Rate your companion Bird bite!

[pamcor57]

I have a Greenwing. One of my daughters has a Sun Conure. I read a statement on one of these forums which sums it up very well. "A small bird's bite is like a pair of scissor. A large bird's bite is like a pair of pliers."

I'll take the bite from a pair of pliers any day over the bite of a pair of scissors.

I would agree with you 100 percent. When my smaller birds bite my entire nervous system goes into shock! But,when my Macaw bites me (which is few and far inbetween) it reallie doesnt bother me at all, because my Macaw doesnt bite to mame me.

 

[pamcor57]

Oh boy. Our Grey used to just hit us with his beak but once he got me good. It actually scared me more than it hurt. We had 2 parakeets that really hurt. They would HANG on and not want to let go. The other ones never hurt me. However, my cockatiel (not hand tamed), Bella, is the worst.

I know!..Parakeets bites are the bomb! those little buggers can hang on to your skin and never let go! Mine leave holes in my finger everytime. I have tried to train them to be mellow..but they are not having any part of humans...I love them reguardless.

 

[lene1949]

Max has a way of getting his claws into something, where they shouldn't be, like the other day he got a claw stuck in my ear - a small hole, where I used to have an ear ring... As usual it was easy to get him out of that predicament...

 

[roxynoodle]

Max has a way of getting his claws into something, where they shouldn't be, like the other day he got a claw stuck in my ear - a small hole, where I used to have an ear ring... As usual it was easy to get him out of that predicament...

Merlin regurgitated into my ear yesterday. I'm thinking a claw stuck is worse

 

[pamcor57]

Max has a way of getting his claws into something, where they shouldn't be, like the other day he got a claw stuck in my ear - a small hole, where I used to have an ear ring... As usual it was easy to get him out of that predicament...

Thats too funny!

 

[pamcor57]

Max has a way of getting his claws into something, where they shouldn't be, like the other day he got a claw stuck in my ear - a small hole, where I used to have an ear ring... As usual it was easy to get him out of that predicament...

Merlin regurgitated into my ear yesterday. I'm thinking a claw stuck is worse

My B&G Macaw Merlin use to regurgitate on my bed in frount of me...I would tell him NOooooo Nooooooo dont do it!! But I am sure he thought he was doing me a favor...lololol

 

[Beako_N_Kiwi]

Beako - Our new 22 year old Yellow Crowned Amazon has little bites that dont hurt at all. She must have been handled a lot, because when she is getting nippy I can touch her beak and say "No bites baby" and she stops.

Kiwi however, our 9 year old Yellow Naped Amazon was neglected a bit, and has quite an attitude. I had no idea how bad her bite was until I was too outgoing and tried to get her to step up on me a week ago. She took a chunk of my finger out. I put her in her cage and left the room crying spurting blood. Haven't tried to get her to step up on me since.

 

[HalfInsane]

Pixel has never really bitten me. She does have a need to chew on EVERYTHING, myself included, but it is never painful. She's getting better, thankfully.

The two budgies I grew up with never bit. They'd sooner just fly away.

My lovebird, Tequila though.... oh lord. When she decided to bite, it drew blood. And she wouldn't just bite once, she'd clamp on and grate that sharp little beak of hers in to your skin. The worst time was when I had to hold her still for an injection when she had egg binding. The vets were clueless and everyone refused to hold her, and apparently they had no small towels either.... by the end of that affair my index finger looked like hamburger and the table was covered in drops of blood. I don't blame Tequila of course... but ouch.

 

[pamcor57]

Beako - Our new 22 year old Yellow Crowned Amazon has little bites that dont hurt at all. She must have been handled a lot, because when she is getting nippy I can touch her beak and say "No bites baby" and she stops.

Kiwi however, our 9 year old Yellow Naped Amazon was neglected a bit, and has quite an attitude. I had no idea how bad her bite was until I was too outgoing and tried to get her to step up on me a week ago. She took a chunk of my finger out. I put her in her cage and left the room crying spurting blood. Haven't tried to get her to step up on me since.

Aw honey..thats hard. I hope your finger heals fast, fingers take forever to heal...I know! The only bite that drew blood on me was from my B&G...he got me on the thin skin under my wrist...WHEW! that hurt. When my birds nip...I do not show that their bite has or is hurting me. They are looking for a reaction in you. After they nip at me I slowly walk away from them, not saying anything. Then I will wait for like 5 minutes and go back to them...always finding that they are as sweet as usuall.

 

[Tarkus]

Don't 'Toos, or at least some types of 'Toos, have 2 points on the lower beak? It is more like being bitten by a small shark.

Oh yeah !

I've have marks all over my body from my insane desire to handle any bird I come across but nothing compares to a Too bite.

Unlike a macaw with a large hookbill the mandibles on a Too are perfect for cutting. Add the fact that as most birds bite and retreat a large Too will latch-on until either shaken lose or a hunk of flesh tears out. Painfull.

If find this far more frightening than Jaws......

Be Big,
Alan

 

[RescueMe]

I fostered a moluccan for several months who wasknown to have some aggression issues. At first she was pretty pleasant; after the 2nd week she settled in and became increasingly aggressive with me. She bit me several times badly enough to scar. We were working on target training with the goal of trust building and reducing biting behaviors when she really nailed me. She launched herself at me grabbing and hanging from my arm. I tried to remain calm and managed to get her into her cage and to the kitchen to wash the wound, I woke up in a pool of blood later. She was the most aggressive least predictable bird I have ever worked with. A mollucan bite is the worst I have had, and this coming from a girl who has literally been kicked in the face by a 1500Lbs horse. My U2 wouldn't dream of biting.

 

[pamcor57]

@RescueMe....wow...That sounded very bad indeed. I have to keep reminding myself that our feathered friends are not human...they are still wild and we as humans can only tame them to a certain point. Their beaks are their only defence against preditors...why they bite us is a mystery I think, because most of the time nothing has caused the biteing. After my bird nips me he just sits there and acts like it never happened...lol

 

[roxynoodle]

I fostered a moluccan for several months who wasknown to have some aggression issues. At first she was pretty pleasant; after the 2nd week she settled in and became increasingly aggressive with me. She bit me several times badly enough to scar. We were working on target training with the goal of trust building and reducing biting behaviors when she really nailed me. She launched herself at me grabbing and hanging from my arm. I tried to remain calm and managed to get her into her cage and to the kitchen to wash the wound, I woke up in a pool of blood later. She was the most aggressive least predictable bird I have ever worked with. A mollucan bite is the worst I have had, and this coming from a girl who has literally been kicked in the face by a 1500Lbs horse. My U2 wouldn't dream of biting.

I also rated it as my worst bite ever, and I, too, have been kicked in the face by a horse. I know EXACTLY what you went through, and if you are like me, you do have constant problems still from that kick.

 

[RescueMe]

@RescueMe....wow...That sounded very bad indeed. I have to keep reminding myself that our feathered friends are not human...they are still wild and we as humans can only tame them to a certain point. Their beaks are their only defence against preditors...why they bite us is a mystery I think, because most of the time nothing has caused the biteing. After my bird nips me he just sits there and acts like it never happened...lol

I think it is important to consider that birds rarely bite for no reason, the challenge is to understand their behavior well enough to prevent the behavior or avoid it when possible. I have learned to evaluate each bite in an attempt to better understand the reasons. Good luck in the future.

 

[Lukask]

I have been bit by a ringneck, M2, my GCC, military macaw, goffin, and tiels. I also agree that the smaller birds hurt more initially, but big birds leave a lasting impression...The bruises from M2's were always impressive even though the initial bite wasnt horribly painful.

The joys of volunteering in a bird sanctuary...haha.

 

[evesta]

When I was a kid my budgie Dobbie was a mean little turd but the worst bite was a goose bite!! I remember getting into our neighbors chicken coop which was full of chickens, ducks, geese. I big goose started chasing me and I couldn't run my boots were stuck in the mud and they go for the back of the knees!!!

I've only handled birds in stores but have never been bitten. One reason I am getting linnies is they are less prone to be nippy like other small parrots like budgies and love birds. I know my boys are just babies but I don't think we will have much problems. Just from the look of their little beaks and their fiesty attitude, love birds look like they would be the worst! They are the only birds at petstores I am usually worried about handling.

 

[lexx510]

I'm sort of terrified of cockatoos now, after reading this thread.

 

[Mare Miller]

I'm sort of terrified of cockatoos now, after reading this thread.

If they are bonded with, (to?), you...I think you might be safe. I sure find my bird to be very complex but I'm also understanding his nature and that has helped, tremendously!

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm sort of terrified of cockatoos now, after reading this thread.

If it isn't actually my bird, I'm not going to trust it I will not get close to them in the pet store anymore. I don't want to have to shop with the darn thing because it's going to bite me if it jumped onto my arm and I try to put it back, lol!

Geese have sure scared the heck out of me, but none have actually caught me yet.

 

[pamcor57]

When I was a kid my budgie Dobbie was a mean little turd but the worst bite was a goose bite!! I remember getting into our neighbors chicken coop which was full of chickens, ducks, geese. I big goose started chasing me and I couldn't run my boots were stuck in the mud and they go for the back of the knees!!!

I've only handled birds in stores but have never been bitten. One reason I am getting linnies is they are less prone to be nippy like other small parrots like budgies and love birds. I know my boys are just babies but I don't think we will have much problems. Just from the look of their little beaks and their fiesty attitude, love birds look like they would be the worst! They are the only birds at petstores I am usually worried about handling.

I had the same inccident happen to me...I was visiting an Uncle who had a ranch. I seen his pretty white pair of geese in his back yard. They seemed friendly, just standing there looking so fluffy. (I was 12 at the time). I decided to go pet them....WRONG!!!! After I touched the top of one of their heads they flared up, spred their wings..lowered their heads and started chasing me!...I was running as fast as I could..lolol...all the long getting nipped on the back of my legs. was cut by the beaks...I'll never forget that day...haven wanted to pet one of them since!...lmao!