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Conure behavior – Ask the Vet Nov 18

I have a rehomed 14-mo dusky-headed conure. I’ve had him for 6 mo; handraised baby. The first owners found that one of them was allergic. I’ve had conures since the 70s and this is the first one whose primary contact is pinching. He knows the up command and is learning the down command. Very bright, playful etc. I have an 18-yr yo half-moon which he does have some supervised interactions with. His original owners worked at home and were first time bird owners. I’m semi-retired but cannot lavish tons of attention on Cabbage everyday. I have cages over the sink that both birds spend time in while I prepare their morning breakfasts and do dishes. I also have a dedicated birdroom with playpens etc. I have noticed an improvement in his touch since I started spending an hour every evening with him. He is using his beak more gently in exploring bits of skin on my fingures etc… Do you think his pinching is his way of trying to get more attention and what else can I do to dissuade this behavior?

Hi Jean,

Most of the time pinching from a young bird is due to the bird never being taught how much pressure is OK. They do not naturally understand this, and the owner has to find a gentle way to let the bird know that the pinching hurts them. Of course a bird learns from positive reinforcement, but that doesn’t mean some unwanted behaviors can’t be pointed out to them. With a pinch, a quick ouch, followed by ignoring the bird can send the message. Be ready with a treat and reward him immediately for a soft beak touch, but again if a pinch follows, say ouch and give the bird no more attention until he responds with the appropriate pressure. It sounds like you are already making progress with him. He just needs to fully understand what will cause a positive reaction, and what will cause him to be ignored. If some of it is trying to get more attention, he will quickly learn the pinch makes him get no attention. Turn away from him or walk away and let him think about it, then try again. As with any unwanted behavior, keep the negative response to the bare minimum – ouch, then ignore him. Soft touch – lavish him with attention. Going from one extreme to the other gets your point across. If you proceed to fuss at him for pinching, and say things like Don’t you know that hurts, etc, you are giving him more attention. Watch how bird interact – they squabble all the time. So making a big deal over an unwanted behavior is fine with him. Being ignored is not.

Thank you for your question,

Brenda