Biting

[0luciel0]

Hi again, I’m a bit scared. I’m going to try to handfeed my lovebird sunflower seeds, but I’m deathly afraid of being bitten or attacked. I just can’t do it. Any tips?

 

[DoubleTake]

If he/she is fluffed up with head down, back up. Wait for the feathers to go back down and let them come to you

 

[Norm Ustitz]

Remember that for birds, their beaks are a third hand or sense, if you will. They bite everything so as to become acquainted with that object. They have strong angry bites and loving bites that are more like pecks.

 

[lisaraby]

You gotta get bit to know how bad the bites will be. Try resisting jerking your hand away, which is WAY easier said than done! You'll learn that they have different levels of bite and they will very often warn you before biting. If they're fluffy, if their head is down or if they make growling noises, now is NOT a good time and you should come back. I'd also just put a seed in the palm of your hand and wait for them to come down. They WILL bite you to test and see if your hand is a steady perch. That's quite often what bites are for - can I step on this thing? Once they trust you, you'll get warning nips before a "latching on" bite. Good luck!

 

[Feather]

Is she tame?

Start small. Make a trail of sunflower seeds closer and closer to your hand as you rest it on the same surface. She can come closer to you while intent on the treats rather than your hand and you can both grow more comfortable around each other in this way. Once you're confident around that beak of hers, then you can start feeding straight from your hand. Until then, she will be able to sense your uncertainty and it will cause her to distrust you in return.