TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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Green Cheek conures are one of most playful and intelligent conures out there. But they are known to be a little nippy.

When people have asked us for advice on getting birds not to bite, we begin by trying to get a little history of the bird. What quickly become apparent is the bird is not being worked with on a daily basis. The owners will ignore the bird for a few days, but then want to take the bird out to play. They get bit, get upset, and unintentionally “punish” the bird by putting it into “timeout”.

Unfortunately, this isn’t going to work with a Green Cheek. This breed of bird is very demanding and wants to be cuddled and played with. They bite for many reasons, but it’s very easy to teach them to stop with just a little patience and daily work.

STEP UP

The first step is to get the bird to step up on your finger and get used to being handled. In our e-Book The Easy Parrot System, we discuss some simple, step-by-step methods to finger train your bird. It should only take a few days to accomplish this.

If the bird is nipping at you during this state, begin to immediately teach him that it is unacceptable behavior by saying “NO BITE!” in a firm tone. When the bird steps up and behaves, give him lots of praise and offer a favorite treat like a nut or grape. Continue to do this every day, and you will soon teach your bird that if he wants to be with you he must learn not to bite.

Green Cheeks will learn this method! They are known to be a friendly bird and they want to be cuddled and played with. This trait is normally seen only in Cockatoos, and most conures are not this willing to be handled. But Green Cheeks are different. And if they want to play with you, they must learn to stop biting.

One other cause for biting is they have reached sexual maturity. Green Cheeks reach this point at about one year old. They become a bit more aggressive, and this will lead to their tendency to nit at your finger. Just reinforce your training. If it gets out of control, use the “time out” method and place the bird in its “discipline” cage located in another room. Try not to use its “home cage” for discipline because it will get confused. Remember, Green Cheeks are a little more intelligent then you think. You need them to understand that the “discipline” cage is because they acted badly. Otherwise, they will learn that if they want to go back to their “home” cage, they simply have to bite you. You are passing the wrong message to them!

Never strike your bird. I can certainly guarantee that from that point on you will never be able to train your bird.

Here are a few extra points. For more ideas check out our Ebook!

-Clip the wings before you begin training. You want to be in control of the bird, and if it can fly away you lose that control!

-Use constant praise and reinforcement. Keep a supply of treats handy

-Stay in control. Do not let your bird think you are afraid. Fortunately, these little guys bite does not do much harm to you, other than a painful pinch. Try to deal with it!

-When working with the bird, also teach it other simple tricks like lying on it’s back, playing dead, and playing catch with objects. A small foam ball works great for this.

-Work with the bird daily, preferably at the same time of the day. Sessions should be about 15 minutes at a time.

Once your bird has been tamed, you will find that he wants to stay with you most of the time. Use this to your advantage while training him. If you are watching TV, have him in your lap while you gently handle him. The constant human interaction will reinforce to him you are not a threat and he should not bite you.