Hi Kathy, Thank you so much! I was thinking the hormone thing also..I hadn't thought about the time of year. The days are definitely getting shorter, so that may be messing with him. Either way; hopefully, this will be somewhat of a passing thing. In the mean time, I am trying to do all of the things you mentioned to keep from promoting the behavior. I think I got so used to him being a easy, go with the flow bird, that we probably instilled some of the behavior and I just started noticing it when I was bleeding...haha. Thank you again! Regards, Adam

22 Sep

Value Added

Biting and Lunging

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Great article, but I can't seem to find any that address my specific situation. Buster, a 2-3 year old green cheeked conure, seems to LOVE me 99% of the time. He lives with 2 males (I'm home most of the time), and has been a loving, playful, crazy bird for the year that we have had him. Out of the blue, over the recent two weeks he has started biting me (like crazy lunge, grab on, draw blood bite) seemingly out of nowhere. Thinking that we had just been together too much (he is out of the cage most of the day with me), I was hoping that me being gone for a couple of days for work would correct the problem..well, it didn't. Today, he seemed so excited that I was home and could go back to our normal routine, but then out of the blue he latches onto my lip. We literally, we sitting on the couch, he was on my lower chest preening and being preened when he ran up to mouth and grabbed on. I admit that I shrieked, threw my hands in the air to get him off, and then put him in his cage, which goes against everything I have read..but he actually lacerated my lip. So, I am at a loss. There appears to be no warning as I know when he is playing, mad etc. He doesn't do this to the other person in the house..Can you give me ANY advice?

22 Sep

Value Added

Biting and Lunging

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You're welcome Adam. You know, you the only behavior you instilled was fearless love. And so Buster is comfortable to be Buster the Parrot. THAT is epic and fabulous and wonderful. You two are in a good place.

22 Sep

Kathy LaFollett

Biting and Lunging

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My first thoughts go toward his age and the season it's becoming. "over the last couple weeks" lends to the idea of Fall changes while his 2-3 tells me he's getting his "big boy pant hormone levels". (That's a scientific phrase somewhere I'm sure). He's hyper sensitive to extended stimulation or excitement. I'd shorten the handson snuggling right now (alo preening each other on the couch). Basically enjoy it, but end it sooner than later when things are going well. That bite moment was strictly an over stimulated parrot. Not a bad thing in the general sense. Buster is crazy for you. But this type of behavior works best between two parrots. Our Snickers (male scarlet macaw 4 years old) has the same issue. He gets so excited by intense shared time, snuggling or playing, that he randomly just grabs your hand or face with a big chomp. I've removed the toys that get him excited (for now), and I limit our physical pets and preening to shorter time frames. I still do it, but end it while things are good. If no ones brought it up, I would also state that 12-13 hours of covered dark at night helps quite a bit to self level those chemicals. I stick to 12 hours year round and will add an hour or 2 if attitudes get heightened. Works like a charm. What you are experiencing isn't aggression. Although from a human's point of view it looks it. This is young bird entering that first real year of age which makes it easy for him to become over stimulated and unconsciously answer with biting/lunging. I think of it as how cats can get when you are petting them luxuriously. Out of nowhere that lazy, relaxed diva becomes a spawn of viciousness clamping down on your arm with four legs trying to bite you hand. Just an overstimulated cat.

22 Sep

Kathy LaFollett

Biting and Lunging

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Thank you Matt and Kathy: lovely story! People just don't know how to relate to companion parrots until they have been shown by example. Good job. I suffer guilt because when I acquired my parrots, people I knew could see the glow of love in my eyes as I described living with them, and I was probably TOO excited as I shared my love for my companions. Many people whom I worked with saw how very happy I was, and, despite the fact that their circumstances may not have been ideal for bringing parrots into their homes (small children, long work hours, etc.), they wanted to experience the same joy. One coworker (whose husband had a very successful business) took her 12-year-old daughter to the local pet store, which still sold large parrots (a practice of which I strongly disapprove!), and they came home with a COCKATOO and a very large cage! Of course, the daughter was not mature enough for such a commitment, and soon there was yet another cockatoo in a rescue/rehome situation.

29 Jul

Patch Davis

This is Matt's Advocacy

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