Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

Why is my parakeet biting me? How can I get her to stop biting?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Parakeet | Female | unspayed | 2 months and 6 days old

Hi I have 3 pet parakeets 1 is brighty he bights me

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on April 19th, 2019

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.

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Image profile

    Answered By Todd Cecil

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Thanks for reaching out about Bright. Is the question or concern is he bites you? Winning her trust takes time. Offering treats, keeping stimulus low (lighting, sound, disruptions around the cage) can improve your relationship. Good luck.

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Image profile

    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on October 21st, 2018

    If she's biting her cage all the time when you are not handling her it sounds like Vermilion may be very stressed out or extremely bored. It would be best to make sure her cage is kept in a calm, quiet area away from other people and pets that may harass her. Making sure she has enough room to move around comfortably, and adding in some toys such as puzzle toys filled with a treat can help encourage her to chew on that and get out any energy or boredom (which may turn into biting instead.) As for taming her, it takes a to of time and patience. If you know of a favorite treat of hers, you can begin to offer it any time you come by the cage by tossing it into it. This can help her start to associate you with good things instead of just stressful things (your hand in the cage moving stuff around) Once she is used to that, you can then move to offering it from your hand, to petting her while you give it, etc. If she becomes too stressed and bites, taking a break and trying again later is best. This article can also help with birds biting: https://www.petcoach.co/article/bird-biting-why-they-do-it-and-how-to-correct-it/

    Vote icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

See More Answers

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
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
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My budgie wont let me pet her, she bites and flies away when i try. Can someone help... Is there a way I can make her comfortable with being petted?
Time. Patience. And Treats! Take some time every day to just sit near Star's cage without interacting. Once she seems a bit more comfortable, you can start to offer a favorite treat such as spray millet from your hand, or tossed into the cage. From there, you can work up to offering it from your hand, or petting her gently while she eats it. If at any time she becomes too scared, revert to the previous part that worked (IE going back to offering from your hand) until she is comfortable again. This takes time, and likely won't happen overnight. It can take weeks or even months to bond with a new bird, so remaining patient and giving her time to get more and more used to you can help.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have had Vermilion for almost a year, but she has been nothing but aggressive. She keeps biting her cage when no one is around -- I'm worried she'll hurt her beak. I want to tame her, but she bites my finger whenever I'm refilling her food or water
If she's biting her cage all the time when you are not handling her it sounds like Vermilion may be very stressed out or extremely bored. It would be best to make sure her cage is kept in a calm, quiet area away from other people and pets that may harass her. Making sure she has enough room to move around comfortably, and adding in some toys such as puzzle toys filled with a treat can help encourage her to chew on that and get out any energy or boredom (which may turn into biting instead.) As for taming her, it takes a to of time and patience. If you know of a favorite treat of hers, you can begin to offer it any time you come by the cage by tossing it into it. This can help her start to associate you with good things instead of just stressful things (your hand in the cage moving stuff around) Once she is used to that, you can then move to offering it from your hand, to petting her while you give it, etc. If she becomes too stressed and bites, taking a break and trying again later is
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My peach faced lovebird bites everyone, but only when their hand is in its cage or try to pet it through the bars. It even fluff up its feathers when you get near the cage to interact with it. We've only had it since winter when my aunt's boyfriend b
It sounds like your bird may not be comfortable yet with being handled around the cage. Stress and feeling unsafe can cause a bird to lash out, and it may be that they feel you are intruding on their space or are going to harm them when you get close. Taking some time to bond while your bird is in its cage may help. If he or she has a favorite treat, begin by offering it every time you approach the cage, and only at these times. This will help your bird start to associate your arrival with good things, rather than scary. Once used to you just tossing in a treat every time you come by, you can then move on to opening the cage and offering the treat from your hand, petting your bird, etc. If they become too scared, try to bite, or seem very stressed out, move back to the previous step that worked and try again from there. Making sure the cage itself is kept in a stress-free and quiet environment where other pets, people, etc can't bother it can also help reduce stress and make the spa
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
My bird hates me she always bites me when I try to carry her I feed her and give her water she just Dosent care but she loves my mom she always on her finger and always carries the bird it dosent like me I’ve had it for more and 6 years
It may be a simple preference. Some pets, birds included, have their favorites. You can try to gain her trust gradually, but be prepared for rejection. Start by simply sitting by the cage for ever increasing periods of time. Progress to placing you hand in the cage for ever increasing periods of time. Make no attempt to touch or hold her. End each session with a small reward or treat. Be patient and be consistent. If it makes you feel better, I have a parrot close to 30 years old that I have cared for since she was a chick. She will bite me any chance she gets. It's not just you.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
They've started to become more comfortable with my finger. They're eating off my hand and most of the time when I press my finger they'll hop on. The male budgie sits on my finger calmly whereas the female one is sitting but she'll start biting my fi
She may be curious, nervous still or stressed. When she begins to bite, drop your hand about 2-3 inches rapidly. This will put her off balance and distract her from biting. Do it each time and she will learn biting is not allowed. Praise and reward her each time if she stops biting. If not, place her back in or on the cage until she settles down then try again.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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
Petco Pet Education Center
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
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My budgie has started eating from my hands but when ever I try to touch him he bites. I have a pair the female is afraid to come on my hand to eat so may be it scares the male budgie. How should I tame them? Also they bite each other while eating wha
It will take time. Allow him to keep eating from your hand. Use treats to coax him onto your hand and when you pet him, do not come in from above. This can be a threatening motion for birds. Approach at or below eye level and move slowly. The female will require a bit more work in getting acclimated to your hand. You can do the same though. Use treats and rewards. Keep your hand near her, but don't try to touch her, for ever increasing periods of time. Provide additional food and water bowls to prevent resource protection.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have been trying to tame Tangy to sit on my finger and play with me for a year now.Before I got her she was never hand tamed or used to people. I go slowly and stop when she gets scared. She either bites my finger to push it away or runs away. She
Hand-feeding treats is actually the major way you can help to tame her. You /do/ want her to expect treats from you every time, because this teaches her that you are a positive thing to be around, instead of scary by chasing her with your hand or finger. So I highly recommend starting to hand-treat her or tossing a favorite treat every time you come by to visit. This can certainly help with bonding and positive experiences. In some cases, a bird may not bond very well with its owners, or may bond in other ways (singing, talking to you, dancing for you, etc). Even if she never decides to sit on your hand or cuddle, you can spend other ways bonding by playing with a toy, talking to her, offering treats, etc to let her know you enjoy being together.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored