Hand on cage...parrot doesn't know you...what happens?

[Dopey]

You get bit!

So my friend comes over last night so we can go out to dinner and she comes in to see my birds. Not a problem. She has cockatiels and has had them for many years so I try not to tell her what to do with my birds. I figured she knew they would bite. Nope, she walks up to one of the cages and lays her hand flat on the cage. (She has seen this bird maybe twice.) He bit her...and she was surprised. Really? For some reason it is irritating me still this morning.

 

[Kiwibird]

You get bit!

So my friend comes over last night so we can go out to dinner and she comes in to see my birds. Not a problem. She has cockatiels and has had them for many years so I try not to tell her what to do with my birds. I figured she knew they would bite. Nope, she walks up to one of the cages and lays her hand flat on the cage. (She has seen this bird maybe twice.) He bit her...and she was surprised. Really? For some reason it is irritating me still this morning.

For some strange reason people ASSUME our "feathered dogs" are just chomping at the bit for love and *totally* friendly to everyone OR somehow they are special and possess magical bite-bite stopping powers... Not so:20:

I always warn guests that Kiwi will probably bite them (even if he's in a perfectly good mood) and to please stay away from his cage/enjoy him from a distance. And I will "remind" them if I see them getting too close to the cage. I've had plenty of people want to hold him or want to feed him through the bars before, but have only let a VERY select few who were well aware of the risks and I was pretty sure he wouldn't behave for. Don't be afraid to gently remind someone that big birds can inflict nasty bites and that they may want to step back.

 

[Birdman666]

Even if they do know you, having a hand towering above their head, like another bird walking on top of thier cage, can annoy them to the point of provoking a bite.

Especially an amazon that is prone to defend his or her territory.

That's not the bird's fault.

 

[Dopey]

Well - lesson learned but I'm sure she won't remember it in the future. She forgets things easily. I'm going to have to move the cages to a better location and figure out how to put signs somewhere to remind people to be careful. I've noticed that I feel like people come way too close to the cages of my birds. Maybe I need to get some gates and put them around the cages so people stay back a little bit.

 

[Dopey]

Even if they do know you, having a hand towering above their head, like another bird walking on top of thier cage, can annoy them to the point of provoking a bite.

Especially an amazon that is prone to defend his or her territory.

That's not the bird's fault.

I totally agree it's not the birds fault. I felt sorry for him because he is still getting used to his surroundings and then this stranger comes in and scares him.

 

[Scott]

Have a "care package" of band aids, peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and wipies in the room as a subtle reminder. And remind them the good news is that birds are not venomous! Oh, and if you have Macaws or large Cockatoos, place a tourniquet nearby!

 

[Christinenc2000]

Have a "care package" of band aids, peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and wipies in the room as a subtle reminder. And remind them the good news is that birds are not venomous! Oh, and if you have Macaws or large Cockatoos, place a tourniquet nearby!

Very good one. I am going to Teach BB to say MMM taste like chicken every time someone gets to close LOL

 

[Birdman666]

I have a sign that reads:

WARNING!
HANDLE AT YOUR OWN RISK! (Centered big bold red letters 38 point type)

(28 POINT TYPE BELOW) Even tame friendly birds can and will bite, especially if they (1) do not know you, (2) become startled, (3) are approached incorrectly and feel you are intruding on their territory, or (4) if annoyed. Please use common sense around my birds. Ask before attempting to handle. If the bird is "displaying" and you don't know what it means, please ask someone who does. It may be a "territorial intrusion" warning.

Just print it up on good paper, and frame it in an ordinary 8.5x11 frame.

Admittedly, I have a sick sense of humor, so I also super glued four of those fake halloween severed fingers, at all four corners pointing to the warning, just to emphasize my point (but mostly because I am an idiot, and that is how I amuse myself...)

Admittedly, there have been a few parrot phobic people who did not think it was so amusing... but they were certain my birds were going to attack them any second, anyway, so, who cares?

You've done your duty to warn. Anyone who comes back with "your bird bit me." SEE THAT SIGN OVER THE CAGE?! Should the worst ever happen it mitigates your liability...

YOU WERE WARNED!!! DID YOU NOT NOTICE THE COLLECTION OF SEVERED FINGERS ON THE WALL!

 

[Birdman666]

Mine are actually out when guests are over. If they aren't interested, my playstands are tall enough to where the bird can just move to a point where they cannot be readily interacted with by a stranger.

Some folks call that height dominance... (it's not that simple.)

Yet I can still walk over and pick them up, or scratch a head or two.

So it's more like, up here I am in control of the interaction.

Frankly, Maggie's beak is large enough to discourage most (non macaw) folks from touching without permission.
And the "made you jump" game is a universal macaw truth... So the sign is kind of "overkill" on my part.

In retrospect, it would have been funnier to have a "Dirty Harry" sign with severed finger pointing to it:

"Go Ahead... Make My Day!"

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

I have a sign that reads:

WARNING!
HANDLE AT YOUR OWN RISK! (Centered big bold red letters 38 point type)

(28 POINT TYPE BELOW) Even tame friendly birds can and will bite, especially if they (1) do not know you, (2) become startled, (3) are approached incorrectly and feel you are intruding on their territory, or (4) if annoyed. Please use common sense around my birds. Ask before attempting to handle. If the bird is "displaying" and you don't know what it means, please ask someone who does. It may be a "territorial intrusion" warning.

Just print it up on good paper, and frame it in an ordinary 8.5x11 frame.

Admittedly, I have a sick sense of humor, so I also super glued four of those fake halloween severed fingers, at all four corners pointing to the warning, just to emphasize my point (but mostly because I am an idiot, and that is how I amuse myself...)

Admittedly, there have been a few parrot phobic people who did not think it was so amusing... but they were certain my birds were going to attack them any second, anyway, so, who cares?

You've done your duty to warn. Anyone who comes back with "your bird bit me." SEE THAT SIGN OVER THE CAGE?! Should the worst ever happen it mitigates your liability...

YOU WERE WARNED!!! DID YOU NOT NOTICE THE COLLECTION OF SEVERED FINGERS ON THE WALL!

Great idea! I will have to do something like this if/when I start bringing Zilla into the office with me.

 

[Dopey]

Have a "care package" of band aids, peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and wipies in the room as a subtle reminder. And remind them the good news is that birds are not venomous! Oh, and if you have Macaws or large Cockatoos, place a tourniquet nearby!

Oh My - THAT is so funny! I can do that and it is a great idea to begin with. Maybe I will make one for my step son and his girlfriend to put near their cage for the Zon.

 

[Dopey]

I have a sign that reads:

WARNING!
HANDLE AT YOUR OWN RISK! (Centered big bold red letters 38 point type)

(28 POINT TYPE BELOW) Even tame friendly birds can and will bite, especially if they (1) do not know you, (2) become startled, (3) are approached incorrectly and feel you are intruding on their territory, or (4) if annoyed. Please use common sense around my birds. Ask before attempting to handle. If the bird is "displaying" and you don't know what it means, please ask someone who does. It may be a "territorial intrusion" warning.

Just print it up on good paper, and frame it in an ordinary 8.5x11 frame.

...

YOU WERE WARNED!!! DID YOU NOT NOTICE THE COLLECTION OF SEVERED FINGERS ON THE WALL!

I can do this and I will.

 

[Dopey]

Thanks everyone - it's so nice to be able to come here and vent and get great information at the same time. Every time I think I have how I want my family/bird room to be arranged I change my mind with something else.

BTW this same friend told me I should donate the PVC play stand I just made to a rescue. What? I didn't realize that I needed to get rid of the play stand I just made.

 

[Birdman666]

Have a "care package" of band aids, peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and wipies in the room as a subtle reminder. And remind them the good news is that birds are not venomous! Oh, and if you have Macaws or large Cockatoos, place a tourniquet nearby!

Oh My - THAT is so funny! I can do that and it is a great idea to begin with. Maybe I will make one for my step son and his girlfriend to put near their cage for the Zon.

Actually, having needed the tourniquet - TWICE! (Both my fault!)

And having seen others need it on a few occasions besides...

It's decidedly less funny...

but it may come in "hand"-ey some day! :32:

(Any excuse for a pun will do!)

 

[Dopey]

Mark - I really do appreciate you and your sense of humor. Sometimes I am afraid of getting too close to my parrots because I don't want to get bit - the pain and the blood are enough to stop me right now. Besides which...all my bandaids are in the upstairs bathroom right now. So I figure that just hanging out with them is enough during the week. Weekends I have more time.

 

[Kiwibird]

I think this:

Attack Parrot Sign | Animalden.com

Paired with this:

First Aid Kit - 50 People H-743 - Uline

Placed conspicuously near the parrot area would serve as a strong, but subtle warning

 

[Birdman666]

Well, as you know, I am an advocate of bite pressure training, which is a little more difficult to do with a zon, but can be done. (Both of mine are. Pecker was. My nape, Bob, was. Really all but one of the DYH's was... and he was 60 years old and set in his ways - Just fill my food and water dishes, and no one gets hurt!)

Severes you just need to round the point off on them. Macaws are actually the easiest bird to bite pressure train, in my opinion.

The big thing about severes is to watch out for overbonding and displacement biting. And THAT is all about socialization with strangers... take that bird to the park, to public places, etc. Get him used to strangers interacting with him.

Sounds like he's already pretty good if he will go to strangers.

The severes I was working with were all mad as hell and couldn't be handled by anyone OTHER THAN their favorite person - who usually got sick of them being anti-social and dumped them. Most of those birds had to be toweled at first... and taught manners. Set in their ways DYH amazons, and those guys were two of the most difficult birds to work with. VERY OPINIONATED BIRDS!

They CAN be great birds. I had a friend who had a great one that loved everyone. (And she know how I felt about them, so she made a habit of sticking him on my shoulder.) Okay, nurture can overcome nature... So if you've got one that festered, and is still going to everyone without biting?! He's one of THOSE... in terms of temperment.

 

[Dopey]

That's pretty funny. It would be great if we could market those to people who join the forum with new large parrots.

 

[getwozzy]

Lol CHOMP!!! This was a test. You failed.

Whenever I meet new birds, that's my first concern- keeping my hands to myself and observing behavior until I have an idea if it's safe or not.

When my dad and his wife came over and met Jackie for the first time (I was THEE ONLY one who he would allow to handle him- everyone else...off with yer fingers!!)

I turn around for one second- She tried to stick her finger through the bars to scratch his head (eyes pinning, and that "yeah bring it closer" look)-- there was no time for words, my automatic reaction was to slap her hand away ....."uhhhh sorry- I didn't mean to slap your hand...he was going to bite you!"

*gasp* he was?!

 

[Birdman666]

Have a "care package" of band aids, peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and wipies in the room as a subtle reminder. And remind them the good news is that birds are not venomous! Oh, and if you have Macaws or large Cockatoos, place a tourniquet nearby!

Nah!

With a big mac or a large too, you place AN ICE BUCKET next to the cage, and "decorate" it with the aforementioned severed fingers...

Delightfully subtle!