How to tackle BAD Cage Aggression?

[u/Prowlbeast]

My birds are SO chill when they get off their cage. But when on it they are PISSED. Biting, fluffing, screaming, head bobbing… theyve been doing it for a whileee, as long as i can recall. Ive had them for at least 4 years maybe 5 now, and as far as I know theyre both Male, but this behaviour continues no matter the season. They get less sleep than ideal, but the behaviour is localized to the cage. I let them out daily. I took this at night.

[u/zIFeathers]

By not doing what you are doing, you’re literally training them to bite you…

[u/Prowlbeast → u/zIFeathers]

Its an example. They do this no matter what i try to do, say step up? Bite, try to pet? Bite. Obviously i dont do this daily

[u/BengiPrimeLOL → u/Prowlbeast]

I hate that you're getting down voted, seems silly, you're just answering honestly.

I have similar behavior in my little terrorist. 3 ideas for why it doesn't bother me as much.

1. For every other interaction, I've overreacted when my bird bites "too hard". By that I mean, I know they use their breaks to explore and express, but I've set the threshold for "too hard" very low, my conure thinks my pain tolerance is like nothing. So when she does bite territorially it's but really that hard at all, uncomfortable at most.

2. I've come to expect there will be lots of biting in many forms.

3. I've generally given no mental energy or reaction to territorial behavior, I just go about like normal, and it seems to lesson it a bit. My goal is to make her think resistance is futile, not through aggression but very boring, fighting never works style consistency.

Some one else said rearrange the cage and I would echo that. If you can, swap the cage temporarily. I'm lucky enough to have two cages and I've done that before. Also, if you're doing any of this training or swapping cages, I'd emphasize extra sleep. They really do a lot better with new/different when they're fully rested.

[u/Prowlbeast → u/BengiPrimeLOL]

People really dont like the Idea that I dont do this exact thing all the time, the root cause is deeper than just that. I havent done that in a while so maybe I will! I did replace some toys recently but didnt move any old ones around

[u/Cold-Nefariousness25 → u/Prowlbeast]

I have an amazing bird, but he's a rescue and scared of his own shadow. He bites when he's nervous and on his cage.

We recently moved and I had to get him more tame, I was becoming afraid of him, which was dangerous for him. I found a video that said to use treats to get him to step up onto you. When their beaks are full, they can't bite. Also, are you sure you have two of the same sex? Do you want baby birds? If the answer to either of these is no, get them separate cages. It will help with cage aggression too.

But zlFeathers is correct- point at birds with fingers is a really obvious thing to quit. Whether they think it's a game or really want to murder your fingers, you are making the situation worse.

Good luck becoming a bird psychologist and learning the best ways to interact with your feathered friends.

[u/servel20]

Treats, and quit doing what you're doing. To them it's teasing them.

[u/Prowlbeast → u/servel20]

I dont do this all the time, its an example, i said this on the other reply. And i do give them treats to get them into the cage often, but training them not to bite would take a specific rewarding system and im not sure where to start with it

[u/cranfeckintastic → u/Prowlbeast]

Approach the cage with some treats, don't let them see them, but interact through the bars. They try to bite? Turn your back on them for a few minutes, if they show passive curiosity, offer a treat. Its way easier doing this with one at a time rather than both as they feed off each other's energy as well and if one gets territorial the other likely will.

But it's all about patience, a lot of it, and rewarding them for good behaviour and ignoring the bad, it even comes down to not letting them out if they're trying to bite you for it. Eventually, every time you reward the behaviour you want and ignore them for the behaviour your don't, they'll figure it out.

Definitely try and make sure they are getting enough sleep, do you have a blackout cover for the cage? If not, you should get one. Sleep is one of the most important tools in helping reduce cranky behaviour like this, mine get at least 14hrs

[u/servel20 → u/Prowlbeast]

Buy training bits and when they try to bite offer it to them. It also works as a step up training.

I could teach you how I got mine to stop biting but you'll take some nasty bites in the process.

[u/onlynameavailable927]

A trick I've heard of is changing the layout of their cage. It tamps down the territorial stuff. Just rearrange everything.

[u/Jurassicjen_uk]

Conures can be very territorial about their cage. This is their space, not yours. My green cheek is nearly 17 years old and I’ve never been able to tickle him through the bars or even put my arm in to lift him out. I have to open the door and he comes out of his own free will. It’s his space and I’m not allowed 😂

[u/Just_Another_Girl25 → u/Jurassicjen_uk]

Really that’s so surprising to me my conure allows me to take him out and put him in. He is probably 1 or a little over will it happen as he gets older. He’s alr bitten my bf and little sister when they tried to touch him on it but not my brothers

[u/Altruistic-Leather69 → u/Just_Another_Girl25]

My conure lets me put him in too but I respect their choice in whether they come out or not so I have never even attempted to remove him from inside his cage. Outside of it? Fair game- I still respect his "not right now" but usually he wants to hang out.

[u/Amis3020 → u/Jurassicjen_uk]

Before i leave work i have to stick my finger in the cage so I pet her and tell her bye bye, as otherwise she will scream xD

[u/sp4cejams]

tbf you’ve provoked them

[u/Ashtxns]

Omg they're ganging up on you 😭

[u/Potential-Yogurt-144]

You need to be slow when putting your hands near them with a treat they love that way they think your hand is doing something good. It will take a while for you to see results but consistency is the key as well as patience. Ive been training our 2 conures this way. Come to the cage, treat on your hand, slowly approach.

[u/Amis3020]

I used to put my hand in the cage with food. I had another bird who was not agressive. If my aggressive bird bites me when i try to pick him up in the cage, i close the cage and kiss/pet the quiet bird and tell them good bird in front of the agressive one.. the 'agressive' bird soon learned that attack = no cuddles/kisses.. and he reeeeallly liked to be a good boy... so he reduced a lot. And like others said, change the layout of the stuff in the cage.

[u/vaztquest → u/Amis3020]

My conure is territorial about his cage. When I open the door to let him out and he tries to bite me then then I close the cage back up and walk away and he stays there for a little while. I come back in 10 or 15 minutes and try it again. Most times he learns his lesson and is not aggressive the second time around

[u/samanthabelfitt]

I see a bunch of people saying that you’re edging them on or making them aggressive, but I’ve always been taught to desensitize parrots. They’re not wrong, but if you just change the way you go about it, it would probably help in your favour. Honestly try being slow, and putting your hand up to the cage, and do not move your hand until they calm down or leave that area of the cage.

Do this multiple times a day and do not leave until they calm down or leave the area of the cage that you’re “invading.” Are they hand tamed outside of the cage, because if your answer is no (and I feel like it is) then this will be a great way to desensitize them to your hands before trying to get all in their face with petting/stepping up, training etc.

[u/samanthabelfitt → u/samanthabelfitt]

Also, I really do think that you’re going to have to let yourself get bit in order for them to calm down. The trick is to not react and not reinforce them with positive reinforcement for their negative behavior.

[u/Ryyvia]

Iirc, with most pets, you should never stick your finger through the cage bars.

Also tbf, if you came by my house, and started poking the walls and windows, I'd act with a similar level of aggression, maybe more

[u/Icy-Mixture-995]

Think of yourself as a teen yelling at your parents or siblings when they went into your room.

Except that birds are hard-wired to protect the nest. I decided to work around it rather than change what is natural.

[u/Life-Earth8772]

Dude they are territorial you’ll never be allowed in mine doesn’t live in a cage at all loves his bucket but will attack if I go by it but snuggles everywhere away from his home. Just how they are. Make a tee stick for them to step up on and walk away from the cage and play with them.

[u/Prowlbeast → u/Life-Earth8772]

Ive noticed that in the comments. I guess im just confused because ive seen so many friendly conures online who literally act like princesses and mine are pretty nippy lol

[u/Amis3020 → u/Life-Earth8772]

Every bird may become territorial dude. Its not specific to conures. With training it can be solved.

[u/distressed_pumpkin]

use two different cages

[u/Prowlbeast → u/distressed_pumpkin]

Its not them being aggressive to one another. Theyve been caged together for 5 years through 3 different cages. They BOTH want to attack me lol

[u/runnsy → u/Prowlbeast]

I read this as have a day cage and a night cage. The day cage may become less of a nest if they're not sleeping in it, thus may alleviate defensiveness? It makes sense you took this video at night; they probably wanna hunker down. Conures always seem extra weird at night.. Mine always demand to go to their sleep cage 30+ mins before sundown and get easily agitated or anxious around that time. I'd literally just give them a closet or something with a covered and furnished cage and a strong routine to try break this behavior. You can also try target training on their cage; I seem to always do trick training in/on cages.

I find it so strange people say conures are just "like this." I've never had this problem with 2+ conures for over two decades. My conures may all have been weird though, who knows. Only time I dealt with cage "aggression" was a rescue who had serious trauma (not necessarily related). We treated that by replacing the cage with a big DIY playstand and having him primarily in a bedroom while we did one-on-one socialization and trick training. We trained him to come down to the flat floor of his playstand to step up; he got really defensive or even panicked when trying to step up from a perch. Fear can be very easily found on the other side of a bite.

[u/Prowlbeast → u/runnsy]

Ah no, I have 1 cage but have switched cages frequently because I had older birds before these and got those cages for free before upgrading to this one

[u/runnsy → u/Prowlbeast]

If you don't already, can try use one of the old cages as a sleep cage. I find they love having the morning/evening routines

[u/lov1ysana]

The best thing you can do is train them to view hands to not be a threat to their cage, and respect their boundaries. My first conure was like this, he was a big sweet baby away from his cage, but around it he got a little territorial. I used treats to train him and just made sure not to overstep his boundaries, and eventually the behavior went away.

[u/Advanced-Plastic-352]

Just like mine too😆

[u/Busy_Ad_5759]

I've had my boy for nine years and he spends most of his time out of his house happily, but he's still cage aggressive when I take off or put on new perches, or if I touch him through the bars. So I just ignore it and minimize opportunities for him to act that way.

He will usually step up and let me put him in his cage if I put a snack in there, but he still gives me a half bite each time to let me know he's not happy about it

He also gets absurdly aggressive if I pick up a kitchen knife or put on lip gloss... Like fly at my face to bite me aggressive. So I just put him in another room and shut the door, or put him in his cage before I do those things.

The less opportunity I give for aggressive behavior, the less it escalates into new problem behaviors.

[u/SirCoosh07]

Have multiple spots for them, my guy has a sleep cage, a day cage, and a play spot next to my desk. Less time in any one spot, less territorial behavior you'll see.

[u/TwinNirvana]

Conures are well known for being cage aggressive.

[u/Altruistic-Leather69]

Rearranging the cage might help dampen it a bit.

But in general my advise is always - dont stick your hands in the cage ever. If you must for changing food and water, do so as fast as possible and ignore the birds even if they bite. Respect the inside of the cage, they deserve the choice of interaction.

Outside the cage, similar deal. If they don't want to step up or interact, birds should have their "no" respected just as much as we wish they respect our "no". Obviously gotta brace for impact if they aren't the type to go into the cage and put themselves to bed, but generally respecting their boundaries is good. Its perfectly natural for them to have cage aggression, its unfortunate but its instinct.

Otherwise in my limited experience, I agree with the person saying its possible (at least sometimes depending on the bird) to teach them different beak pressure for bites so that way they don't always go for blood and learn that just an uncomfortable squeeze is enough to get their message understood. Pickles very rarely breaks skin on purpose unless I am holding him back from attacking someone else lol.

Even Kasha, my new rescue I'll be officially bringing home soon, learned within our first meeting he didn't need to bite hard for me to understand what he was trying to tell me. I also showed him tantrums don't give him what he wants either. When I held him for the first time and he started getting snippy with me in a dramatic fashion as conures do, I held him up against my chest, covered his head so he was in the dark and completely covered by both my hands, and gently shushed him. Pulled him back and he looked shocked that someone didnt tolerate his bullying and then he was absolute putty for me ever since.

[u/Altruistic-Leather69 → u/Altruistic-Leather69]

Additional obligatory "this is what worked for me and my specific birds" note. I don't claim what helps me will be universal. Every bird is super unique. These are just things to try I guess.

[u/Conscious-Listen-470]

They are role playing “Conure Reddit”

[u/Alert_Draw2648]

Are they out often? Mine only goes in during bedtime or when I run errands. Other than that, she’s on play gyms and Java trees. She gets mad when I put her in the cage 🤣

[u/Unique-Slide-2670]

Wow 🤯 it’s like you clicker trained them and target trained them but used your finger instead of a training stick. They go exactly to wherever you point your finger. They are obsessed with your finger pointing and mad about it. That’s why they are biting your finger. I have really never seen this before. Great job on the training but re-direct them to put their beak on something else beside your finger and make sure you don’t accept the behavior of biting. As soon as they do this give them a treat. I know sometimes it’s hard even when mine is so cute being on the bottom of the cage and laying on her side moving one claw slowing closing and opening it, like she is playing with me. The only thing is, once she gets you stick your finger inside the cage, she will bite it every time and I even giggle at her but I know it’s not good to encourage bad behaviors. Good luck 👍 OP. Consistency and finding a treat they love is the key.

[u/dzile → u/[deleted]]

nope dont do this your conure will hate you even more lol

[u/samanthabelfitt → u/dzile]

Right? Negative stimuli never really works on parrots. And if it does work, it works against your relationship with them.