My new parrot is biting my finger. How do I train it to stop?

Thanks for reaching out about Coco and including photos. First, don't let him to your shoulder as the dominant bird is often highest in the tree. Allow to come out of the cage with the use of a perch or stick. Keep the distal end higher than your hand to prevent climbing up the stick to you. This all revolves around proper training and a good book might help. Try "A Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot". Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Sky. Despite what many people may think, birds are not supposed to bite readily. They come to learn to bite when the other forms of their body language are not seen/listened to by others, including owners (and veterinarians!). I would recommend looking at Sky's body language and your actions in situations - both before she tries to bite and when she is trying to bite. You may see that Sky tries to move away, or leans away, prior to trying to bite. It may be that Sky has not had any good or non-frightening experiences with humans yet so she doesn't know how friendly you are trying to be. I would recommend moving very slowly, and using food items that Sky likes to eat to help start to form a bond with her. When you start to move towards Sky, and there are no signs of avoidance (see above), then she gets a treat that she really likes. If she shows any signs of avoidance, then you just move away - you leaving may be her reward, and that is okay because you haven't pushed her so much that she feels like she needs to be desperate enough to bite. For training, you may want to start by asking her to step up using a stick or wooden dowel instead of your finger. This will be more safe for you, and may be more comfortable for Sky initially as well. There are videos online that give training tips as well - I would recommend searching for positive reinforcement videos as these tend to be very successful for birds. I hope this gives you a place to start, and good luck with Sky!

It is possible he's a bit bored or anxious, and that's why he's continuing to bite you even with training. You can try offering him a treat or toy to put into his mouth while you handle him to give him a chance to bite down on that instead of nibbling on you! Keeping him on your arms away from your face or shoulders and away from perches where he can reach down and bite you may also help reduce it. If the behavior continues, talking to a local animal behaviorist near you may also help. It's also a good idea to rule out any health issues if the biting came on suddenly, or if you're noticing any other changes in behavior or health status.

Bonding with a bird can take a lot of time and patience, and if she isn't comfortable with you yet, it could be she is getting stressed out and biting, or trying to protect her "home" (the cage.) I am including some articles that may help you. https://www.petcoach.co/article/bird-biting-why-they-do-it-and-how-to-correct-it/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-bird-training-how-to-train-your-bird-to-step-up/

Biting can happen if Bright is feeling stressed or scared, or just isn't tame enough yet to be handled. If she lives with other birds, it could be she is more bonded to them so may not bond with you as closely. A good start is to offer her favorite treat every time you approach the cage, by tossing it inside. Once she is more used to you coming by, you can then start to offer it from your hand, and then continue working on taming her from there. If at any time she becomes stressed out or bites, taking a break to let her relax and trying again later can help. It can take time for a bird to get used to their owner, so patience is key. Making sure Bright isn't too stressed out from her cagemates, and that she has plenty of fresh food, water, and toys to play with can help as well.

Hello! I'm sorry to hear about Champ's biting. Parrots are complex and intelligent animals, and sometimes it can be difficult to figure out why they exhibit certain behaviors. Luckily, Champ is a young bird, and can hopefully be shown that hands are not threatening or dangerous. One of the most important pieces of advice I can give you when training a bird is to be very cautious about punishing him for biting. Yelling, scolding, or hitting a bird for biting will only reinforce whatever fear he has of your hands, and give him more reason to bite. Some birds are also very protective of their cage, so entering his cage first thing in the morning when he is still groggy may be startling for him. Try giving him some time to wake up and exit the cage on his own time before attempting to handle him. Try approaching with a food item slowly, and allow him to take it from you, if he wants. Once he is taking the food item without hesitation, try putting your hand next to him while giving him the food item with your other hand. Then, put your hand between him and the food item (so he has to get on your hand to reach it). Champ will probably get off your hand immediately the first few times, but don't be discouraged. It will take some time to build up trust. Even after he is getting on your hand with regularity, there will be times where he will still try to bite you. This is just the way birds are. The best thing you can do is completely ignore him when he bites you. Birds do crave attention, and if he starts to associate biting with being ignored, hopefully the incidence will decrease. Be patient, consistent, and remember - birds are very smart, and understand more than you think. If you're upset, he will know. Do your best to stay calm, use a soothing voice, and only reward behaviors that you deem acceptable. Never force him to do anything he doesn't want to do, and he will learn to trust you. Good luck, and I hope that you and Champ develop a life-long friendship!

I’m sorry this is happening. I know it can be pretty frustrating for you. The best this to do is work with him very slowly and have lots of patience. It will take time for him to begin to trust you. The best way to gain his trust is by working with him slowly and using small pieces of his favorite treat as a reward for interacting with you. First start by giving him a treat when you approach him/open the cage door, then, once he is comfortable with this, try to pet him with one finger, then continue increasing your interactions with him along these lines. It will take him time but with persistence he will get more used to you. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.