How to Stop Bird Biting Behavior

The experience of owning a bird can be a lot less enjoyable if you have a bird that bites. Although it is sometimes difficult, there are things you can do to break this habit, regardless of why your bird started biting in first place.

Your newly weaned baby bird might be the cutest thing you have ever seen, but can do a number on your fingers and hands when you try to pick him up. Many people, after being bitten once, become reluctant to handle their bird for fear of it happening again. This type of biting can often be stopped, so try not to become gun shy if you do get bit.

Baby birds go through a teething period similar to that of children, even though they lack teeth. They do most of their exploring with their beaks and are usually not trying to harm you when they do bite.

Older birds, on the other hand, are a different story, and bite for a number of reasons. These birds may bite out of fear, jealousy, aggression, or dominance. Biting out of fear will usually stop when your bird grows to trust you. Of the remaining three, dominance biting is the easiest to stop.

The first method for stopping a biting bird is for when he is sitting on your forearm. When the bird bites your arm or hand, quickly drop your arm, causing the bird to lose his balance. Be sure not to drop him on the floor and injure him. Do this every time the bird bites and he will eventually learn that biting is associated with something uncomfortable. This will usually cause him to stop.

Many people make the mistake of letting their bird sit on their shoulders. It is not recommended to let your bird climb any higher than your elbow, especially if your bird has problems with aggression or dominance. A bird will feel equal or superior to you if he is at eye level or above. This may cause him to snap and bite at your head and face if he is an aggressive bird.

Another way of stopping your bird from biting is by using distractions. Teach your bird certain commands, such as, step up or step down. When your bird begins to bite, distract him by giving one of these commands. This will take his mind off of biting to concentrate on the task at hand. Using treats to distract your bird from biting can also be effective. This usually works very well with teething baby birds.

There is one surprisingly good technique for dealing with birds that bite out of aggression or dominance. Keep your bird’s wings clipped. A clipped bird is not as confident and will most likely be less aggressive. This may curb his tendency to attack.

Finally, a bird behaviorist can possibly help if all other attempts have failed to stop the biting. The behaviorist may bring to light something about the bird’s environment that caused the behavior, such as not getting as much attention as usual because of someone new in your life.

         

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