or biting and I told my daughter to try not to ever act afraid when we first brought the Sun home, she knows it encourages them but after biting her twice yesterday I am afraid she probably will react because she is just 7 and they were really hard and somewhat aggressive bites, it scared her. This morning before I read this, I did have my daughter let the bird out of her cage, although instead of jumping on her shoulder, she flew immediately over to me...(typically she jumped on anyone who lets her out) I put her right on the stand by my daughter as we ate breakfast and had my daughter offer her a small taste of her peanut butter toast (which is her favorite.) My daughter fed her while on the stand.

I think I made the mistake of letting this bird think I was her mate (I think the bird is female, she has never been tested) I had been petting her wings and belly so I will stop that and continue only with head pets and reduce shoulder time.

This bird really is a sweetheart and such a smarty. I house trained her in a day (possibly she had already learned with a previous owner but the foster family didn't think she was trained) We trained her to make kissing sounds (which she is really good at, sounds like a person!) We taught her to dance when we play a certain song or when we ask her if she wants to dance.) I am not any type of bird expert, so I really look forward to learning as I go and getting great support and advice on this forum. I really appreciate the positive advise that I see given to others who come here looking for advice. It's really a great environment on this forum! Thanks again!

 

[Mr.Bird]

I am not an expert. But may I suggest that you divide the play time equally between you and your daughter. May be a little more with your daughter for the time being so that the birdie gets used to it... rest of the time let him/her play on the cage or stand with toys, so that she doesnt become a one person bird ... one more qq... Have you named your birdie yet ... Waiting to look at some pics...

 

[Bridgette]

First, thank you for adopting this baby! It sounds like she is going to have a fabulous home with you

My sun, Kiwi, is very similar in that he doesn't allow most people to get too close to me when he is on me. I find that, if someone else wants to hold him, I have to put him down somewhere and let the other person pick him up from there. There are very few people I can just hand him off to.

And I agree with the above post that we are going to need to see some pics

 

[Betty Lou]

Thanks again everyone...so far the jealousy bites haven't been too out of control. She bit my daughter again last night , not hard but it was her face again. I am proud of my daughter for not reacting or being afraid. I took the bird and immediately set her on the floor which is a place she doesn't love to be and I left the room- after a couple of minutes she offered her finger and the bird was more than happy to get back up. The bird only shows aggression toward my daughter if I am right there, if I am not around she is sweet to her. I just hate that it's her face! This last time it wasn't as hard and chompy but she gave her 3 mean pinchy bites and was looking a bit viscous as she did it.
She hasn't acted aggressive again toward the cat, gave the cat kisses this morning. Does anyone reading this post have a kitty and conure that like to snuggle or interact? I finally posted of Betty (That's what her name has been so we kept it) in my profile she is doing her favorite thing...snuggling on my shoulder and chewing a hole in my shirt... I am still amazed at how quiet this birdie is!! only a handful of squaks a day, otherwise just cute very quiet chatter occasionally

 

[AmberMuffinz]

I would exercise caution around that type of interaction with a cat. It only takes a second for a dog or cat to seriously harm your bird and possibly even end it for them. Their saliva is also very bad for birds, the bacteria spreads very fast if a bird is bitten which is why rescuing wild birds from cat attacks or any domestic ones need to be handled by an avian vet right away.

 

[Betty Lou]

I hear you! I don't leave my bird out alone with my cat but that said, I am 100% sure my cat would never pounce or harm the bird in any way, I know it's instinct with cats but somehow mine is missing that one... she doesn't even react when the bird flaps or flies near her, her flight wings are still short from the last clipping so there is extra flapping to get anywhere which one would think would excite a cat...she didn't react except to move away when the bird lunged, pulled her fur and bit her...kitty had a hurt look on her face but doesn't have it in her to retaliate... My cat tolerated my daughter's rough handling back when she was a baby and toddler with zero scratches or bites... purred and welcomed the attention... I am cautious but I am sure my cat would never harm the bird...if anything I am more worried about the bird harming the cat- this cat is just way too old and laid back.

 

[KatherinesBirds]

You have received excellent help here from our members. I adopted a Meyers parrot recently and, when he felt comfortable, he started doing things HIS way! Now he is coming out of a hormonal state and we are working on our relationship. I would suggest a lot of pine blocks in different colors either single blocks or strung together for your new bird to chew, chew, chew instead of on your neck and nose! You might try a playstand in stead of the shoulder for awhile. You could interact with him from there. Reinforcing good behavior with a treat!
I am also going to suggest keeping your cat as far from the bird as possible. Just one scratch and the germs from this can kill a bird even if the cat is laid back that's all it takes. I would start using a dowel to pick your bird up from the cage or chair or sofa and use rewards for a good step up and step down. You might do this whenever you put your bird on your shoulder or go to pick him up. Reinforcing something like this I feel would help. Any type of training where he gets a positive reward might just stop the biting. It is so difficult not to react verbally or physically when you get bit but it is very important not to react. Even looking at them in anger is reinforcement! Good Luck to you!

 

[marian]

Well, first of all, I'd like to say how glad I am that you chose to offer a home to a bird in need; good for you . And this little Sunny sounds like an absolute angel and a very normal parrot. She has chosen you as her "special someone," which is something that adult parrots often do, and the symptoms you describe, of her "protecting" you and not wanting anyone near you are typical of a conure or macaw who feels secure that she now has a home and someone to protect it with. These instincts are natural; and, if it is any consolation whatsoever, you did not put them there. Did letting her stay on your shoulder much of the day while your daughter was away contribute to the bird thinking that you are hers? Well, yes, very likely. But, there's no guarantee that she wouldn't have thought so anyway, since these instincts are inborn and usually need an outlet of some sort. Many birds choose a special person in a household without that sort of bonding. Some choose a person in the house who doesn't even care for birds.

Is it unrealistic to want her to like everyone equally? You'll get different answers from different people. But, I'm always going to fall on the side of the debate that values the bird's natural instincts and behavior. So, my answer is going to be: "Yes, a little." Many, many birds choose a special someone because nature has hard-wired them to seek a mate when they reach adulthood, and to carry out the tasks appointed to them in their natural habitat: finding suitable territory, protecting it, and bonding for life with their significant other. Can you modify this natural behavior with training? Here again, I'd say: "Yes, a little." Depending on the bird, and the environment, you can use positive reinforcement to modify the bird's behavior. The first thing I'd recommend is not to have the bird on your shoulder all the time. I'd start out by rewarding her for independent play and foraging. Next, I'd have your daughter spend some quality time training the bird with favorite treats. It would be good if the absolute favorite of favorite treats was only given by her. She will associate that reward with your daughter. Try to strike a balance in terms of how much time you spend with the bird. And when you pet the bird, avoid the back and stomach. Try to keep "scritches" to the head and neck area.

If you haven't already read this, please take a look here at a good article on how mating/bonding behaviors manifest themselves in captivity:

Wonderfuly said.....

I'm so glad you gave this bird a second chance at a wonderful home.first thing I might suggest is no more on the shoulder.another thing is build her play stand either ontop of her cage or beside..with alot of things to do.foot toys and foraging things.I believe a busy bird is a happy bird.

 

[southernbirds]

If you want a nice bird for your daughter, an English Budgie is calm and is a good talker. I think you should keep birds away from the faces of children. Two bites are too many. It sounds like you are doing your best by this conure, but he just might not be a child's pet. Animals can be unpredictable. You have received great information from this group. This is a great forum and the experience here is wise and wonderful.

 

[BiggBaddWolf]

I think it is unrealistic to expect a bird to "like" everyone in the family equally, if it happens great, but don't expect to be the norm. Birds will generally bond with one person in a family, and while it may tolerate the other members, that one person is the mate, so to speak. And as some of the others have said, be very careful of having the bird on a childs shoulder, or around the face, while generally a bite to the face would only be very painful, if the bird happened to get the eye it could be a different matter completely. Good luck with your new bird

 

[mrstweet]

You have gotten good info from other AA'ers here...but I would reccomend several things with any rehomed parrot:

1. Keep them off of your shoulder/away from your face until you trust them and know their body language - this includes waiting for the "honeymoon" to end. When a bird is in that area it is very hard to see their body language.

2. PLEASE don't let your kitty fool you. Cats carry e. coli bacteria in their mouth and claws which can be lethal to a bird, and vets essentially can't do anything to help them. 50/50 survival rate if no serious harm is done

3. With any rehomed bird, you will probably encounter issues. I don't think this is a behavior issue for the sun - instead, I would say that 100% of bites result in human error. In this case, it was not being able to pay attention to body language because of the position of a new bird before you learned it's habits. He might have been scared by something, or been annoyed that he wasn't getting certain attention.


Good luck and bless you for adopting instead of purchasing! (Can we see pics?!)

 

[Haqani]

This bird loves you, you're lucky. My Conure hates me and bites me all the time.

 

[marian]

One more thing I might add.Sometimes people want to make the bird into something what they want...it's not all about the person..it's about the bird.When that bird chooses who his person is...it's hard to change that dynamic up.I'm so glad you gave this conure a home.Just be patient with him.find out what his favorite thing in the world is.This treat be given by your daughter only.Keep him off shoulders for sure.There's alot of DIY idea to build him a playstand full of fun things to do.If you need any idea....just pm me.

 

[JLcribber]

Holiday gave great advice as always. Because you are now the "chosen" one (which is exactly what it sounds like to me), the other members of the household will need to establish their own unique relationship with her "outside of your presence". As long as your in the picture or just known to be close by, her focus will remain on you.

 

[Betty Lou]

Thanks everyone. I have been doing less shoulder time and my daughter has been spending time with Betty without me around. She gives all the treats, she sings, plays her flute and piano for the bird (Betty dances when she does this, such a funny conure!) There was no lunging or biting in the last day- she had the bird on her finger and the stand several times.

So many people are thanking me for rehoming the bird. For me it was more out of wanting to make sure I found a friendly bird who loved being out of the cage and I wanted an adult- admittedly I met about 15 birds I had an interest in and visited quite a few foster homes to make sure I wasn't taking a bird that I knew wouldn't work, I chose this one because she loves being out of the cage and she loves attention from people, had been around pets and kids and was a known snuggler. They warned me she could be nippy but aren't all birds? The folks out there and on this site who take in a bird who they know has behavior issues and has been bumped around or neglected for years, these are the people who really deserve thanks!! The woman I adopted Betty from had several birds in her care that were not adoptable for these reasons. I guess I kind of planned that taking in a parrot would be a similar commitment to adopting a dog. Instead of barking they squawk when you walk in the door or when they get excited. They need a ton of attention and play time. I grew up with parakeets and cockatiels in the house and had a roommate in college that I shared a bird with so I have been around them but was never the sole care taker... and it's been awhile! It's so nice to have this forum to bounce things off- What an amazing resource...obviously people on this site are people who love animals and especially their birds. I know I have a good one!

 

[Zombie]

I agree with what people have said about not letting the bird interact with the cat. I have 9 birds and 3 cats, all of whom live in the same house. One of the cats (by choice) only lives in my bedroom, which also doubles as my bird room and is where the birds have free flight time. She normally hides away when the birds are out, which works well for all of us. She's 12, she's absolutely tiny, she only has 4 teeth (the tiny front ones), she's never bitten or scratched anyone, and she usually runs away if the birds look at her (especially Inca, who has been known to dive-bomb cats). She has always showed nothing but the utmost patience and gentleness with all small animals, although I have never left her unsupervised with them.

A few days ago, Stanley was playing on my bed when she jumped out onto it. I moved to take her away but before I could reach her, she and Stanley touched beak to nose. I was relieved, but as I reached for her she casually reached out and smacked Stanley in the face. Stanley hadn't done anything but sit there. Now I shut her away when the birds are out, like I do with my other two cats.

You just can't predict when something will go wrong, even when the cat literally has years of good behaviour in its favour.