Conure

[SnakeMad]

I have a connure and he is a bit nippy. I can get him out and he's not nervouse at of people but it's just that he bites them rather hard. Can any one tell me any way that i can try to stop him biting so hard?

[savannah_babe]

how long have you had him for? if hes new to your family, somtimes it takes a while for them to warm up to you. just talk to him, and let him know that you arent going to hurt him. birds are very very smart, and remember things you do. my cherry head was a rescue, the lady said she cant have him anymore because he would attack her. so, i took him in. he is in love with me. just be patient, it may very well take a while.

[SnakeMad]

We have had him now for about a year and he has always bitten us hard. I dont think that it has anything to do with him getting to know us as he will happily fly on to our shoulders but as soon as you go to touch him or try to put him back in his cage he will bite. Is there like a way to try and train him not to bit hard and be gentle.

[schatzie001]

I would suggest to stop the shoulder perching because it is a sign of dominance, they are basically at your level and if he is nippy, he could easily go for an eye. I had the same problem with my Sun Conure.

Instead of shoulder perching, do knee perching and talk soft and low to him. Try to keep your hand close to him and if he will let you pet him, then do so. If he bites put him immediately back into his cage for 10-15 minutes.
He will learn that you won't tolerate the biting and that you are the dominant partner in this relationship.
Just remember yelling or striking the bird will do a lot of harm to his psyche (not that I think you do this BTW).
It took me a good few months before I could start enjoying my relationship with mine but that was because she was pretty neglected for 8 years and to this day will still jump when I raise my hand to scratch my nose....
Patience will be the key...and best of luck!

[Dr.Oviparous]

You also say he will fly onto you. Wing clipping should be in order. This can really reduce his aggressive tendencies. And it is not safe to have full flight birds around the house. For their safety i the house, and incase there is an accident and they get out the door. For that reason it is illegal to have Quakers in a few states around the US. They build HUGE nests that can bring down telephone wires and such. How high is his cage? With aggresive birds cages should be kept lower than shoulder height. Birds show dominance by being higher than their competitor. If they are kept higher, they will feel like they are the boss. When he does bite what is your reaction? The best bet is not to acknowledge the bite. If you feel like you need to let him know he is being bad, tell him "no pinch" rather than "no bite". Bite is a strong sharp word that could excite the bird more while he is biting you. Never laugh at someone taking a bite either.