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Lovebird
Biting (Part 2)
Lovebird Biting (Part 1)
Lovebird Biting (Part 2)
Fearful Biting
Lovebirds sometimes bite out of fear. A cornered
lovebird will easily inflict a painful bite to any hand that
willingly grabs them. If the lovebird needs to be picked up, gently
and calmly use a small towel to do the job. Do not give the bird
more stress by making fast movements. Wait for it to calm down then
slowly move the towel towards the bird until you pick him up. Never
let someone who is fearful of the lovebird handle him. Not knowing
how to handle the bird can be both dangerous and harmful to the bird
and handler.
Never let children handle birds when adults are not
around. Generally, children do not understand if they are being too
rough or forceful with the bird. If the bird feels like it is being
overpowered, it will naturally bite. Any animal getting cornered or
scared will do this. If you are bitten by the lovebird, never make
fast motions. Calmly move the bird’s beak away. To avoid more
biting, the best approach is through distraction. Distract the bird
by offering toys to keep the beak occupied, or by lightly blowing on
the bird’s face.
Territorial Biting
A tame lovebird may become territorial of their cage,
especially a breeding female. Territorial lovebirds guard their
cages and nesting boxes fearlessly. Some owners cannot place their
hands inside their bird’s cage, nor do basic chores such as
cleaning, feeding, or picking the bird up. The bird will lunge and
bite the owner. This problem can be addressed in several ways.
Firstly, a hormonal hen requires someone who is confident enough to
handle her because she may bite. Use one hand to distract her and
the other to make her step-up. If she refuses, take a small cloth
and gently wrap it around her. Pick her up and praise her. This
should be done as a last resort if she does not listen. If she
again starts lunging in an aggressive way or manner, give her the
option of the cloth or your finger. You will be amazed at how
quickly she changes her attitude. Remember that this technique can
take a while. A pet owner should not expect results overnight.
If a nesting box is present, remove it from the
cage. This can encourage more biting. Another tactic that can
drastically change her behavior is moving her toys and cage around.
This breaks her need to guard one place or object, which in her eyes
is too difficult, eventually she will mellow out. Constantly
changing the bird’s setup is important and vital in removing their
natural ability to want to protect everything. Giving lovebirds a
variety of toys and moving the toys around helps to minimize
territorial behavior.
Be firm with your lovebird and set ground rules from
the beginning. Do not encourage gentle nibbling because it often
leads to serious biting. Let the lovebird interact with all family
members. Never let up on the ground rules you have implemented. It
is important to remember they are animals. Be continuous because
lovebirds understand consistent behavior.
Hormones
As your baby lovebird reaches adulthood, things will
start to change. The bird might become moody. He may need space
and require less attention. Allowing your bird its space will
produce a healthy confident lovebird that will have less biting
problems. So do not take it personal when the bird chooses to bite,
he is just figuring things out and getting to know his boundaries.
Be prepared and patient because the biting behavior will pass.
Don’t let this stage detour you from spending time
with your lovebird, as this is one of the most important stages of a
lovebird’s life. During this period be consistent with promoting
acceptable behavior.
Lack of Sleep
Birds get tired too! Your bird should be in bed no
later than 7:00 – 8:00PM. In the wild, birds go to sleep much
sooner and get up earlier. Generally speaking, when the sun comes
up they wake up, and when the sun goes down they go to sleep.
If a bird is up late he can get cranky. Remember,
these birds have mentalities of young children and need plenty of
sleep to function normally. Imagine how you feel when you are
deprived of sleep. We become cranky and moody and it is no
different for our birds.
A good way to help the bird rest is by covering the
cage at night. This eliminates drafts and disturbances that keep
the bird from sleeping properly. A good cage cover is generally a
sheet, nothing too thick or heavy that can smother the bird.
Never use plastic, it can suffocate the bird. Bird
covers are sold in most pet stores and are very affordable.
We have covered
the major reasons why lovebirds may bite. Remember that consistency
and patience is the key, never aggression. It may seem that biting
will never stop–in most cases it does, or significant changes are
seen. |
