I was just reading Ron's post about Loco (he's so cute!!) and Ron said this...



Which got me to thinking...

Would you say that your GCs are bitey? More so than your Quakers?

The reason why I ask is because when I was doing research into GCs, every site I read, and every person I talked to, said they can be really nippy.

But Chi Chi isn't like that at all. The only time she has ever bitten me is when I was trying to put a flight suit on her, and I can't blame her for that. But she has never bit me any other time or any one else (even my kids!).

We can do almost anything to her...flip her on her back, tip her upside down, hold her by her tail. She will go to any one...even a stranger. I have to say that out of all my birds she is the most easy going (and that says a lot considering I have tiels who are one of the most docile species of parrots). She is just a gem.

She'll be 2 years old in a few months, so it isn't as if she is still a baby.

Thoughts anyone? What are your GCs like? And how old are they?

Loco is getting close to 6 years old and has been moderatly bitey since we got him.

Most times when I ask him to step up he puts his beak out and nips my finger. I usually have to tap his tail to get him to finish the step up. Pushing into the bite doesn't work with him at all.

When he gets up on my shoulder he will usually gently nibble my ear or neck till he gets settled. If he wants a head scratch when on my shoulder....bite. If I am talking to someone....bite. If I pick up the phone....bite. He rarely breaks the skin but it's still a bite.

Now don't get me wrong he doesn't bite all the time, infact he is usually a very gentle loving bird. I guess it's his way of asserting his supposed dominance.

He is also a pet store bought bird, so he may have picked up the habit while young after haivng fingers poked at him by customers.

I met a lady at a store in Orchard Park Mall that brings her GCC in to work with her. She said he was a biter too.

Strange thing is even though bitey, you still have to love them.

Count yourself lucky. Chi Chi was either A) brought up by a very good breeder or, you are a very good parront.

Pepper is a nipper, he nips all the time. He loves to bite the skin around my finger nails, or he will lick my arm. He has never broken my skin. but he has bitten my husband on his face and broke the skin. He will go with anyone, very friendly, just a nipper. I still love him!!

Thanks to you both.

Ron, I'm not sure if it was breeder or me. I did get Chi Chi from a pet store, but this pet store keeps their birds in a enclosed room with windows so you can look at the birds, but if you want to handle or go see them you have to get a sales associate to go with you. Chi Chi was also only in the store for about a week.

I know the breeder was an excellent breeder though. She was the one that I got Lo Lee from too. Lo Lee was a failure to thrive chick and the breeder didn't really want to send her to a home that wouldn't care for her properly. So the breeder called the pet store she has sold Chi Chi too and asked explained the situation. The pet store owner then called me and asked if I would take Lo Lee, which I did...lol So it shows the breeder really cared for her birds.

On that note, Lo Lee has been a great bird too, but she does nip at times (never hard enough to hurt). She won't go to every one like Chi Chi does and when she gives 'kisses' she will pinch your lip instead of just brushing against it.

Kinda wierd eh? Usually Maroon Bellied Conures are more docile then the Greek Cheeks and in my house it is the other way around

My GCC is also a very loving fid. She however is a biter, but not in a nasty way. She's a picker really...a neat freak.....she'll chase down skin tags, freckles, dead skin (god help you if you're peeling from a sun burn or have dry skin, lol). The only time she 'bites' is when she's protecting her mate (my oldest son is who she has strongly bonded with). My daughter can't go near my oldest son when Layla (GCC) is with him. I can...but not her. I feed Layla...Zoe (my daughter) is viewed as competition I guess.

As much as Layla has to have peace in the world...one that's free from freckles and dead skin....she could care less about tear up toys...go figure.

posting late, but i luv talking about my gcc "pablo"..he is a biter, he is very easily overstimulated which i believe to be at the root of his bites. I usually mist him about 5 minutes before handling and it seems to be working well. if i go one day without letting him out, except briefly, man does he bite down and draws blood,he will bite and twist and hang on to get the most impact i guess. But even if he drew blood every day, I would still think his awesome personality is well worth taking the bites. This bird came from petco, and wasnt handled much once he was weaned. I still plan on getting another gcc nippy or not. I would love to breed these guys someday. (i used to breed tiels) P.s. Pablo has me trained to keep him out of his cage most of the day

I don't know how I missed this, but Little Miss Gidget is "nippy" she doesn't bite all of the time but every once in a while she will nip and nip hard, but she doesn't NIP as hard as Kiwi bites, NO WAY!

Sammie my maroon bellied, never bites until I go to put her back in the cage. She attacks my fingers, and it hurts, so by a rule I don't get her out unless my husband is around to put her back in because she will not bite him, she just wants to be with me all the time and she will cuddle and try to go down my shirt and kiss me all the time she is such a lover.

I know i'm writing a bit late here but i have to say something about my gcc. I have never been biten by MoJo or JoJo There both sweethearts. MoJo is my baby as i have hand raised him from the age of 4 weeks old. He loves me the most but will go to my boyfriend, MoJo bites everyone else in the family. MoJo is very cuddly and even regirgitates a bit of food on me, His very healthy i have taken him to the vet they said its a sign of love. MoJo is my favourite bird out of all of them, I have a special bond towards him which no one could break. If i go out for a couple of hours he gets sad, But once i come home he is the first to know i'm home and greats me when i get into my room. I would reccomended a gcc to anyone who wants a playful,loving,cuddly,very outgoing parrot. The only downside to them is they are very jealous birds and will attack birds ten times there size, Which is why they should not be housed with other species. My MoJo & JoJo take on my sun conures and my rainbow lorikeet.They are that cheeky that once they have attacked the other birds they come runing to me and hop on my shoulder. They are very protective of me. They also suffer speration anxiety if left alone for to long. Green cheek conures are my all time favourite bird.

See I have to disagree with you there. My GC is housed with my MB and they get along just fine. There have been no jealousy issues at all and if either of them is more aggressive it is the MB.

Also, my GC is very friendly towards the Cockatiels. She never displays aggression towards any of my other birds. She even tried to make friends with my Quaker when I first brought her home, but the Q would have none of that

So, from my experience, I have to say that my GC is excellent with other birds and has a great disposition overall.

I am jealous. Carrie-anne did you handfeed your birds? Im thinking of handfeeding my next gcc in hopes it might make a difference temperment wise. (yes Im very experienced)

I forgot to ask you all, what size cage do you have your gcc in? My gcc uses every bit of his cage, it 23wx19deepx24 high. I have started having plucking issues with him. when i was sick for 2 weeks,and didnt cuddle with him like i normally do he plucked a tiny portion of hs chest feathers. Im wondering if a bigger cage would have helped during that time.

I've never handfed any of my *personal* birds (I'm a breeder of tiels and have handfed those babies, but they are sold to other parronts). I'm a firm believer that handfeeding your bird does NOT make it bond stronger to you then if you let the breeder finish it out.

As far as cages go, she's in about the same cage as yours...and she shares her cage with a Maroon Bellied Conure. They do use all the cage (Chi Chi will do somersaults on the bottom of her cage or play dead). But they get lots of time out. I have a large rope perch that hangs from the ceiling and I've put all sorts of toys over it so it works as their play gym.