Basically, sun conures are not aggressive at all as they are very friendly with their loved ones. However, they tend to show aggressive behavior when trying to defend them from specific fears. When they are in the cage, they often start biting whenever a person inserts his/her fingers into sun conure’s cage, as it makes fear in them as an external threat. The bird shows dominance and protecting itself from the fear that is imposed on it.
Reasons of agression
Medical
If the sun conure is not feeling well and want to be left alone to do rest just as we do then don’t disturb it by any means because just as we don’t like to get disturbed when being ill same is the case with these birds they don’t feel good and would often start biting in anger.
Moreover, if a sun conure who bites a lot, plays typically and eats regularly, suddenly leave these activities, then you should know that your bird is sick and is needed to examined by a veterinarian.
Baby bird behaviour
Just as many children and the puppies who often tend to put everything around in the mouth similarly, the baby sun conure use their beaks to explore out their surroundings. Moreover, we are aware of this thing that younger ones learn from their elder ones similarly the young sun conures learn from their elder ones when they see their elder siblings biting all around so following those footsteps the younger sun conures start biting as well that turn into severe aggression.
However, biting could also be inadvertently taught to the sun conure whenever the new owner inserts his/her hands in the cage or pick up the baby sun conure. Since the birds are sensitive so it could be possible that the owner does not grab the sun conure softly and the bird feels severe pain, and that makes him start biting.
Furthermore, biting could also be taught when the owner gran the sun conure and the bird reach towards the hand with its beak as a way to grasp it and then climb on. However, if the owner pulls back his/her hands too quickly even before the sun conure properly grips with the beak, therefore, the bird would realise that to get picked up, he better should grab quicker and with more power next time. Hence this grabbing can soon turn into biting, which results in severe aggression from the bird.
Sun Conure Dominance Behaviour
We are aware of this thing that the group of birds often tend to have a pecking order; similarly, the sun conures are no different at all. They could use biting as a way to defend itself, and it’s territory and the status. However, this territory could be another bird, a cage, or the human being to whom that sun conure is bonded. Some of the birds could soon learn if they bite as they get what they want whether it is the drama of watching their owner dancing and singing around, or the yelling in pain, or a trip to the cage where they could eat.
Moreover, the sun conures could also learn to bite to avoid doing something which includes being put back in their cage when they want to stay out or when getting their nails trimmed.
Breeding behaviour
Well, in many species of sun conures, the sexually mature adult birds are mostly in a breeding mode that could become aggressive and are very much protective of their mate and are more likely to defend their cages as it’s the area that belongs to them. Moreover, it is important to distinguish if biting behaviour could be hormonal driven or if the biting is a sign of dominance aggression.
Playing
Well, during play, a bird could occasionally bite. However, the reason is, it could be possible that the sun conure is overcited or it inadvertently grasps some part of the human anatomy to keep his balance perfect.
Moreover, they tend to learn and read the body language of the sun conure because they would show you how they feel. An example is that while playing with them, they could show you signs that they have had enough and now want to go back in the cage. However, if you don’t recognise it, then the bird could start biting in anger and thus leading to its continuous habit of biting that would turn into aggressiveness.
STEPS TO PREVENT FROM AGGRESSION
Don’t force contact
When you place your hand near sun conure and if it lunges at your fingers then try not to jerk away out of fear because your swift movements would make your bird more apprehensive and nervous. Therefore, try taking it slow, which is a better method and don’t try to force contact. Moreover, try to leave it up to the sun conure to decide if it’s comfortable to step up and accept a treat.
Try stick training
Well, training a bird to step up on a stick is referred to as stick training. Therefore, it is recommended an alternative to training a bird that is not able to be handled at first. It is a less invasive approach and quite easier for the bird that is fearful and was traumatised in the past to accept this way of moving without force.
Avoid yelling
Shouting at your sun conure in anger would not make your bird understand that it has done something wrong. So try not to yell at your bird and be friendly with it and whatever happens, never punish it because this will make the bird angry and it would start biting.
Bear gifts
Always offer your bird treats and speak with it in a very soothing voice when trying to handle it. Moreover, using treats and praise would help your pet to be more willing to interact with you, and it is very much effective than the discipline. However, if your interaction with your sun conure turns out to be a positive experience than most probably the bird would become more comfortable and open up to a closer relationship with you. Hence it would not develop biting habit into it, which is a good sign.
Don’t overwork the bird
Well, keep the training sessions at a maximum of 15 minutes because the sun conures are very intelligent and sensitive creatures. They need to have some fun to maintain their mental health and getting away from stress. So please provide them with these refreshments but not too much that makes them start hating it and suddenly start biting in anger.
Keep a flexible routine
The birds need mental stimulation so is the case with sun conures because many of them enjoy a routine that includes regular time for food, play, and many other interactions each day is a very good idea. This helps them to be more friendly with the owners and hence not absorbing biting habits into them.
CONCLUSION
The birds are living creatures like us; therefore, they too have feelings and emotions like us, although they can’t speak as we do. The thing is we humans feel angry when someone is disturbing and often fights back to them to stop this mess similarly these sun conures react aggressively whenever they are being feared by disturbance. So we humans must treat these birds respectfully and friendly because these birds have feelings and if you’re treating them very friendly than these birds would never bite you and would surely consider you as their friends and would rather play with you.
