Help please. Biting problem

[Dalealice]

Hi everyone

I've been reading this forum for a while but haven't really posted.

I have a Galah called Harry who was hatched Nov/Dec 2010. He was hand raised and in our early days his training was coming along great and he was very friendly to both me and my husband.
Recently he has changed. He will accept cuddles on his head and will be really enjoying it and leaning into you and then with no warning whatsoever will spin round and bite, like properly bite.
He has also started attacking hands if you ask him to step up or even if you have it resting by him, again no warning and he bites to draw blood. Ive tried watching his body language and I cannot anything different and he treats both me and my hubby the same.
Im getting very frustrated and just want my friendly bird back.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Akraya]

I wonder if it could be from boredom? My three sometimes gets like this once they're done cuddling. We've started clicker and target training and that's spared both mine and my partner's hands some damage! Still working out the kinks though. But I know it helps use up all that excess energy they store.

I don't know much about galahs but I know some parrots go through a "terrible 2s" stage. Maybe all of his birdy testosterone is making him moody!

 

[Dalealice]

But he will do it at any time? Sometimes not even while being cuddled? I cant even pick him up without getting bitten

 

[Akraya]

Yeah they have their random moods, unpredictable, that's why we decided it was time to try a different training method. The worst offender is Guapo, absolutely no warning, he's not a blood sport bird like Misha but at least Misha is predictable, and Nimbus is just new so she doesn't have boundaries yet.
My partner has it worse off than me, he gets bitten no matter what now. I know how frustrating it is to not have answers as to why.

 

[Molcan2]

There is something causing the bites, you may just not be aware of it. Birds are so sensitive to changes, anything could set them off, even though you don't notice the trigger, there is one. He may also be going through some hormonal changes right now to. Our RB2 has been biting me, frequently, and very very hard (breaking skin and causing large bruises). I haven't for the life of me been able to figure out why until a few days ago. I cant count how many times I have been bitten by her. I still handle her, I just know I will get bit. The other day she flew in the house and landed on a dog bed, got off balance and started attacking the dog bed. It was then that I realized that the bites were coming from her still being unsteady on her feet, when she feels like shes loosing her balance she bites, hard. I have been very careful in the way I move when shes on me and she hasn't bitten in two days .

He may of decided that he doesn't want to be touched right now. If he doesn't want to be touched and you don't back off then you will get bit. Hes not the baby that he used to be and is becoming an a adult. He is going to go through a lot of changes right now. Not all birds like to cuddle, and not all birds like to be touched. My advice would be to let everything be on his terms. If he doesn't come to you wanting attention then leave him alone and respect his space. He may feel that he doesn't have a say and is expressing that wish the only way he can get it across to you. Typically people get bit because they are pushing past what the bird is comfortable with (that comfort level can change one way or the other at any given time). They will always give some sort of warning, sometimes so subtle that we don't pick up on it, then when we ignore the warning and continue we get bit.

Encourage everything to be on his terms. For instance, don't reach into his cage to pick him. Allow his cage to be his private, bird only space. Open the cage door, when he comes out on top of the door then pick him up from there, if he doesn't come out on the door then leave him alone. He will eventually learn that if he wants to interact with you that he will go to the top of the door and if he doesn't want to be messed with then he knows that he wont be pressured to do so. Watch for subtle clues that he wants to be returned to his cage. Try not to teach him that the only way he gets back there is by biting you. It could be as subtle as him just turning himself to the direction of his cage, try to return him to his space prior to any bites accruing. If he tries to bite you prior to you picking him up, then the message is clear, he doesn't want to interact right now.

A bird under pressure=bites. As a baby he was more submissive and probably tolerated things that he didn't like. Now as an adult, he is learning that he has a say in what he wants.