Playing rough and nipping

[Photon]

I need some help with my pineapple GC. We have had him for about 6 months and rescued him (from our backyard, no knowledge of previous owner or age/gender to be certain). From what the vet says and based on what he looked and acted like when we found him, he was most likely 5 months - 1 year. That would mean he is about 1 year to 1.5 now.

Our first issue is that he will act like he wants scritches and cuddles and bend his head down and look all cute. Then he will let me scritch for a second or two, and then nip nip nip! Then he goes back to a second of wanting scritch, then nip again. His body language during those instances seems like he is having fun and playing, probably too rough.
Other times, he will side step over to my cupped hand as if he wants a cuddle, but then lunges forward with his beak out of nowhere and give a nice hard bite! He used to cuddle and scritch quite often, with no biting behavior like this. Now the biting is more often.

The second issue is biting when he is fixated on something he wants. My parents wear hearing aids and the whole family wears glasses. Often times, Pineapple wants to bite the hearing aids and pull them out of my dad‘s ears or pull peoples glasses off. We don’t want him to damage the hearing aids, so my dad will put his hand to cover his ear. But then Pineapple will get angry about not being able to get to the hearing aids that he is fixated on, and sometimes bite really hard, sometimes drawing blood. We try offering alternate toys, but no luck. We will calmly tell him no, be gentle. I usually can get him away/distracted by offering a small treat or pellet and saying “step up”. If he has bitten dad, I place Pineapple on the table and calmly say no, be gentle. The I turn my back for 20 seconds or walk away. But Pineapple usually flies right back back to me or dad, and quickly does the whole “I want this, I will bite you for it” thing again.
He is not always like this, and does have many calm, sweet, and playful moments. But he is definitely increasing his bitey and determined behavior. From some things I’ve read, it seems that Pineapple might be going through puberty or hormonal behavior.
Please help! What should we do?

BTW, he eats chop for breakfast and pellets the rest of the day, with some fruit or extra veggies occasionally during the day. Nutriberries, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds occasionally are his preferred treats.

 

[Wardy]

First thing you need to do is stop offering a treat to tempt him away after/from your dad after biting, he bites and gets a treat so the behaviour is rewarded this is very much a mixed message.
Secondly stop him going on shoulders if he cant reach hearing aids then he cant damage them when he go's to a shoulder remove him straight away put him somewhere safe tell him no if you cant remove him without him attacking use a perch to get him to step up onto.
You will just have to repeat this over and over remove him put him down tell him NO shoulders/biting when he doesnt fly back then reward him.
You also say he bites when you scritch bites then asks for a scritch again then bites again so dont scritch him.
You need to intervene with all of the above biting oppertunitys put him on a bird safe area say NO dont shout at him but be firm with your tone turn away from him and ignore him and repeat.
You need to ensure no mixed messages and be consistant i still get the occasional bite from my pineapple and she gets put down and told no.

Also what toys do you have available outside the cage ?
Forraging boxes are a great way of occupying some time and letting them burn some energy off, do you have a playstand so your bird has somewhere other than a shoulder to perch ?
I would add my pineapple has once or twice attacked my wife when she has been particularly cranky the bird that is not my wife
And whilst not recomended as such i havent bothered messing with trying to distract her to get her to step up i will just take hold of her to remove her again putting her on a bird safe area then a firm NO biting Mojo.

You dont say if you are doing any training if not work some training into his cage out time, to otherwise occupy him.