Ask Lafeber

My tamed ringneck making me bleed alot recently

I have handfed and raised this ringneck myself and growing up, she shares a special bond with me and hurting my family members and pets. She is very protective of me as well. She cuddles with me to sleep and takes showers together. Recently, my ringneck is in a very bad mood like every other time. If I call her by her name usually she responds by making heart shapes with her wings and singing, but she now chases and bites me. When I let her sit on my shoulder she will get mad at me after few seconds biting me again, it feels as if she’s trying to tell me something but I just can’t seem to understand that. I try to ignore her but she will fly to me and bite me for ignoring her but if I pay attention to her she still bites me leaving me with scars. How do I put her in a better mood? What is it that I can’t understand and how do I avoid putting her in a bad mood? She is 1 year old right now and I’m sure she passed the bluffing stage by now. Thank you

Hi,

It sounds like she is hormonal, and unfortunately you are making some mistakes in the way you handle her. We have learned that it isn’t good to cuddle with a parrot. You should never pet her below her head and neck. Touching her body is something only a bonded mate is allowed to do. When you snuggle with a bird, you are sending the message that you are the mate. However, you can’t fulfill her expectations of a mate, so she is getting frustrated with you. You should also never, ever let your bird sleep with you. Many pet birds have been killed when their owner rolls over and smothers them. Don’t think it can’t happen to you, because everyone who ever rolled over on their parrot and killed it said that. Take a step back from her right now and let her hormones settle down. I would work on re-training her. I do not think having a pet bird on your shoulder is a good idea. It puts the bird in a position where it can hurt you or keep you from touching her. Try keeping her an eye level or lower. Get her a play stand to sit on when she is out. I would also recommend getting a modest wing trim for her – just enough to slow her down. She is in danger and so are you right now. If she flies at you or a family member and you react by swatting at her you can hurt or kill her. Again, don’t say you won’t do it – sometimes it’s just a reaction and you don’t mean to. You aren’t putting her in a bad mood – she is feeling hormonal and doesn’t understand her urges and gets frustrated because you can’t help her. Please read our pages on behavior and training so you can better understand the correct way to train and handle her.

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior

Teaching Your Bird

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda