Aggression?

[Cuteblue]

Hello, my parrotlet was born in November 2018 & we got him in March. For a few months he was lovely, I was able to tame him to step up and he became attached to me within a month and allowed me to touch him and always cuddled. After a while he began to bite when I put my finger for him t step up, so I simply started to Put my arm instead and thought nothing of it. Now he is a lot worse. He is always shouting in his cage, and when I take him out he will bite on anything I hold as well as my hands and neck and arms. He gets very aggressive towards my phone and gets angry at the sight of it, as well as remote controls, TVs, glasses, he would just aggressively bite it angrily and bite me if I try to take it away. He also bites holes in blankets And my clothes. I have tried to not react to it but it hurts too much and I’ll just end up screaming in pain. It’s become an emotional struggle for both of us. I’ve tried to put him back into the cage and Ignore him until he has calmed down and then let him
Out again but this does not work either. I take him out 1-3 hours a day and I try to spend time him. He has a variation of toys and his cage is spacy and clean I aimmto buy him some more toys tomorrow. Is he a lost cause? Ive tried to also give him a treat if he stays on m
FInger and does not bite and I say ‘good bird’. But it just resulted in him biting me soon after he finishes eating the treat. He gets very aggressive sometimes to the point I do not enjoy his company. He hasn’t been like this for about a year and only getting worse. Please help? I try to talk to him a lot. As soon as i leave the room he will scream Nd he screams a lot whilst Im in there top but I just ignkre it. WHen he is quiet and calm I chat to him and give him treats. Please do give me any advice. I know it must be something I am doing wrong. Thank you for reading

 

[Monica]

Have you tried avoiding getting bitten?

If a bite does occur, have you tried getting him off of you rather than allowing the undesired behavior (re: biting) to continue?

Have you tried working with him through the cage bars in such a way that he can't bite you? Things such as target training and station training?

 

[Cuteblue]

Yes whenever he bite I put him on the floor. I used target training when first taming him. So should I Do that again and give a treat every time he touches the stick? Issue isn’t he isn’t really a treat guy like he will eat millet or fruit etc but it won’t be motivating enough I feel. & no I have no time tried station training. Seems quite good & I think I’ll give I to a shot. Thank you! Just worried he might get bitey and aggressive if I try

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

Yes whenever he bite I put him on the floor. I used target training when first taming him. So should I Do that again and give a treat every time he touches the stick? Issue isn’t he isn’t really a treat guy like he will eat millet or fruit etc but it won’t be motivating enough I feel. & no I have no time tried station training. Seems quite good & I think I’ll give I to a shot. Thank you! Just worried he might get bitey and aggressive if I try

I can't tell you much but one thing: if you mean you put him on the actual floor of the room, I wouldn't do that, personally. Most birds feel insecure on the floor with a towering human standing over them... and that feeling won't make him any more trusting or friendly.

 

[fashionfobie]

@Cuteblue, Parrotlets are pretty independent birds once they mature. If your guy is just about 1 year he will be a mature adult. From what you explained in your original post I think you just need to take a step back and be more hands off. Target training is something you should continue for his whole life. It is a nice reward based pass time and it can be used to help him out of situations peacefully.

Parrotlets can be very physical and do love their people, this doesn't mean they are dependent on you. He is an adult now, he wants to do what he wants. If he is biting you, you must understand that it isn't because he doesn't love you. He is trying to force you to understand that you aren't listening to him. He is frustrated! He is trying to correct your behaviour and you are interacting with him anyway. If you respect his rejection of a step up he will learn to trust you again.

My Neptune, enjoys doing his own things most of the day. When he wants down time he flies to my shoulder or if I am laying on the couch my knee and he will fluff up stand on one foot and have a nap there. Not every time though, sometimes the play stand is the resting spot of choice. Neptune wanted scritches 24/7 when he was a young bird. Now Neptune only wants night time scritches. He fluffs he head and bows and lets me know it is time. It has become part of his night time ritual, just before bed he gets some scritches. He will push my finger or hand away if I try at any other point in the day.

To work on your relationship with your bird try giving him for choice. Leave the cage open, let him come out on his own, let him come to you when he is ready. The power of that choice will help rebuild the trust. Try adding a more veggies to his diet. Carrot, capsicum seeds or chili seeds are very popular with my parrotlets. They also love green veg: silverbeet, zuchini, broccoli, etc.

 

[Birdie Mama]

Hello,

you could also try reaching out to Dave on the talkparrotlet.com forum, the whole site is for parrotlets and lots of experienced owners there. Between here and there, someone I’m sure will be able to help.

all the best. Remember he could also be going through the terrible twos, which often means lots of patience and sometime starting back at the beginning for a short period of time.

 

[Birdie Mama]

Just realized I forgot the s. Talkparrotlets.com

 

[Cuteblue]

I can't tell you much but one thing: if you mean you put him on the actual floor of the room, I wouldn't do that, personally. Most birds feel insecure on the floor with a towering human standing over them... and that feeling won't make him any more trusting or friendly.

Makes sense yes. I read to do that somewhere as they may feel authoritative if on my shoulder and they shouldn’t if they’ve bitten. but I’ll definitely stop that now. Thank you. I only do it if I’m sitting in a chair or on the floor

 

[Cuteblue]

@Cuteblue, Parrotlets are pretty independent birds once they mature. If your guy is just about 1 year he will be a mature adult. From what you explained in your original post I think you just need to take a step back and be more hands off. Target training is something you should continue for his whole life. It is a nice reward based pass time and it can be used to help him out of situations peacefully.

Parrotlets can be very physical and do love their people, this doesn't mean they are dependent on you. He is an adult now, he wants to do what he wants. If he is biting you, you must understand that it isn't because he doesn't love you. He is trying to force you to understand that you aren't listening to him. He is frustrated! He is trying to correct your behaviour and you are interacting with him anyway. If you respect his rejection of a step up he will learn to trust you again.

My Neptune, enjoys doing his own things most of the day. When he wants down time he flies to my shoulder or if I am laying on the couch my knee and he will fluff up stand on one foot and have a nap there. Not every time though, sometimes the play stand is the resting spot of choice. Neptune wanted scritches 24/7 when he was a young bird. Now Neptune only wants night time scritches. He fluffs he head and bows and lets me know it is time. It has become part of his night time ritual, just before bed he gets some scritches. He will push my finger or hand away if I try at any other point in the day.

To work on your relationship with your bird try giving him for choice. Leave the cage open, let him come out on his own, let him come to you when he is ready. The power of that choice will help rebuild the trust. Try adding a more veggies to his diet. Carrot, capsicum seeds or chili seeds are very popular with my parrotlets. They also love green veg: silverbeet, zuchini, broccoli, etc.

Great advice thank you so much! Yes that’s a good idea. Thing is I’ve been hands off for a long time and I’m only just now trying to get him friendly again, you’re totally right! I need to give him space and choice. Any idea what to do about him biting phone objects and stuff? Like he will fly on it and won’t leave it be unless I hide it and even then he’ll attack the place I hid it to try to get it lol

 

[Cuteblue]

I

Hello,

you could also try reaching out to Dave on the talkparrotlet.com forum, the whole site is for parrotlets and lots of experienced owners there. Between here and there, someone I’m sure will be able to help.

all the best. Remember he could also be going through the terrible twos, which often means lots of patience and sometime starting back at the beginning for a short period of time.

ll definitely check it out! And oh dear doesn’t sound fun haha He has only just turned 1 though! Thank you!

 

[fashionfobie]

Any idea what to do about him biting phone objects and stuff? Like he will fly on it and won’t leave it be unless I hide it and even then he’ll attack the place I hid it to try to get it lol

Well sometimes birds will never accept things. So of he never gets over it, it is alright!

Phones are a common object of attack. We can spend a lot of time staring at these things...and it takes our attention from our birds.

The best idea for allowing a bird to accept something new is to let them see it often in a non threatening context. Maybe leave the phone on a table so your parrotlet can see it. You can move it slowly closer to that cage over days. Try not to prioritise your phone. If it chimes whilst your parrotlet is interacting with you, wait! Depending on how you use it..your parrotlet could be jealous that you always run to the phone. Reassure him that it isn't more important than him.

These are only ideas. I don't know your whole set up or phone use, so only guessing

 

[Monica]

Yes whenever he bite I put him on the floor.

You don't have to set him on the floor, but if you are sitting there, that's fine. The main thing is, don't allow the behavior to continue. Get him off of you. If you aren't near the cage, don't take him back to the cage. Just set him down somewhere that is off of you. If it's the floor, then be *extremely* aware of where he's at. (they're just so tiny, easy for them to get hurt down there)

I used target training when first taming him. So should I Do that again and give a treat every time he touches the stick?

You can either train him to reach for the target, or to touch it. Either is fine.

Issue isn’t he isn’t really a treat guy like he will eat millet or fruit etc but it won’t be motivating enough I feel.

Do you try first thing in the morning? Or after he's eaten? Birds who are full are less likely to work for their food. As such, it's usually best to set up training times when they are hungier and more willing to work for food. This doesn't mean starve them, just work around meal times.

no I have no time tried station training.

Station training is basically teaching a bird to "stay put". It can be a great way to teach them to stay away from food dishes if they attack you when you try to change the dishes out. It can also be used to teach them to ignore other birds, animals, even objects that they either seem to fear or hate.

Any idea what to do about him biting phone objects and stuff?

Station training, as mentioned above. Likewise, you an also try setting the found down and putting treats around it so you associate good things with it's presence.

Just worried he might get bitey and aggressive if I try

I have Merlin, a green cheek conure here. I've actually found that if I'm lax in training him, he becomes more bitey. I wouldn't say aggressive, just bitey. More training equals no biting!

I helped someone else with their conure and they were struggling with working with their bird. As soon as they started training, many of the undesired behaviors went away. They became lax with training, their bird started biting more. They do more training, less biting!


Biting should be seen as a form of communication, and we should try to avoid bites. The more a bird has time to practice biting, the more ingrained it becomes for them to bite. If we can learn to read their body language and back off before a bite occurs, they don't learn to bite. We train them [correctly] and stimulate their minds, they are happier and less likely to bite.

 

[Cuteblue]

Well sometimes birds will never accept things. So of he never gets over it, it is alright!

Phones are a common object of attack. We can spend a lot of time staring at these things...and it takes our attention from our birds.

The best idea for allowing a bird to accept something new is to let them see it often in a non threatening context. Maybe leave the phone on a table so your parrotlet can see it. You can move it slowly closer to that cage over days. Try not to prioritise your phone. If it chimes whilst your parrotlet is interacting with you, wait! Depending on how you use it..your parrotlet could be jealous that you always run to the phone. Reassure him that it isn't more important than him.

These are only ideas. I don't know your whole set up or phone use, so only guessing

Hi! So I haven’t had the opportunity to reply but thank you so much! I’ve been trying to do this, I keep my phone near & still use it but I put it down soon after. IF he bites it I simply move it. away. The issue is I am always studying due to exams so when I take him out I use. My phone to look at exam questions etc. He still bites my phone and pens and hands but much less now since I touch his head and talk to him throughout the time he is out & I’ve seen improvements of his aggression.

 

[Cuteblue]

You don't have to set him on the floor, but if you are sitting there, that's fine. The main thing is, don't allow the behavior to continue. Get him off of you. If you aren't near the cage, don't take him back to the cage. Just set him down somewhere that is off of you. If it's the floor, then be *extremely* aware of where he's at. (they're just so tiny, easy for them to get hurt down there)




You can either train him to reach for the target, or to touch it. Either is fine.




Do you try first thing in the morning? Or after he's eaten? Birds who are full are less likely to work for their food. As such, it's usually best to set up training times when they are hungier and more willing to work for food. This doesn't mean starve them, just work around meal times.




Station training is basically teaching a bird to "stay put". It can be a great way to teach them to stay away from food dishes if they attack you when you try to change the dishes out. It can also be used to teach them to ignore other birds, animals, even objects that they either seem to fear or hate.




Station training, as mentioned above. Likewise, you an also try setting the found down and putting treats around it so you associate good things with it's presence.




I have Merlin, a green cheek conure here. I've actually found that if I'm lax in training him, he becomes more bitey. I wouldn't say aggressive, just bitey. More training equals no biting!

I helped someone else with their conure and they were struggling with working with their bird. As soon as they started training, many of the undesired behaviors went away. They became lax with training, their bird started biting more. They do more training, less biting!


Biting should be seen as a form of communication, and we should try to avoid bites. The more a bird has time to practice biting, the more ingrained it becomes for them to bite. If we can learn to read their body language and back off before a bite occurs, they don't learn to bite. We train them [correctly] and stimulate their minds, they are happier and less likely to bite.

Thank you! I’m sure you’re right. I’ll definitely look into training him. Might invest in that stand thing too & a clicker

 

[Cuteblue]

Hello,

you could also try reaching out to Dave on the talkparrotlet.com forum, the whole site is for parrotlets and lots of experienced owners there. Between here and there, someone I’m sure will be able to help.

all the best. Remember he could also be going through the terrible twos, which often means lots of patience and sometime starting back at the beginning for a short period of time.

Thanks! I’ll check that out!

 

[Cuteblue]

I can't tell you much but one thing: if you mean you put him on the actual floor of the room, I wouldn't do that, personally. Most birds feel insecure on the floor with a towering human standing over them... and that feeling won't make him any more trusting or friendly.

Hello. I’ve done as you advised & now I place him on my desk or somewhere near me instead, seems to have calmed him down some! Thanks!

 

[fashionfobie]

If you are studying try making that time a fun activity for him.

I work at my computer a lot with my parrot. He has become pretty well adjusted to this lifestyle.

What helped me was placing a play stand next directly next to me. I also started giving him foraging games (a nut in a shredding toy) and difficult fruit: passion, melon seeds, something with lots of work. So my bird now associates this located as a fun area. He will walk around on my desk, but I keep treats near so I can encourage him to be well-behaved. It also helped to keep some pen caps near. So he has engagement in some of the objects. When he lands on my computer screen I move him to his playstand. If he flies directly to his playstand I reward him. He gets treats when he chooses to go to the correct spot. Anyway this works for my guy, maybe it will help.

 

[Cuteblue]

Hi not sure why I only now saw this thank youuu so much I’ll definitely give this a try seems very genius! Do you think he’s too old to be trained like this? 1 years old?

 

[Cuteblue]

If you are studying try making that time a fun activity for him.

I work at my computer a lot with my parrot. He has become pretty well adjusted to this lifestyle.

What helped me was placing a play stand next directly next to me. I also started giving him foraging games (a nut in a shredding toy) and difficult fruit: passion, melon seeds, something with lots of work. So my bird now associates this located as a fun area. He will walk around on my desk, but I keep treats near so I can encourage him to be well-behaved. It also helped to keep some pen caps near. So he has engagement in some of the objects. When he lands on my computer screen I move him to his playstand. If he flies directly to his playstand I reward him. He gets treats when he chooses to go to the correct spot. Anyway this works for my guy, maybe it will help.

Also how do you place him back on the stand without aggravating him?

 

[Monica]

Any bird at any age can be trained with the right training techniques. I've worked with ex-breeders and previously neglected pets who've been far older than a year!


Can you place something on the stand that he enjoys? Like a treat? Or a favorite toy?