Bird grooming me?

[Iceeyy]

So, I've now had Sunny for about a week! We've made so amazing progress. Sunny now knows step-up, comes to me when I open his cage, and lets me pet him! Whenever I pet him he starts 'grooming' me. Not biting, just mouthing and licking. Anyways, after grooming me for awhile he grabbed a chunk and broke the skin a bit. I now have a small hole where he bit me. It didn't seem aggressive at all but it still hurt. I've read not to discourage grooming as its a bonding thing and personally I think its awesome - but I certainly don't want him taking chunks out of my skin every once in awhile. Any advice?

 

[MonicaMc]

Have some extra toys and foot toys on hand to distract him with prior to biting, if you can find any rhythm or rhyme as to why he bites? He could have also been startled by something?

 

[Iceeyy]

He didn't seem to be startled at all. Not that I noticed. He was just nibbling away when he bit way too hard. At this moment he doesn't seem to be too interested in toys yet. Hopefully I can find one that gets his attention though soon!

 

[jenphilly]

Your baby only needs to learn about beak pressure. I would guess he did not actually 'bite' you, just that his beak pressure was more then a sensitive human finger could take! If you play beak games with him and stop him when the beak pressure gets too much. Victoria started beak training Loki from the day he came home. He was maybe 8 weeks (was just weaned) when he came home in December and even when he gets mad he never bites too hard. Its all about the training Make it all fun and positive and he'll learn quick, better to start now then to try to fix a biting problem later on. Loki and I still beak wrestle!

Good luck, they are such awesome birds. Outside of my Ivory, Loki is my favorite feathered family member