What's with the little nip?

[Boki]

I am happy that I do not have a biting bird which I believe the "bite" is a sign of anger or fear. But what is with the tiny little nip? It looks like she is trying to preen my skin or something like that. I can tell that the little nip is some sort of bonding thing but will she ever stop? I don't alarmed by it, I just shrug my shoulder and she goes to work on the shirt.

I'm just trying to understand behavior more. It's not a problem or at least I don't think it is.

 

[noodles123]

How old is she again?

 

[ChristaNL]

Are you 'blessed' with freckles by any chance?
Because parrots will try to remove those (just like any other 'blemish' they can find)


So if those bites occur in the same place a lot...go look in the mirror

 

[Boki]

She is a juvenile that I think is about 7 months old. She is beginning her first molt with some of the true red colors sprinkling on her head. She is a rosefront conure.

I do not have freckles and glad about that. I will try to remember exact locations but it always just at the margin of the t-shirt but in the back. She spends a lot of time nibbling at the t-shirt collar and then works her way on to my skin for the tiniest of nips. I can when tell they are coming.

 

[Laurasea]

I'd say preening you, which is good.

 

[LordTriggs]

sounds to me like a bit of preening/exploring and getting a tiny bit over-zealous, I'd say as long as you remove her when she does so and give her a couple seconds away from you to chill she should learn that her beak is tougher than she realizes. I say to do that just so she doesn't nip someone in the future who's maybe not so prepared for it and have a more "animated" reaction which may lead her to more nipping

 

[clark_conure]

it's technically allopreening, but your bird needs to learn bite pressure control....


also don't feel bad about getting a small emery board and taking a few swaths across the pointy top part of the beak to take out that newborn razor edge like 3-4 swipes. It will wear down eventually and won't effect them in the least their lower beak does most the cracking of food, but dulling that scalpel point makes things a lot easier to deal with and a 7 month old won't fight you about it.

 

[Boki]

Thanks all of you. I do think she is just trying to preen me and doesn't know her beak strength. I will make sure all guests know in advance that it might happen and they should shrug when it does. You can sense almost right before she does it as she gives warning with a touch of the tongue.