My lovebird bites in its cage. Is it territorial or stressed?

Question

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 brought it home from work and said it was found by a donation bin. It has always tried to bite everyone when it can. Though when it comes out of the cage and has the chance to fly around the house, it's way friendlier. Is it being territorial?

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

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 space more comfortable and relaxing. Bonding does take time, and it may take days, weeks or even months on each step to build that trust! Be patient, and try not to be discouraged if you don't see immediate changes.

My lovebird bites in its cage. Is it territorial or stressed?

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