sargaralaxmi

By far and away, the most common question I get is about biting. A typical question is something like this. “My bird is usually very well behaved and suddenly, for no reason at all, he bit me. Why would he do that?” I’ve covered biting before but I think it’s important to do it again. I spoke with a parrot rescue organization called Foster Parrots (they are the organization you support every time you buy something from Bird City USA) about why people give up their birds. One of the most common reasons is that the bird started biting and the owner didn’t know what to do. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if your bird bites you, it’s your fault! There, I’ve said it and it’s finally out in the open. A lot of people will disagree with me but on this one at least, I’m right. The most common reason a parrot bites is because you’re trying to make the parrot do something it doesn’t want to do. Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to watch TV with your parrot and you go to take him out of his cage and he doesn’t want to leave. Maybe you’ve got your parrot on your shoulder and want him to come down and he doesn’t want to leave. Birds like high places and your shoulder is a perfect spot. In the wild, birds will compete for the highest spot in the tree. Parrots often do not want to go back into the cage but we can’t leave them out all of the time. All of these are situations that lead to the parrot being frustrated, upset and angry and the natural response is to bite. The other common reason for biting is that the parrot has bonded with a person. When another person comes into the room, the parrot may try to bite them to “protect” his mate. They may also exhibit displaced aggression by biting you instead. They can’t get to the person they want to bite and, in their frustration, they bite you instead. In almost all cases, your bird bites because you have put them into a situation where they feel uncomfortable and you didn’t pick up the signs they were getting ready to bite. What are the signs that a bird is getting ready to bite? They are different in each bird but you should watch for tail fanning, eye dilation, feathers tight to the body or the crest is up. If you’re not sensitive to these signs and remove him from whatever is causing his anxiety, he is very likely to give you a good chomp! The other question we have to look at is this – did you train your parrot to bite you? Wait a minute, how could you train your parrot to bite? That’s the last thing you want to do. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but how about this? You’re holding your parrot and he reaches down to bite you. You immediately say “bad bird” and put him back in his cage to teach him a lesson. So, what have you taught him? You taught him that, if he bites you, he gets put back in his cage where he’s comfortable, has food, water and all of his toys! This is a good thing. Every time he wants to go back to his cages, he’s learned that all he has to do is bite you and you’ll put him back. Another example is when you’re holding him and he tries to bite you and you give him a treat or toy to distract him. What you’ve actually done is to reward him for biting you! Now, what’s he going to do when he wants a treat? Yup, he’s going to bite you. OK, we can talk all day about why your parrot bites but what you really need to know is how to stop the behavior. The best way to do this is simple. Don’t put your bird in a situation where he’s uncomfortable and never try to make him do something he doesn’t want to do. If he does try to bite you, the best thing to do is what comes naturally. Just drop him to the floor. Birds don’t like being on the floor, there are lots of predators down there and they are very uncomfortable on the floor. This accomplishes two good things; it stops him from biting and puts him in a tough situation. Let him sit there for a minute or two and then put your hand down for him to climb up on. Don’t worry about being bitten, at the moment, you’re the best thing in the world to him – you’re going to get him off the floor! Be sure to praise him or give him a treat when he steps up. One philosophy I always teach is that if you get bitten it is always your fault. It is never the parrot’s fault. No exceptions. You have either caused the bird to bite you, or you were not sensitive enough to recognize the posturing and other non-verbal warning signs that the bird was giving you. Once you take responsibility for getting bitten you will begin to develop the sensitivities necessary to avoid the bites. Another thing that will happen at this time is you will stop showing off your wounds and scars because you will realize they are not medals of bravery but rather signs of low sensitivity and compassion.