Biting -  What does it mean and how to deal with it

By Sonny Stollenmaier

A parrot’s beak is an incredibly versatile tool.  It is sensitive, powerful, gentle and sharp; it can be used for eating, preening, caressing and defending. One of the most important and interesting uses for any parrot beak is for non-verbal communication. For example, a parrot might lunge at a person to get them to back off.  If you don’t observe and understand this communication, a bite will often follow.

 

In this article I would like to discuss two main categories of beak use: 1) Exploration & interaction 2) Back-off warnings/defence lunging and biting.

But first some tools and background information that is required to successfully change our parrot’s biting behaviour and to help us understand the motivation behind it.

 

 

Behaviour – Reinforcers – Warning signs

 

 

Behaviour & Consequence

 

Any behaviour, biting included, is the function of its consequence. In other words, the function of a bite is to either avoid or elicit a consequence (e.g. being put inside the cage, or getting you to scream out (loud vocal replies are rewarding to many parrots)).

You can ensure that the outcome of any behaviour you request from your bird is reinforcing for your bird and subsequently alter his behaviour and avoid the bite. For example, you can teach your bird not to bite when he is placed inside the cage by changing items inside the cage and adding new exciting items every time you place him there. In other words, give your parrot a reason (a reward) for doing what you want him to do.

 

 

Learned behaviour

 

Parrots will most often bite when we try and make them do things they don’t want to do or confront them with items that make them uncomfortable or even frighten them.

For example, if your bird is truly reluctant to step up, or leave a favourite perch, or to give up a favourite toy and you force him to do so anyway, you are likely to get bitten. This may well cause you to shout at your bird or even retreat. The problem is that you have taught your parrot that if he bites he won’t have to leave his favourite perch as the bite caused you to retreat (the reinforcing consequence). This was a positive outcome for the bird and will therefore increase the behaviour of biting.

This also goes for stepping up. If you push the point despite your bird’s reluctance and provoke a bite, your bird will learn that biting is required to get you to retreat every time he doesn’t want to step up.

 

A much more productive way of getting your bird to follow your wishes is to make every behaviour you want to see repeated on cue, e.g. stepping up or even leaving a favourite perch, so much fun (reinforcing) that he simply can’t resist complying. Do this by always rewarding him in the way he enjoys the most. This could be by means of food treats, delivering a favourite toy or by physical affection.

Of course you don’t have to treat your parrot every time he steps up. Once the behaviour has been fully learned and has been put on cue you can simply give a verbal praise every time he complies. From time to time, however, you should reward any behaviour with a favourite treat just to make sure that it remains properly reinforced.

 

 

Reinforcers

 

What are the most effective reinforcers (rewards) for your bird?  Only the learner, in this case your parrot, can answer this question.  Observe your bird closely in order to determine what his favourite food items are, where his favourite perch is, what kind of toys he loves playing with the most and to what degree and in what way he appreciates physical touch.  Don't be tempted to think in terms of “most parrots love this so he must, too”, as this strategy may well fail.  It is important that you stick with rewards that your parrot showed signs of enjoying in order to modify behaviour successfully. 

The more reinforcers you have identified, the more you can reward your parrot without these becoming repetitive, boring or predictable for him and therefore weakening or even losing their effectiveness.  In other words, the greater the spectrum of effective rewards, the more you will be able to vary a positive reinforcement schedule, and subsequently increase your powers as a teacher.

 

 

Rewarding aggressive/frightened birds

 

Many frightened or aggressive birds won’t tolerate any kind of physical closeness. So how can we reward a behaviour in a parrot that we wish to reinforce if we get bitten every time we deliver the reinforcer?  One way of dealing with this is to deliver the reinforcer with something other than a hand.  The use of a wooden cooking spoon could become a very useful tool in such a scenario. First leave the spoon for several days near the cage so that the parrot can see it.  Edge the spoon closer and closer to the cage over a period of days, until eventually you can hang the spoon on the outside of the cage.  With a little luck the parrot might begin to play with and chew the spoon through the bars.  If he is not showing any interest in the spoon you could tie a little nut or other food treat to it.  Once the parrot has been desensitised to the spoon you can remove the spoon from the cage and use it to deliver food treats every time you wish to reinforce a positive behaviour.

 

 

Body language

 

It is much easier and by far more productive to avoid a situation that will result in a true bite than it is to “unteach” biting once it has established itself and become a habit.

Parrots rarely bite without “giving the game away” with their body language first.  Observing your bird in order to interpret his body language is therefore crucial.  This may sound difficult at first, however, you will be amazed at how quickly you will pick up on the nuances.

You quickly learn to recognise clear body language, such as your parrot stepping away or looking for an “escape route” as you approach to ask him to step up, pinning eyes, slick feathers, or erect nape feathers with fanned tail to be signals that indicate that you should retreat or the bird wants to be left alone.

 

 

Interaction versus Back-off!

 

Exploration & interaction

 

There is no real definition that would outline the exact characteristics of a bite.

A nibble or other use of the beak that feels hard and unbearable to one person might not affect another person as much, if at all. However, I do think it is important to distinguish between a parrot’s innocent use of the beak as a tool, even if the pressure is somewhat strong, and a clear warning, indicating that you should back off, or a protest bite (e.g. when put inside the cage).

 

But, just because the use of the beak in play, or as a tool for exploration, may be innocent and not intended as a bite, it may well be hard and painful on your fingers. You do not have to put up with this as you can easily teach your parrot to use his beak on you in a gentle manner.

 

 

Step-up

 

If you present your hand to your parrot and request for him to step up and he first leans forward and grabs hold of your fingers with his beak, this is not likely to be a bite but a way for your bird to test the security and stability of the presented perch (your finger/hand).

Many parrots won’t use their beak to steady themselves in the step-up process once they have learned that your hand is truly a steady and reliable perch.

If your bird, however, still leans forward and grabs your hand with his beak first, it is likely that you are holding your hand too low which requires the bird to step down, a rather difficult manoeuvre for birds. Lift your hand slightly, be sure it is not too far from you bird’s body and hold it steadily and firmly so that your bird can step up and onto your hand without using his beak. Be sure to reward and praise him for his “new way” of stepping up.

 

On the other hand, if you pull back frightened of getting bitten when you first teach your bird to step up, you will have reduced the bird's confidence in your hand as a perch.  He may well try and grab your hand harder next time in order for it not to slip away.  Should you then pull back again in fear and even yell “ouch”, or shout at your bird you may have rewarded his innocent but firm test of the perch (your hand) with drama which may well reinforce his behaviour.  What started as a gentle test of your hand as a perch has now developed into a biting game.  Please remember that the problem is not your parrot having become vicious but you having unwittingly taught him a biting game.  The behaviour of biting will be maintained or intensify the more you reward this behaviour by yelling or screaming at him. 

Using a handheld perch in such a situation may not be a bad idea in order to increase, both yours as well as your parrot's confidence in this manoeuvre. Wait for him to lift his first leg and put it onto the new perch.  Now praise him lavishly and reward him with whatever is most reinforcing to your bird.  In most cases the bird will then follow on, by transferring his body weight and lifting his second leg onto the perch.  Again, praise him and reward him.  If you are using a handheld perch you can, over time, slide your hand along the perch so that less and less of the perch itself remains exposed.  Eventually when only one or two inches of the perch are exposed and presented to your bird he might automatically climb onto your hand instead.

 

 

Lying on backs

 

Many parrots enjoy lying on their backs. Senegal parrots and macaws are famous for this. 

In this position many parrots naturally nibble their owners’ fingers harder than they would in any other type of play, but again, I would not class this as deliberate biting. When the pressure of the nibbling gets too strong during such play simply say “Too hard!” in a firm voice as you pull your finger away and stop playing or cuddling. You can then resume play within moments and repeat this ‘stop – start’ training as needed. Most parrots learn within just a few sessions what too hard means because you are making it clear that the reinforcer (cuddles, play, your fingers) are withdrawn if the pressure gets too much.

 

 

Overexcitement/play biting

 

Many parrots, when engaged in play with their owners, from time to time, get overexcited.  This is often the case when parrots are encouraged to chase little rolling balls or are engaged in other types of action play.  In those moments some parrots seem to suddenly forget themselves and appear to senselessly bite their owners or other people present.  Always watch your parrot’s body language, as such overexcitement might well be exhibited in one way or another first, for example by pinning eyes.  Stop the game, talk softly and allow your parrot to calm down before you attempt to pick him up. Again, the key is avoidance of the bite.

 

 

Back-off – I don’t want to know

 

Getting into the cage

 

Many parrots enjoy spending time outside their cage and are often difficult to persuade to get back inside. Being put inside the cage often results in protest biting. 

The reason for this is simple: being outside the cage and having access to different toys and being a direct part of the flock (the family) is more reinforcing to such a bird than being shut inside the cage and not being able to come back out of his own accord. Parrots are very observant and can tell when they are about to be put back inside the cage by watching their owner’s behaviour and  looking for changes in the environment that occur in preparation of the looming in-cage time (such as a cage door being opened or some toys being put away). Make such moments less predictable!

When it is time for your parrot to go back inside his cage, put him there and don’t react to any potential bites. Distract him from biting at this time by holding a desirable object (a toy or nut etc.) in your other hand. As soon as he steps onto the cage perch, praise him and give him the treat. This should only be necessary a few times before he forgets to bite you altogether because from now on you leave the cage door open and let him climb back out at his own free will. 

Once he has climbed back out leave him outside for quite some time and repeat this schedule and let him climb back out again. Vary these intervals and repeat this exercise several times every day and you will find that when you really do need to close the cage door you will be able to do so without problem.

Now that we have taught the bird to step down inside the cage without being bitten we also need to give him a reason to enjoy staying inside the cage. For parrots that really don’t enjoy being inside you could always make sure that their favourite foods and toys are only available inside the cage. Also don’t forget that an environment or routine can become predictable and boring very quickly so be sure to change the cage environment around about once a week or so.

You could also create little treasure boxes as mentioned in my last article about “Screaming”. Fill little cardboard boxes with favourite foot toys and a favourite food treat. My macaw loves plastic bottle tops, especially those with a flip top on them. This makes things very easy for me because I can vary these tops all the time. I put these inside the cardboard box together with a little cookie or a nut and some paper or palm leave for shredding. If you have an exciting treasure box ready inside the cage when it is time to go in you will have made the experience of stepping inside the cage a rewarding one for you parrot.

 

 

High places

 

Many people speak of height dominance in parrots and that we should strive to dominate our parrots to establish our role as flock leader or alpha bird.  I consider this a recipe for disaster.  There is no real proof or evidence to suggest that there is a dominance structure among wild parrot flocks and even if there is, we simply don't know how such a hierarchical structure is established among birds.  I therefore consider it prudent not to try and dominate a parrot as our understanding of how to dominate is likely to be fundamentally different to how a parrot would view this, or indeed would exercise dominance himself.

Most parrots prefer to perch in high places, presumably because it provides them with a heightened sense of security  and it is harder for us to force them down from there so they learn to go where we will not succeed in forcing them. However, to try and remove a parrot from a high place should not be difficult provided the outcome (the consequence) is desirable to the parrot. 

You might initially find it easier to remove your parrot from the top perch, such as a curtain rod, by standing on a chair and asking your parrot to step up.  When he does be certain to reward him and praise him lavishly and immediately put him back on the curtain rod, or the high perch.  This way you are teaching your parrot that your request to step off the high place does not necessarily result in him having to leave this favourite place for long.  Once you have practised this exercise a number of times in this way you can of course remove your bird and place him elsewhere.  Be sure, however, to occasionally put him back in his high favourite place in order to maintain the behaviour of stepping up without biting from such locations.  It also helps if the new location you carry your bird to contains items or is near people that excite him, as much or even more so, in order to make such a move rewarding.

 

 

Redirected aggression / fear of strange objects

 

Parrots often get startled or frightened by strange people or objects and bite the nearest object or person to them if they can’t get to the offender.  As it is not always predictable what will suddenly frighten a parrot, and this type of biting is more of a reflex behaviour than a learnt behaviour, it can be very difficult to deal with or avoid such situations.

The best way of preventing such bites is to watch your bird's body language when you use or put new objects near him, or when other people, particularly strangers, enter the room.  Do not handle your bird until he shows clear signs of being relaxed in the presence of the new items/person.

 

 

Cage territorialism/cage bound parrots

 

Often parrots are defensive of their cages, their territory.  People who shake, rattle and bang on their bird’s cage in order to get them to be quiet for example, may well be teaching their parrot to become defensive of their living environment and lunge and bite at the bars even before the person has fully approached.  This is an example of learned biting in order to defend the territory and protect oneself.  Often parrots seem to naturally defend their cages, however, without there having been any abuse in play.  This could be an instinctive behaviour.  Reaching inside with your hand in order to remove your parrot from the cage may result in a barrage of lunges and bites. In such cases it would be best to use a handheld perch.  That said, territorial parrots might even lunge and bite at handheld perches when held inside the cage.  One way of dealing with such a situation would be to open the cage door and to put a small T-stand, to which you fix a favourite treat, right against the open door in order to allow the parrot to climb out of the cage of his own accord.  A good technique would be to screw a dowel or small tree branch to the top of the T-stand which can be unscrewed once the parrot has learned to climb out of the cage and onto the stand of his own accord. This can then be used as a familiar, handheld perch.  Provided you have lavishly praised and rewarded your parrot for climbing out of the cage and onto the T-stand, he will view this particular dowel or branch positively and may therefore be inclined to step onto it once presented inside the cage.

 

 

Summary

 

I have only been able to touch the surface of this subject in this article. It would probably be quite easy to write an entire book on the matter, however, if we do observe the main rule of respect, observation and understanding we are half way there and biting can be reduced to a very large degree.

Biting, or hard nibbling, that is learned behaviour can be modified by changing what precedes (the antecedent) or by changing what follows (the consequence), as can any other learned behaviour. However, in most cases the bite is elicited only after some other kind of sign has been given by the bird to indicate his displeasure. This gives us the opportunity to avoid the bite and not to teach habitual biting in the first place. Not only is it this easier than to try and undo a behaviour once it has been learned and even become a habit, but avoidance of bites also strengthens our relationship with our birds. Not pushing our parrots to the point of biting but understanding their wishes and respecting them by acting accordingly will also deepen the trust they have in us.

 

 

Acknowledgement:

The behaviour modification principles referred to in this article are based on the scientific principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis.

 

Copyright © 2004 Sonny Stollenmaier