Roscoe is crazy

3 months sine Ive adopted her ad she still tries to bite my face at certsin times. Any advice..?

I just realized the spelling on this. I was a saturday night, and a few shots in. lol

It's really hard to know what kind of advice to give you without more information. There are a lot of different reasons for a bird to bite. Why don't you explain the circumstances when your bird bites, what's going on around her? What are you asking her to do? All I can say at the moment is please keep her away from your face until you are certain of her behavior. A beak like that can do a tremendous amount of damage in the right circumstances.

Is she a baby/young bird (i.e. you're her first home) or is she an older rehome? Baby birds can go through a 'difficult' time (basically the 'terrible twos') where they test their boundaries. Older rehomes can have lingering behavioral issues or something hormone related. Either way, 3 months isn't very long.

Allee also asked some vital questions too- what is the situation that prompts these attacks? AND she brings up a good point, keep her away from your face until you can trust her. A hand or arm will heal. Your eyes, nose or lips may not. I have been bit several times in my face by my zon several times and a cockatoo 2 times over the years, with varying degrees of damage. Very stupid on my part to put myself in that kind of position. I cannot imagine how much more serious a bite a macaw could inflict Face is the WORST place you can get bit. But if we can get some more details, we may be able to help identify whats going on and some steps you can take to correct the behavior

Like the others have said, being close enough for a face bite is really too close and can leave your face exposed to some potentially serious damage.....and like KB mentioned, 3 months is not long enough for me to learn to trust that size of a beak that close to my face.....I even used to be careful around girls.....still never figured them out.....

I have a Patagonian conure and have had her on my shoulder and twice turned toward her suddenly, spooking her because she was napping, one time I realized what I was doing in time to duck, but the other time I wasn't fast enough & had to get out the super glue to repair/glue back the chunk she lifted from my cheek...and yes, super glue stings like H..., but if you can do it right away, it should leave very little scar, mine's just a blush anymore.....

Good luck.....

She is an older gal about 25. I could be simply walking past the java tree and she will lash out.She gets really mean when shes in her cage too But when shes in a good mood she will let me pet her back or she will step up. I know 3 months is nothing, but when she goes for my face I get so upset. I will always mindful that she has moods. I can only hope she knocks it off with the sudden lashings.

Thank you all for the comments and stories too. I love being able to learn from all of you. And I can only hope nobody gets bit anymore on their faces. :32:

With her past I would definitely take precautions against getting bitten, especially in the face. You may never get to the point where you can trust her near your face, only time will tell.

Well, i have a blue and gold, and i say it isn't a bite unless there's blood

macaw's like really slow movement, Unless they're familiar with you, and even then. Maya will punch a finger here and there if she is on her stand and i'm unscrewing her food bowl too fast. I just walk away with the food for like 2 minutes, then i try again, she pinches? i walk away. Not even a "No!" She's good for like 3 months, then boom she'll pinch again, Dunno why.

Okay...

1. Lunging doesn't necessarily mean the bird is going to bite. Your bird could be playing the "made you jump" game.

2. This is also a test to see what we can get away with. Are you in charge of me? Or am I in charge around here?

One of the ways macaws measure fear is if they can make you jump. Showing fear to a macaw is not a good thing because the bird then knows he has the upper hand and is MORE likely to bite, not less.

My greenwing lunges at me, AND I BEAK WRESTLE WITH HER GENTLY NOSE TO BEAK... IT'S A FORM OF PLAY... (UNLESS YOU JUMP - THEN IT'S AN AH-HAH MOMENT...)

Keys to a lunging macaw.

(1) Remain calm. Don't jump. Don't flinch.
(2) Gently but firmly make a fist (nothing for the bird to latch onto) and use the palm of your hand to push back on the bird's beak.
(3) If he attempts to latch on TWO FINGERS on the upper portion of the beak where he can't reach you controls the beak. That beak may be powerful, but the scrawny little neck? Not so much. GIVE THE COMMAND NO BITING! GIVE THE BIRD YOUR UNHAPPY DIRTY LOOK FACE, AND HOLD ONTO THE BEAK FOR A SECOND.

(4) The push pull method. If he's up top and lunging and playing those evil macaw tricks, when he goes to lunge he will be off balance.

(a) when he lunges meet him head on with your hand, and push back on his beak. He won't be expecting this.
(b) Then before he recovers hold onto his beak, and pull forward, putting the bird off balance.
(c) As he starts to lose his balance, swipe your other arm under the bird's feet, so he will have to step up or risk falling over.

You now have a shocked macaw on your arm, and have ahold of his beak so he cannot bite you. THAT'S STEP UP.

BEFORE YOU LET GO OF HIS BEAK, GIVE THE COMMAND "BE NICE!" AND BE PREPARED TO EITHER GRAB HOLD OF HIS BEAK AGAIN, OR DROP HIS LITTLE BUTT TO THE FLOOR IF HE ATTEMPTS TO LATCH ON.

IF HE GETS DROPPED TO THE FLOOR HE HAS TO SIT THERE A MINUTE AND THINK ABOUT WHAT HE JUST DID. HE DOESN'T GET OFF THE FLOOR UNTIL HE STEPS UP NICE!!!

These games generally do not stop until you put a stop to them, and the bird knows you are not afraid of him and you mean business.

The more you "permissive parent" the more you tell the bird that this is okay to do. Each time he gets away with it, you just positively reinforced the behavior.

All macaws test. ALL OF THEM! This is a test. Pass the test.

One more thing. If the bird lunges for a face, immediately lower your head.

There is nothing to latch onto on your forehead or the top of your head.

The bird may pull hair, but that's about it.

Then he goes to the floor, and gets a time out.

I have def been playig the roll of the not afraid boss. She just seems to have moods even if im not trying to pet her. Like at the end of the day ill put her on the cage and shell go inside. Then when im locking the door shell lunge at my finger and Im like damn girl. Lol

sicilysangel said:

i have def been playig the roll of the not afraid boss. She just seems to have moods even if im not trying to pet her. Like at the end of the day ill put her on the cage and shell go inside. Then when im locking the door shell lunge at my finger and im like damn girl. Lol

Click to expand...

that's "i don't want to go back in my cage..."

I've had her about 7 months now, and we are so in sync now as far as moods and when a good time to interact with her is. She steps up everytime I approach her and the lunging at the face has stopped. Yay!!!

My B&G loves the game I call "beaky-beak" where he will lunge and rake at me with his beak. He doesn't actually bite during this. At first, i was alittle scared of the behavior. Now i just wrestle back and usually get a great big bird hug or cuddle at the end. I'm glad you got it sorted out!

Selph85 said:

My B&G loves the game I call "beaky-beak" where he will lunge and rake at me with his beak. He doesn't actually bite during this. At first, i was alittle scared of the behavior. Now i just wrestle back and usually get a great big bird hug or cuddle at the end. I'm glad you got it sorted out!

Click to expand...

Yep! Both of mine love this one. Beak wrestling.

My Red Front used to hide inside a big rope toy with just the tip of her beak sticking out, and pop out at unsuspecting passers by, and incite a game of beak wrestling.

As long as they are trained to control their bite pressure, it's a favorite game.

People "don't get" that this is just playtime. (And with a macaw, there are few things that aren't just playtime.) "That thing" is going to bite me!

I'm not quite there with her to assume she is playing. lol. Maybe I'll get the courage to try it and see what happens.