Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!dinorah!mary
From: mary@dinorah.wustl.edu (Mary E. Leibach)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR Biting Conure
Message-ID: <1055@dinorah.wustl.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 89 19:14:33 GMT
References: <4950001@hpcvca.CV.HP.COM>
Organization: Washington University (St. Louis)
Lines: 30
In-reply-to: steveg@hpcvca.CV.HP.COM's message of 6 Dec 89 20:56:36 GMT

steveg@hpcvca.CV.HP.COM (Steve Grant) writes:

>I am looking for some advice on how to deal with my pet Conure who has
>decided to start biting. He (or she?) is about 6 mo. old and was a hand 
>fed baby. Until recently he has been the perfect bird. Never bit me
>hard, likes to snuggle up to me, and is very friendly. We spend a lot of
>time together and I have tried to be consistent in my training. But now
>he has started biting me occasionally. These are not nibbles that I am 
>worried about, he bites HARD!

Vila, my 11 mo. old Conure has the same problem.  Any part of me
within reach gets "clamped".  Saying no and cage discipline do not
work.  Vila is, I believe, a male who thinks I am his mate.  If
someone has been through this, please post the answer.  Any help on
how (besides covering Blakey's cage) I can get him to stop attempting
to attack my parakeet Blakey.  Mind you, Blakey is in his cage at the
time.  Vila tries to bite through the bars.

>  Also, can anyone recommend a GOOD book on keeping indoor birds? I have
>looked but am not satisfied with what I have found.

The best resource I have found on indoor birds is Bird Talk magazine.
They cover all kinds of birds and all kinds of problems, with color
pics and ads and cartoons.  They have vets who write some of the
articles, and a "Living with Birds" column that is the absolutely
hilarious antics of an African Gray, an Amazon, and a Macaw.  Lots of
info and lots of fun.  Plus, what book has pull out cards for your
birds to chew?

	-Mary