How to train parrot to stop biting?

Have you been bitten by a parrot?

Oh man! It can really hurt.

Parrots are much more temperamental than dogs and they also take time to make bond with their owners. So, many more people get bitten by a parrot than by a puppy.

If you have small children in your house, then it can be a serious security issue. Hence, it’s absolutely essential that your parrot gets over its habit of biting people.

But before we learn how we can train our parrot to stop biting, let’s see why do parrots bite so much in the first place.

Table of Contents

• Why do parrots bite?
• How to train your parrot to stop biting?
• How to safeguard against parrot bite?

Why do parrots bite?

Once we know the reasons behind parrots’ habit of biting, it will be easier for us to mend their behaviour. Here’s a list of some of the probable reasons:

• Unlike dogs and horses, it has not been long that humans started domesticating parrots on a wide scale. So, the wild side of parrots presents itself time and again. This is especially true for wild parrot breeds, but holds true to some extent for even the domesticated parrot breeds.

• Parrots use their beaks for various purposes, e.g. as a third leg to help them climb up, to explore their environment or to communicate with others. Parrots bite other parrots only when they are fighting, or when they are defending their babies or nest. In captivity, a parrot may bite you if it’s fearful, especially if it’s not used to your company. If the parrot is in a cage, and you are forcing it to do something or bothering it too much, then it may bite you. Probably because that’s the only option available to it to stop you. It cannot fly away. So, try to read your parrot’s mood while you are interacting with it.

• In the initial few days, a parrot may just bite your finger for curiosity’s sake. Just to figure out what that is.

• Parrots may also bite you to defend their territory, food, mate and the things they own, e.g. toys etc. Just like dogs, they try to defend the people they know and might attack others to defend their owners.

• If you are using your hands to punish your bird, then it may start seeing your hands as an enemy, and may bite them as an act of defence. So, make sure that you are not unwittingly training your parrot to bite. If they learn that in order to stop you they need to bite, then they will repeat that behaviour in future too.

• A parrot in bad living condition, or getting less care may become irritated and start biting more. It’s especially true if you are adopting a parrot that has been abused by previous owners. I had one such parrot once. It took me many months of training and constant love to make it stop biting.

• Make sure that your parrot is getting enough mental simulation, and play-time. Parrots are active creatures. If they are not kept active via toys and other mental simulation methods, then they may just bite you to release their inherent built-up energy. In short, give your parrot things to bite, throw around and mess with. It will probably spare you from biting then.

• Unhygienic and noisy living conditions may irritate your parrot and they may release that tension by biting you. So, ensure there is no pollution in their environment, their cage is clean and they get enough sleep.

• Sometimes, parrots may bite if they are kept in captivity for too long, they are not comfortable in the environment they are in, or just because they are sick. So, keep an eye on their health and ambience too, if you notice your parrot biting out of a sudden.

How to train your parrot to stop biting?

Now, let’s see what we can do to make your parrot stop biting humans.

Make emotional bond

It’s the first and the most important step of any animal training; no matter what you are training it for. If you can make a deep emotional bond with your parrot, then the rest will follow. It’s half the battle won.

Animals and birds understand the universal language of care and love. If you love them and take proper care of them, e.g. giving them good food, play toys, large enough cage etc., then your parrots will become less aggressive. They will not feel insecure and so will drop their guard.

Make sure they start trusting you. That can only be done if you see them as your companion, your friend. Treat them as your equal. Give them space. Let them do their own thing. They will come to you on their own.

Note that every parrot is different. You should try to understand the personality of your parrot, their quirks etc. Avoid doing things that make them uncomfortable.

Make sure you spend some time with your bird every day. Also, you need to be patient. Parrots take time in building trust and bond. In this respect they are like cats. Unlike dogs who can become your friend in a day or two, cats and parrots take their sweet time. You have to earn their trust.

Make them habitual of Human touch

Make sure that you pat your parrot and take it in your hands regularly. If your parrot is not used to you touching it, patting it etc., then it may bite you if you try to hold it one day out of a sudden.

Note

If you are regularly patting your bird, then it means you are giving it contact comfort. On top of that, if you are also feeding it by hand then you are fulfilling an important need of it – hunger. Soon your parrot will make an association of comfort and food with your hand. Your hand will become its best friend.

Do not make your bird uncomfortable

If you do anything that makes your bird uncomfortable or fearful, then it may bite you. So, don’t force your bird to do anything it does not like. In short, don’t irritate it.

Some people want to dominate their pets. It’s hard to phantom, but maybe they feel more powerful if their pet follows their orders all the time. This is a very bad attitude. You will only end up irritating your parrot, and maybe have some long-term psychological issues.

You pet is like your child. Let it play and evolve. Let it commit mistakes, and do stupid things. Let it be. You may train, but not too forcefully. Definitely not at the cost of your parrot’s happiness and well-being.

In computer world we have a saying, “Garbage In Garbage Out (GIGO)”. That applies to humans and animals too. If you fill up someone with irritation, then you shouldn’t be surprised to face their outburst someday.

Use Positive Reinforcement

In Psychology, we have two concepts – positive and negative reinforcements. Positive reinforcement is the reward we give to someone to encourage their favourable behaviour. Negative reinforcement is the punishment we render to someone to discourage their unfavourable behaviour.

Positive reinforcement maybe emotional like pat on the back, kissing etc., or something tangible like good food, toys etc. Negative reinforcement maybe beating, scolding etc.

While training your parrot, make use of positive reinforcements and not negative reinforcements. Biting is an aggressive behaviour. You cannot stop it by using violent training methods. It can only be overcome via compassion, love and trust.

If you ask your bird to do something, but it doesn’t, then let it be. But if it does, then reward it. Give it a pet, hold it in your hands, or give it nice food; whatever your parrot likes (you should find out what your parrot really likes, if you don’t).

Note

If you want to punish your bird on some rare occasion, then it must be very mild.

Say your bird has bitten you. Then to show that you do not like it, you may put it inside the cage for some time (called time-out method). Your bird will understand that it has done something bad.

Or you may stop playing with them for some time. Say you are playing with your parrot and it bites you. Then you should scream a little, to convey to your bird that it has hurt you (By screaming, I do not mean scolding your parrot. Scream like a bird when they accidently bite each other). And then put it down and stop playing with it. It will understand that it has committed a mistake. But for this to work, your bird must like you and the play-time it gets with you.

Keep one point in mind. Positive reinforcements are more effective if given as soon as the favourable action is done by your parrot. Parrots are smart creatures. They will soon understand the relationship between their doing the required behaviour and getting a reward. This is called “conditioning”.

You may also lure your parrot to do something. It will be better than forcing it or threatening it to do the same.

For example, if you want your parrot to go back to the cage, then rather than pushing it inside, you may put some tasty treat inside its cage. The parrot will wilfully go inside the cage.

How to safeguard against parrot bite?

Till you are training your parrot, you will always run the risk of getting bitten by it, especially in the first few months. So, it’s a good idea to safeguard yourself in order to avoid any injury.

• You should know when a parrot is more likely to bite you. Parrots bite more when they are new, placed in a new environment, are hormonal (e.g. during breeding season) and even during warmer months.

• Learn to read the body language and behavioural ticks of your parrot. If you know your parrot well, then you will know if it’s irritated or acting aggressively and may bite. Look for signs like – is your parrot moving away from you when you try to touch it, opening its beak, growling, tightening its posture and sticking its feathers close to the body, widening of eyes etc. Though many of these signs may be very subtle and you may miss them if you are not very attentive.

• You may wear gloves. I do that when I get a new parrot, especially if it’s already some years old. However, with time make sure that your parrot gets habitual to your bare hand too.

So, these were the tips and tricks to stop your parrot biting humans. Use them and let us know if it all pans out right.

Remember, most of the parrots will only bite you as their last recourse; when they have run out of all other options. Be their true friend and respect their space, and they may never bite you again.