Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Male | 5 months and 5 days old
I have an alexandrine parrot.I have a problem with him because every day I feed him with my hand he bites me.When I wake up in the morning he always bites me but after sometime eats food from my hand.I don't know why he bites me in the morning?This is the first thing do in the morning every day.He is just 5 months old.
4 Answers
Published on August 6th, 2017
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!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Published on August 3rd, 2017
Champ may be biting due to fear or being protective of his cage. Try working with him in a safe, neutral area - a bed or floor where he can't hide or get caught. Teaching him commands such as "step up" and "perch" to move from your hand to perch can be helpful. Many birds are protective of their cages, so removing him from the area may help. Give ample rewards when he does what you want. Teach him to understand that "NO" means his behavior is not acceptable, but never hit a bird as that will only increase fear and potentially injure him. I've posted some resources below for further information. Good luck. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/biting-and-screaming-in-birds https://aav.site-ym.com/?page=basiccare The following book has good basic training and behavior info as well https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Dummies-Gina-Spadafori/dp/0764551396
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Published on July 15th, 2019
Time and patience can help! Taking time to interact with Rico daily, offering a favorite treat, etc can help you to bond. If he starts to act up, stepping away and letting everyone settle down can teach him that the fun stops when he is biting. If he's scared or stressed, a break can also help him to relax as well. I'm including a few articles that may also be useful for training! https://www.petcoach.co/article/basic-bird-training-how-to-train-your-bird-to-step-up/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/understanding-bird-body-language-what-your-parrot-or-your-o/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/bird-biting-why-they-do-it-and-how-to-correct-it/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Published on October 10th, 2018
Avoid any play or activity that gets him riled up. When he does bite, push your hand towards him, not away. This will put him off balance and he will let go. A stern "No bite" should accompany this motion. Do not drop him. Do not strike him. Be patient and be consistent. Praise appropriate behavior and compliance. Provide a variety of toys, exercise and out of the cage time to prevent boredom.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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