Parrots are excellent pets. People like to keep different parrot species in their houses due to many reasons (i.e. they like their colors, their voices, etc.) Parrots are also highly affectionate with their owners, so they get confused when their parrots suddenly bite them.
DO PARROTS BITE NATURALLY?
Parrot biting is not an innate act. Parrots do not bite because they are inherently aggressive. It is the parrot’s choice to bite or not. Parrots can use the biting habit either as a means of communication or to express something. Parrots bite to gain something that they desire or to avoid something that they do not like.
REASONS FOR PARROT BITE
There can be multiple reasons for parrot bite. Like:
THE PARROT FEELS LOCKED UP
The parrot will immediately come to bite you if you handle your parrot only when it’s time for it to go back into its cage. The parrot will feel that you touch only to lock it up in the cage.
The best way to overcome the biting issue, in this case, is to spend plenty of time stroking your parrot, playing with it, and giving it treats as well as picking it up to put it in its cage. In this way, the parrot will feel more relaxed with you.
THE PARROT THINKS IT IS IN TROUBLE
The parrot may bite you when it senses any trouble near it or feels like there is a danger around or does not like what you are doing. So avoid doing those activities near your parrot which make it feel troublesome. Like if your parrot bites you when you shout at it then avoid shouting at it and some other ways to prevent your parrot from doing naughty activities.
THE PARROT MAY WANT YOUR ATTENTION
Sometimes the reason for your parrot bite can be that it wants your attention. So when you are near your parrot try to give proper attention to it. It will prevent you from having a painful parrot bite.
HOW TO STOP PARROT BITING
No one likes the biting behavior of parrots. Being the owner of a biting parrot is no fun. A parrot’s bite not only physically harms you but is a sign that the parrot is also not happy with the current situation.
So it is necessary to immediately find the remedy to the problem before long-term patterns of these behaviors set in.
Here are some simple steps for stopping your parrot from biting.
ANALYZE YOUR PARROT’S BODY LANGUAGE
The first step in teaching your parrot is to analyze its body language. As you can not talk to your parrot in your language, it is necessary to understand its body language because it is the only way the parrot can communicate with you. When you can realize whether your parrot is frustrated or getting aggressive, then you can change your behavior to prevent a painful parrot bite.
To understand the body language of your parrot, you should spend more time with the parrot. You can quickly gauge your parrot’s mood by recognizing common bird body language. Usually, there are a series of cues, including:
- Eye pinning: an agitated parrot may pin its eyes. It means the parrot quickly contracts and expands the pupils of its eyes.
- lunging or leaning forward
- Hissing
- Feather ruffling
- Head bobbing
LISTEN TO YOUR PARROT
Do not force your parrot to do something. Like, If your parrot does not move on your call, then do not force them to do so or comprehend that it hates you. So try to listen to your parrot otherwise it will lead to more bites and aggressiveness.
DISTRACT
Create a habit of distracting your parrot when you notice that your parrot is about to bite you. Observe your parrot and create a list of when your bird usually bites you, and when you know which situations provoke your parrot to bite, then you can proactively plan on how to avoid it.
If you are cognizant that your bird bites when you are holding it, then make a habit of gently giggling your hand as soon as you see a bite coming. It will divert the parrot’s attention from biting to balancing because when you jiggle your hand the parrot will have to focus on staying balanced rather than biting you.
You can also distract the parrot by gently blowing in the parrot’s face to get its attention. This will distract your parrot enough to stop it from biting you.
If your parrot bites you when it is resting on your shoulder, then try placing it on the floor. Being placed on the floor makes them more vulnerable rather than aggressive because birds are more comfortable higher up. This method is not to frighten your parrot but to realize that it has done something mischievous.
Another technique to distract the parrot from biting you is to have a favorite treat ready for the parrot when you are asking it to do something undesirable. For example, if the parrot bites during the transition, like when you try to put it back into its cage, create a distraction of putting its favorite treat in its bowl or giving it a treat when it steps inside the cage.
