skin/scab picking

[shel]

No, Beaker is not picking at himself. He is picking me. I have a small scab on my chin which he tries to pull off every day.
I can ignore that. Unfortunately I have a cold sore on my top lip and he decided that it MUST be removed.

Why does he do this? Is there any way to stop it?

Thanks,
Shel

 

[lupe]

Actually my U2 loves to pick at any skin tag, mole ....sometimes in the morning
when I wake up with extra skin on my lips he'll pick at that too... I imagine
they want to keep up us groomed...

 

[LaSelva]

“Instinct tells birds that any type of foreign substance on their feathers can affect insulation, water proofing or the appearance they need to maintain to attract a mate and survive. Imperfections or abnormalities are not tolerated; birds will make every attempt to remove them. They groom their mates, too, which is why our pet birds are always helping themselves to our hair pins and earrings. We've got something "wrong" with us and they just want to help!”

By James Harris– the owner and medical director of the Mayfair Veterinary Clinic in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia.

 

[shel]

thank you both. that's what i thought.

 

[tozie12]

i think a cold sore is herpes simplex virus. i would not let him near it. i dont know if the virus is transferable between species but wouldnt want to take any chances at all.


and oh yeah! all mine will remove ANY imperfection if i would let them! nothing more distressing than my caique playing in my tshirt and finding a 'mole' that he needs to remove. i dont let him in my shirt when i'm not wearing a bra anymore.

 

[Mizzely]

Try having freckles

Can you use a bandaid when you are interacting with him?

 

[Anne & Gang]

Have fun trying to get them to stop...The dermatologist up here wanted 350.00 to remove a rather large skin tag from me (up here medicare is free but certain cosmetic procedures are not)....but Sam, my tiel, did it for nothing one day...yup...ow oww.

 

[InvaderNugget]

I no longer wear earrings because Kiwi would always be on a mission to remove both sleepers one after the other. Both my birds will pick at any pimple I get and try to remove my septum piercing too.
I highly doubt there is a way to stop this as it is a natural behaviour for them to preen their companions, we'll just have to accept it's what they do lol

 

[shel]

yeah, that's what i thought. just checking. thanks everyone for the replies!