My new red belly bites the heck out of me!

[Whitlee]

Hi!

I recently got a beautiful young red bellied parrot (5ish months). I think I did everything right at the beginning. He is a sweet little guy. His mom gave him an above the knee amputation when he was a baby. He adjusted well with the breeder. He was not very marketable because of his disability but the breeder was a really great guy and took him with him everywhere and let him fly. Such a good little flyer!

After a week we trimmed his wings. It was kind of traumatic for him to be chased down and caught with a towel every time he was out and needed to go back.

We've had him about a month, maybe more. He is really sweet with my boyfriend and really sweet with our male friends. Trouble is that sometimes he bites the heck out of me! Mainly when Im trying to pick him up and put him somewhere he needs to be. I've been observing everything that Scott (my boyfriend) does, and I dont feel like I do anything different. I'm not scared of him. Not yet anyway. When he is around his favorite people (this includes our parrot friendly cat) he is snuggly and loves head scratches.

I don't care if he doesn't love me best. If he has a happy home then I am happy too. I just need him to stop biting. Its not warning nips. They all draw blood. My hands are ripped up. I'm a nurse so it really burns with all the handwashing.

 

[MyFlock]

My red belly hias bit me hard getting him out of his cage so he now rides on a stick, he even prefers the stick when going back in cage. I would stick train him to move him and give him a treat for being a good boy. Duncan likes Almonds for training purposes.

As a side note, I've found that these type of birds seem to like slower patient movements to ones that are rushed. At least Duncan does anyway.

Good luck!

 

[MyFlock]

To add: how does his disability affect him? Can you use a stick for him to step up with the good leg? Or do you have to move him everywhere?

 

[Grraarrgghh]

Red bellies bite. I think it's just a Poi thing in general.

That said, crippling the mobility of an already disabled parrot seems like it may have caused trust issues. It could also be that whole "gender preference" thing some birds have.

Do what I do, make sure he constantly has a whole boatload of wood to chew so his beak won't piece skin.

 

[Whitlee]

Thanks for your responses! I'm sure he has the ability to step onto a stick. If I went anywhere near him with a stick i think he would panic. Most the time he is ok to be just picked up. If you are helping him get to where he wants to be! Treat training has been difficult. He definitely likes his treats but bribery doesn't seem to work on him. My little conure Charlie was so easy to teach tricks with sunflower seeds..

It may be a gender thing. He doesn't bite men. Just me. Im sure his mobility problems play into his feelings of vulnerability. I love the little guy. If there isn't a fix or trick for this I can be content just knowing he is happy with other people and likes hanging with me if there isn't someone cooler around . I just want to be able to enrich his life too! Sometimes it's frustrating when you are the one who adopted him and showered him with love and treats and he turns his nose up ! Oh well. Such is the world! Can't choose who you love...Little ungrateful cripple of a bird JK

 

[RavensGryf]

Red Bellied and Pois in general (not sure about Capes, but all of the smaller ones) are by nature, inclined to bite. Hard. Although I'm working with bite pressure training with my Griffin, the hard bite is not something that can be trained entirely out of a Poi, in the way that it can with other species. Other experienced Poi people can tell you the same. One think I noticed is Robin doesn't mess around with a "warning nip" he either bites hard or he doesn't bite at all .

They are also a species inclined to be one person birds, or as in your case, just very particular with 'who'. They are typically like this regardless of early socialization. I think that your boy may 'tolerate' you, but you aren't his person. If someone dares handle Robin besides my husband or I, he might sit on their finger for up to a minute or so, then crunch!

 

[thekarens]

I agree with Julie. Even though I got both my sennies when young I'm the only one in the house that can handle them reliably and I've even been chomped a few times with no warning. My two turned 2 in May.