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lots of nibbling/light biting of fingers

ali_and_birdie

Meeting neighbors
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My 10 month old caique has started nibbling my fingers, fairly lightly (never drawing blood, and she doesn't do it in an angry way). She seems to like it when I stroke her head/neck feathers, but that's one of the times she will often start this nibbling behavior. She also likes to nibble on the fleshy bit of skin between my thumb and pointer finger. If I keep my hand still, she will nibble up and down each finger in a very methodical way. She will also wedge her beak in between my fingers and make nibbling motions. It's all pretty gentle, as I said, but since she's a caique with a very sharp beak even her gentle nibbles will sometimes leave a small indentation in my skin for a couple minutes.

I'm wondering if this behavior has a certain meaning? Is it some type of grooming thing, or an attempt to grind her beak? Or just a baby thing? I'm also trying to figure out if I should discourage it, in case it turns into more full-on biting at some point...but if it's a normative developmental thing I'm not sure if I should discourage it.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!!
 

hrafn

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Sounds like she may be 'preening' you. My pionus does this too, especially after a good scritching session.
 

Irishj9

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The meaning of nibbling is that you bought an arboreal species from the amazon.

It has three points of contact with the trees it is meant to climb, two feet and a beak

All are used for climbing and exploring but the beak is particularly sensitive, perhaps more sensitive than a human fingertip

Add to this the endless energy and curiosity of an intelligent bird, and you get lots of nibbling.
 

finchly

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One of mine likes to hold/bite my thumb while I scritch her head.

It’s partly age. You can choose to discourage it if you like. I just say gentle beak, as long as they don’t bite hard they can nibble.

Captain Jack told ME gentle beak recently!
 

Leanna

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When it's too much pressure or your hands start to hurt offer them a foot toy instead. That way they associate harder beak play with toys and softer beaks with your hands. Caiques love to wrestle with foot toys anyway.
 
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