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At Wits End with Bipolar GCC

tropicdragon

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So my conure, Gordi, is going to be 3 years old in June, and I would say his first hormonal season was last year. I knew that he would probably get nippy each spring but once last spring ended I thought the worst was over. How wrong I was. One night about a week ago, Gordi went to sleep as a his usual sweet, velcro-bird self and woke up with his eyes glazed over and void of almost all body language that he usually gives me.
I would take him out of his cage for his usual morning poop (he holds his poop cause he doesn't like pooping in his cage too much?), but instead he would latch onto me with his beak breaking skin and then lacerating my other hand as I try prying him off the first (I have a cage territorial Quaker and even he never bites this hard). Afterwards, I would put him back in his cage and he would poop in there which I know he dislikes but he doesn't really give me another option.
What I figured worked the first time (last spring), was to wait until the sun went down to take him out because for some reason then he would be less ornery. But this time, he is evil all day and night. I decided I would put him to sleep earlier so that he would get 13-14 hrs of sleep. After I did that, he seemed to get better the next day (I could keep him around as I did kitchen tasks), but then the day after that, it is like he became doubly worse.
His cage is in another room to where I usually work, and before, I used to let him sit with me most of the work day. But seeing as he is constantly attacking me, I have had to leave him in his cage these days where he cries incessantly because he wants to be with me. I've tried taking him out and using a hands off approach but, being the velcro bird that he is, he will usually approach me and beg me for scritches (he usually taps my hand when he wants scritches) but if I even just move my hand a little he will latch on with his beak breaking skin. It's like he has two conflicting desires at once??
I am completely willing to leave him in his cage until his hormones die down a bit, but I don't know if leaving him in there for a week or two is the right answer. My hands are full of cuts and it's starting to get painful to do normal everyday things without grazing my cuts against something. I would like to keep socializing him everyday, but to be honest I am getting tired if it just adding to my cut count and it seemingly going nowhere. I can't keep him on a perch because he will always walk over/fly over to where I am (velcro bird).
I've toweled him whenever he loses it, but sometimes I feel like the towel isn't helping his hormones? He seems actually enjoy the towel and latches on to it like he does my skin (attached a photo of him falling asleep in the towel). I've also thought of maybe tiring him out by getting him to fly a lot, but to be honest I am a bit terrified because he is trained to fly to my shoulder or head and I am afraid of him attacking my face. But maybe it's the way to go? Apologies for the long post, but just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything.
 

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tka

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Tagging in @Monica as someone who might be able to help with behavioural issues, and @webchirp as someone very experienced with small conures
 

Monica

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You may need to rearrange his environment some and get him foraging more for food and treats.

Is he target trained? You could always teach him to fly to specific landing areas rather than flying to you?
 

webchirp

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I’m going to say vet check first, target training following ^ Monica’s information. There have been several members in the same boat and target training provided some relief. Get that little brain thinking about other things. it may take hours and hours of patience but if he bites or attacks, don’t react and set him down. Over and over and he’ll eventually get it. You’ll think it won’t take but eventually it will click. Hugs
 

tropicdragon

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As far as rearranging his environment, would that be rearranging the inside of his cage or moving his cage somewhere else in the apartment?
He is target trained for walkable distances. I haven't target trained him for flying yet.

I'll definitely give my vet a call. I have been approaching his cage every so often today to read his body language but it does kinda seem like he is going to try to lunge at me when I open the door. I just feel so bad cause he is crying all the time.

It seems like the best way to go about it is to stimulate him mentally (with foraging toys and target training.) I will give that a shot as well.
 

Monica

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You may need to try rearranging both the cage and the environment. You could try the cage first, but then try environment. Different room, different room layout, anything to change things up.
 
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