Topic awaiting preservation: OUCH!!!

That's right! My bird bites! She's a female Indian Ring Neck. We've had her for like half a year now, bought her from some other dude who just wanted to get rid of her... now I know why :S

Anyways with my mom abroad and all it's my duty to give her food every day and clean up her cage. She never said anything to my mom but to me and just about everyone else in the house she's brutal! She bites non stop. Whenever my bother walks past her cage she jumps right at him even though he's miles apart from her she still tries to get a bite! She's even more deadly in the morning, all that stuff is about the rest of the day! She bites grabs on and just starts fiddling around twisting here and there! She's was like this even when my mother was around. If anyone thinks this biting habit is in a mourne for my mom... don't! Because SHE'S A MENACE!!!

But after all that she sits down in one corner of her cage and tries to get the attention of the bitten by some weird and mostly cute calls and whistles. And if the bitten doesn't respond she doesn't eat, drink or even sleep till that person says something to her.Sshe just hangs on to the side of her cage like cliffhanger and starts flapping her wings again to get that bitten to pay attention!!

Question: What do I do to get her to stop biting?!? She's cleared out all the band aids we have in the house! I've gotta go get a few new packs now!!

Side Note: She's roughly a year old but we've had her for 6 months, just if you were wondering. (I've posted similar posts on a couple of other boards to see what I get)

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Oh wait! Didn't I post something similar to this here?



Sorry

You can get rid of this post if you want

Gee this is embarassing... oh well atleast I got a couple of extra posts!

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(Edited by templar654 on 03-21-2005 04:45)

No luck yet, eh?

Sounds like an aggressive little sucker. Was it caught in the wild or did it just have a bad previous owner? Either could play a huge factor, the former being more challenging. Has it gotten worse over time? If yes, you are doing something wrong. Sounds like your family had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Don't feel bad, not many people do.

My best advice, as I probably gave before is patience, patience, patience. Do not lose your temper, they can sense anger and will act in what they see as self-defense to a threat. Remain calm at all times. Never hit the cage. Never hit the bird. Never commit any violence directed toward or at the bird. You must earn the trust of the bird. They have very good memories, so once you do you must keep it.

If the bird is in a heavily trafficked area of the house and your family has arguments or anything of that nature, consider relocation.

I suggest picking up a book on bird psychology or scouring the web for similar resources also.

One other thing, what type of diet are you keeping the bird on?

I broke my bird by doing something very simple over about a six month period. She loves to be out of her cage, so every time she bit or did something I didn't want her to do, I immediately put her in her cage, covered her, and shut off the lights for an hour or so. Eventually she made the connection. (note the emphasis on immediately, they must know why they are being punished)

btw, you think a little beaked indian ringneck hurts try a sulphur crested cockatoo. My bird is able to crack open brazil nuts with ease so needless to say I have battle scars.

There's some complete books dedicated to bird psychology
The people writing them must have a fascinating life.

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Ramasax said:

Was it caught in the wild or did it just have a bad previous owner?

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Well we bought it from some other guy who was in a hurry to sell her. So I can't say anything there and yes it has gotten worse over time. She says absolutely nothing to my mom because as soon as my mom opens the cage door she runs towards her to let her grab her. But everyone else! The scars just never seem to heal!!

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Ramasax said:

Do not lose your temper, they can sense anger and will act in what they see as self-defense to a threat. Remain calm at all times. Never hit the cage. Never hit the bird. Never commit any violence directed toward or at the bird. You must earn the trust of the bird.

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Then I guess my brother's behaviour to the bird is a no no!!

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Ramasax said:

If the bird is in a heavily trafficked area of the house and your family has arguments or anything of that nature, consider relocation.

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I'll have to think about that...

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Ramasax said:

One other thing, what type of diet are you keeping the bird on?

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Almonds, Cashews and Pistashews are her favs. Other than that we give her Apples, Carrots (adores them), some Bread for those carbohydrates, other kinds of fruits like Pears etc and most of all and she loves them Chillies! They say the more you feed a parrot chillies the more better it's vocal abilities become and so far so good she can say her name really clearly when before it was a long whistle!

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Ramasax said:

I broke my bird by doing something very simple over about a six month period. She loves to be out of her cage, so every time she bit or did something I didn't want her to do, I immediately put her in her cage, covered her, and shut off the lights for an hour or so. Eventually she made the connection. (note the emphasis on immediately, they must know why they are being punished)

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This I'll try. Let's see her bite now!

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Ramasax said:

btw, you think a little beaked indian ringneck hurts try a sulphur crested cockatoo. My bird is able to crack open brazil nuts with ease so needless to say I have battle scars.

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ouch...

Ok so this post wasn't a big embarasment after all!

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poi said:

There's some complete books dedicated to bird psychology
The people writing them must have a fascinating life.

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What's wrong with writting books for bird brains?!?

This is my Signature ----- Laughter is not an option... it is a motive!

Signature BEGINS NOW!!

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Damn Double Post

(Edited by LaSun on 03-21-2005 13:48)

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There's some complete books dedicated to bird psychology

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* chuckling discreetly * (trying, anyway.. )

ok i can't laugh. i killed two beautiful goldfish after only 3 weeks of owning them. maybe i shouldn't have scoffed so hard at complete books dedicated to the psychology of airpumps and water changes ... hmmm....

templar654:

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What's wrong with writting books for bird brains?!?

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You certainly means "about bird's brain", as few birds do read books

However, there's nothing utterly wrong about these books. They increase the incomes of their authors, and can incidentally help you calm down your cannibal bird.



(Edited by poi on 03-21-2005 14:26)

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poi said:

templar654:quote:What's wrong with writting books for bird brains?!?
You certainly means "about bird's brain", as few birds do read books

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poi: The term "bird brain" is slang for "idiot."

Speaking of goldfish, my sister won one for me at a carnival once, and the crazy thing lived for 2 years. And it would have kept living but I flushed it, since we were going on vacation and nobody would take care of it for me, and I couldn't just leave it to starve.

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"Consider a simple room with only four walls, a ceiling and a floor. Can you see it in your mind?s eye? You better not be able to; I haven?t specified a light source yet." - Paul Nettle

(Edited by Iron Wallaby on 03-21-2005 15:16)

DISCOVERY!!!!!

My bird is afraid of red!!!! The color... I know there are a couple of people out there who'd take red for something else!!

Anyways, we have a red colored viper and a red colored broom oh not to mention a red carpet and she starts screaming each time she comes near them... would this have something to do with her, as poi has termed out, cannibalistic acts! Especially with the thought that the room she's in has a red rug... oh wait... all the rooms in our house have red rugs! THERE'S NO WHERE TO TURN!!! I'M STUCK WITH A CANNIBAL BIRD FOREVER!!

Although I have put some thought into the stuffing of the bird in a dark corner on bitting idea Ramasax pointed out gee I'm excited I'm finally going to get revenge for all those scars... oh here's another one... band aid!!

Plus I was reading this article on clicker training and it said to take notice of what's most dear to the animal and use that as either a distraction or a means of punishment if it comes to that. I noticed she really likes to sit on this little perch I made for her I can put it in or take it out of the cage conviniently from the outside thereby thwarting her efforts for attack!! Is that a good idea you know the using the perch for a punishment? Wouldn't that make matters worse as in she hating me more for taking it away?? Am I doomed to live with a cannibalisticly insane parrot for all of eternity?? Why am I even posting this question here in a place where people smell their hair and is originally a Graphics/Web Development forum?! Questions questions questions! This bird has placed me in quite a dilema!

This is my Signature ----- Laughter is not an option... it is a motive!

Signature BEGINS NOW!!

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I wish I saw your face when you realized that your Howlibird is afraid by the color red and saw everywhere in the house is ... red.

hehe i was imagining templar walking into the room with a red cap on ... or a red jacket...

IW's got the best solution i've heard so far for the 'howlibird' problem: flush tweety down the toilet. hahaha.

birds are usually are not afraid of colors. actually........they aren't. They *are* however, attracted to colors such as red. they like to use bright colors such as red during mating season to decorat the house to impress the females

the bird may have been abused.

best thing to do, give the bird away if it's too much for you to take to train the bird. If training the bird is what you want to do, then call a very respectable local vets office and ask them for an animal behavorlist's number. these are the "bird psychologists" Yep this is a true profession

don't hurt the bird though. more than likely it was abused before or just neglected which is worse. the poor bird probably just doesn't know what to do with people being around.

Later,

C:\

CPrompt: Indeed the term animal behavorist is more accurate than animal psychologists. Animals rarely lay down on a couch to talk about their childhood.

templar654: What happens when you approach your finger again while she's trying to get attention ? Does she bite it again, or does she caress/lick it ? If she don't bite again, you should take this opportunity to gain her trust and show her that you're not a menace to her. On the other hand have tried to caress her in the same purpose.

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Templar: Then I guess my brother's behaviour to the bird is a no no!!

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It only makes them worse. I was very impatient when I first got my bird, thought yelling at it would have the same effect as with a dog. That just made her yell back, louder. Another wonderful cockatoo trait, wretched screeching.

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CPrompt: birds are usually are not afraid of colors. actually........they aren't. They *are* however, attracted to colors such as red.

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Very true. My bird has never shown any reaction to specific colors, shiny things she loves though, earrings, necklaces for instance. In my experience it be certain objects themselves which starle and scare them, not the colors.

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poi: Indeed the term animal behavorist is more accurate than animal psychologists. Animals rarely lay down on a couch to talk about their childhood.

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lol, poor choice of words on my part. Behaviorist is more or less what I meant. But yes, there are books and people dedicated to such a profession. They are very complex animals.

Ramasax

Well I think her last owner wasn't a very nice guy. I don't have any contact info of the dude or I'd ask him what's up with the bird. Poor little birdy

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poi said:

templar654: What happens when you approach your finger again while she's trying to get attention ? Does she bite it again, or does she caress/lick it ? If she don't bite again, you should take this opportunity to gain her trust and show her that you're not a menace to her. On the other hand have tried to caress her in the same purpose.

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Actually when she wants some attention and I approch her she starts to play around with me. She climbs up her cage to the top and places her beak on the edge. That's like a signal that she wants some petting. I stroke her beak a few times and start playing around with her patting her head now and then and when she's not looking I'd stroke her belly she starts laughing when I do that but after that it becomes more of a deul than ordinary play! She tries to grab onto my finger as I stroke her.

LaSun: I hate the color red that's why I have no such clothing in that color although I do like maroon and I think me birdy likes it too. I got this nice maroon T-Shirt that when I wear she want's me to sit right next to her for as long as I can. Red on the other hand she goes crazy when she sees that although I think she's learnt to adapt to the red carpeting in the house. Doesn't screech that much now.

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Ramasax said:

Very true. My bird has never shown any reaction to specific colors, shiny things she loves though, earrings, necklaces for instance. In my experience it be certain objects themselves which starle and scare them, not the colors.

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There's a similar case for me birdy. She just loves mirrors that's why I've attached a little mirror to that perch I made for her. She just looks in the mirror and starts talking to it and laughing. I think she see's another parrot there but after sometime she get's kind of sad. I think it's because the mirror is on the outside of the cage and she thinks that the parrot is free while she's in the cage. Besides the reflection never responds. She does though get happy when I sit behind the mirror and start making bird calls!

CPrompt: If birds aren't afraid of colors than I guess it's mating season! She gets kind of frisky with the paper lining in her cage, tears it up when she's alone or in a bad mood either that or it's just some new past time she's acquired!

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CPrompt said:

best thing to do, give the bird away if it's too much for you to take to train the bird. If training the bird is what you want to do, then call a very respectable local vets office and ask them for an animal behavorlist's number. these are the "bird psychologists&quot;

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I wouldn't even dream of something like that! Give her away!! She's like a part of the family now. I go outside and keep wondering if she's ok or not! I mean just look at the pictuers I took of her!


This one might make a nice ad for NOKIA!


Too much flash...


PARROT FROM MARS!!!

Now tell me she isn't adorable!
You might be wondering why we have wrapped her in that towel. Well so far with out my mom it's the only way to get her out of the cage!!

Will keep updated on Mithu's progress. (We call her mithu, it's urdu for sweety also she loves anything sweet!)

This is my Signature ----- Laughter is not an option... it is a motive!

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(Edited by templar654 on 03-22-2005 16:44)

okay the bird is cute. awwwwwww ..... looks nothing like a deadly maniac

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LaSun said:

okay the bird is cute. awwwwwww ..... looks nothing like a deadly maniac

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You have no idea...

This is my Signature ----- Laughter is not an option... it is a motive!

Signature BEGINS NOW!!

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hehe, that bird looks mischevous to me. Cute though. I almost purchased one of those.

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Actually when she wants some attention and I approch her she starts to play around with me. She climbs up her cage to the top and places her beak on the edge. That's like a signal that she wants some petting. I stroke her beak a few times and start playing around with her patting her head now and then and when she's not looking I'd stroke her belly she starts laughing when I do that but after that it becomes more of a deul than ordinary play! She tries to grab onto my finger as I stroke her.

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Sounds to me like the bird likes you, a lot. I see no lack of trust issues in that description. Watch her eyes as she bites, what is she looking at? Pinpoint pupil dilation can also show you that she is zeroing in for a strike. Remember the movements, the body-language, remember circumstances in which it happens, look for a pattern. There is a reason. I am no expert, and only speak from experience, but again, your bird sounds happy. Just keep your brother away, perhaps it is fear of him which causes biting. In the wild, if a stubborn mate, in this case you, does not see the same threat, a parrot will often bite its mate as a means of saying, "Hey, danger, run!"

It could also be hormonal. Hgih hormones, increased aggression.

Oh, and did I mention to never shriek and pull away when the bird bites. This may sound hard to do, but grit your teeth and bear it. You may not realize it, but by doing so you reinforce their actions.

Another possible cause:

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Second article below: In the wild, birds "get up" at sunrise and go to bed at sunset but in a home environment many birds are subjected to long hours of "daylight" with artificial lighting, television etc. They become stressed through lack of rest and may become cranky. Covering the bird's cage to ensure it gets 12 hours of sleep is essential.

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See, not an easy problem to diagnose, you are pretty much on you own. We have discussed many of the reasons here, but it is up to you to figure out the puzzle. Here are some links right up your alley and may help you glean further insight into the problem. Learn a little about parrot behavior and you are more than half way there:

Biting Specific:
http://www.yourparrotplace.com/parrot_articles/biting_birds.htm
http://www.ozpets.com.au/birds/articles/BB10011.shtml
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/biting.html
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww12eii.htm
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=0&siteid=5&acatid=406&aid=113

Behavior Specific:
http://www.realmacaw.com/pages/parrbehav.html
http://www.companionparrot.com/articles/myths.html
http://www.mylittledarlings.com/parrotbehavior.html

Hope these are helpful, and good luck.

I'll post some photos of my little trouble maker tomorrow.

Ramasax

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Ramasax said:

It could also be hormonal. Hgih hormones, increased aggression.

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... uhhh does that mean she needs a mate?? But I heard parrots choose their own mates... well lovebirds do. So what I have to take my bird to the local pet stores and show her around!! Or is there a dating service for birds?!!

This scenario has been quite familiar for me! I did take my bird (just for fun) to the pet store after a trip to the vet where I showed her around. I just wanted to see if any bird came up to her! What I got was kind of weird... all the male parrots were too old and just ignored her and frankly she was kind of scared of them and moved a few steps back. The cockatoos and lovebirds on the other hand start screaming when she came near! In this process she did have some light conversasion with a few females her own age, I guess.

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Ramasax said:

Oh, and did I mention to never shriek and pull away when the bird bites. This may sound hard to do, but grit your teeth and bear it. You may not realize it, but by doing so you reinforce their actions.

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So what you're trying to say is that the torment and suffering so far was nothing and has yet to begin... birds... can't live with em... can't live with out em!

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