Cockatiel biting? Really?

[jb_avenue]

I've been reading "the good, bad, ugly" thread of cockatiels, and I'm puzzled by the comments of cockatiel biting.
My experience of parrots was a mini-macaw. That bird could clamp down on your thumb like a vice. Or punch a hole clear through your thumbnail.

A cockatiel seems like it would be much weaker. Does anyone have experience of both? How do they compare? By "bite", do they mean just a little pinch?

 

[Xoetix]

I don't have macaw experience to compare it to, but I do know when my tiel is of a mind (usually when I'm fighting him about something like having to trim his nails) he can definitely bite to hurt. He's not drawn blood, but I believe he certainly could if he really went at it.

 

[outmaww]

like all birds, it can just be a start when one bites you, and with cockatiels, you're more likely to put yourself in a position to be bit because you're not at worried about getting your thumbnail raked off lol

my tiels bites hurt, but they've never been real "bites." they're like warning nibbles, like "back off, i don't want company" bites. Barely even leave a dent -- so yes, more like a pinch. I've seen other tiels draw blood, though. those little beaks hold a lot of power. They're the same beaks as other parrots, just on a smaller scale.

 

[Mizzely]

I mean, anything with a mouth can bite.

And cockatiels still need to be able to use their beak to open seeds, tear apart wood to build nests, etc. So just because they are smaller doesn't mean they can't inflict a bad bite.

 

[sunnysmom]

I find generally cockatiels give many warning signs before actually biting. I have never been bitten by any cockatiel I have or worked with. Doesn't mean they can't bite, just usually aren't big biters. I have been beaked as a warning. And any bite can hurt, but it's not like they can cause a lot of damage like a big beak.

 

[April]

I've been bitten by Green Cheek Conures,Sun Conure,Senegal,Budgies,Goffins Cockatoo,Moluccan Cockatoo,Noble Macaw,Blue and Gold Macaw and a Cockatiel and not joking when I say the Tiels bite hurt me most of all. She sliced through my finger like a can opener and it took forever to heal.

 

[Xoetix]

I've been bitten by Green Cheek Conures,Sun Conure,Senegal,Budgies,Goffins Cockatoo,Moluccan Cockatoo,Noble Macaw,Blue and Gold Macaw and a Cockatiel and not joking when I say the Tiels bite hurt me most of all. She sliced through my finger like a can opener and it took forever to heal.

Really? I guessI should be glad Tteok hadn't decided to "really" bite me. The conure getting my through the sheet when I was moving them into the travel cage hurt badly enough, and when I had Burt the quaker he got me good a few times - those *huuuuurt*.

 

[Appolosmom]

I had put a mirror in coconuts cage just to see how it would react. Well absolutely loved it and was protective of it, and acted like it didn't want me to put my hand in it's cage so I took it out now it's fine. Go figure.

 

[April]

Really? I guessI should be glad Tteok hadn't decided to "really" bite me. The conure getting my through the sheet when I was moving them into the travel cage hurt badly enough, and when I had Burt the quaker he got me good a few times - those *huuuuurt*.

Oh yes I was quite shocked. I have a very high pain threshold and that bite hurt like a son of a gun. To put it in perspective the Goffins Too almost bit through my bottom lip and blood poured out of my mouth and my lip swelled up huge and that didn't hurt as bad.

 

[sunnysmom]

Elvis, goffin, has bit my knuckles and it almost dropped me to my knees. Lol. Milton, umbrella, almost bit the whole way through my ear. Bled like my ear had been cut off but didn't hurt that badly. Sometimes I think it's where the bite is that matters more.

 

[Shezbug]

I've been reading "the good, bad, ugly" thread of cockatiels, and I'm puzzled by the comments of cockatiel biting.
My experience of parrots was a mini-macaw. That bird could clamp down on your thumb like a vice. Or punch a hole clear through your thumbnail.

A cockatiel seems like it would be much weaker. Does anyone have experience of both? How do they compare? By "bite", do they mean just a little pinch?

I have been bitten by many tiels and budgies and have experienced more than my own fair share of B&G macaw bites over the past two years thanks to someone maturing into a poop head.
Sadly my list of bird species that I’ve been bitten by is getting pretty long lol.
It honestly baffles me at how many people seem genuinely troubled by a biting tiel, ripping a Band-Aid off hurts more than a serious tiel bite as far as I’m concerned lol.
Only time I found tiel bites to be slightly uncomfortable were when they got me next to the nail or in the webbing between fingers.

 

[Jaspersmum]

Mine gives a pretty good squeeze once in awhile. His beak is like a talon right now ... pretty sure he could give me a real good bite if he wanted. I think they know when it's too much. The level of bite marches their frustration. My phone makes him a level 6 lol. And my hands get it.

 

[Xoetix]

next to the nail

I swear that's where they aim. That's where Tteok gets me every dang time.

 

[AussieBird]

Sometimes I think it's where the bite is that matters more.

This is exactly what I was thinking the other day .

The only one of my birds* who has made me bleed is one (or two, I can't remember) of the girl budgies. Yeah, I haven't crossed the line with Quarter enough to deserve a proper bite apparently.
Emelia (budgie) actually bit me yesterday, and if I am looking at the correct mark on my hands it's still there and actually a little bruised She didn't break skin but it turned bright red and hurt.

*parrots, I am not going to count the chickens, they bite pretty savagely...

 

[Shezbug]

I swear that's where they aim. That's where Tteok gets me every dang time.

I am almost certain all budgie and tiel parents hand down the nail and webbing biting info to the young ones within their first week of life!

 

[haze]

My cockatiel bites HARD when he is upset with me. Usually when I'm trying to get him back into his cage so I can get somewhere on time. Sure, he can't break my bones, but every single time he bites me, it makes me bleed and it's quite painful. Usually you can avoid bites by reading their body language, but unfortunately, when I need to be at work in 20 minutes I don't usually have the time or patience to wait 30+ minutes for his mood to change, so I'm forced to get bitten in order to be allowed to leave the house on occasion.

EDIT: Please don't let this scare you away from tiels though! Keep in mind that I have never been bitten by a bird larger than a sun conure, so I'm sure what counts as a "painful" bird bite to me is much lower pain than say an amazon or cockatoo. My tiel's bites are for sure painful, but not like bring-me-to-my-knees pain, it's like stubbing your toe. It hurts the most right when it happens and it's very quick. Tiels don't like to hold onto the bite for multiple seconds like some larger birds will. Tiels tend to just bite, then let go and try to run away.