Double Yellow Headed Amazon Bites

Are double yellow headed amazon bites more painful than being bit by most other types parrots? If I remember correctly they bite, don't let go and do this thing where they sort of grind their beak making it even more painful?

pain is a hard scale to measure in all honesty. Some people find budgies more painful than the big birds.

An Amazon can definitely leave you needing a trip to the hospital for some stitches if they get peeved but they have so many warning signs that they're ready to chomp anyone paying attention should find it hard to get bitten as long as they know the warnings from the Zon to cease what they are doing immediately and back off

It seems that you have three different Threads regarding mid-upper and Large Parrots biting based questions.

Based on that, you likely do not have an Amazon, Africa Grey or a MAC at this time.

Any of the mid-upper and larger Parrots can bit with pressure and they all nibble at ears, if allowed.

I have not found amazon bites to be near as bad as (comparably sized) small cockatoo bites. I have been bitten by several amazons, including a large wild-caught DYH but I have never experienced one who held on and wouldn't let go. They typically strike and retreat real quick. The goffins cockatoo I've been bit by has to be pried off by a second person and has caused permanent nerve damage in my moms finger and required her to have stitches on several occasions. His beak is like a razor. He's about 200 grams smaller than the big DYH too. She breaks skin sometimes but never as bad as that cockatoo. I also feel the amazon beak is duller, less likely to break skin if they just give you a warning nip/pinch.

A big plus in amazons favor- they make no attempt to hide they're moody/angry and ready to bite the crap out of you. Big aggressive displays with very distinct, unmistakable body language. They give fair warning and if you get bit, it's your own fault. A lot of other species are more sneaky and hard to read, but not amazons. I can't think of a time I've been bit by a zon where I didn't expect to be bit. This is why stick training is so important with amazons- when they get in their moods, you need a safe way to transport them and riding a stick is good for everyone if they're feeling foul.

DHY 'zons! One of my very favorite parrots. They uniformly hate me for some reason , and I've been bitten by that species more then by any other, combined. Never ever had one that hung on and chewed, just a quick strike , in and out.

wrench13 said:

DHY 'zons! One of my very favorite parrots. They uniformly hate me for some reason , and I've been bitten by that species more then by any other, combined. Never ever had one that hung on and chewed, just a quick strike , in and out.

Click to expand...

Interesting. They seem to universally love me lol. My moms DYH was trustworthy enough to sit on my crib as a baby. She thought I was *her* baby my whole childhood. Just the other day, I had a big male DYH in a bird store going nuts for me. Beautiful birds, BIG for amazons, often up in the 500-600 gram range. Certainly able to inflict an unpleasant bite if they do so choose! My moms DYH typically likes to bite the arm instead of hands for some reason. Maybe because arms are more fleshy perhaps? If she really has it out for you, she'll dive bomb you and attack the back of the neck/head then fly away.

Well, my BFA bit me and ground his beak back and forth only once in 35 years. I had left him with my father for a week with an OWA that he hated. ( My fathers bird ) When I came home, I got that one horrible bite, and boy did it hurt. Since it was a one time thing it really didn't bother me so much, except at the time when I hopped around in pain for 5 minutes!

Looking closely at what an Amazon uses to set a hard fleshy bit and its resulting pattern helps in understanding the pain and amount of blood commonly seen.

- The Upper Beak forms a sharp point with the sharp edges leading away to create a 'V' shaped cut with a deeper cut at the point. This deeper cut commonly results in bleeding and/or a push though of lips, nose and ears.

- The Lower Beak has two points, left and right along the front. The two points act to hold and control movement of what ever the Amazon is biting. When they cut into the skin, the resulting cuts have the appearance of a snake or Vampire bit. Although cutting can occur from the other surface areas of the lower Beak, they are not commonly as sharp and tend to be more a blunting then cutting. This is commonly the source of the compression felt during the bit. The two 'points' as seen with the upper Beak's single point, cut deeper commonly results in bleeding and/or a push though of lips, nose and ears.

- The combination of the upper and the lower Beak is the source of the skin flap, so commonly seen with serious Amazon bits.

- The pain associated with Amazon bits occur as the three points (see above) quickly cut deeper into the skin and into the nerve ending below the surface. This also accounts for the intensity of the pain.

- Amazons do not tend to lock and grind. That said, an Amazon that in hormonal and/or pushed too far will continue to bit deeper, which can seem like they are holding-on as the pain becomes ever-more intense.

Warning: Amazons are more than willing to provide Fools and Mad Dogs their just reward.

Once my bird bit me on the tip of the nose. Very nasty bite. Having no good options to hide it being a healing wound on the tip of my nose, I just had to go to work with a bite mark on my nose until it had healed up. Quite a few people commented it looked like a "smiling cyclops" (thanks for that Kiwi!)

So in while trying to visualize it- an amazon bites look like smiling cyclopses. A v-shaped puncture wound from the upper beak and kind of a thin half moon under it from the bottom beak.

My YNA does bite and hold on.
never had to go for Dr.. care. Band-Aid level.
however if I got bit on the lip or the fleshy part of the hand (between thumb and index finger) it could take a hunk of flesh.

to me it feels like having a pair of vice grips clamped on to you (sharp vice grips).

The answer is...it depends on the bird!!

I've been bitten by a lot of birds over the years, but my YNA is the worst. When he bites (often with no warning whatsoever, and believe me...I KNOW the signs, intimately!!), he locks on, hangs his entire weight from his beak, and shakes his head from side to side like a shark. I've had LOTS of stitches from his bites, and have plenty of scars to prove it.

Let’s be honest. Whether it’s an amazon, Macaw, cockatoo, ekkie, when at full force they hurt like a mothereffer to a degree it’s almost not worth trying to compare.

They’re all capable of sending you to the ER - I’ve hear of ekkies causing permenant nerve damage in fingers.

Will these species actually send you to the ER? Depends on how they are raised, a statement which includes training by the owner.

I have gotten a couple nice CHOMPS from Amy over the years..I received one just last week in his hormonal stage. Out of nowhere,CHOMP onto my finger,I should have known better not to try and interact with him when he is like this. I mean geeez...I've had him nearly thirty years,so you'd THINK I'd know when it was safe...but NNNOOooooo....I pressed my luck and paid for it.

A couple years ago,when my then gf was getting to know Amy,he latched on to her index finger and actually fractured it. So...be ware!!



Jim

LOL, no need to warn me about Amy, eh Jim? My fault entirely, since I didn't know her body language and just met her.

Well Wrench said it too me in another thread I think...some amazons just don’t like too be bothered. I know my yn bites now I watch every move I make around him and as far as bites go he has bitten me harder than my macaw who bit me yesterday with a pretty hard warning bite. Like everyone has posted too me Amazon’s are proud stubborn like Archie Bunker type personality’s sometimes I can pick him up and others back off.