Hi—new Parrotlet owner here, just brought her home last weekend. Hand fed and five months old. No problems, will step up on finger etc. However, she’ll be hanging out on a shoulder and then start biting my face/neck. It’s odd to me because she’s not otherwise giving signals of being threatened. Any idea what’s causing this or solution? My teenager was hoping to have a bird to hang out with while doing homework etc. thanks!
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Biting Question
- Thread starter cutiger89
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- Monique
All birds bite. We just need to decrease that behavior as much as we can. Are you sure she wants to be up there? Try keeping her off your shoulder and see if that helps.
She hops up on the shoulder willingly. Sits for a bit then starts exploring, then bam the bite. Will move around, explore, then bite. Had cockatiels in the past with only the occasional bite and I knew about Parrotlet reputation, but wow those can sting! Thank you for the response.
bonjourtok
Meeting neighbors
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I've heard parrotlets referred to as vampire birds 
sunnysmom
Ripping up the road
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I am wondering if she's getting bored? Parrotlets are busy little birds. They sell parrot necklaces that they can chew on. Trying to remember where I've seen them. My Safe Bird Store maybe? I wonder if something like that would help.
fashionfobie
Biking along the boulevard
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I can't say a parrotlet would be that patient. I have two! They are little sassy pants and love to get into mischief
Parrotlets are sometimes advertised as "pocket parrots" who want to snuggle all day long. The reality is they are very independent adult animals. I find them more independent than any of my other birds. I think the proposal that she is bored is a good guess.
Agree, it appears to be boredom. Now she plays with my daughters hair for a while before becoming vampire bird lol. At that point we just put her on the play perch and she is pretty content until flying back over to us. Then the process starts again.
NorthernGannet
Sprinting down the street
I have a 5 y/o female who hates my hands but is like a piece of velcro on my shoulder and arm much of the time when she's out. She flies over of her own will and hangs out, loves riding around, tries to eat my food, will eat my hair, snuggle in it sometimes, etc. She sounds lovely, right? Yeah, she's not. At any given moment she's likely to bite! Sometimes there are warnings like certain noises she makes first. But I've learned that many times her biting me, which usually draws blood, is actually displaced aggression. Something around is aggravating her, and she takes it out on the nearest thing, which is wherever she's perching. She seems very sensitive to her surroundings, very protective, so the things that bother her are not always obvious to me. It can be something as simple as a loud or obnoxious noise from the tv.
Another time she will do this biting (usually no blood for these, just sharp nips): when she thinks she's warning me of some perceived danger.
Despite having zero nesty things in her cage, she is much much much worse about this behavior during late winter all through the spring! It is much longer than "a couple weeks" and is very trying. Hopefully yours will not be so bad as mine once she matures. For several months this year I could not allow her to hang out on me at all because of the biting. But then suddenly boom she was back to her more normal self and she's allowed on me once again.
I hope my girl is an extreme example.
Another time she will do this biting (usually no blood for these, just sharp nips): when she thinks she's warning me of some perceived danger.
Despite having zero nesty things in her cage, she is much much much worse about this behavior during late winter all through the spring! It is much longer than "a couple weeks" and is very trying. Hopefully yours will not be so bad as mine once she matures. For several months this year I could not allow her to hang out on me at all because of the biting. But then suddenly boom she was back to her more normal self and she's allowed on me once again.
I hope my girl is an extreme example.
Birbman9
Walking the driveway
I find my birds think freckles are seeds and will bite my neck and arm and everywhere they find a freckle they like. 
Parrotlets are little Amazons. Lol
I agree with the others, make a toy necklace if you can’t find one to buy. That might help keep her from getting bored.
It does take a while for them to get comfortable enough to relax for longer periods while hanging out on your shoulder. Even hand fed babies will need time to see you are ‘safe’.
I agree with the others, make a toy necklace if you can’t find one to buy. That might help keep her from getting bored.
It does take a while for them to get comfortable enough to relax for longer periods while hanging out on your shoulder. Even hand fed babies will need time to see you are ‘safe’.
