Biting

[ThisisPrince]

Please help me!!! I have a young lovebird and it keeps biting me and my family! My mom says if it bites us one time and we bleed, he is gone! It’s already happened once, but just a little. How can I get my lovebird to stop biting me?!

 

[ThisisPrince]

He is a lovebird, male, young

 

[Fuzzy]

Please help me!!! I have a young lovebird and it keeps biting me and my family! My mom says if it bites us one time and we bleed, he is gone! It’s already happened once, but just a little. How can I get my lovebird to stop biting me?!

Hi @ThisisPrince

The best way to stop a bird biting is to avoid the bite. Easy to say, but think about what you are doing that makes him want to bite. I don't know in what context he bites. Is it playfulness getting out of hand? In which case slow the playing down when he starts to get over excited. Over excitement can so easily tip over into aggression.

If he is biting to say "NO!" for example, if you are forcing him to step up, then rethink how you ask him to step up. Make it reinforcing (rewarding) to step up every time so that he is more likely to want to step up nicely in the future.

Always read his body language carefully. He should give you plenty of warning to tell you he is going to bite. Maybe the feathers slick down, or puff up on the shoulders, maybe his eyes widen, maybe his whole body and head puffs up. Then heed that body language and either stop what you are doing or back off. Go back to him a few minutes later and see if he is more willing to interact with you.

It is important to do all you can to avoid the bite because the more he bites, the more he is learning to bite.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Please help me!!! I have a young lovebird and it keeps biting me and my family! My mom says if it bites us one time and we bleed, he is gone! It’s already happened once, but just a little. How can I get my lovebird to stop biting me?!

It would be more helpful for you if you post in the lovebird section. More people that own lovebirds will read your post there and respond to it as it will get lost in this thread.

 

[Zara]

My lovebird Aldora bites (the bird in the middle on my profile pic)... if she gets the chance. I´m with @Fuzzy .
So I know, if I put my hand in Aldoras cage, she will bite, no doubt. If i put my hand near her when shes out, she may bite. When she has eggs I know to stay clear of her, and when shes got chicks, forgetaboutit.
I let her do her own thing. I open the cage in the morning, she comes out if and when she wants.
My boyfriend on the other hand, will put his fingers through the bars of her cage and she goes in to bite him but realises he´s not scared, then she licks him and she´ll let him scratch her head a little.
She´s not a bad bird. I think her biting comes from fear. I don´t know where she´s come from or what life she has had. So I let her do as she pleases here and I never force her to do anything.
She knows I respect her, and so she will come over and sit on me, not usually my hand - thats a treat when she trusts me to sit on my hand.
In time I´m sure the (attempted) biting will happen less.

@ThisisPrince When does your bird bite? What is happening when he bites? There will be a reason.
If this is a young bird and you have just brought him home, if everyone is picking him up and passing him around maybe he is overwhelmed. Lovebirds are only small, but they are fearless. Mine take on my chow and never back down, he quickly learned to leave them be.