Bird Tip - The Bird Bit Me! Or Did It?

Just because a bird laid its beak on you doesn't mean it bit you.  My family hates it when I say, "You're not bleeding, the bird didn't bite you."  But that's usually true.

If you understand how a bird uses its beak, respect what the bird's trying to tell you, and apply fair discipline, you will rarely be truly bitten.

Understand how a bird uses its beak:

• Getting Around - This is not a bite. Birds commonly grab a branch in their beak to test it for strength before stepping on it. They also use their beak to steady themselves as they climb from branch to branch. This can appear to be an attempt to bite and your instinctive reaction is to pull away.  DON’T PULL AWAY.  Branches don't pull away.  If you pull away, your bird will start biting you.  Sometimes the bird loses its balance and will grab you with its beak.  Sometimes this grabbing can be very hard, hurts a lot and you may even bleed.  If your bird hurts you because it grabbed you due to losing its balance you CANNOT discipline the bird.  He didn't mean it. 
• Beaking - The bird gently gnaws and tongues you fingers, hands and arms. This is a form of social interaction on the part of the bird and is normal. However, it can easily get out of control to where the bird starts feeling stabby and starts to really hurt you or try to take your fingernails off.  Discipline the bird if the pressure is too hard, gently wobble your hand and firmly tell your bird “no”.  The bird will learn what amount of pressure is acceptable.  ** Do not wobble so hard that the bird falls.  The correct amount of wobble is just enough to get the bird to stop biting, but not so hard that the bird is afraid.  Just enough to get its attention.
• Pinching - A good pinch administered with the tip of the beak. A parrot most often does this to get your attention,  warn you of approaching danger, or to let you know you’re doing something that’s annoying. Not serious, but definitely irritating and painful.  Discipline your bird with the gentle hand wobble and firmly tell him “no” to teach him that hurt you.  BUT YOU SHOULD ALSO TAKE NOTE OF WHAT YOU DID TO DESERVE THE PINCH AND MODIFY YOUR BEHAVIOR IN THE FUTURE.  This shows your bird you acknowledge the message he’s sending and you respect it.  ** Again ** Do not wobble so hard that the bird falls.  The correct amount of wobble is just enough to get the bird to stop biting, but not so hard that the bird is afraid.  Just enough to get its attention.
• Biting - You'll know it when you get one.  Generally it’s fast and striking like a snake.  Usually the bird’s displaying and warning you in some way like puffing up (aggressive), snaking its neck from side to side (aggressive), eyes are flashing or pinning (aggressive), or backing up with its beak open (fearful).  If you are not bleeding or missing chunks of flesh, it’s not a bite.  If you are observant of the prior three ways that a bird uses its beak and you behave appropriately - not pulling away when the bird’s getting around on you, disciplining hard beaking and pinching, respecting the bird’s feelings and messages when it pinches you - you will rarely get truly bitten by a tame bird.  

**DO NOT, NO MATTER HOW HARD IT IS, SCREAM, SAY "OUCH", OR OTHERWISE EXCLAIM WHEN A BIRD'S BEAK HURTS YOU.  If you do, you run the risk of turning yourself into an entertaining squeaky toy and the bird will bite you just to get you to yell. 

This biting info is not applicable to a bird that is not already tame and friendly.  I don't like taming birds and I'm no good at it, so I don't provide tips on avoiding bites when taming a bird.