Birdman666 relevent prerequisite post..

[DiscoDuck]

#3 Height dominance is a myth. Maggie's cage is 7 ft. tall. My playstands are also 7 feet tall. PLUS she's a shoulder bird. (But she's bite pressure trained and does not displacement bite. NO BIRD should be a shoulder bird unless these prerequisites are met!)

Does anyone have or can they point me to the above prerequisites?

OR

Supply me with the best way to currently contact Birdman? Thanks!

 

[chris-md]

The prerequisites are right there? Bite pressure trained and is not a displacement biter.

 

[Scott]

I would tend to agree, no displacement biting and bite-pressure trained. Too much vulnerability that could lead to very serious injuries!

My only displacemen-biting bird is a king of transference; Gonzo my BFA. None of my cockatoos or grey have ever displacement-bitten!

Birdman is not on frequently, last activity was early May 2018. You are welcome to send a PM; some members opt for private email notification of forum messages.

 

[DiscoDuck]

in my narrow minded old school world. I probably need a conversation with Birdman. ok thanks

 

[Kiwibird]

The shoulder is a PRIVILEGE, earned through trust and training. Some birds may never earn that privilege or loose it after puberty. Any bird who you cannot trusted 100% not to bite while up there (including birds during hormonal periods of life) shouldn't be up there is basically what Birdman is saying. The face is a sensitive place and a bird could blind you permanently if they got your eye and bigger parrots could easily disfigure you, requiring plastic surgery to repair the damage (this has happened, we hear about it occasionally on the forum). I myself got a bite to the lip once (bird not on my shoulder) that left the area of my lip numb for months and it took a long time for sensation to fully come back. In that case, I was facing the bird and able to pull back immediately. He could have bit me a second time had he been on my shoulder at the time. Remember, it's hard to gauge a birds body language when on the shoulder as they aren't in your direct line of vision.

If you are unfamiliar with the terms, bite pressure training teaches a bird to essentially "nip" rather than bite and displacement biting is when a bird gets angry at someone/something else but bites you (or whomever/whatever is closest) in an act of displaced rage. I would also venture to add to that list birds who are hormonal (be it a younger bird who's just hit puberty or an adult bird having their hormonal time of year) should also NOT be allowed on the shoulder, as the hormones make them agitated and sometimes forgetful of their training no matter how nice a bird they normally are.

 

[MonicaMc]

Birds who often bite when up high often due so due to lack of training. It's not about dominance, it's about poor training.

Companion Parrots | Natural Encounters, Inc.

 

[DiscoDuck]

I would also venture to add to that list birds who are hormonal (be it a younger bird who's just hit puberty or an adult bird having their hormonal time of year) should also NOT be allowed on the shoulder, as the hormones make them agitated and sometimes forgetful of their training no matter how nice a bird they normally are.

Rudy's hormonal changes so far are subtle. So, far it has been relatively easy for me to "tamp" his behavior by free flighting him. Essentially tiring him out.

 

[Squeekmouse]

Silly question.... what's displacement biting?

 

[Kentuckienne]

When you can’t bite the one you hate, bite the one you’re with. Example: something awful like your partner comes into the room. The parrot might bite you to get you to fly away from the evil intruder. Or it might get really upset, and the only thing to bite is you.

 

[ChristaNL]

Not silly at all - let me give it a go...


Displacing is moving something from one place to another-


in this case the biting action.
So instead of reacting to something around them in any other way, the bird wil bite (you)!


Sunny (the macaw) does this whenever I am holding something she is not sure of:
instead of attacking the scary thing in my hand - she attacks my hand instead!


That is why it is a good idea to offer her a new treat on a spoon rather than a hand
(Today she decided caulliflower was about to kill her ... )




==
LOL Kentuckienne beat me to it)

 

[Squeekmouse]

Ah! Thanks! That makes sense. Yoda doesn't displacement bite, he displacement-squawks-and-flies-in-a-circle-then-lands-on-my-head.

 

[DiscoDuck]

Not silly at all - let me give it a go...


Displacing is moving something from one place to another-


in this case the biting action.
So instead of reacting to something around them in any other way, the bird wil bite (you)!


LOL Kentuckienne beat me to it)

Exactly, I have to ask people not to reach up and try to pet or ask them to control their kids from screaming and scurrying around because I am going to get bit.

I frequently am bit on my ears while Rudy sits on my shoulder when the above behaviors happen..

I suspect or hope that after years that Rudy will quit nipping me, meanwhile all i can do is move away and ask others to control their behavior..

 

[chris-md]

If you’re frequenty bitten On the ears, why on earth would you ever let this animal capable of tearing them off anywhere near the ears?

This is the larger point you’re trying to gleen from marks post: if your bird is a displacement biter (which it sounds like Rudy is), they can’t be trusted on the shoulder and have no business up there.

Perhaps stated a tad harshly, but only to drive the point home. You know your bird, and are a grown up capable of making his own decisions

 

[DiscoDuck]

If you’re frequenty bitten On the ears, why on earth would you ever let this animal capable of tearing them off anywhere near the ears?

This is the larger point you’re trying to gleen from marks post: if your bird is a displacement biter (which it sounds like Rudy is), they can’t be trusted on the shoulder and have no business up there.

Perhaps stated a tad harshly, but only to drive the point home. You know your bird, and are a grown up capable of making his own decisions

Not harsh.. written words can skew facts. Here are some stats. Rudy now has well over 500 4-8hr days interacting with the public in my estimation of several thousand human interactions.

His beak does not concern nor alarm me, more or less it is a minor nuisance. My ears sometime hurt at the end of the day. Besides, dont guys wear jewelry in their ears now? I can maybe get free piercing!!:04:

We now do large public events like ethnic festivals, Concerts and soon I hope, to be part of this event/organization well into the fall.

Wilmington Pirate Festival | Kalmar Nyckel

Frequently.... most people are not allowed to even reach up to pet Rudy, even more rare is Rudy seeing small children. If I child runs up to me unchaperoned, I either seek out the parents or I exit left. I hope to have Rudy interact with more children to help slow his displacement nipping

why on earth would you ever let this animal

WHy?.... uhhh.... because Im not a sissy? I dont cry when things hurt. Because he makes many many very happy and makes me a tiny bit grumpy on super rare occasions.

 

[chris-md]

The lack of sense of self preservation is strong with this one

I won’t argue with you on this, most assuredly this falls under you know yourself and your bird. But I’d put the caveat here for lurkers and newbies reading this thread that displacement biting is Not to be taken lightly.

Marks words really do ring true as a matter of simple common sense: if your bird is a displacement biter, it’s dangerous to allow it on your shoulder where they have have quick access to displacemently bite places like your eyes. It’s safer to simply not allows them up there to begin with.

Falls into the category “you adjust to the bird, not the other way around”.

 

[jhsatx]

WHy?.... uhhh.... because Im not a sissy? I dont cry when things hurt. Because he makes many many very happy and makes me a tiny bit grumpy on super rare occasions.


How else can you address an issue if the issue isn't allowed to happen.

On another note, are you crazy?
It's a Macaw!
Yer lucky you still have ears.