Macaw biting

[kmwolfe11]

I have a six month blue and yellow macaw. She loves attention and seems to want mine the most. However, when holding her she will lean down and bite me. She will also do this coming in and out of her cage at times. Any suggestions? Doesn't seem to do this as much with my husband.

 

[MikeyTN]

Is it a hard bite or just a nibble??? Mine will do that at times, IF you hold a stick on one side with your arm on the other she will less likely to go down to nip at you when you bring her out. When taking her back in the cage, hold her beak up with your other hand while talking to her then bring her into her cage with the perch at her chest area, she won't be nipping at you that way. Eventually she'll catch on with you.

 

[BirdyMomma]

Yeah, I have similar issues with Wingnut (4 month old Military Macaw). He is VERY beaky. Usually not real biting. Very rarely would he actually chomp. He does everything short of actual aggravated assault though. When he steps up, more often than not, he will involve his beak some how. When i ask him to step up off the top of his cage, he will often get real vocal, and lunge.When I pull him in close, and he is nestled in the crook of my arm, for scritches, his new thing is to nibble on my shirt, or my skin, which is like a pinch, and I have to stop him.
I can usually just handle his beak, and direct him elsewhere. If it gets a little out of hand, I pick up a target stick, and start clicker training, which distracts him, and settles him down.
To be honest, I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, it just works for us.