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Question:

January 16, 2020

Bird is biting


I adopted a green cheek conure who is 5 years old. She bites a lot but has started to bond with me only biting my fingers. My family on the other hand are being bit on the nose and ears. How do I get her to stop? She also does not stay on your finger or arm as soon as you hold her she climbs to your shoulder. What is the best what to prevent her form doing that.
Thanks Alana


Answer:

Hi Alana,

Birds love to go to the shoulder because this puts them in a position of being in charge. They bite when you try to remove them or they run back and forth or get in a place where you can’t reach back to get them. When you have the bird on your hand, immediately raise it and drop your elbow, keeping your forearm higher than your elbow, but not close enough to your shoulder where she can jump to it. Birds like to go up, not down. She is not as likely to run down your arm to try to get to your shoulder. You might also try to stick train her, which is training her to step up onto a perch. If she gets on your shoulder, immediately remove her and make her stay on your hand. All of your family needs to be on board because if one person gives in and allows her on the shoulder, her training is compromised. I am going to give you a link to several articles on understanding behavior and training tips, including how to deal with biting. Birds bite for different reasons so understanding her behavior before she bites is the key.

Caring For Your Bird

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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