Wonder why he lunges at me

[tozie12]

this really more and more sounds like a bird who's 'playing' with you. it sounds like he truly enjoys your company. now the bites, maimings, and intimidation behaviors? well, who the heck knows what a bird is thinking??? i know ollie lunges to get my attention. he's not TRYING to hurt me. i just think W is playing with you the only way he knows how. poor lil guy... his social skills are somewhat lacking.

 

[roxynoodle]

I have a weird one for you. Sometimes Pete lunges and it's because he wants affection and attention! That took me a few weeks to figure out. First thing in the morning I'm putting in his breakfast and getting him fresh water and he's lunging at my hands as I do the bowls. And I was just like, what are you mad at? He's not cage territorial so it didn't really make sense. It turned out he wanted me to talk to him and give him a kiss.

 

[Fuzzy]

Kobe used to lunge at me and sometimes fly at my face whenever I walked past his cage - it was worse when he was "in season" and in the mornings. Plus eye contact used to make it worse. I think it was because I was passing by too near to him for his then comfort - but space was tight so I couldn't help it. Plus I know it was further reinforced by the dramatic reaction he got. So I moved the location of his cage so I don't have to pass right by him all the time. He's been fine since, plus I am now ultra careful to avoid him having to lunge at me.

I usually slot in his food bowls when he's away from the cage since that also induced lunging and chasing. When I do have to slot in a food bowl with him in the vicinity, I provide no eye contact and come in at a lower level than him to show I am not a threat. I have a chair beside his cage and I usually approach sideways or even backwards to sit on that then slot the bowl in then immediately leave - no eye contact. Silence too, since speaking could also induce a lunge - I say my kind words as I leave. Slowly I will start introducing more speaking, quick eye contact and straightening up until I can approach his cage normally. But my goal is to make sure there is no need for him to lunge - I want him out of the habit.

I think it is absolutely possible to get them out of the habit of doing undesirable behaviours. Kobe used to bite me a LOT before I started learning about behaviour. It took perhaps a year and a half to work on that habit in different situations - for example I couldn't skritch his head through the bars of the cage, without him suddenly turning and drawing blood. We worked at this particular scenario for maybe a year (slowly, slowly increasing the skritch time and leaving before any reaction from him) and now I can always skritch his head through the bars of the cage for as long as he or I like, in complete confidence that I won't be nailed. I have noticed that it now seems alien for Kobe to bite - I have pushed him slightly as a tester recently and he just mouthed my finger briefly whereas I can tell you in the olden days I would be minus a finger. The only time he ever bites now is when the doorbell rings and he happens to be on me - he gets overexcited and can't help himself.

You know Wasabi, I can only tell you my experience with Kobe. It's not fun living with a bird who lunges and bites - and a big one at that!

 

[Stormcloud]

At one point when I was talking to him he squatted down and started to shiver his wings. That's usually an invite to play. Man, I really thought he was going to jump me. I could just imagine the blood. Mine. But hey, he went back into the cage on his own and I did not have to do anything. Woo hoo.

If either of my male parrots do this it is not an invitation to play. I've always seen this as a territorial threat display. Here's Hototo squatted down on his perch. He pulls his feathers in tight, makes himself as long as possible and holds his wings slightly out from his body and shivers them. It is his way of saying look how big, fit and strong I am. It's also his way of saying "This is my territory and don't come in here if you know what is good for you". In this case it was being directed towards a bird out in the front garden.

 

[tozie12]

I have a weird one for you. Sometimes Pete lunges and it's because he wants affection and attention! That took me a few weeks to figure out. First thing in the morning I'm putting in his breakfast and getting him fresh water and he's lunging at my hands as I do the bowls. And I was just like, what are you mad at? He's not cage territorial so it didn't really make sense. It turned out he wanted me to talk to him and give him a kiss.

that's what ollie does, tho sometimes he's so excited to get the attention he actually WILL bite if i'm not careful but i'm sure its not a 'i wanna kill you' bite, its more of an i'm so excited i cant contain myself!!!! <chomp>



weird birds. but ya gotta love 'em.