Young male budgie all up in my face

[Heron]

Hi, I haven’t been in the forum for awhile, eye surgeries put many areas of my life including reading and computer/ device time, on hold for the last couple of months. Another one is coming up so in between I’m looking for feedback.

On August 14 the day before my first surgery, I brought home a newly weaned budgie who was about 8-9 weeks old. It took six weeks to get him confident enough to interact with me. I named him Shiloh ( he is definitely a boy) as he was a shy boy. He has gotten used to me yet I don’t know if I’d say he’s bonding. My intention is to introduce him to my 39 week old female in another month or so, as I think she (and he) will be happier having a bird friend. I needed to quarantine him and was hoping to get some training going with him and get him more tame.

When Shiloh is out of his cage with me, he wants to spend his time as close to my face as he can and he is literally all up in my face and when I try and discourage him he gets nippy. He will also go up on my shoulder but then invariably moves down in front to my face. I am reluctant to allow shoulder time right now. He is slowly getting step up yet step down is still not happening. He just runs up my arm or flys off. He is clipped ( breeder clipped him before I brought him home ) yet he is s strong little guy and even with a clip can fly and gets height. It’s also challenging to get him to step up on a perch I’m working on that. In the meantime He just wants to be in my face when out of his cage which I don’t think is a healthy bird- human relationship. I distract him with toys, exploring etc... it works for a minute or two then back to wanting to be in my face.... nose and mouth are the big interests. He seems to think my nose is a beak. When I go to have him step up onto my finger to remove him, he bites the finger. He gets so pushy about it I have to end the out of cage interaction. I’m beginning to think that this handfed budgie missed out on some important social development steps while being handfed.

I am seeing an avian vet / behaviorist tomorrow with my hen and will ask him about this but wanted to see what folks here have to say.

Has anyone else had this experience and what did you do?
Thanks in advance for taking the time.

 

[Zara]

How does Shiloh react to your hen?

 

[Heron]

Hi @Zara, they are in separate rooms right now. I want to begin introducing yet need to ask the avian vet about it tomorrow. Jade, my hen had a health issue and so introductions needed to wait. I also wanted Shiloh to be quarantined for 60 days ( vets advice ).

 

[Lori D Pert]

Firstly why is being on your shoulder not OK? Secondly..congrats you have a bird that realizes that your face is your main point of contact. I understand not allowing him to get close to your saliva (very bad for birds) but your speech comes from there and a budgie that wants to know his owner will come to the part that they understand to be the most interactive and that is your face. Is he biting your face? Or is he only biting when you try to remeve him? To a budgie your hands and your face are 2 different entities. Those pesky hands are standing in the way of him bonding with your face. Nose is of interest as well, not sure why but bonded budgies interact with all your face. Eventually he will realize that your hands are also a part of you but as of now I must say that there are many people trying to tame their budgies who would be most happy to have a budgie want to be this close.

 

[Miss_sj]

I think it sounds like he just likes you! My little 8 month old boy loves to be in my face , and he wasn't handfed. He loves to be "nose to beak" for some reason. To me it sounds like he just wants to bond with you. I think when you introduce him to your hen, this might stop as he will be more interested in being with her

 

[Lori D Pert]

I think it sounds like he just likes you! My little 8 month old boy loves to be in my face , and he wasn't handfed. He loves to be "nose to beak" for some reason. To me it sounds like he just wants to bond with you. I think when you introduce him to your hen, this might stop as he will be more interested in being with her

Exactly right so enjoy him wanting to know you now as you may just miss this when it stops.

 

[Heron]

@Lori D Pert , thank you for commenting.
Yes, he has bitten my face. He has bitten my face while on my shoulder on different occasions. One of the times I realized he really just wanted to go back to his cage. I just didn’t know, the bite was the only signal I got. Of course he only did what he knows to to. He will also bite when I try to remove him from my shoulder.

Other times I have no idea, he isn’t interested in going back to his cage and he is clear that he wants to be on my shoulder near my face, but still bit.

Trying to figure it out. That is the reason I am reluctant to allow shoulder time until I understand what’s going on. I don’t want to reinforce biting.

He hasn't broken skin ( and maybe won’t ever be strong enough to do so) but he will latch on when he bites and not let go. I don’t think tug of war between his beak and my finger, cheek or ear is a good thing at all.

He plays with my fingers and when playing is very gentle. He seems to clearly know the difference between I’m playing with you with my beak and I’m biting you to send a message.

Although I love shoulder time with my birds I don’t want to be bitten in the face. Actually I prefer in general to be bitten as few times as possible.

I understand that to him my hands and face are different entities. I am working on getting him used to my hands and out of cage perches. I also realize that a budgie will want to bond with the face where the voice and expressions are.

I am trying to figure out ways to have healthy boundaries with him and not inadvertently reinforce negative behaviors like biting while bonding.

 

[Lori D Pert]

Yes, understood. Biting can be playful or it can mean business? He means business. So should you. I am not of the school to ignore a hard bite as they don't know any better. Well they need to learn better. My little girl used to bite my lip and cause a bruise. A budgie!! Caused a bruise.... When she did this I would drop my arm (that she was sitting on) so she lost balance. Then she was put away from me. She flew back (little hens are persistent) but each time the same consequence. Suddenly at about 4 months the bites got to be a tickle. Hmmm...was she just gentle for today or was this something different? Well it was something different. She has not bitten me since, but does like to tickle my nose, lips and even my eyelids. If I jerk, she stops as if to say..too hard? So they can learn and providing a consequence can work.

 

[Heron]

@Miss_sj , I am enjoying the time. he is a fun, sweet birdie.
I expect that he will prefer Jade to me. Actually I got him so she will have a friend. She may decide she prefers him to me as well. That’s all good. They each have a large cage of their own and if they become good friends I can connect the cages.

It will most likely be another month before I introduce them. I am hoping we get to be better friends during that time and get him used to stepping up and down.

Just wanted to know if other folks had similar experiences and if there are ways to get him not to bite while bonding.

 

[Heron]

Thanks @Lori D Pert. I appreciate the input. The only reason I don’t just let him on my shoulder is the biting. If I take him off and if he bites my hand, he is put away from me. Glad that worked with your hen. Yes little hens are persistent. Seems like boys are too. Seems like I’m on the right track....going to take a little time. I m home most of the time and am lucky too have the time for them. Obviously I was not at all clear about the problem in my first post.... I was not clear if allowing so much close face time was giving him mixed messages and thus reinforcing biting as a way to communicate.

 

[Lori D Pert]

No worries, I understand where you are coming from. Budgies will take the initiative unless corrected. I'm sure he is getting a great kick out of biting you. Thing is biting your face is never acceptable (it hurts) but biting your hand is where you get to teach him. Don't let him near your face, but DO let him on your hand. When he bites..drop your hand down like an airplane in a nosedive..lol. It will put him off balance. Then put him on your hand again and if it it happens again..same thing. When he no longer bites your hand, try your face but keep it brief. If it seems like a bite is near...nosedive. Then when bites have stopped, try your face again. I know, I know, but just once...if it isn't a hard bite..relax, they like to taste, but if it is...start again.

 

[JaneLane]

Your budgie is hand raised? Well honestly his clingy behavior is normal. Babies who have been fully handraised by breeders, at least in my experience, are raised in a way that they seem to believe they are either human or that humans are birds. For most people this is desirable which is why it is done. This can be negated during the rearing process by having siblings to play with, budgies and cockatiels are very intelligent but when they are hand raised it seems to do something to them in regards to their social interactions with other birds. It is usually not noticeable unless you look closely.
It is important to remember hand-raised birds were adopted and raised by humans and as such many like humans more and some do not have bird skills to make friends with other birds keyword some not all, your budgie may snap out of it.

Parent raised birds understand fully that they are birds, hand raised birds sometimes do not. But that is okay! I love my birds and I am happy to be there for them to be their friends.
Does he bite very hard? Budgies, like many birds, like to feel things with their tongues because they have no hands. They also bite each other gently as a way of affection, like nibbling on each other feather to clean each other. I would still discourage this because it could lead to hard biting. Ban him from your shoulder and when he bites, place him on a perch, turn your back immediately so he gets no attention. Then he will learn "If I bite, I get ignored."

I once had a budgie who thought biting people was the funniest thing, he would bite people and literally laugh. I have learned that budgie's have a twisted sense of humor, when her cage was in the living room, Amelia would laugh when people tripped and fell. She also laughs in a scarily woman-like voice sometimes when she is alone in the dark for no apparent reason (which is very creepy) So that may be why he is biting you does he laugh after biting your face? Either way ignore him and it should help.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Hi Kendra @Heron - So interesting reading about your interactions with your Shiloh. He sounds like a sweetie. Did you go to the behaviorist? What did they say? Do you have any photos to share?