Eating scabs...

Vilatus · Apr 6, 2018

Hi everybody!

So one of my tiels is being a freak. He comes up to my face and rips off acne scabs. These scabs would have healed a week or two ago, but that's when he started biting them. He also like... eats them? Now it hurts like hell so I try to keep him away from my face, but inevitably he seems to get one. Does he think he's grooming me or am I a snack??? My female tiel and my budgie have never done this. They try and grab skintags and such but not straight up rip off scabs.

Should I fear that he'll break free of his cage in the night and eat me whole? Does my bird have a taste for human flesh? Or does he just think he's grooming me?

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Mariar · Apr 6, 2018

Hes grooming you. My bird seems to find the most recent wound..cuz i work with birds, i have many, and picks them. Its annoying,but sweet...im hoping he doesnt eat you whole lol.

wrench13 · Apr 6, 2018

Prolly not a good idea to let him eat them, human body has mucho germs and pathogens that birds have no defense against. Mouth saliva is a real no no.

GaleriaGila · Apr 6, 2018

I agree with both posters above.
Very interesting situation... a first for me!

Vilatus · Apr 6, 2018

Mariar said:
Hes grooming you. My bird seems to find the most recent wound..cuz i work with birds, i have many, and picks them. Its annoying,but sweet...im hoping he doesnt eat you whole lol.

Alright that's what I thought. I'm praying he doesn't either but he's nothing if not persistent...

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Vilatus · Apr 6, 2018

wrench13 said:
Prolly not a good idea to let him eat them, human body has mucho germs and pathogens that birds have no defense against. Mouth saliva is a real no no.

I try not to, just sometimes he catches me distracted. I know saliva is an issue but I didn't realize just skin was a problem. I'll try and keep him away from my face.

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Vilatus · Apr 6, 2018

GaleriaGila said:
I agree with both posters above.
Very interesting situation... a first for me!

He's so persistent... perhaps part of it is just his personality. Usually you hear of female tiels being more cuddly, but this little boy is EXTREMELY cuddly. He'd kill for cuddles. He comes right up and puts his head under your chin and naps or requests for his head to be scratched. By far the most affection seeking bird I've ever met.

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Teddscau · Apr 6, 2018

When I had cockatiels, I found picking at scabs, freckles, moles, pimples, etc., was a huge problem. Not only do they pick at them, but they also tend to eat them. To make things worse, they'll often dip their beaks into the wounds they've inflicted on you, then lap up the blood >_<. Like, fudge, I can tell you neither my budgies, parrotlet, nor my lovebird have ever done that to me. Actually, they don't really preen me >_>. Maybe that's the problem with cockatiels. I find they're really touchy feely, and they obsess over any marks on your body. Maybe you could try putting a bandaid on your shoulder or something for them to obsess over instead of your face?

Eating scabs...

Vilatus

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