Biting bird - am I doing something wrong?

Hey all,

My lorikeet is very friendly and affectionate, but sometimes lashes out.
For example, just now he was being a real pain - trying to force his beak into my mouth over and over - so I decided to put him back in his cage. He wouldn't go voluntarily, so I tried to use my hand to get him off my shoulder and he attacked it, sensing its evil intentions to get him into his cage. I somehow felt it was important not to lose a confrontation like that so I grabbed him and put him in his cage. He bit my hand in several places and actually drew some blood. My whole thumb feels numb from the pressure he put on it and I can see prints of his beak minutes later.

Am I doing something wrong to inspire such aggression in my bird? I'm afraid he'll grow up to be an out of control little monster...

Any help is welcome,
Lorika

you not doing anything wrong which is good . As to the biting problem you can keep ignoring the bites and eventually he will get the message. A way to reduce the pain you endure is to clench your fist and let him take his anger out on the back of your hands rather than your fingers! Also when a bird is biting you on a regular basis it means the bird is not entirely used to you and how to work/do things so until the bird gets used to you biting will be a regular. Anyway what you are doing is perfect and i hope he stops biting soon.

WilliamKenyon said:

you not doing anything wrong which is good . As to the biting problem you can keep ignoring the bites and eventually he will get the message. A way to reduce the pain you endure is to clench your fist and let him take his anger out on the back of your hands rather than your fingers! Also when a bird is biting you on a regular basis it means the bird is not entirely used to you and how to work/do things so until the bird gets used to you biting will be a regular. Anyway what you are doing is perfect and i hope he stops biting soon.

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot William, I'm glad there aren't any glaringly obvious mistakes I'm making. I'll keep it up and hope he stops soon

Just a couple of items that may make life with your Lorikeet a little easier:

Parrots on shoulders should be a reward base for very good behavior. Until your bird will easily Step-Up it can quickly become a problem. If you want to have your parrot on your shoulder, you will need to develop a 'Plan B' when Step-Up fails; like laying down on a bed or floor to force the parrot into a position, which is easier to Step-Up from. Many different 'Plan B's' exist, point is more that you need one and have practiced it.

Grabbing a bird that is not comfortable with the level of handling can result in being bitten. This level of handling requires on-going practice to develop a comfort level in both you and your parrot.

Hope that these items will make your life a little easier.

Is it possible that your Lorikeet is hormonal? Or, possibly (young bird) looking for you to feed him?

Not sure.... he's only 4 months. When do lorikeets go through puberty? Not for a while longer I think?

It might not be "hormonal" but habits and instinct from being fed by the parents.

I recently "revoked" my Grey's shoulder privileges since he started nipping my boyfriend and a little bit towards me. If he bites, he gets put down on the floor (I'm usually sitting) and ignored for a minute before I pick him back up. Most of the time he'll walk towards my foot and try to climb up, but I'll put him back on the floor without saying anything or making direct eye contact.

When he's good, he gets all the praise he wants and after a few good step up's he'll get a sunflower seed or piece of almond. When he's really good, he gets an in-shell peanut.

Your little keet is still young and figuring things out, so reinforcing the good behavior is going to be very important for the long term, so find treats that he really likes and just spend a little time working on his behavior specifically. It can be in the morning when you take him out, practice having him step up a few times before taking him away from the cage. If he misbehaves, put him back in, wait, and try again. Do the same thing when putting him to bed, rewarding with his favorite treat before you tuck him in for the night.

That's excellent advice, thank you so much

Your bird is wanting you to feed him.. just like mommy bird should. My SC does the same thing. I do not make a big issue out of it... a "pick your battles" type of approach. i'll keep my mouth shut tight and give him a gentle tug on the tail (which he likes) to distract/redirect him.. but I don't try to stick him in his cage or anything. So far so good. He might keep that behavior for a while but like I said.. its no big deal. He is just being a baby bird ). And you are correct.. you do not wanna lose the battles you do pick. Good luck

I need some more help guys Whenever I put him in his cage now, I put him on my hand (so far so good) and put my other hand on my lower arm so he can't climb to my shoulder. But he's clever and has figured out that that means I'm going to put him back... so now he viciously attacks my hand. And I mean vicious, it's like my fingers are in a wrench :'(
I want nothing but to take good care of him and treat him right, but this is hurting my feelings, not to mention my fingers. What do I need to do to make it easier for him to return to his cage? Or am I not "disciplining" him right?

First I agree with most of what was already shared, I will advise not to pull on his tail as with some macaws and conures that translates into sexual stimulation. Now with your bird I would reverse the situation to make the bird earn trust rather than have it handed out. I would consider perch training, but first I would find a treat my bird loves and place it in the cage in plain view of the bird. If he or she bites then next time give the treat after you manage to get him in instead. The idea is to give him something to look forward to when it's time to return to his cage, and ONLY offer that particular treat in the cage after he goes in calmly. You may consider perch training, or you may have to resort to a towel to catch and put him back.

Thanks for the advice. What gave you the idea I would pull his tail, though? =P I know he loves honey, so now I put some honey on my finger and let him lick it off once he's in the cage. Seems to work

Someone else mentioned the tail thing.

As someone mentioned before, having a plan B is always helpful. All my fids are stick or "perch" trained. So if I know they are in a "mood" and don't want to step up properly or don't want to go back to their cage I use a stick/perch to have them step up on rather then my hand. They can't argue with a stick! LOL! All goes better, no confrontations, birds back in cage, life is good!

Good luck!