Oh God it's my fault isn't it..?

[Ocha_Tuna]

I'm not sure whether to put this in training or behavior category but I chose the latter.
So this is about my hand fed baby masked lovebird named Tuna.
He was very cuddly in his early days, I could cup him in my hand and stroke his head and cheek and he would be napping in heaven.
I think it started when he starts becoming nippy, biting my finger, my ears, my nephew, and my grandma to bleed (but she screams a lot and panics when he perch on her so I think she agitated him).
Due to some bad information I was taught to: tap his head or beak when he is being naughty.
Surprise surprise he just bites more...
I used to be able to poke my finger through the aviary bar and give him a scratch on his beak and cheek and he would enjoy them. But now he lunges at the pointing finger.

I have learned to remove the trigger so I never point at him again. He still, fortunately, has no issue with coming to my hand, or letting me kiss him. Still I do miss being able to scratch his soft hamster like head - its quite therapeutic.

Is this because of him growing up? That he does not want cuddles from his parent figure anymore and would rather be with his buddy? He does get cheek scratch from my green bird Ocha, but only briefly, and then he attacks him. He never return the favor too tbh. So what is this about?

 

[Ocha_Tuna]

Will I be able to teach him to accept scratch again? Maybe wait for him to molt and ask for it? Or just accept the fact he's personally just not cuddly as an adult..?

 

[sunnysmom]

@Zara ? I don't know a lot about sexing lovies. Are you sure he is a "he"?

 

[Ocha_Tuna]

@Zara ? I don't know a lot about sexing lovies. Are you sure he is a "he"?

Currently 80% sure. Because his other sibling, his sister, is already laying an egg. While he hasn't

 

[scrape]

Maybe start training the pointed finger to be a positive thing.
I've found the best thing to work for me is to give them a choice. Offer to scratch their head, but let them say no. And be aware of body language signs that mean he is asking for a head scratch (for example: bowed head). But, ask as much as you want, as long as you can take a subtle no.
He'll probably come around from what it sounds like, just try to retrain fingers as a positive thing
BTW he is so adorable. Is he going to get a full black mask or stay like that?

 

[Ocha_Tuna]

Maybe start training the pointed finger to be a positive thing.
I've found the best thing to work for me is to give them a choice. Offer to scratch their head, but let them say no. And be aware of body language signs that mean he is asking for a head scratch (for example: bowed head). But, ask as much as you want, as long as you can take a subtle no.
He'll probably come around from what it sounds like, just try to retrain fingers as a positive thing
BTW he is so adorable. Is he going to get a full black mask or stay like that?

Thank you! While I do think full black face is gorgeous contrast to his blue, no he will remain grayish-brown like a hamster like that. Apparently the black already develops from a very young age.

I hoped to reprogram his despise for my pointing finger indeed. I guess point and offer treat / click right? As for offering scratch I really don't know how, I can only hope he would bow like you said. He's done it in the past, he loved the attention.

Theres also the excessive biting. Which I am still working on but I think I'm making good progress by relocating him on a perch and then turn my back on him i could've sworn he paused to think of what just happened as of today there hasn't been any serious bite.

 

[Zara]

How old is Tuna? I noticed my little ones would go through a more nippy stage, while exploring their beaks, with ignoring them and not creating a drama or game from the biting, it later went away. Though Personata group (eyering type) lovebirds (Fischeri and Personatus) are known to be more nippy than Peach faced lovebirds.

I think I'm making good progress by relocating him on a perch and then turn my back on him

Try not to take him far, put him on the nearest safe surface.

Will I be able to teach him to accept scratch again?

No one can tell you that. You will just have to see. Even some birds like scritches and help with pins during moulting, others despise it. My ¨eldest¨ bird Sydney likes scritches, though did not for many years, or as a baby really.

I used to be able to poke my finger through the aviary bar and give him a scratch on his beak and cheek and he would enjoy them. But now he lunges at the pointing finger.

As well as birds tend to not like pointed fingers pointed at them, some don´t like things coming in the bars. Sydney is the sweetest bird ever, he really is, but boy keep your fingers out his cage bars, he´s fine with hands in the cage, but there is something about soming through the bars with him.

Currently 80% sure. Because his other sibling, his sister, is already laying an egg. While he hasn't

Means nothing. Adélie laid an egg at 6 months old, her same clutch sister only laid after she turned 1, her previous clutch sister laid at 14 months. Some lay later than others.

While I do think full black face is gorgeous contrast to his blue, no he will remain grayish-brown like a hamster like that.

He has a very interesting mask. The colour looks Fischeri but the placement is Personatus.
Could Tuna be A FxP hybrid or is this some sort of Personatus mutation @expressmailtome ?

 

[expressmailtome]

He has a very interesting mask. The colour looks Fischeri but the placement is Personatus.
Could Tuna be A FxP hybrid or is this some sort of Personatus mutation @expressmailtome ?

It certainly looks it, although I have never seen a blue-series Fischer and black-masked hybrid before, only the natural color.

 

[Ocha_Tuna]

How old is Tuna? I noticed my little ones would go through a more nippy stage, while exploring their beaks, with ignoring them and not creating a drama or game from the biting, it later went away. Though Personata group (eyering type) lovebirds (Fischeri and Personatus) are known to be more nippy than Peach faced lovebirds.

Try not to take him far, put him on the nearest safe surface.

No one can tell you that. You will just have to see. Even some birds like scritches and help with pins during moulting, others despise it. My ¨eldest¨ bird Sydney likes scritches, though did not for many years, or as a baby really.

As well as birds tend to not like pointed fingers pointed at them, some don´t like things coming in the bars. Sydney is the sweetest bird ever, he really is, but boy keep your fingers out his cage bars, he´s fine with hands in the cage, but there is something about soming through the bars with him

He has a very interesting mask. The colour looks Fischeri but the placement is Personatus.
Could Tuna be A FxP hybrid or is this some sort of Personatus mutation @expressmailtome ?

Tuna is born December 2019, so let's say 9 months!
If this is just a phase I'm willing to tough it out

Haha yes I have been told that the eyerings are smaller but more ballsy type. Its interesting actually how they differ even though closely related...

Alright even if Tuna turns out to be a girl, I still would not let her mate with Ocha who is a pf. There are no nest box to be safe. And Ocha is not at all interested in mating him.

I suspect he is a hybrid. I saw his parents, both are personatus and even his blue dad has black head. I suppose this is traced back from his grandparent..

 

[Zara]

I would just hang in there and see what progresses in terms of scritches. Keep offering, but if he´s not up for it, then it is what it is.
Carry on with the ignoring for a minute with the biting - now is the time to ingrain it on him that biting is not appreciated.

I still would not let her mate with Ocha who is a pf.

Mating is not an issue. If they ever do hit it off they can enjoy an active sex life - it´s the breeding you don´t want to allow.

Goals would be; that the birds are happy, can coexist in the same room, enjoy shared flight time and not be biting the human too much
Please keep us updated

 

[finchly]

With our birds, we wiggle our finger in a scratching motion and say “scritches?” And they get to choose.

You have to honor their wishes though.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

He’s still quite a young little fellow, so perhaps with time and consistency he will allow the head scritches again.

5 of our 8 lovebirds will meet my finger through the cage bars with gentle nibbles. It’s my way of saying hello and giving them contact when I can’t immediately hold them.