Advice needed!

[T. gillii]

I often go my local bird stores, but recently I've been interacting with larger parrots (macaw, cockatoos, Amazon's, etc) and this makes my dad nervous. He a convinced I'd gonna lose a finger.

Anything I can do to calm his nerves?

 

[Shezbug]

Nope! He is a parent who will always worry about you! Maybe if you stayed back a healthy distance his nerves will be calmer hehehe that is not likely to happen I am guessing so he will have to learn how to calm himself by just getting used to what you are doing

 

[Mizzely]

Dare him to find proof that a parrot has ever actually bitten off a finger

 

[T. gillii]

Nope! He is a parent who will always worry about you! Maybe if you stayed back a healthy distance his nerves will be calmer hehehe that is not likely to happen I am guessing so he will have to learn how to calm himself by just getting used to what you are doing

Not the answer I was looking for, but true none the less! I wouldn't want my kid handling an animal with a 2000 psi beak

Dare him to find proof that a parrot has ever actually bitten off a finger

I actually looked up the WORST possible parrot bites... that helped like, I don't know, -10%, but he doesn't do internet, so he can't even try. He told his friend I was holding and kissing macaws and his friend was like "WOAAAH THOSE GUYS BITE FINGERS OFF!!! I saw one once and it was MEAN!!"

 

[Shezbug]

If it helps my daughter still has all her fingers and she has had daily interactions and also arguments with a Macaw who is still learning manners and rules.
If you are paying attention, reading the birds body language and being respectful of their communications to you then you should be given fair warning before anything is likely to happen. Most birds are not savage and do give warnings, maybe talk to your dad about the body language and assure him you are being as safe as possible.

 

[T. gillii]

If it helps my daughter still has all her fingers and she has had daily interactions and also arguments with a Macaw who is still learning manners and rules.
If you are paying attention, reading the birds body language and being respectful of their communications to you then you should be given fair warning before anything is likely to happen. Most birds are not savage and do give warnings, maybe talk to your dad about the body language and assure him you are being as safe as possible.

I am being VERY careful.. maybe a bit too much, but if I even think a macaw or another large parrot wants on my shoulder, I gently have them go back on the stand. Do you have any good videos for Mac and other large species' body language? Preferably by good bird inc.

 

[Feather]

I still have all my fingers.

 

[Mizzely]

I mean, any animal can be vicious. How many kids go to the ER every year because of a dog attack or cat scratch? Birds do bite, and they can bite hard. He is just being a parent and no one can really turn that switch off.

Your odds of getting in a car accident on the way to the pet store is higher than losing a finger. I don't know if that helps either Just mean that there is risk in everything we do. For some people, it's the risk with the water they drink or the air they breathe.

 

[faislaq]

Invite your dad along. Don't interact with the big guys much while he's there, but work on getting him used to handling the littles himself, then slowly work him up to medium and larger birds. If he does get nipped by a little, let him know that little birds bites are sharper, bigger birds are usually more of a pinch.

When Buzzard was very new to us & we had no previous big bird experience, I was walking him through the apartment showing him around. We got to the kitchen & he fixated on the pizza boxes so I leaned him in for a better look. Before I knew it he'd stepped off & started tearing them up! Stupid me tried to remove him like we would the green cheeks -I know, dumb, but I clearly didn't think it through. He grabbed my arm just behind my wrist and started pressing his lower beak into my arm in sort of a pulsing movement. I was afraid for half a second before I realized it didn't really hurt, then I gently grabbed his beak and said "no". He let go & went back to tearing up the pizza boxes. I ended up with a good sized welt on each side & the teeniest, shallowest broken skin where I'd shifted the tip of his beak; my fault, not his. Not any real damage.

The point is after that I treated him with more respect if course but I was also less afraid of his beak now that I knew what to expect.

The are a couple of good videos of big mac bites online & some of them do bite worse but even those aren't horribly scaring. Painful probably, but those folks can all still count to 10 without taking off their shoes. This is the one I remember the most and they were making her step up even though she clearly didn't want to.

I still have all my fingers.

I love Monster Truck so much! How on earth did you teach her that?

 

[T. gillii]

Invite your dad along. Don't interact with the big guys much while he's there, but work on getting him used to handling the littles himself, then slowly work him up to medium and larger birds. If he does get nipped by a little, let him know that little birds bites are sharper, bigger birds are usually more of a pinch.

When Buzzard was very new to us & we had no previous big bird experience, I was walking him through the apartment showing him around. We got to the kitchen & he fixated on the pizza boxes so I leaned him in for a better look. Before I knew it he'd stepped off & started tearing them up! Stupid me tried to remove him like we would the green cheeks -I know, dumb, but I clearly didn't think it through. He grabbed my arm just behind my wrist and started pressing his lower beak into my arm in sort of a pulsing movement. I was afraid for half a second before I realized it didn't really hurt, then I gently grabbed his beak and said "no". He let go & went back to tearing up the pizza boxes. I ended up with a good sized welt on each side & the teeniest, shallowest broken skin where I'd shifted the tip of his beak; my fault, not his. Not any real damage.

The point is after that I treated him with more respect if course but I was also less afraid of his beak now that I knew what to expect.

I love Monster Truck so much! How on earth did you teach her that?

My dad has to go to the bird store, since I can not yet drive, what a tragedy. he hangs out inside for atleast a few minutes. Also, oh no, he's fine with small birds... we have gotten VERY familiar with even the hardest GCC bites. Doesn't phase us too much any more. He's iffy with medium sized birds. There's one guy at fran's (Bird store), Murph.

He's a severe macaw who HAAATES me. I mean, lunges at me and tries to get on my shirt to attack me when I walk past. They're pals, recently he gave Murph head scratches, too. He's never held anything bigger than a small cockatoo, though... Other than our friend's bird, but it was limited and 2 years ago.


Also! Yeah, with green cheeks you can just grab them, if you get bit it's like "Oh. Ouch. Ok." but with the big guys you have to be careful.

 

[lexalayne]

Check out the “You Tube” parrot experts thread. I have pics of my young daughter and our birds. Probably won’t ease dads fears but u can show him it can be done.

 

[T. gillii]

Check out the “You Tube” parrot experts thread. I have pics of my young daughter and our birds. Probably won’t ease dads fears but u can show him it can be done.

I saw! I was honestly pretty impressed, lol

 

[T. gillii]

I just watched this video... I'm guessing the B&G was startled by the camera, but he did SO many warning signs before the bite...

 

[faislaq]

@lillie It sounds like your dad is well on his way to holding the big birds. Hopefully one he's comfortable he'll worry less about you?

I just watched this video... I'm guessing the B&G was startled by the camera, but he did SO many warning signs before the bite...

Whoo Lord I was on pins and needles watching that. Thank goodness and luckily for her it was only a pinch! It'll probably bruise, but that was clearly an agitated bird on her shoulder.

 

[T. gillii]

Whoo Lord I was on pins and needles watching that. Thank goodness and luckily for her it was only a pinch! It'll probably bruise, but that was clearly an agitated bird on her shoulder.

this video is, uhm, well....
worst!

some people should not have animals.

oh, and later in the video, they THREW something at him...

 

[Shezbug]

Oh dear that last video you posted is one I am afraid to click on. I think it will make me angry. Why do people think it’s ok to do things like this to animals? The young girl with her macaw was being very silly...I remember watching that ages ago and thinking the whole way through that the bite was coming.

Something to remember is the birds don’t want to take chunks out of anyone, they just want to be heard when they say enough no more. They can remove great sections of our weak skin easily but they usually only squeeze/pinch hard enough to let you know they are not joking and they really mean no!

Your dad will most likely be as stressed as most parents are watching their child ride a bike for the first time, that stress only settles once us parents realise the skills and knowledge our kids have will keep them fairly safe and they are indeed ready for the task they are taking on. The more he sees you responsibly interacting with them I think you will find his worries will ease.

 

[T. gillii]

Oh dear that last video you posted is one I am afraid to click on. I think it will make me angry. Why do people think it’s ok to do things like this to animals? The young girl with her macaw was being very silly...I remember watching that ages ago and thinking the whole way through that the bite was coming.

Something to remember is the birds don’t want to take chunks out of anyone, they just want to be heard when they say enough no more. They can remove great sections of our weak skin easily but they usually only squeeze/pinch hard enough to let you know they are not joking and they really mean no!

Your dad will most likely be as stressed as most parents are watching their child ride a bike for the first time, that stress only settles once us parents realise the skills and knowledge our kids have will keep them fairly safe and they are indeed ready for the task they are taking on. The more he sees you responsibly interacting with them I think you will find his worries will ease.

the second video is actually with the same bird and girl... aaaah it is nerveracking!

 

[T. gillii]

I genuinely can't believe this is the first time I've seen this

 

[Shezbug]

Oh I have seen John’s pictures but not the video. Thanks for posting that!

I managed to watch the other video all the way through, I hope Bob no longer lives in that house with those people. Poor Bob, his owners seem a little silly.

 

[Fia Baby]

The face bite was so scary to watch... that bird was clearly agitated... poor girl. I feel the same way when I watch toddlers playing with dogs who are CLEARLY saying "no" while the owners just chuckle and ignore the communication. And then the animals get blamed and called "unpredictable."