Attack of the linneolated parakeet

[TinyTimneh]

Okay, okay, I admit the mental image of being attacked by a 50 gram bird is kinda funny, but still.

Altair has started to attack me. It's not completely unpredictable.

I know not to back down but I'd rather take a bite from the grey than this guy, he's got that little tiny beak that grinds and pinches the most miniscule pieces of flesh.

I can usually predict the bites, because he'll start beeping and squeaking angrily, open his beak and then either attempt to bite or charge me. I'd say that most of the time I'm reaching for/touching his food bowls or in particular his favorite toy when he attacks. Outside of those scenarios he'll move away from me usually although he will sometimes charge or threaten me if I touch the cage bars in a particular spot or reach inside.

I know this is probably territorial aggression and resource guarding (or the parrot equivalent). Anybody have experience with this? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[kar2nz]

being as this is not a grey, i might make a suggestion. (not suggested for greys)

 

this is a method one of my customers suggested for conures, and it has always worked for me. it produces sweet birds that do not resent being handled. when the bird goes to bite, grab a hold of his head, cupping your hand over the back of the head, and covering the eyes. allow him to maintain his foot grip on whatever he is perched on. he will struggle, but don't let go, and hold your hand in such a way that he can not successfully get a bite. maintain control for 5 seconds. then, let go of his head, and say something very calmly to him like "are you done yet"? this can be done repetitively if necessary, but i would not continue doing it for very long each session. if he's not done biting you after a couple of minutes, try again later. be persistent, and be consistent.

 

add to this treatment, treats you know he likes out of your hand. save the attempts at petting for later, like maybe a week or two.

 

this may, or may not work with a linoleated parakeet. i've only worked with one of those, and he never tried to bite in the first place, so the issue never came up with him. this method has worked on ever conure i've come across, with the exception of 1. this method has turned birds around others labeled "problem birds"