Bite Journal - The Hall of Shame

[Giggleagain]

Regardless of the species you own, do any of you keep a "Bite Journal"?

Have you ever been bitten? Why? What did you do to 'create the bite', so to speak? How did you approach your bird the next time you had to get closer than across the room?

I had to start my "Willie B. Bite Journal" last night because I didn't even think to watch his body language, didn't notice his first warning, disregarded the second warning, and stupidly insisted on offering him water melon worrying about the juice running down my arm. All of this, while Mr. Peabody was sitting on my shoulder.. .. .. ..

How dumb can you get? THAT dumb!

No worrires, Mr. Peabody is OK, and so is Willie B. I bled a bit but the biggest damage was to my pride.

I'd love to learn from your mistakes - if you're willing to share!

 

[Frumpydumple]

I don't. I might start doing that though as it could be useful. Seems like a good idea.

 

[gracebowen]

Well my little guys prefer to run away rather than bite. Even when mad enough to bite my tiel hasn't bit hard. Not even enough to cause any pain. He's been that mad when I was persistent about him stepping up. My budgies only bite me hard if I have to pick them up. Now I always use a towel.

Joy tried to sleep in Jet ( tiel ) cage with him last night. I absolutely can't allow that as Jet can be territorial at night. ( he cracked aces beak once).

I had to towel her to remove her and she was not happy.

 

[Kiwibird]

Sorry you got bit It is always more emotionally painful than physically IMO.

Kiwi has bit me more times than I can count, though we have gone several years now without major incident. When he was very newly adopted, he was pretty nasty (he had less than ideal prior homes) and bit me as hard as he could as frequently as he could:31:. I never kept a bite journal, but we do have a bite 'protocol' (or just any antisocial behavior in general). He is immediately (if necessary) returned home (as calmly as possible, as not to encourage the behavior) and given a time out in his cage, cover on, so I can treat the wound and he can calm down. After I feel he has had sufficient time to calm down, he is subject to step up drills and/or following the target stick. It's a reminder of who's in charge (me), a positive interaction to reinforce a good parrot-human bond and a refresher on nice bird behavior. I do not tolerate nasty behavior from him. He is loved, cared for and treated with respect when giving clear body language he is in no mood to interact. When he bites (or attempts to) with no warning, I like to make sure he understands it is not acceptable and will not be tolerated (or ignored). As I mentioned, we have been without serious incident for several years now. He KNOWS there are consequences for bad behavior and I'm sure prefers the always positive interactions he gets when he's being nice.

As for the "hall of shame" here was the last nasty bite I received. And for no other reason than he woke up on the wrong side of the perch that day and felt grumpy when getting his morning kisses (this happened a few years ago):

 

[Birdman666]

I've had two sets of stitches from macaw bites... (both rescues I was working with that did not know their own strength) Didn't keep a journal though. (Those are called "medical records.")

I think there's a memo somewhere that says "Even tame, friendly birds can, and will, bite from time to time..."

So don't take it personally.

 

[LeaKP]

Yep, respect the beak! :-D

 

[Mariar]

I've never documented my bites but I do have permanent nerve damage in my fingers and arm..macaws and of course my beloved doolie ...many stitches...much love lalways..no regrets.
Love.peace.feathers

 

[Scott]

No journal, but some vibrant memories! Some bloodletting bites, other obvious displays of control by avian!

Most serious bites from our first parrot, a BFA. Wonderfully tame and easy to handle until sexually mature. All downhill from there! First emergent biting came from flying to the shoulder and biting in the region of the jugular! It progressed to stealthy offers to take food from a hand.... then whamn, a harshly closed beak on flesh and blood!

A few years later my mom bought a Greenwing Macaw. His owner brought him to our house and let him walk around. Rocky essentially went person-to-person and gave a moderate nip to the aft part of their ankle!!

Mark mentioned a fundamental truth: 'I think there's a memo somewhere that says "Even tame, friendly birds can, and will, bite from time to time..." My sweetest and most tame Goffin, Gabby, will give a strong bite at times and very rarely will draw blood. Same with his brothers. Ironically, the two birds I handle least likely to bite hard are their mother Peanut, a wild-caught Goffin who lives with them and is extremely gentle, and my female hand-fed Eclectus.

 

[Chihuahua]

mine nips if he does not want to step up.. got my mom good today. he jas yet to draw blood.

 

[MerBoy]

I think it may be useful to document and record every time your parrot gives you a nasty bite. My birds mainly resorted to nipping and never really bit that hard. There was one time when my sun conure bit me really hard and caused my finger to bleed. From that experience I learned to never be overly pushy or impatient with my birds - if they are not in the mood to play and just want to stay in their cage and relax let them be and try take them out later.

 

[Doublete]

You all are scaring me.. I've only had Chiqui since March but she has never once seemed like she even has a bite in her, she will be 5 this fall.

Loki... He's a biter, but nothing to break skin just enough to show he's itchy and grumpy. I even tried to take him outside in his harness today and he didn't want that. So he went in his travel cage and sat in the sun for 25 minutes.... Seemed to enjoy it...
But chick has never once tried to land a bite. Her stay away body language is so easy to read it's like a neon sign.

 

[Hawk]

Having a Bite journal is a good idea, if only I had the time to write
each time one of my birds bite.

Mark said it best, birds will be birds, even the tame ones can and will bite.

My wife and I have two major bites from our birds, Poppie went to bite once at my wife and just happened to puncture my wife's jugular on her neck if any remember the incident a few months back. She hadn't done that since, but my wife's a bit nervous of her.

My Major Mitchel Cockatoo, Trixie, Once got a wild feather up her bum and bit my cheek and had 12 stitches outside, 5 inside mouth. Have a permanent dimple now. She's since passed away of old age ( 68) a few years ago.