Hello. :) (A Bit of Help, If You Please)

Hey. I adopted a lovebird a few days ago. She was a breeder whose mate had died. I worked at a pet store which specialized in birds, so I do know the basic ways of taming a bird. She is an enigma to me, though!! She is comfortable around me- she'll land on my head, shoulders, and loves to be near me... but she is 100% TERRIFIED of my hands. Anything to do with my fingers scares her to death. I have tried establishing dominance by pressing the back of my hand against her beak, and she is fine with that. The back of my hand doesn't scare her. My FINGERS, however, drive her crazy. She won't let me pet her, or even come hear her with my fingers. It's to the point that she will attack them without "provocation". I've let her bite them, without flinching, so she doesn't think she scares me... I just don't understand this behavior.

I have tried getting her comfortable with "stepping up" on a perch, so that I can transition into my finger, but she is JUST as afraid as a perch. I don't know what to do!!!!! I am going to get her wings clipped, probably tomorrow. I prefer birds flighted, but for right now, I need SOME way to establish a connection, and if she doesn't have a choice but to see me as "Mommy", I think it may help. Am I right?

She just has me so confused!!!! If I can tame a Macaw, I would think she shouldn't be an issue, but I'm having more trouble with her than I have EVER had with a bird. AHH! Help! Thank you in advance.

In addition, I don't know how to deter her from biting without scaring her more.

AND she never wants to go back in her cage.... I want her to be able to be out, and she's out for four or five hours a day, but I can't continue to let her out if I have to fight her to go back in-- I have things to do during the day, yaknow? >.> At first, she was GREAT about going back in when I asked. But now she will refuse to.

Please help.

You have to be patient and bribe with treats. It seem maby that some person has mistreated hear with fingers

That's what I was thinking. It's such a shame. She's such a sweet bird. I don't know how to deter her from biting without making her MORE afraid, though. And I don't want her to think it's okay to bite. >.>

As normal for a DYHA my polly is biting to hard. When biting i remove my hand and says NO. I hope wihin 1 year i have progressed with about 80-90 %. So have patience and show that you respect hear

Please help, guys. >.> I can't even take her out of her cage anymore. As soon as I do, she attacks me!! I got an appointment to get her clipped, but it isn't until next Thursday. I don't want her stuck in there until then. What do I do? :/

personally, i'd keep her in her cage, till you have more control, i know i sound harsh, but safety 1st for the both of you, having a flying bird that attacks you, i know how a defensive reaction could end up hurting them badly, lucky for nut i swatted her from below, when she went for my face 2nd time, i'd hate to think if i had to do it from side etc as i would have easily broken her wing
but with saying that, she has never flown at my face since

does she attack as soon as she gets chance, or is it after she has been out awhile??

nuts increased cage time is because she use to attack after she's been out awhile, as she was out for most of the day when any1 was in, she still has 3hrs plus out of cage time aday, mostly before dinner, then bed for her lol

not a fan of clipping, but at least she can only attack at a run, rather then flyin onto you

if she is fine with the stick perch for step up just stick to that, nut very rarely steps up for me, but she is happy to take a ride on my shoulder etc or follow me into other rooms, i do feel as i do not insist she steps up etc it removes any stress involved for her

if nut bites me, depending on pain will determin how i speak to her or react

beaking is a playfull tone, an i just remind her no bite

sometimes she bites when excited, when we are playing i just watch out for when she gets to excited an clam down before she bites

biting with intent, gets a stern NO BITE!!

attack, ANGEL NO!!! and i will move away into another room, leaving her or stare her out, i lost plot once an chased her to her cage, an wagged my finger at her telling her of, an like a teenager she just turned an walked away from me!!!

as for getting her into her cage, i throw in a treat! and wait lol

its taken me a few months near a yr now to get to were we are with the nut, she no longer attacks the way she did, though still bites.

so relax and just take it slow, she needs to adjust to everything that is new to her and all that she has lost.

also what are you feeding her an on top of everything, is she hormonal??

Wow, so much information! Thanks!! I'm glad you agree that I should keep her in the cage. It's breaking my heart, but I feel it's best. Let's see:

The first few days I had her out of the cage, she didn't bite at all. She flew to my head and shoulders and relaxed. After a few days, it became immediate....as soon as she was out of the cage, she would fly to my shoulder, crawl down to my arm, and bite my fingers mercilessly.

I'm not a fan of clipping, either, but until I get some control over the little booger, I don't know what else to do. (I have several "high" points in my room that I can't reach her when she goes to)

She is not stick trained at all. The stick terrifies her just as much as my fingers!! I don't insist she step up. I was letting her out for most of the day, so she could get used to me. I don't try to approach her, I just let her explore.

There are no treats she likes enough to go back into the cage for. She's too damn smart!! The only treat she recognizes as food is millet, and as I said, she doesn't like it enough to go back in for. When I first got her, I rang the bell in her cage and said "Wakana, Go home, please" and she would go in and ring the bell if I ignored her for a minute or so. I would praise her and give her millet and close the cage. This doesn't work anymore. I've tried to make her cage a "room" rather than a "cage". She has toys and treats, and seems to enjoy it.... She just likes being out more.

When I have talked sternly to her ("No biting!"), she just looks at me and bites again, in defiance. What a jerk.

I am having difficulties with food for her. She came to me on an all seed blend. I bought some small parrot food (You know, the mix with the dried fruit and pellets and things) and mixed a little bit in with her seed... the brat tosses the expensive parrot food out!! Lol. She doesn't recognize fruits and veggies as "food" yet, so that's been difficult... once she trusts me more, I'm sure I'll be able to convince her to eat more. If I place things in her cage, she will ignore them until I have to pull them out for bacterial reasons (I have been told not to leave fresh fruits and veggies in her cage for more than three or so hours).

I have no idea if she's hormonal, honestly. I know she was used for breeding, and she certainly seems unnecessarily frustrated at times...But I have never really worked with a "breeding" bird, and I don't know the signs.

Thanks again for the help!! I appreciate it so much.

yeah the defiance biting, (i don't miss them!)

but like i said relax its only been a few days, and i have a feeling what will happen is a similar path with me an nut, once your over the worse, its plain sailing. never take the biting as personal, its you cos your the only other thing there! try gettin her a anger release toy! nuts use to be this foot toy with a bell, now its paper or leather strips with plastic beads she can undo.

the other day nut was sleepin on my knee as we watched a dvd, my son the git, went to pet her, i told him to leave her be, did he listen??
one parrot hanging on the end of his finger later, he did,
then he rubs his head on me! BAM nut then bit me! because she got jealous!
needless to say they both got told off, nut was in a huff on the other knee away from my son, an my son went into a self satisfied huff on other end of the sofa, because he knew nut would bite me, if she though i was about to give him a head scritch!!!

with nut most things such as petting etc are on her terms, she does like her routine though, even though its tricky as me an my man work shifts. so try keeping to a routine with yours, even though she is caged for now

That's good advice. She loves bells... she has two balls in her cage she can toss around, and a basketball and hoop, along with her swinging toys. I know that with birds it's all about patience... I was just worried she was too far gone. She does eventually need to be a "family" bird. We'll just take it slow. She appears to be happy, despite it all. She chitters plesantly, and has a panic attack (screaming) when I leave the room. She knows the house routine already, and loves to play. I appreciate your help. All the birds I've ever worked on taming with have been larger (I worked at a pet store, and we had some nasty ones come in)... the smaller birds were never something I bothered much with. Not that I didn't like them, it was simply a matter of priority. We knew that the small birds we had bred there were not neglected, we took them out and played with them every day... The big birds that came in were the ones that needed one-on-one, intensive affection.

I have a friend who is in Avian Behavior Research. Her idea of why birds are afraid of hands is because predators like Hawks, swoop down and pick up birds with outstretched talons. It is an ingrained, hardwired thing in birds' brains to be afraid of fingers (talons).

That makes a lot of sense

If she'll bite a stick (handle of a teaspoon, toothpick, whatever) I would target train her through the cage bars... Give rewards (the food she loves the very most) for biting the stick. Use a marker, like a clicker or a word, to let her know she did the right thing. , it doesn't matter what the food is, as long as it's small bites. She'll soon learn she doesn't have to bite hard to get the reward, and will eventually just touch the stick with her beak.

You can then start moving her around the cage with the stick, she'll get to it where ever you put it (don't have her follow it, as in dragging it)... Eventually she'll know she can trust you.. Further on, you can target her onto your finger or a handheld perch...

Google Clicker training birds... Lot's of info out there.

Best of luck.

oled said:

You have to be patient and bribe with treats. It seem maby that some person has mistreated hear with fingers

Click to expand...

My though exactly. I don't know why anyone would mistreat or tease a bird. Just makes me sick. But I've dealt with similar situations and haven't had a lot of luck getting around it.
I have lovies that are great to have on shoulders or anywhere but my hands/fingers. They are so affectionate but hate hands. ANY hands. It's sad, but they are still wonderful birds. It's not the ideal, but once we've committed to a bird, ie, brought it home, I think we have to do the best we can regardless of what baggage that bird may've picked up in the past. Unless you really aren't able to give that bird a good home and know it would be better off somewhere else.
I'm not preaching to you, just thinking about so many birds that have suffered because of irresponsible humans, so I sort of got off subject. Sorry.

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