How to Get Your Conure Not to Bite

Conures are beautiful and very colorful parrots. The key to stopping a conure from biting is to understand bird behavior. Like all parrots, conures are very intelligent and must have healthy means of keeping themselves entertained, for instance with bird toys that are shreddable or hide treats and food. Birds that live in the wild occupy their time through finding food and building nests. Conures need to be provided similar activities for longevity and happiness. Birds are also highly social animals and need attention when kept as pets. Conures are very affectionate and will learn tricks to entertain themselves and their owners.

Instructions

  1. Conure Training

    • 1

      Know the pet bird's behavior. Birds will sometimes bite out of fear. It is important to know when the bird is acting fearfully or aggressively. When a conure feels threatened, it may hiss, scream, flap its wings, run or hop away, growling or biting. Pay attention to the bird's behavior to discover when is a good time to approach the bird. Speak calmly, yelling will only provoke more unwanted behavior. Provide positive attention and reward the bird with treats. A startled, frightened bird is much more likely to bite.

    • 2

      Blow gently in the bird's face or on its head. Blowing gently at the bird should divert its attention and stop it from biting. Sometimes a bird is simply '"beaking." The beak is very sensitive, and the beak and tongue are used to explore things that are new to the bird.

    • 3

      Spend time with the conure. Frustration and boredom can be sources of biting behavior. Humans replace the flock that birds spend time with in the wild. It is unfair to deprive a social animal of play time. Talk often with the bird, or consider moving the bird to a high-traffic area in the home.

    • 4

      Push the finger being bitten farther into the bird's beak. The bird will loosen its grip and release the finger. If the bird is biting, attempting to pull away may cause the bird to bite down. As soon as the bird relaxes, remove the finger from the bird's beak. Remember to pay attention to the body language of the bird to know when the bird is approachable.

    • 5

      Know the conure's body language and when it may be a bad time to approach the bird. Changes in hormones can be a cause of biting in conures. Molting or breeding season can cause changes in the bird's behavior and make it difficult to approach.