bluffing?

well yuffie is about 3 months old now and she's starting to bite me, pretty hard too :/ when i let her out of her cage and i pull all her toys out for her she runs at me with her beak open and bites LOL its cute but it hurts >.< she doesn't do it to my partner and she wont do it when i've got friends around. is this called bluffing? and do i just ignore it? she's also getting really playful now too

Sorry can you just clear up for me what you mean by taking her toys out for her ???
You mean the toys in her cage or what ????

Bluffing usually happens about this age but is usually more just acting and perhaps motioning that she is going to bite more so than actually biting

What is your reaction to it when she does bite ???
Your reaction maybe encouraging her to keep doing it
it may be attempting to protect her cage and toys

she has a few toys that she likes to throw around so when she comes out of her cage i pull them out too so she's got something to play with, lol sorry!

when she bites i let her do it, i don't say anything and i don't pull back. i think i read somewhere that if they bite you shouldn't react so i don't lol i just let her do it. am i doing the right thing? lol

Yeah all sounds good so far
if she's female it's likely for her to bond stronger with a male figure

My Alex although hand raised by me so has a bond already is sweet with me and is slowly accepting my kids but my partner who has never done anything to pheonix what so ever is totally despised by him
pheonix will growl and attempt to bite if he goes near him
he will bite and draw blood if he realises that he had been passed to or accidently landed in my partner

Your doing things right though
a good idea is to have a toy or treat handy and when you see her starting to get in that bite frame of mind distract her with either of the above mentioned

I think also paying close attention to her body language and backing off when she's being aggressive is a good idea ( although don't let her get her own way as then she will learn that biting results in the desired effect )
Also how long have you had her she may not yet be adjusted to you and displaying this by biting
it's kinda a hit and miss diagnosis without being able to see for myself but I hope I have put some ideas in the mix

aahhhhhh yes yes, well when she has been biting i'll try and give her a sunflower seed (she goes NUTS for them) or i'll try give her the toy instead of my finger lol. uhmmm i think she might be a he, she hasn't been DNA tested but i think she's going through a molt and her ring is getting heaps dark so thats why i think she might be male lol

i've had her for nearly 3 months! so she's been hand fed by me mostly but my bf has done it a few times too. she loves him, steps straight up for him but not for me lol and she's never bit him either so maybe she is a she lol i dunno. im breeding soon and need to get my blue ringneck DNA tested so im going to get them all done together!

kimmy. said:

aahhhhhh yes yes, well when she has been biting i'll try and give her a sunflower seed (she goes NUTS for them)

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I really would not advice that you do that, it will confuse her and she will think that she must bite to get a favorite treat.


IRN's go through a special stage after being weaned that may cause them to be aggressive. This stage is natural and is a critical learning period for your them. How you deal with this stage has a long lasting affect on your ringneck’s personality and will probably mold your ringneck for the rest of its life.

Start by interacting with the bird like you would normally do. This bluffing needs to be completely ignored. If the bird bites do not make a fuss about it and completely ignore it. Under no circumstances are you to yell or hit your bird during this stage -- or any other time. Do not wobble your hand, do not spray the bird, or do not flick the beak. Ringnecks do not understand this type of punishment. If they are abused in this manner they become aggressive and fearful of humans. You need to gradually let your ringneck know that biting is not tolerated and will get no reaction out of you. At the same time, you need to be open to your ringneck’s needs and be understanding towards your bird’s attitude. They need to feel confident enough to trust you and they need time to let these hormones subside.

I have seen many ringnecks become biters during this stage because they were improperly dealt with. Some owners resorted to abusive tactics in hopes their ringneck would learn that biting equals punishment. Other owners choose not to deal with the bluffing, so they confined their parrot to a cage. Yelling at your ringneck or telling him to stop also resulted in chronic biting. In the ringneck’s eyes, any type of reaction given by you is a reward. The best and effective way to deal with this is to ignore it. Your voice should only be used to greet, praise, and coddle the bird—not for discipline.

Though some bites are predictable, some are not. To minimize these bites keep a toy or something your ringneck finds fascinating. Distract him as much as possible if you believe your ringneck is extra edgy or moody for that particular sitting. If your ringneck does choose to bite and will not let go, gently blow on its beak and ignore the fact you got bit. Do this until the bluffing has passed.

Remember to hang in there. Though it might seem like your ringneck will never stop biting, stay consistent and ignore any aggressive behavior. Avoid letting your parrot be around your face and away from children during this period. Once the bluffing has stopped, you’ll know when it has passed. Most ringneck owners report the change as immediate, it is like a night and day difference. If you deal with the situation in a loving and caring manner, you’ll have a ringneck that will never use its beak in an aggressive way.

Indian Ringneck Bluffing (Juvenile Biting)


BUT, what you are describing does not sound like bluffing to me. Bluffing will affect your partner too. Swop duties with your partner, let him take out the toys and do all the things that your IRN does not like. You must only do the fun stuff. You must really work on this otherwise you will end up with a bird that hates you and loves your partner and you will forever run from that beak.

aahhhhhhh okey, thanks heaps for the advice!

so if she's not bluffing what do you think she's doing? my partner doesn't really get home from work till around 7 and by then yuffie is asleep so he misses everything she does! but if she does happen to throw her toys around while he's home i'll let him give them to her! she only does it when its just me with her, i don't get many hours at work so most of the time im at home and she's basically out of her cage 24/7 so i dunno :/

Don't worry my IRN is doing the same thing I just pretend he is doing nothing wrong just go to this website it should help you Indian Ringneck | Indian Ringneck Bluffing it helped me