Ways to reduce mouthing/beaking?

[afallon7]

Hello! I have experience with ekkies and I've just taken in a young female SI from someone who wasn't prepared to handle her. She's about a year and a half old and very healthy.

She does seem to have issues with mouthing/beaking. This isn't an issue I've come across before, so any advice is appreciated.

She is definitely not biting. She's exploring with her mouth, but biting down hard and repeatedly. She especially does this to my neck/cheek area when she's on my shoulder. I have been gently telling her "No" and putting her on a perch for a few minutes when she does this. Are there better tips? Anything else I can do?

I strongly suspect she wasn't as well socialized as she could have been and I don't think she knows how to fly. I plan on working with her on these things. She came into our home only yesterday. I want to help get her on the right path as quickly as possible and help her get settled into our relationship on the right foot.

 

[BirdG1rl]

@Birdiemarie?
@Miss Annamarie?
Hopefully the members I tagged will be able to give you some info!

 

[BrianB]

A friend of mine has a male named Charlie that does this. He uses his beak to get your attention. When he comes into the store he passes the bird off to me and he hangs out on my shoulder for a while. It's great socialization for him. He will tap my ear with his beak to get my attention and I'll scratch his head or rub his beak. If he doesn't get it he starts to nibble on me. I let it go a little too far and didn't pay him any attention when I was talking to someone and he let me know he wanted my immediate attention. He chomped down on me hard enough to make my ear bleed. His dad chastised him and the next day when he came in, Charlie wouldn't even look at me. He eventually crawled over and put his head under my chin as if to say he was sorry.

Just be persistent with the training. It sounds like she wasn't well socialized and needs to have appropriate behavior reinforced. Personally, I make birds earn being on my shoulder. It's a privilege they have to work for, not just a place they can crawl up to when they want to be there. Target training and a long period of gentle touching with the beak is a good place to start. Reinforce it constantly. Putting her back on the perch and away from you is a good start.

 

[JornsBergenson]

If she's only been in the house for one day, she is probably stressed. I don't think you can make a judgement about her behavior or be able to make any corrections until you have some basic training/communication established with her. I'd recommend sticking that before letting her climb up around your shoulders and face.

 

[Shezbug]

@Birdiemarie?
@Miss Annamarie?
Hopefully the members I tagged will be able to give you some info!

Sorry to address this here as I know you mean well.

Please only tag members if you are totally certain they need tagging and can/will actually help the OP.
Tagging members who’ve not visited this site since 2015 isn’t helpful. It leaves the OP thinking that no one is willing to help them.

 

[BirdG1rl]

Sorry! I didn’t know how to check! I’m still getting used to the stuff on this forum!

 

[expressmailtome]

Sorry! I didn’t know how to check! I’m still getting used to the stuff on this forum!

If you are using a computer, just let your mouse hover over the member's username. A box will pop up that says when they were last on.