GCC not letting me touch him

[Jorge&Tookie]

So tomorrow it's going to be 5 weeks since I got my 'male' GCC. He doesn't let me touch his head and he'll bite if I try and not let go. I can sometimes pet his wings but I read that that isn't very good cause of sexual stimulation? He is molting so could this be one of the causes? He's really used to me because he will step up all the time -except when on the floor- and I can scratch/rub his beak no problem. I see him scratch himself with the bell of his hanging toy and he really likes it so I want scratch his head that way we can bond more. What can I do to let me touch him?

[friend2parrots]

Hi Jorge and Tookie, I read your previous post in the introduction to get a little sense of Tookie's history, and it does seem to me that it will take some time longer for Tookie to fully settle down and put down his guard in your house, his new home. You mentioned in your other post that three other birds bullied him in his previous home. I think he's probably developed a habit of not trusting anyone enough to allow himself to really relax and be petted, cuddled, etc, and sees your hand as threatening, hence the biting.

GCCs are naturally very cuddly birds, so I am sure once he settles down and learns to relax, he will allow you to pet him. but for now, I would just give him some space, and not try to pet him, or do anything else that provokes a bite. i think your goal at the moment should be first and foremost to avoid bites, so it does not become habitual.

clicker training and target training him will help get his mind off of the transition between homes. also, allowing his wings to grow out (in your first post you expressed a possible interest in doing this) will make him less bitey and better behaved and more relaxed overall. so please allow him to be fully flighted, and you will see a remarkable improvement in his trust of you, and in his overall confidence and behavior.

i was wondering if you have considered changing his name. (you mentioned that you stuck with Tookie because thats what his previous owner called him). sometimes birds that come from traumatic backgrounds (he sounds like he wasnt happy in his previous home if he was bullied constantly by other birds) really do well with a new name that has no associations to the previous home. i once adopted a lineolated parakeet (now deceased) from a next door neighbor whose cat used to stalk the her cage and try to reach into it. I changed my linnie's name from Lucy to Stella, just to give her a fresh start. she was really agitated when i first got her, but eventually calmed down - it took almost a year for her to trust me enough to let me pet her. i am not sure if the name change helped, but i dont think the name Lucy had any positive associations for my linnie whatsoever, and I wanted her to feel comfortable with the name i was calling her.

also, please enter the search terms "GCC" or green cheek in the search box of this forum just to get a sense of what GCC ownership is like, the challenges, etc. and also, read through the forum owner Michael's blog as much as you can, to get a sense of where you are in terms of knowledge of bird ownership. the blog offers a step by step training guide and more, to put you on the right track. but make sure to work very slowly, at a pace that your GCC is comfortable with.

all the best and good luck with your - don't worry, just give him some time and he will come around and become the biggest cuddlebug. GCCs are fantastic birds! (check out what some of us GCC fans think about them in this thread, called the GCC Appreciation Thread:

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[Andromeda]

I love your profile picture of Tookie, he is so adorable! You did such a wonderful thing by giving him a new home. Good for you! It always makes me incredibly happy to hear when people adopt birds. I got my GCC from Craigslist, too! He came "free with a cage"---the title of the ad was just about the cage, I honestly don't even know why I clicked on it, but I did, and it was a description of the cage but the very last line was "also comes with a green cheek conure." LOL

I e-mailed the woman about it and didn't hear back from her for three weeks so I had given up by the time she responded and was surprised to hear he was still available. It turns out she knew it was best for him to go to another home (she didn't have time for him and he spent most of his time in his cage) but she loved him and was having a hard time parting with him and that's why she didn't respond for so long.

I am a really big fan of GCCs, I had no idea what they were like when I adopted Bubba but they are so full of personality. I love Bubba to pieces and I am so glad I found him on Craigslist; he is just a giant ball of cuddles. He is so happy all the time. He has a great attitude. If I am having a bad day he cheers me up so much with his clownish ways and his super happy whistles and dances. He is always really eager to do the tricks he knows so he can get some treats. If it was up to him he would cuddle and get head scratches all day long.

He wasn't like that at first and was very bitey with my husband but with time and positive reinforcement he turned out to be a wonderful bird. My husband is actually his favorite now, he will cuddle with me but if my husband is around he'd rather cuddle with my husband. I know yours will come around as well, especially if you use clicker training, that's a very effective way to build trust and you get good results pretty quickly.

Excellent advice from friend2parrots. It's very important to avoid bites so it doesn't become a habit, give him some space, and do some clicker and target training with him as it builds trust and is a great way to bond with your bird and just have some fun together!

I also agree with friend2parrots 100% on allowing his wings to grow out because that has a radical effect on a bird's personality. My GCC loves to fly; he follows me all over the house, up and down the stairs, all day long. I also do a lot of flight recall with him. It's beautiful to watch him and I get a lot of joy out of seeing him in flight. It also helps him stay in shape and gives him an outlet for all his energy because GCCs in particular are really busy, energetic birds.

Re-homing is traumatic for a bird, even if they are going from a bad environment to a better one. Tookie will be cautious and defensive for a little while---especially if he is used to being bullied---but if you give him time and are patient with him he will settle in.

As far as changing his name... I have a rescue and a re-home and I just kept both of their names and it wasn't a problem. Neither one of them said their name when I adopted them but they both say their names now.