Another Beak Biting Question

waltersmum · Oct 6, 2012

Hi All

My Walter is now 6 months and we aren't getting passed the biting issues. His biting isn't aggressive ( unless im putting him back in his cage

)

He is constantly picking and biting me, more often than not my ears where i cant really stop him. Ive tried blowing, saying no, tapping his beak with a pencil (this does not work he thinks its war time). I think he is doing it for attention but talking and trying to pet him doesnt work. It could also be mischief.

He has also gone off treats so the positive reinforcement isnt working. He is nicer in the mornings than in the evenings. He's out for about 3 hrs a day and always has been. I have been very consistent with feeding and out time.

He has also just molted but he has been just as bitey as normal.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kantia · Oct 6, 2012

waltersmum said:
Hi All

My Walter is now 6 months and we aren't getting passed the biting issues. His biting isn't aggressive ( unless im putting him back in his cage )

He is constantly picking and biting me, more often than not my ears where i cant really stop him. Ive tried blowing, saying no, tapping his beak with a pencil (this does not work he thinks its war time). I think he is doing it for attention but talking and trying to pet him doesnt work. It could also be mischief.

He has also gone off treats so the positive reinforcement isnt working. He is nicer in the mornings than in the evenings. He's out for about 3 hrs a day and always has been. I have been very consistent with feeding and out time.

He has also just molted but he has been just as bitey as normal.

Any help would be appreciated.

If he is biting your ears, move your head side to side so he can't get them. That's what I've had to do with Tich. If he's on your hand move it up and down like a mini earthquake. He'll soon learn that if he bites something unpleasant will happen. If you talk to him when he bites he will see it as attention. Same with the pencil, he'll see it as a toy and want to play. So the best thing to do is to keep quiet and shake.
Another thing you could try is putting him on the floor and walking away. The floor is a vulnerable place for them to be. But this can depend on your bird and their personality.
My little Tich still does bite occasionally but in a couple of months he's been a lot better. Time and patience is the key.
Hope this was of some help. Good luck!

BirdSquawk · Oct 6, 2012

I would like to add to Kantia's suggestion of a mini-earthquake, lightly pushing his tummy so he becomes slightly unbalenced and has to step back will also show him that biting is not a good way to get attention. What kind of bird is he?

MollyGreenCheeks · Oct 6, 2012

If he's biting your ears the he should be prevented from being on your shoulder. One of the best ways to prevent unwanted behavior is to place the bird on the ground and walk away. Regarding blowing in a birds face, I read recently on birdchannel.com (possibly the final issue of Bird Talk) that this is one of the fastest ways to lose a birds trust.

Akraya · Oct 6, 2012

Walking away from my birds helped to an extent, making a lot of fuss when they do something good helped a lot more, even just a cute sound or a kiss through cage bars. It's taken me a year to get Misha to almost completely stop biting, it does take a long time and a lot of patience!!

MonicaMc · Oct 6, 2012

[ame=http://youtu.be/oNPPFBxANQc]Take the Bite - YouTube[/ame]

The earth quake method may make some birds bite harder to remain on the hand, rather than making them let go.

I would suggest to find out why your bird is biting in the first place, then try not to put your bird into a situation that will result in a bite.

What is his current diet and what have you tried using as rewards? A reward could be food, praise, a toy, going somewhere... anything that the bird enjoys.

WannaBeAParrot · Oct 7, 2012

waltersmum said:
He is nicer in the mornings than in the evenings. He's out for about 3 hrs a day and always has been.

Maybe he is just tired and fussy in the evenings. Depending what time this is happening in the evenings, you could try to see how he will respond to going to his sleeping place when he starts to get fussy and it's late, or maybe just back to nearby the sleeping place and see if he goes to it himself.

BoomBoom · Oct 7, 2012

I agree in the posts I've been reading the past weeks from various members when addressing biting issues. It is what we've been doing with our 8 month old sun to some extent. That is, we avoid situations where we know we would get bit. It reduces the chances of habits forming. If its unavoidable and the biting is in progress, we distract him with a toy or a perch. If that is not working, a "No" coupled with moving/wiggling away would do the job.

I think being able to read his body language and understanding why/when he bites so you can avoid it is a good place to start. Good luck and cheers to your birdie!

Another Beak Biting Question

waltersmum

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Kantia

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BirdSquawk

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MollyGreenCheeks

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Akraya

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MonicaMc

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WannaBeAParrot

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BoomBoom

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