Ron Hines DVM PhD 5/4/06

Parrots bite for one of two reasons. They are either fearful and frightened or they are brave and aggressive. In the 1970s and 1980s many wild caught birds were exported from Central and South America and Africa. These wild parrots had never been close to humans before and were terrified. When handled these birds bit to protect themselves. Today I rarely encounter these birds. But aviary-bred birds that have not had enough human companionship early in life behave similarly. Brave and aggressive parrots are much more common. Amazon parrots in particular bond to one member of the family whom they groom and preen and act aggressively to the rest.

The easiest way to have the company of a loving tame parrot is to buy a hand-fed baby that is imprinted on humans and thinks it’s a human being too. But if you are reading this article you did not take that advice. You either bought a wild-caught parrot that lacked human companionship during its formative period or you have become the owner of an aggressive bird. Parrots bite only from fear or aggression and the two states never occur in the same bird. Fear biters rear back on their perch and growl at an approaching person. They stand high on the perch with their eyes dilated and their feathers slick. In their terror to escape they may actually fall off of their perch. Aggressive biters on the other hand bite silently or with a cackle laugh while their eyes dilate and constrict. They raise their feathers and fan their tails.mean

Fear Biting Parrots:
Fear biting birds were not exposed to humans during the first three months after they hatched. When their eyes first open, parrots imprint on the first creature they see and identify with that creature for the rest of their lives. This is called imprinting. Before import restrictions, large numbers of wild parrots were trapped and imported to the United States and Europe. These birds were called “broncos” or wild in Spanish. These unfortunate birds never became loving like hand-fed domestically hatched parrots but they could be tamed to the point where they were relaxed among humans. Today few of these birds are on the market. Most ended up as breeder pairs in parrot aviaries. The occasional bronco parrot one sees today was either smuggled into the Country or bred in an aviary that allowed the parent parrots to raise hatchlings. Because the low value of cockatiels, parakeets and small parrots does not encourage expensive hand rearing, we still see parent-raised, fearful birds of this type. I have found that similar techniques allow one to tame fearful and aggressive birds.

Aggressive Parrots:
A second form of biter is the territorial and possessive parrot that is fearless of human beings. These birds usually have bonded to one member of the family. The parrot considers this person to be their mate and allows no one else in the person’s vicinity without attack. They also defend the territory surrounding their cage. The majority of aggressive behavior starts at the same time the bird becomes sexually mature – one to six years of age. This phenomenon is worst in Amazon parrots and macaws, which mate for life and less pronounced in cockatoos, African and Pacific Rim parrots which do not form as profound a bond with their mates. It is strictly a hormonal thing. A second group of birds insist on forming a peck order in the family similar to a peck order in a flock of parrots. Some of these parrots become “king” or the alpha member of the family. In other cases only some of the human family members are regarded as of lower status than the bird.

Curing The Problem

Parrots have a different relationship with every family member and each person in the family needs to eventually take part in the training. In the beginning, assign training the bird to a single assertive individual. Later, sit together and pass the parrot back and forth between family members. Do this as far away from the cage as possible.

Set Regularly Scheduled Training Times:
Parrots are creatures of habit. They are most comfortable when events occur in a predictable manner at the same time every day. So set a routine with your parrot that does not differ from day to day. Parrots are most alert in the early morning and in the evening. So set your training sessions at those times. Training sessions should last fifteen to thirty minutes. Make the sessions longer for aggressive birds and shorter for fearful birds.

The Right Spot For The Cage:
Parrots feel insecure when they are at or below eye level. So, for fearful parrots,
hang their cage so their perch is about six inches above your eye level. For aggressive birds, hang the cage about six inches below eye level. For fearful birds, a small training cage is better than a large one. The bars of the cage give these parrots a sense of security. For aggressive birds obtain a new cage they are unaccustomed to.

I like to hang the training cage in the kitchen. Kitchens are usually places where the family congregates and they are full of activity, well lit and cheerful.

Clip Wings:
Parrots quickly realize when their wings have been clipped and they can no longer fly and rule the roost. This immediately drops the social status of aggressive birds makes them more docile and submissive. Fearful parrots no longer have the option of fluttering away.

A Hand Held Perch:
For fearful parrots, cut an 18-inch length of broomstick or tree branch to make a hand held perch. It should be quite thick so the bird’s toes can not wrap around the perch. Do this during an evening training session and lower the light in the room. With your arm extended away from your body and the stick slightly raised, say “up birdie” and nudge the end of the stick against the lower breast or crotch of a fearful or aggressive parrot. He should step up onto the perch. Keep your other hand out of sight at first. You can then walk around the kitchen holding the bird. As you walk talk to the bird in a soothing voice or sing to it. When the bird remains relaxed on the perch begin to shorten the stick distance from your hand to the bird. Over a period of days or weeks you can reduce the length of the stick until the bird is no more than four inches from your hand. At this point, lower the stick in relation to you hand and the parrot will step from the stick to your hand. Continue to speak gently to the bird. Raise your hand higher than your elbow so the bird does not walk up your arm to your shoulder at first. Birds on the shoulder are out of your control. Begin to offer the bird small treats from your other hand. It is important that these tidbits be very small. Make all movements very slowly so as not to frighten the bird. While the bird is still perching on the stick I begin to take it into the living room, sit on the sofa and turn the television on to a quiet channel. The sound of the TV has a calming effect on the bird and helps me pass the monotonous time as the bird accustoms itself to being on the perch or my hand. I keep other family members away during these initial sessions. Often I will trap one of its feet between my fingers to keep it still. When the bird is completely relaxed as indicated by its grooming itself and fluffing up, lower your hand slowly with the bird on it. The parrot will then walk up your arm and onto your shoulder. Make no sudden moves. When your training sessions are over approach the cage and the bird will transfer itself from your shoulder to the cage. As it makes the step say assertively “Down birdie”.

The Towel Method:
Aggressive parrots need to be cranked down several notches on the peck order or social hierarchy of the Family. The quickest and most humane way to do this is to catch the bird when it attacks you in a bath or beach towel. Choose a light colored or white towel. Several wraps around the bird will protect you from its beak. Wrap the towel around and around the bird and then peel the top of the towel down like a banana skin to expose the parrot’s head. If you have the bird snugly and securely wrapped you can approach his head from behind and begin to scratch and groom the top of his head. As he becomes resigned to getting groomed you can begin to scratch lower near the corners of his chin and beak where they really love it. He may growl when you do this but if he is securely wrapped he should not be able to bite you. I carry these birds around with me in the house and have them sit through a 30-minute television program while bundled up. After a minute or two the bird will cease to struggle. After doing this every day for a few weeks there will be a profound change in the bird’s personality. His bonds to a single member of the household (the one he preens) should diminish and he should be less aggressive to the rest of the Family. When the parrot is at ease in the towel begin to unwrap him when he is on his back. Continue to stroke him as you do this until he does not resist this position.

Up Down Commands:
Once a towel has been used to make an aggressive bird more submissive I place the bird on a T-stand, take my stick and with eye contact and an authoritarian voice say “Up Birdie”. At the same time I nudge my stick against the bird’s thighs until he steps onto the stick. I then immediately place the bird a bit lower than the T-stand and move the bird’s thighs against the stand saying “Down Birdie”. He should step from your stick to the T-stand at this point. I repeat this procedure again and again to reinforce submission. I slowly shorten the stick until the bird is on my index finger and continue with the up-down training. Any growling as your finger approaches the bird is reason to continue the sessions.

Treats:
Birds loose their fear of people when they are willing to accept food treats from them but this is of no help with aggressive birds. My favorite bird treats are small bits of preservative-free, sun-dried fruit and raisins. Begin by placing the food on a shish kabob stick or straightened coat hanger. Slowly shorten the distance between the food and you until the bird accepts the treat directly from your hand.

Squirt Gun Method:
Attacks by aggressive birds can be deterred with a blast from a child’s squirt gun.
After several thwarted attempts the bird will give up trying to approach you. After a while, just carrying the plastic gun will be enough to prevent attacks.

Dim Light:
Parrots are much less likely to attack and much calmer in the dim light of sunset. This is the time they would be preparing to roost. So dim the lights in your kitchen prior to your evening training sessions.

Gloves - A Bad Idea:
I have never had much success using leather gloves to tame parrots. Within a short time they become terrified and agitated at the sight of the glove – particularly if it is of a dark color. It is better to use the hand perch or towel approach until you can use your unprotected hand. An open hand is much more threatening to a parrot than a closed one. Therefore, approach an aggressive parrot with your hand open but a fearful parrot with you hand closed.

Seasonal Aggression:
New World parrots, amazons, conures and macaws tend to become sexually active in the spring if they are exposed primarily to natural sunlight. When parrots are sexually active they become intensely territorial and aggressive to all but their mate or the person to whom they have bonded. These birds should never be given nest boxes. If the problem is bad try them in a new cage. When they do lay eggs the eggs should be hard-boiled and left in the cage for them to incubate. They should not be removed for 21 days or the bird will lay again. I have found that an injection of Depopovera (medroxyprogesterone acetate 3mg/100g) ends this seasonal aggression.

Punishment of parrots when they misbehave never works. Never hit, threaten or yell at a parrot. Birds just don’t understand this punishment and it only make the problems worse or develops a new set of problems.

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