My mousebird keeps on biting me

[sweethartza]

Hi, guys.

I really need advice. I have 2 brown-speckled mousebirds. The male is named Chirpoo and the female is named Chirpee. Chirpoo has always been the "sweetie-pie" and dependent one whereas Chirpee has always been the more independent and fiesty one. I am a university student so the babies stay with me on campus - and they are happy. the problem that has developed for the past 2 months is that Chirpoo has started to bite me HARD. It started with my lip and my chin and now it has progressed to my eyelids whereby he climbs on my afro and strategically finds a way to get to my eyelids and eyebrows. This usually happens when we are at home for the weekend or holidays and even after I have fed him. whenever it gets out of hand I give him "time out" - I put him in the cage for 15 minutes. but that doesn't seem to work because as soon as i let him out and feed him again he starts all over. The most suprising thing is that when we return to university he becomes normal again. The problem is that i'm on a 3 month holiday right now and cannot go university. They have a big room where they play and perch and eat and poop. I thought maybe Chirpoo is still trying to get used to the change of scenery so i try to stay with them a while to ensure them that i am also here. but this has not eliminated the problem. I hope I haven't said too much but please help me. Shaz.

 

[waterfaller1]

Hi Shaz, I am glad you started a thread about this. Have you noticed Chirpoo doing any hopping? How old are they? It could be many things, but my guess would be either Chirpoo is feeling an onset of hormonal behavior, or he is defending Chirpee as a mate. Have you had them sexed?
This may pass. I found that Mousebirds can be sweet and lovable one day, and defensive or protective of their chosen one another.
How large of a cage do you have them in? Do they share the cage? Do you offer lots of toys and interactive play? Can you redirect him in some way when you see he is going to act this way? A "time out" as you put it, is futile. He does not understand this as the reason he is being put in his cage. I will see if Susanne can chime in with some ideas. She keeps and breeds several types of mousebirds. Speckles are supposed to make the best pets of all. But keeping two mousebirds who want to mate as "pets" may bring several challenges.

 

[sweethartza]

Hi, Carol.
Thank-you for getting back to me. Chirpee and Chirpoo are a year now. We found them last december in the garden and they were almost dead. We took them to a petstore in a Snake and Bird Park here at home and the shopkeeper was the one who told us that they are mousebirds and probably about 4 weeks old. I haven't had them sexed yet but Chirpee has laid 2 empty eggs the past couple of months and Chirpoo has been on the "attack" mode too. I only put them in the cage when it's time for them to sleep. The rest of the day they fly around in the room and play there (even at university). I haven't seen Chirpoo hopping or anything. He usually loves being with me even when Chirpee is flying around. Another thing that I noticed is that they don't eat as much alone (when we are at home) as they do when i'm around in the room with them.
I also suspected that it could be hormones or that Chirpoo is having troubles adjusting to the room at home (because my room at the university is much smaller than the one at home). Carol, if it is the "hormones", do you have any suggestions as to how i can help ease him into this stage? They are my babies and I wanna help them as much as I can. I am really getting desperate because I don't think my lip can take any more biting (and he really has a grip on him). Thank-you for all your help.

 

[waterfaller1]

Hello again. Since they are a year, hormones are a very possible influence. Does Chirpoo seek you out as soon as you let him out of the cage? I believe Susanne may have said the Blue Napes 'hop' more than the others.
What if you offer fruit from your fingers? Have a bowl or plate of cut up grapes, papaya, banana,peeled blueberries, etc. on the ready. When Chirpoo seems like he is going to act out, maybe you could redirect with some food? Never met a mousebird that didn't like to eat. You did not say if they share a cage, and how big is it? Do you give them toys? Mousebirds love a nest to hang out in, and platform perches. I guess you will have to make the decision to allow them to go through with breeding, or keep them separate.I don't see any way to prevent the hormonal changes, this is a natural process. Since they came from the wild, have you considered releasing them back? They might even stay nearby.
Perhaps offering some of the native flora might help. Branches, leaves, that they would normally be in and eat, might be relished.It may keep him busy chewing. Do you have a natural plystand for them? Do you offer a bowl of sand or soil? Mousebirds love sand bathing.
Other than this, if it is too much for you to handle the attacks, you might have to keep Chirpoo caged or steer clear of their play area, until he comes out of breeding season.

 

[sweethartza]

Hi, Carol.
Chirpoo is always the first one to fly to me when I let them out of the cage or walk in the room. I don't even have to call him coz as soon as he sees me enter the room he flies (high speed and chirping on the way) to my shoulder. He actually eats more when i offer him food from my fingers than when he has to eat alone. Sometimes when he shrugs away from the fruit he wants to see me eat it first and come from my mouth to encourage him to eat it. But I always put out three plates of different fruits on the dressing table (mainly pawpaw or papaya, grapes, banana or peaches). I also give them boiled eggs a few times a week but they like the white part than the yolk. Usually when he hops on my head to try to get to my eyelids i give him a piece of fruit to get him off my head (loosen the grip on my hair) but i was afraid that he was seeing that as a reward for his actions. at least now i know my fear was unfounded.
They share a cage. The cage is the slightly larger than a hamster cage but they can still move around properly without feeling overcrowded. They are only in the cage when they go to sleep but they usually use it as a focal point in the room (as long as they can see the cage in the room they feel ok). However, I don't have a lot of toys for them. That's one thing this website has made me aware of is that they need a lot of toys. I did buy a nest for them but I think that it may be too big (does size matter?) but they haven't taken much liking to it.
I have considered releasing them back into nature but i'm just concerned if they will be able to survive because they don't eat as much when they are alone but when i come in the room then they act like they haven't eaten a while. and another thing is that we have a lot of stray cats stolling around. I'm just worried and attached to them too much maybe.
They usually like perching on the curtain-rails and we have shelves where they can rest. I also have a sand box although it is a cardbox filled with sand. They do sand-bath but not so much anymore.
I will try to maybe keep Chirpoo caged and if that doesn't work (if Chirpee gets too upset about it) then I will just go in the room to make sure that the food, water and pellets are enough. I will also put some natural flora in the room for them. But i will also go shopping for toys for them.
Carol, thank-you so much for all your help. It's just not nice to see your sweetie-pie go through this stage but with lots of patience and love I know that he will be ok. Will keep posting about the developments.

P.S. Decided to wear my spectacles to protect my eyelids from the bites. Chirpoo seemed a little confused about that. Hopefully it will work. But knowing how clever he is, he will try to find a way around that.

 

[waterfaller1]

Everything sounds great, except I would work on building them a flight cage or similar. A hamster cage is terribly small, regardless whether it is just for sleeping. Here is the cage Gryphon and Lily were in.

I figured out that white dangling toy was dangerous!

their shelf and nest

Gryphon sees the phone

I miss Gryphon very much.

 

[waterfaller1]

Hey..you know what? I just was thinking. After remembering Gryphon's reaction to certain things..the phone, certain color shirts, etc. I wonder if it is simply your afro that sets him off? Maybe he thinks there is an animal on your head?
Try wearing a hat or covering it some how, as an experiment. See if his reaction is different.

 

[sweethartza]

I definately need to get a bigger cage for them. I love the size of yours coz i was thinking that during this breeding season i should just keep them in a cage. Chirpee laid an egg about 30 minutes ago but because she was on my shoulder it fell and cracked on the dressing table in my room. this is now the third egg that she has laid from a height.
I also think take them to see an a-vet sometime this week for a checkup and then go shopping for them at the Snake and Bird park. The nest that we got for them i think it's far too big and Chirpee has no interest in trying to get into it. Rather she hops around it.
We have now entered the next stage and i know that we will come right.

P.S. Will take your advice on covering my head too. Let you know how it goes.

 

[waterfaller1]

I will look forward to your updates! I just spoke with Susanne. She recommended you find a copy{it is out of print but you can still find them} and read the story, "Kiki the mousebird". It was written a long time ago, by a wonderful woman. It is about her and her husband and their adventures with a speckled mousebird. In it you will see they started having problems with Kiki attacking her husband out of jealousy, after a friend's visit. It is a mystery why some things just set them off and they can change seemingly their personality so easily. Like a hot and cold water faucet! But they certainly are fun and very endearing. Just don't take it personally.

 

[sweethartza]

Hi, Carol.
Took the babies to the a-vet. he said that they are really healthy and, as you said, hormones. he also said that the reason they don't eat as much when they are alone is because they have separation anxiety when they don't see me.
Also bought a new cage for them. quite big. will post photos. they sleeping in it now so will have to see tomorrow how they take on it.
Took your advice on covering my head and Chirpoo never attempted to go on my head. Rather, he settled for my finger and lips.
Mousebirds are quite emotionally sensitive birds and and when something set them off, it really set them off. But they never stop loving. Although Chirpoo tries to attack me as much as possible, there are times when i do get a small glimpse of the "sweetie-pie" that i know.
Thanks for all your help. Will definitely try to get the book.