• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

What can non-aggressive biting mean?

Karnkate

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
4/6/14
Messages
1,295
Location
Bangkok, TH
Real Name
Karnkate (Lookkaew/Crystal)
I’m not sure if it’s boredom (the cage atm has only one toy), curiosity, hormones or all of them combined but parrotlet has become increasingly nippier as the day goes by. Sometimes they are just ticklish nibbles. Oftentimes they are hard, deliberate chomps, usually when he’s perching on my finger (he’ll bite my palm). I know that parrotlets can be feisty but I feel like there might be something more too that, I just don’t know yet what is it, and thus don’t know how to deal with it yet. My late cockatiel had never bitten me, that’s why I’m clueless compared to other experienced bird parents...
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,803
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
:bump4:
 

Andrea G

Meeting neighbors
Joined
8/11/18
Messages
56
I have no advice, but a similar problem... I've had my Parrotlet for nearly a month and she was gentle at first but has started biting harder and even took a tiny chunk out of my finger, apparently she was objecting to being put back in her cage, but I'm not sure what else to do when she gets bitey. I call her my tiny blue alligator :)
 

Nancy B

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/6/17
Messages
2,265
Location
Massachusetts
Real Name
Nancy
I have a rose breasted cockatoo and for some reason nips my fiancee once or twice a day, followed by head bobbing. I am wondering if he thinks it's funny. It's not a bite, but a pinch, and thinking of creating a thread about it. It started when Fred started interacting and spending more time with me. Joe feels it somehow ruined his relationship with Fred :( I think it's excitement or teasing behavior. Even though he does put Fred down immediately. I also watch Fred and body language more than he does. If Freddy's Crest goes up and his tail fans, he's on his way to something and I need a place to put him. I did tell Joe to put him down just before it happened. Too late :(
@JLcribber @Macawnutz what do you think ?
 
Last edited:

Brittany0208

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/8/18
Messages
2,877
It could be defiance. Java nips me when he doesn't want to do something or doesn't like what I'm doing, but he REALLY chomps anyone else that presents their fingers. I think it's his way of saying, "no, I don't wanna!" or "stop that!"
 

Nancy B

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/6/17
Messages
2,265
Location
Massachusetts
Real Name
Nancy
It could be defiance. Java nips me when he doesn't want to do something or doesn't like what I'm doing, but he REALLY chomps anyone else that presents their fingers. I think it's his way of saying, "no, I don't wanna!" or "stop that!"
Hmm I wonder if that could be it....it happened right after dinner and Fred wanted to come to me, I held him for a few minutes and got him to step up onto Joe. Seconds later Joe got 2 nips, and Joe said he does that once or twice a day and it can happen out of the blue. The more I think about it, instead of handing Fred off to Joe, I probably would have been better off having Joe pick him up. That probably annoyed Fred.
 
Top