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An all too common complaint from bird owners
is that their bird bites. Indeed, most of us have been unexpectedly bitten by
our birds at one time or another, seemingly for no reason at all. Bites can
range anywhere from playful nips to severe bites causing blood loss, scarring,
nerve damage and disfigurement. Being on the unpleasant end of the beak is
not fun and it can hurt both physically and emotionally, if we let it.
The truth is, aggressive biting is not a
behavior that is commonly observed in parrots in the wild. In the wild, parrots
are able to effectively communicate with their flock through the use of body
language and vocalizations. Parrots in captivity, although driven by the same
instincts as their wild counterparts, are forced to live in an “unnatural”
setting where they often aren’t afforded the same opportunity to choose flight
to defend themselves and/or have their communications clearly understood by
their human flock.
Although some biting is instinctually based,
biting in captivity is largely a learned behavior. Given that, we can choose
to take steps to eliminate this undesired behavior in our birds and learn to
stop being the “victim”. If our birds bite, the root cause is largely our own
lack of understanding or sensitivity to their expressions of their needs.
Biting often serves as a means of communication for a bird when all else fails.
Why Do
Birds Bite?
The key to resolving biting issues is to
first understand the nature and the context of the bite. Once you understand
the reason, you can then determine the appropriate solution and alter the
behavior. Bites can be classified in several ways:
Exploratory/Play Biting
The first question to ponder is, “was it
really a bite”? Not all biting is based in aggression. For example, play
biting and beak exploration is a developmental activity for young birds.
Baby birds rely heavily on their beak to explore and test their surroundings.
As a result, they often chew on the fingers and other interesting body parts of
their caregivers (i.e., ear lobes, noses, eyebrows, etc.) Sometimes this
exploration can be a little painful as they don’t realize that this activity may
cause discomfort.
In this instance, some gentle guidance via a firm but quiet NO
and a short time out will help young birds to learn play boundaries. Also,
having an alternative chewing object for distraction on hand will be very
helpful in teaching them what an acceptable chewing outlet is. If young birds
are prone to rough-housing, be sure to offer praise and lavish lots of positive
attention when they are calm.
Territorial Biting
By nature, birds are territorial creatures
and can react instinctively in an attempt to protect their “nests” or their
favorite person from intruders. Since this type of biting is an instinctual
reaction, it can be a difficult behavior to modify.
If your bird demonstrates territorial aggression when you are
feeding or cleaning their cage then a common sense approach to avoiding a bite
is to remove the bird first before changing dishes, hanging new toys and cleaning
their cage. Stick training will also be of great value in getting a bird from
the cage and moved to a more neutral area. Additionally, having multiple play
areas within in the house for your bird to “hang out” will make them less prone
to territoriality.
Hormonal Biting
Sometimes birds are more prone to biting
during breeding season. This is more common to some species(for example
Amazons and Cockatoos) than others. During these periods our feathered
friends can be prone to rapid mood swings. The good news is that the breeding
season, for most birds, is temporary and steps can be taken to reduce the impact
of the season (check out our article: The Seven “Hormonal Parrot” Dwarfs)
To avoid bites during hormonal periods, take great care in
handling your birds to avoid over-stimulation which can trigger aggressiveness.
Avoid all touching and petting on their backs and under their wings. Watch
their body language for signs of “overload” such as pinning eyes, fanned tails
and aggressive posturing.
Stress Biting
Stress is a physiological reaction to a real
or perceived threat. Stress causes a release of hormones that temporarily
alters the physical body. This is called the "fight or flight" response.
Stress can result from a wide variety of circumstances (check out our article:
Avian Stress). Also, many birds are very empathic and have the ability to
sense our moods. If you are in a highly stressed state, you are more likely to
be bitten.
Once you can identify the cause of your bird’s stress then you
can work towards eliminating that source. Stress can simply arise out
of “forced” interaction when a bird is tired or does not want to interact.
Respect your bird’s body language and take the time to understand your bird’s
daily patterns. For example, are they more receptive to interaction at
a particular time of day? When do they like to nap, preen, bathe, eat, play and
vocalize? Don’t push a bird to interact if they want to be left alone.
Fear Biting
Parrots may bite if they become frightened.
This is an instinctive self defense response (fight) to a perceived threat when
they do not have a means of escape (flight). This type of bite can be
triggered by loud unexpected noises, pain, “strange” people or objects and
situations such as grooming activities or vet visits.
Anticipate situations that may stress or cause a fear reaction in
your bird and remove the bird from that situation if possible. Early
socialization and exposure of your bird to a wide variety of different foods,
toys, environments, people and other birds will all add to your bird's learning
experience and set the stage for how well he develops in his ability to form
successful human bonds, adapt to change and to be a happy, less fearful bird.
Also:
· Don’t force a reluctant bird to interact
with another human they don’t like
· Don’t hand off to strangers if they are not
socialized to accept strangers.
· Have family take part in the daily routine
with the birds and take part in training activities.
Displacement Biting
Some birds will bite their owner in an
attempt to warn and protect them from a perceived danger. This is called
displacement aggression and it is an instinctive reaction. Your bird is
trying to get you to flee.
Never let a bird prone to displacement biting sit on your
shoulder.
“I Don’t Wanna” Biting
“I Don’t Wanna” biting is a learned
behavior. Through our reactions to certain situations our birds have learned
from us that biting gets them something that they want or helps them avoid
something they don’t want. Examples of what this might mean to a bird are:
· Hey, I’m bored. Pay attention to me!
· Leave me alone!
· Give me some.
·
I don’t wanna
go in my cage/carrier.
· I don’t wanna
share your attention.
Remember the equation: Reaction = Reinforcement. Take care not to react in
any way that rewards and reinforces your bird’s biting behavior.
Final
Words of Wisdom
· Always practice patience, careful
observation and consistency in your interactions with your bird.
· Become a student of and develop sensitivity
to your bird’s body language so you can tune into and better understand their
primary means of communication.
·
Successful relationships with birds are built on
trust and respect. You can’t control or dominate your bird and attempts to do
so will result in more, not less, aggression. NEVER, EVER hit or throw your
bird to the ground. This is abusive, both physically and emotionally.
· Utilize positive reinforcement training
methods to teach fun behaviors and basic step up and step down maneuvers that
can be used as a distraction technique to avoid a bite.
· If bitten:
o
Remain calm.
o
Put your bird down and provide negative
reinforcement for the behavior by quietly withdrawing all attention for a few
minutes.
o
Take a moment to review the circumstances
leading up to the bite to determine the trigger.
o
Don’t take it personally, don’t give up
and Don't Blame the Bird!
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