Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 7/28/2006

Question
Thanks Chrys. But one of the problems is, is that my bird likes to be inside AND outside of her cage, so it doesn't make much of a difference. So I don't know if this biting thing is such a big deal right now if it's just teething.
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Followup To

Question -
Ok I had this bird for about a 3 weeks and its just a baby. Nothing really happened around the environment in my home. It actually started biting when my friend came over. when my friend came in my bird started squaking a little bit. RIght now I'm not that sure if that is a sign of affection or sense of play. The first time it bit me I just let it keep doing it. But after a while it got irritating so every time it bites me I blow on it, but that doesn't seem to help. Sometimes I wonder if the bird thinks I'm an object because she treats me like I'm a toy or something.
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Followup To

Question -
Hi, My budgie likes to bite a lot. For the first two weeks she was fine and handling was ok. She didn't bite at all. But then she just suddenly started biting me. I don't know if this is for some strange reason. And another thing is she does not like treats whatsover not even millet spray. I don't know if this is uncommonor not. Thanks for helping.

Esther

Answer -
Hi, Esther.  Thanks for posting.

I need more information!  I need details like whether something different happened in your home/to the bird, etc., around the time the biting started, is there anyone poking fingers at the bird or otherwise "picking" on the budgie, etc.  Biting in caged birds is a learned behavior...how did you handle the situation when your budgie first bit you?  The more information you can provide, the better I'm able to help.

Maybe your budgie doesn't like the type of treats you are providing.  Birds won't eat anything they don't recognize as food, i.e., if they've never seen a type of food, they won't eat it until they know it's food!  Could this be the case with your budgie?  How old is this bird and how long have you owned s/he?

Chrys

Answer -
Hi again, Esther.

Thanks for the additinal information.  Since your budgie is still a baby, it's likely teething.  Yes, birds teethe as youngsters and need lots of things to chew on.  This might be a reason for the biting.  Since this budgie didn't know your friend, s/he likely sqawked because your friend was a stranger in the home (your bird not used to seeing this individual).  Perhaps your budgie is being protective of you.  You did right by letting the bird continue biting you (you didn't pull your finger/hand away).  When people pull their fingers/hands away when a bird bites them, it teaches the bird that whenever it doesn't want to interact with its human, all it has to do is bite and it gets it's way (just like a human child).  By not pulling away, the bird learns that that negative behavior isn't going to get s/he anywhere.  However, remember your budgie is likely teething, which could be the reason for the biting.  Be sure to provide enough toys to satisfy your bird's need to chew.  Some types of foods your budgie can chew on can also help this teething problem.  S/he'll grow out of this soon.  

Since blowing on s/he isn't working any longer, you might try making the "earthquake" movement when your bird is sitting on your finger and starts biting.  The "earthquake" movement is when you jiggle your hand whenever your bird bites so that the movement gets his/her attention enough to stop the biting.  You can retrain your budgie not to bite by putting him/her back in the cage whenever s/he bites.  Reward your budgie for positive behavior (give favorite treat), but never reward your budgie for negative behavior (a reward can be eye-to-eye contact, a treat, telling s/he they are bad, etc.).  In other words, when your budgie doesn't bite when s/he normally would, reward him/her.  When it bites, put s/he back in her cage.  S/he'll catch on soon.

As a youngster and also new to your home, your budgie is still trying to figure out who/what you are and what's acceptable and not acceptable.  Teach him well while s/he's young.  Bringing up a young parrot is very similar to bringing up a human child psychologically speaking.

Come back if you have additional questions.

Chrys

Answer
Hi again, Esther.

Are this birds flight feathers clipped?  Keeping the flight feathers clipped helps to keep a tame bird tame.  When a bird has full flight, it can get away from you any time it wants, thus, your inability to teach him properly.  With clipped wings, your keet will be at your mercy for mobility, etc., therefore, easier to train.  When s/he bites you when it is outside the cage (assuming clipped wings), scold s/he by saying sternly "NO, bad bird" at the same time you do the earthquake movement (or something similiar) to draw his focus off biting and so he will let go of your skin!  When the bird is inside his/her cage, and tries biting you, stay your ground and put your finger up against his lower chest area and say "UP."  If s/he gets up on your finger, reward the bird immediately.  If s/he doesn't get on your finger, do what you can to make him do what you want, of course, without harming or tramatizing the bird.  Sometimes with very stubborn birds, I will gently pick the bird up and place the bird on my finger.  Be careful not to scare the bird though because you don't want s/he to fear you/your fingers.  Dealing with a parrot is like dealing with a 1-2 year old child.  You have to set the boundaries, although you might get some bites during the process of setting these boundaries.  You want to build a trusting relationship with your bird...if a bird trusts it's human, it's human can do most anything with the bird, and the bird learns it's human won't do anything to harm s/he.  But the human has to keep the upper hand/control over the bird.

I hope I've helped a little bit more.

Chrys