How to get parrot off shoulder

[Birdman666]

I have two newbie issues I need some help with.

1. My BFA tends to nip/bite me when my kids are nearby. I don't like it. But I'd rather have her bite me than them ofc. It is normally if I have her on my arm or shoulder and they come in the room. I'd like some advice on how to handle this. She doesn't bite hard but it is not OK!

THAT IS CALLED DISPLACEMENT BITING. THE BIRD IS ACTUALLY COMMUNICATING THAT SHE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT EVER IT IS THAT THOSE KIDS ARE DOING.... REMIND YOUR KIDS THAT THEY NEED TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN THEY ARE COMING BEFORE THEY ENTER THE ROOM SO THAT YOU CAN BE PREPARED TO STOP THE BIRD FROM REACTING/GETTING PINCHY WITH YOU.

THEN, INTERCEDE BEFORE SHE DOES IT, UNTIL THE BIRD "GETS IT" THAT YOU WON'T TOLERATE THAT. TWO FINGERS ON THE BEAK AND JUST CALMLY DEFLECT THE BEAK TO KEEP HER FROM PINCHING OR LATCHING ON... ASSUME SHE'S GOING TO TRY, AND BE PREPARED TO CALMLY REACT WHEN SHE DOES.

I have learned that telling her NO is not effective, she gets defensive and confrontational, more bitey/flappy. Diversion seems much more effective, I can start whistling, offering her something to chew on, etc. If I remain very calm, she tends to relax.

THEY TAKE THEIR CUES FROM YOU. THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.

2. She loves to sit on my shoulder, and I am ok with that for the most part as she is generally very sweet. She seems to fear my hand when she is on my shoulder though, which is odd because in other situations she steps up on my hand no problem. But when she is on my shoulder she backs away 9/10 and 1/10 she will actually nip at my hand. This is inconvenient as I would like her to get off my shoulder in a civilized manner.
Now I always have to lean to her cage top or a boing or something to have her get off my shoulder.

THAT ISN'T FEAR OF YOUR HAND. THAT IS I DON'T WANT TO COME DOWN, THANK YOU... I AM IN A POSITION TO SAY NO, AND I AM SAYING NO...

WHEN MINE PULLS THIS ONE I WALK HER OVER TO HER CAGE TOP, OR HER BIRD TREE. (SOMETIMES THIS ACTUALLY REQUIRES STARTING TO TAKE OFF MY SHIRT... WHOOPS! NOTHING TO HOLD ONTO ANYMORE. STEP UP TO THE BIRD TREE, OR END UP ON THE FLOOR... [bird reluctantly steps up to the bird tree. Gives you the evil eye. I wasn't ready to go back yet. OH YES THEY DO!!!]

Any advice would be much appreciated.

PS. Owning a parrot is mentally taxing! At least at the beginning.

IT GETS BETTER. YOU EVENTUALLY REACH AN UNDERSTANDING. JUST REMEMBER, BIRD TRAINING IS A TWO WAY STREET. SOMETIMES YOU ARE TRAINING THE BIRD, AND SOMETIMES THE BIRD IS TRAINING YOU.

PICK YOUR BATTLES. FIND THE HAPPY MEDIUM THAT YOU BOTH CAN LIVE WITH...

IT'S MOSTLY ALL ABOUT BOUNDARY SETTING, JUST LIKE YOU WOULD FOR A TODDLER.

 

[Inger]

The shoulder is a privilege BUT I quickly figured out that Bumble can get there without my permission. She’s fully flighted so sometimes she lands there, and sometimes she’s up my arm faster than I can stop her. And she rarely wants to come back down and acts a fool while I’m trying to remove her.

For us, this is where the target training pays off. She sees her target stick and bee-lines (Bumblebee lines?) for it right off my shoulder into my arm, where she will step up like the good bird she almost is. Target training is probably the most important training we did. It’s super cute hat she can fetch, but being able to get her where I want her is important.


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[Birdman666]

The only bird I've got that doesn't have shoulder privileges is my CAG.

He displacement bites. So no shoulders...

Everyone else is fine up there.

 

[LordTriggs]

like others here my conure was good but at first he didn't like getting off my shoulder, he would crawl down my back to get away from the hands so he was no longer allowed on the shoulder until he was good

even then if he nipped on my shoulder he was taken off immediately (slightly trickier with a zon)

definitely use a perch from in the cage, the fear is almost instantly gone from it and they understand what they do with the perch being they do it naturally anyway

Lastly have you tried working with the children? In as much as letting them know she's a bit scared of them, get them try coming through doors slowly and saying hello when they enter, also may sound odd but not to look directly at her as we're predators it can be worrying to be stared at. Also try getting the children to offer her favourite treat through the cage to associate them with a treat

 

[Birdman666]

Well the deal with kids is if they are loud and approach abruptly, and their movements are unpredictable, the bird often doesn't know what the kid is going to do, and they become defensive...

Deliberate movements, controlled environment, let the bird know what is going on...

When young children are in and around my birds, I CONTROL THE INTERACTION. I hold the bird, and I also have two fingers on the bird's beak. I get down on my knees, and then I let the child scratch the sweet spot on the back of the neck...

This helps the bird feel safe, like MY PERSON IS IN CONTROL OF THIS, I AM NOT IN ANY DANGER... and it gets the bird used to being touched by strangers with the message that biting is NOT permitted. And I don't let the kid get carried away either... IF THEY START, I STAND UP, AND IT'S OVER.

ALWAYS PRAISE/REWARD THE BIRD AFTER IT'S OVER... FOR ALLOWING THIS. You want to keep it positive...