Biting through cage bars

[Roanoke]

Hey everybody, I was just messing with my boy through the side of the cage (It's next to my computer desk) and noticed him snapping at me a couple times.
He bows his head to be stroked, so I oblige, and after about 3 second he whips his head around to try and catch me.
Fortunately he's not quick enough haha but I was wondering if there's any other birdies out there who never bite their owners except through the cage, and why you think they do it?
My assumption would be it's because he's been poked and prodded at a lot at some point in his life.. He may even be a Petco bird, you never know.
Does anyone have ideas as to how I can stop/reverse this? Teeko's always such a sweetie but this behavior does, understandably, upset me a little.

[Side note, can a mod/admin move this to Behavioral? I wasn't thinking. Thanks <3]

 

[greytness]

It's a territorial thing, and many fids do this. The only advice I can give you is to avoid the behavior that elicits a bite or near bite.

 

[JerseyWendy]

[Side note, can a mod/admin move this to Behavioral? I wasn't thinking. Thanks <3]

All done!

 

[Anansi]

He's cage territorial. Hardwired, instinctive behavior. Protect the nest and all that.

Does he try to bite you when you stick your hand inside the cage? Or change his food dishes?

If it's a problem to the point you need a stick to get him out, you can try getting a night cage for him. Having more than one place that serves as home/shelter/food station can sometimes diffuse cage territorial behavior. Same goes for moving the cage or rearranging the stuff inside.

If it's not that big an issue, then just do as greytness suggested and avoid the behavior.

 

[chris-md]

Parker does something similar I'll never understand, always has since I've had him. He ALWAYS lunges at me when I Return him to his cage, and will keep it up until I walk away out of sight. Always does this without fail.

When he starts this, I can turn right around and pick him up if I wanted to, and he won't bite, but he always lunges and bangs his beak on the cage bars (really hard!), and let's out an almost "EH!" when I put him up and walk away.

Silly boy!

 

[Roanoke]

He's cage territorial. Hardwired, instinctive behavior. Protect the nest and all that.

Does he try to bite you when you stick your hand inside the cage? Or change his food dishes?

No, never. I don't think he's cage territorial, otherwise I'd have trouble rearranging his things or changing dishes, and I don't. He always runs and jumps onto my hand when it's in the cage, no aggression at all.
He only bites through the bars... I suppose I'll just stop trying to pet him through the cage unless anyone has other ideas. I was just curious if anyone knew why he's doing it.

 

[Anansi]

Then are you sure he's trying to bite you? If my hand passes close enough by the cage when they're inside, Maya and Jolly both are quick to reach through the bars and grab my finger with their beaks. Not in a painful way, but rather in a, "Come on, you don't need to go! Take me out to play" kind of way. Know what I mean?

 

[Roanoke]

Huh, that sounds cute (In a somewhat frightening way haha). I'll have to see if he's intent on hurting me or not next time, as I always pull away too fast for him to exert pressure. I'll let you know!

 

[Birdman666]

Then are you sure he's trying to bite you? If my hand passes close enough by the cage when they're inside, Maya and Jolly both are quick to reach through the bars and grab my finger with their beaks. Not in a painful way, but rather in a, "Come on, you don't need to go! Take me out to play" kind of way. Know what I mean?

Yeah. That's what I get as well... not that my flock gets locked up all that much. Or PLEASE... DON'T LOCK ME UP... YOU KNOW I GO STIR CRAZY... YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS TO ME... WAIT! WAIT! GET BACK HERE I WASN'T FINISHED WITH MY GUILT TRIP...

Every once in awhile you get the snapping turtle reaction. YOU LOCKED ME UP AND I DON'T WANNA BE... NOW YOU MUST PAY WITH BLOOD!

All I can say is both reactions are common.

One of the most dangerous things you can do with a maniuplative large too or big mac is stick your fingers in the cage. YOU ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO CONTROL THEM AND THEY KNOW FULL WELL THAT THIS IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO "GET EVEN" WITH YOU FOR ANY PERCEIVED SLIGHT...

My Ruby Macaw was a MASTER at the begging for headscratches through the bars for the intended purpose of attempting to remove digits from trusting suckers...

If you know he's got that tendency my advice would be JUST DON'T STICK YOUR FINGER IN THE CAGE.

Captain Obvious rides again!

 

[Anansi]

Huh, that sounds cute (In a somewhat frightening way haha). I'll have to see if he's intent on hurting me or not next time, as I always pull away too fast for him to exert pressure. I'll let you know!

Uhmmm... just keep in mind I trust my 2 ekkies 100% not to bite me. I'd hate for you to get tagged good testing a theory.

 

[Birdman666]

Huh, that sounds cute (In a somewhat frightening way haha). I'll have to see if he's intent on hurting me or not next time, as I always pull away too fast for him to exert pressure. I'll let you know!

Uhmmm... just keep in mind I trust my 2 ekkies 100% not to bite me. I'd hate for you to get tagged good testing a theory.

Kinda reminds me of that commercial...

I found a hornets nest... and I decided to poke a stick into it, just to see if there was anything in there...

And THERE WAS!