My new parrot is biting my finger. How do I train it to stop?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female | spayed | 2 days old
My bird is a green and simple parrot and its the second day since I bought it...at first he was like feeling from toungue but now he bites my finger...what do i do??
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 16th, 2017
Coco might be a bit stressed out still since you just acquired him. Giving him a few days to relax and get used to his new surroundings before interacting too much may help him settle in without trying to bite you. From there, you can start to offer him some favorite treats every time you visit/interact to help gain his trust. If he becomes too nervous or bites, giving him a break to calm down and relax before trying again is best.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on August 21st, 2017
Coco might be biting due to fear and stress. I would recommend keeping coco in a low stress location. Also I would try to find a treat he loves and have you be the only one that gives it to him. I would start slowly by placing the treat in the cage and work towards holding it. After you build a relationship with him he might be less likely to bite. hope that helps
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
He always bites me when I touch him I don't know if he's mad at me
Coco might be biting due to fear and stress. I would recommend keeping coco in a low stress location. Also I would try to find a treat he loves and have you be the only one that gives it to him. I would start slowly by placing the treat in the cage and work towards holding it. After you build a relationship with him he might be less likely to bite. hope that helps
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
*I got a green cheek conure 3 days ago (he's 72 days old) , and we have a problem about biting, whenever i open his cage he directly climbs up my shoulders and bites my neck or ear, when i try to put him down he keeps biting my hands and its impossib
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Hi I have 3 pet parakeets and I want to do her first so brighty I bought him at pet supplies plus in February 13 2019 almost at night and today it is April 14 2019 my problem is I won't know if she's to little or what but every time I try to get clos
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 hav
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi my bird been biting for almost a year my Parrot is going for 3 years now he's been biting a lot and I don't know why he will fly directly at me and started biting or when I want to pick him up when he was little we training to do a step up from f
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
I recently got a baby conure. I would like him to have a little bit of training. I was wondering how do you train him to stay on a perch? Also he loves to play which I love but he gets a little nippy. He’s not being aggressive or anything he just get
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/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, I just purchased my pet on Sat, but she has started biting. Do you think we are doing something to frighten her? Karen
The new surroundings may be stressful. Give her a day or two to settle down, then gradually acclimate her to your presence. Begin by sitting near her cage for ever increasing periods of time. Move slowly and speak softly during these times and end each session with a small treat. Progress to placing your hand in the cage again, for ever increasing periods of time. Make no attempt to touch or hold her. Once she has acclimated and showing interest in your hand, you can try petting her then try handling her. Use praise and rewards each time. Be patient and give her a break if she becomes stressed.
Updated on December 4th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Brighty keeps trying to bite me even though I've had her for 3 I a half months. I don't know if she's to little or if it's her age because she does not want to come out of the cage either
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/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Hi I have 3 pet parakeets 1 is brighty he bights me
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
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 i
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
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My parrot is biting me.he eats food from my hand sometimes but bite me every day.it is an alexandrine parrot chick.I want it to come on my hand and not bite me
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
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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