Biting

[Toshia wolfe]

How do I teach my plum headded parakeet not to bite all the time? She will run up my arm and bite me in the face. I've tried to redirect her with toys I'm not sure what to do to stop this behavior

 

[Minor_Arcana]

Thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, there isn't really a "cure-all" for biting, as every different bird's behavior can be influenced by various factors. However, you can work on training and socializing your parakeet to reduce biting. This is the list of steps I recommend to anyone who has trouble with biting:

Understand the Cause: First, try to understand why your parrot is biting. Rarely does a bird bite hard without any cause. Biting can be a sign of fear, territorial aggression, or frustration. Identifying the trigger is essential in addressing the issue.

Socialization: Spend time with your bird daily to build trust and create a bond. Speak softly to them and offer treats to establish a positive association with your presence.

Training and Positive Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement techniques. When your parrot behaves well or doesn't bite, reward them with treats, praise, or head scratches. This helps them associate good behavior with positive outcomes.

Body Language: Pay attention to your parrot's body language. If they look agitated or anxious, give them space and time to calm down. Don't force interactions when they're not in the mood.

Consistency: Consistency is key. Ensure that everyone in your household follows the same rules for interacting with the bird to avoid mixed signals.

Patience: Training takes time, so be patient. It might take weeks or even months to see significant improvement.

Avoid Punishment: Never punish your parrot for biting as it can make the behavior worse and damage the trust between you. Instead, focus on positive reinforcement.

Regular Playtime and Mental Stimulation: Ensure your parrot has enough time outside of their cage for play and exercise. Offer a variety of toys and activities to keep them mentally and physically engaged.

Remember that some level of nipping or biting may still occur occasionally, as it's a natural parrot behavior. However, with patience and consistent training, you can reduce the frequency and severity of biting while strengthening your bond with your parrot. I am partial to the BirdTricks Family Friendly Parrot Formula, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is having trouble with behavioral issues. Link: https://birdtricksstore.com/products/family-friendly-parrot-formula-digital-download

 

[DonnaBudgie]

How do I teach my plum headded parakeet not to bite all the time? She will run up my arm and bite me in the face. I've tried to redirect her with toys I'm not sure what to do to stop this behavior

I wish I understood why some of our birds seem to enjoy attacking us. I can't imagine they're scared or why would they fly over, land on us, run up our arms and BITE us? Are they angry or do they hate us? We aren't supposed to harshly punish them but it sure is hard not to want to. If they didn't like us or were scared of us, wouldn't they just stay away and bite if we tried to touch them? Big mysteries in the avian-human world I guess. I hope you get to the bottom of the problem and that it's just temporary.

 

[hiriki]

Hi there! I'm just curious, how old is your conure? Hormones haven't yet been mentioned in this thread as a potential cause, but depending on your birds age, the aggression could be hormones.

At 1-2 yrs old your conure will hit puberty... I have yet to experience conure puberty firsthand, but all accounts seem to say that it's a beast! Aggression may seem COMPLETELY random, and if it's random then it's going to be very hard to avoid. If the age lines up and you realize your baby is going through puberty, you may need to weather the storm.

If your bird is too old for puberty, it could still be hormones. Here's a few tips for lowering hormones in a bird who's having hormone aggression issues:

1) 10-12 hrs of relative darkness and quiet a day. Cover the cage at night or put him in a room by himself with the lights off to make sure he has uninterrupted beauty sleep.
2) lower consumption of high fat and high protein foods. Switching from seeds to pellets can make a difference. Also be sure to offer plenty of fresh foods. The diet forum here has a lot of great tips on chop.
3) get rid of toys that your bird likes a little "too much"...... if he's rubbing his butt on it, take it away.
4) likewise, remove dark dens and huts from his cage, as they can encourage nesting behaviors. If you're absolutely positive he's NOT nesting in his sleepy hut or whatever, by all means let him keep it, it's no fair to take away everything he loves... but if he gets aggressive with you when he's snuggling up in it, that could be an indication that he's nesting.

Edit: someone else mentioned birdtricks so I thought I'd drop this link: https://birdtricksstore.com/blogs/birdtricks-blog/handling-hormonal-birds