Strange Soft Biting Habit

ChocolatFondu said:

Hello!

I just adopted an 11 year old Blue and Gold Macaw from a rescue and she has this strange habit that I'm trying to understand.

From day one we've never had a problem with her stepping up, she's such a sweetheart. But, when I am holding her, she will occasionally put her beak on my arm and very, very slowly start to close her beak. She's very sneaky with it if I'm not watching. It really hurts when she gets a good grip. She has never made me bleed though, but people now look at my husband funny because of the amount of bruises on my arm...poor guy. I bruise almost every time that she bites. Is this even called biting? I'm just trying to understand what might make her do this? I've researched the internet but found nothing.

Any thoughts or suggestions on how to fix the behavior? She only does it to me and not my husband.

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June2012 said:

I don't think this is anything behavioral at all - maybe it's just that she wants to give you a pinch? I know that Scarlets will give you a small pinch as affection and that it shouldn't be misinterpreted. Perhaps it's similar, but she doesn't know her own strength. Is it correlated to anything specific?? And how does she bite? Does she very slowly close it and pinch hard, or does she do it slowly, and then snap down hard?

And love to hear that she's such a good parrot!

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JerseyWendy said:

ChocolatFondu said:

Hello!

I just adopted an 11 year old Blue and Gold Macaw from a rescue and she has this strange habit that I'm trying to understand.

From day one we've never had a problem with her stepping up, she's such a sweetheart. But, when I am holding her, she will occasionally put her beak on my arm and very, very slowly start to close her beak. She's very sneaky with it if I'm not watching. It really hurts when she gets a good grip. She has never made me bleed though, but people now look at my husband funny because of the amount of bruises on my arm...poor guy. I bruise almost every time that she bites. Is this even called biting? I'm just trying to understand what might make her do this? I've researched the internet but found nothing.

Any thoughts or suggestions on how to fix the behavior? She only does it to me and not my husband.

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Hi there, and welcome to the forums.

B&G's 'can' be infamous for their pinching. My Niko still tries if I'm not too careful, and I know exactly what you're talking about with walking around with black and blues all over my arms (sometimes) :54:

Blanca's recommendation on time-out is a terrific one. That's actually how I got Niko to (almost) stop his pinching. Every once in a while he tries it again, but after I remind him about the time-outs that follow, he's as good as gold.

June2012 said:

I don't think this is anything behavioral at all - maybe it's just that she wants to give you a pinch? I know that Scarlets will give you a small pinch as affection and that it shouldn't be misinterpreted. Perhaps it's similar, but she doesn't know her own strength. Is it correlated to anything specific?? And how does she bite? Does she very slowly close it and pinch hard, or does she do it slowly, and then snap down hard?

And love to hear that she's such a good parrot!

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Pinching IS behavioral. Keep on reading and researching.

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