What kind of birds do you have and how often to you get nipped or bit?

FieryPhoenix

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2022
293
535
Parrots
Quaker Parrot Sun Conure
I am just curious as to the exact difference between nipping and biting. My Quaker is a nipper most of the time. I don't know if my Sun nips but when she does what I consider to be a bite, she grips, and presses down, but thankfully not very hard. It's not so much out of aggression either, it is more like "No, I don't want to do that."

I would say once a day one of them will "make contact" with me. By the way, these two are almost 18.

I just want to see what others experience. I wish I could create a poll LOL!
 

Professor Parrot

New member
Feb 21, 2022
12
25
Parrots
2 Amazon's
I am just curious as to the exact difference between nipping and biting. My Quaker is a nipper most of the time. I don't know if my Sun nips but when she does what I consider to be a bite, she grips, and presses down, but thankfully not very hard. It's not so much out of aggression either, it is more like "No, I don't want to do that."

I would say once a day one of them will "make contact" with me. By the way, these two are almost 18.

I just want to see what others experience. I wish I could create a poll LOL!
 

Professor Parrot

New member
Feb 21, 2022
12
25
Parrots
2 Amazon's
I am just curious as to the exact difference between nipping and biting. My Quaker is a nipper most of the time. I don't know if my Sun nips but when she does what I consider to be a bite, she grips, and presses down, but thankfully not very hard. It's not so much out of aggression either, it is more like "No, I don't want to do that."

I would say once a day one of them will "make contact" with me. By the way, these two are almost 18.

I just want to see what others experience. I wish I could create a poll LOL!
Mine get super aggro in the Spring. Especially around my partner. They lunge at him. They haven't made contact yey tho.
 

wrench13

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Parrot of the Month πŸ†
Nov 22, 2015
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Isle of Long, NY
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Yellow Shoulder Amazon, Salty
My little Amazon, Salty only gets agressive in certain times of the year and in certain situations. He does not like my youngest son, so when he visits, Salty is likely to lash out. Also, if I miss a training session in the evening, and I try to put him to sleep in his cage without giving him a treat and the typical 20 mins of most lights out before bringing him to his cage, I might get a nip. But most of these I know his body language for and can avoid them pretty easily these days.

In the North East we had a hellacious strong mating season 2 years ago, a lot of parrots, especially Amazons for some reason, were particularly affected and many a parront got bitten by birds who are usually calm.
 

foxgloveparrot

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Parrot of the Month πŸ†
Aug 30, 2021
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Indiana, USA
Parrots
Ziggy, Kai, and Seiji (blue, yellowface, and dilute budgies)
Jasper (yellow-naped amazon)
Lilla (senegal parrot)
Snowberry (yellow-crowned amazon)
Cricket (pacific parrotlet)
My budgies: a lot. Sort of preening, they don’t bite unless I violate their boundaries
Parrotlet: gets mad a lot but never bites or nips
YNA: all. The. Time. And hard.
Senegal: can get nippy every now and then, but very sweet and not that big of a biter
 
May 2, 2021
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Vermont, USA
Parrots
Stormy(M): blue Australian budgie
Picasso(F): green Australian budgie
Apollo(F): sky blue dominant pied Australian budgie
Stormy: About once a month, sometimes more often, and only during seed tantrums (when he wants treats but I don't give them to him).

Picasso: A bite is her idea of a kiss, so she uses them to express affection (ex: she'll climb onto my shoulder and bite me gently).

Pepper/Apollo: Never
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
my GCC is sensitive to perceived slights, or death by hands...so daily she warns me she will, as I can read her and respect her warning its been a long time since I've been bitten. Sometimes if I've bern petting her and stopped she will put her beak on me and squeeze gently or bump me with her beak to ask me to keep petting . Lol like right now as I text and pet her.

My quakers will bite if I put my hands in/on their cage while they are inside. I've talked about how they try and beak boss or beak bully me. With holds, scrape, bonk, push, and soft pinches. These are what I call beak communications, they don't hurt, or leave a mark or draw blood. These occur when they want me to pet, want me to stop petting, want me to stop petting the other bird, and give them the attention. When they want me to give them something I'm holding, or they don't want to give up something they have stolen or should not have.
Edit: I communicate back that , that's not nice, and can push their beak away with a finger. They seem to think this is humorous . I could never do this with my GCC without starting a war. So I wonder sometimes if I'm to indulgent with the quakers , or if we've got it worked out as there is no aggression or true bites, and lots of affection and trust. Or could that escalate with someone they felt they could bully..or was more reactive...they do the same with each other. They also preen me lots , face, hands, hair, and alternate with preening themselves
 
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Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
All cockatoos except for one BFA. Most never bite, occasionally gently nip as control mechanism lol. Only two serious biters are BFA and wild-caught male Goffin's.
 

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