Biting!!!!

[crazybirdlady]

:(My rainbow lori has started biting LOTS!! He/she used to be a sooky little thing, loved cuddles and scratches, now I cant get him out because he bites!! The kids cant go near him, and he screams all the time, so I have put him outside on the veranda he is too noisy for indoors!!! Any ideas how to settle him down or to stop his biting? It is sad knowing he was such a great bird!

[AcaciaWattle]

That's a tough one because Lorikeets are such loud and physical birds. Maybe just slowly put your hand in the cage and if He bites say a firm no. Lori's are harder to get the message across to. I don't really know much more about biting lorikeets, mainly because I steer clear of mine!

[silvercloud]

I'd like to help but I'm new to lorikeets and still learning. How old is s/he? Maybe it's a hormonal thing or moulting time in which case they calm down again eventually. Sorry not much help but I'll be watching this thread with interest in case I need any of the advice given LOL Good luck with your rainbow.

[crazybirdlady]

He/she is about the sexual mature age I think. He/she is about 1 1/2 years old. He (as I call it) has an extremely sharp beak so I try to stay away from it to!!! But he knows I am getting scared of him I think which doesnt help at all!!!! But it is very hard not to be! he bit straight through my finger nail a few weeks ago! OUCH!!!!!

[silvercloud]

I know, they hurt SO much.

[AussieBirds]

Biting with Lorikeets is pretty common and is hard to control, I have had a hen for a number of years now and when I first got her she was a loving affectionate bird I could take her out of her cage and play with her, i could virtually do anything I liked. She was virtually a one person bird and would bite any other person that tried to touch her, the more she matured the bittier she got, she would bite but not hard and I would scold her every time she bit me She still bites but not hard and when i scold her she stops until she thinks she can get away with nipping again. Personally I don't think she will ever stop biting but by scolding and a fair bit of handling she does back off slightly.

As far as noise is concerned well she sure noisy, we have her in the kitchen and likes to squawk, or scream, now and again especially if she hears other lorikeets flying over There are things that set her off she doesn't like tea towels, rustling paper, or plastic bags, she lets us know when the cats are coming in the back door and talks a lot as you walk passed the cage ;D ;D.

All in all they are great birds and real clowns but i don't think you ever fully domesticate them, I think the older they get the more independent they get.

John

[AcaciaWattle]

when playing lorikeets bite quite a lot they even hold your hand with their beaks. That's why it's recommended that lori's aren't put in cages with other birds, they are too rough and can do serious injury to other birds.

[vankarhi]

Having never owned a lorikeet or lorie or any bird like them, I cannot speak from that experience. But I have owned sulfer crested 'toos, a galah, indian ringneck, many cockatiels, budgies........and now an eclectus parrot and an alexandrine.

I wore welding gloves when taming the 'toos and galah for the first few weeks, but I know your bird is already tame. The thing is your bird is learning quickly that you are becoming scared of it. They are very clever

I know my training ideas probably do not agree with some people and bearing in mind I am not cruel to my birds, but I am firm with my birds/dogs and kids....and so far they are all obedient..........so far ;D

With Rani my latest bird, who I handraised from 6 weeks of age, decided she was going to be a biter. So I decided quick smart she had to learn some manners. when she bit, i tried not to flinch or react as that can excite them and then they think "hey we got a great reaction from biting that human, lets try it again, it was funny" ;D also while she was biting me I would grab her beak gently with the offending hand that she was biting and with what fingers were left would sternly tell her "no biting". I did this every time she bit me and I also tapped her gently on the beak if she tried to bite me and also say "no biting". I never once hurt her ..............NEVER. Now she comes to me willingly wanting kisses. I trust her with me, but am wary of her with other people. I always warn she can bite hard. she even allows my little boy to kiss her, but I have warned him too .................... do not put your face anywhere near her unless she comes to you and do not put your hands near her.............she does not like hands for some reason. i think she just does not associate them with our body. it only took a couple of days for her to stop biting me but every now and then she still tries to see if she can get away with it.............she understands when I rouse on her now so that is all I need to do is raise my voice and she stops.

My ekkie was the same too but she is trust worthy now with almost everybody. I rarely have to rouse on her, but when i do ............... she knows what it means.

Clicker training or something along those lines can help too. I have done some clicker training with my ekkie and taught her some simple tricks (check out my home page or web site at the bottom on my signature). You would have to get your birds to understand what the sound of the clicker means by charging it. Once that is done by giving them a treat then clicking, giving a treat then clicking until they realise that the click means treat, then you can start to train them. it only took skye a couple of mins to realise what a click meant. You also have to find their fav food or reward. My ekkie loved passionfruit seeds, my galah would toss food, but would do anything for a scratch, so my galahs reward was a scratch. ;D

Then I would probably start with sitting beside the cage and when they come to you, click then treat. when they do that without trying to bite, then I would try putting my hand in the cage. Slowly put your hand in a little way if they do not try to react by biting, then click and treat. Each time try to get a little closer to them with out them biting each time clicking and treating for good behaviour. Gradually working your way to your hand near their body then under their body etc until they step up without biting, then click and treat. It can be a slow process, but your bird is not an untamed bird. I think it is probably maturing, hormonal and like our teenagers.............testing us to see how far they can push us..........if we let them, they will rule us (just like our teenagers if we let them) ;D ............... I know about teenagers I still have 3 at home and 2 older ones in their twenties..................still have an almost 4 year old at home and will have to go through all this again. I might try clicker training him now to get him ready for his teenage years ;D ;D ;D

Seriously though, I hope I have explained it properly. But i personally prefer to do the first method I suggested as I find it is quicker and easier (in my opinion only). But once you have your bird used to the clicker you can then work on other really simple tricks and this works a bond between you and your bird. They love it and it gives them something to do to.

oh the other thing I must say too, whether you choose to try clicker training or something like that or the method I first mentioned...........you must praise your bird too when they do the correct thing. Make a fuss over them tell them how truely wonderful they are etc. They know the difference between when we are happy and not happy with them. I also train dogs in obedience and take classes teaching beginners and one of the things I stress to them is for every correction give a praise as soon as they do the correct thing. Even if the correct behaviour only lasted 3 secs, still praise and always try to end on a positive note.........that way they might be excited to train with us the next time.

Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to try to explain it properly to you. Some one else might be able to explaine in a couple of sentences. LOL I am sure others will give their advice to. This is purely just my own advice and opinions.

[crazybirdlady]

Thanks for that, Since posting this message he has totally changed!! I dont know maybe he knows I was telling tales,LOL. He has been sooky and wanting scratches and He has been "scratching" me in return.(very cute he very gently preens my fingers after I give him a scratch on the head). :DHe has wanted "tickle fights" as we call them, (full body tickles!!). And kisses, the whole works! I havent got him out of his cage yet, but its on the way! I have been praising him HEAPS!! And he seems to be doing really well. I am going away for a week so I hope he is still the same when I get back and not cranky at me for leaving him ! He might miss me heaps and look forward to some sooking?!

[vankarhi]

Glad to hear he has had a change of heart...........maybe he was just suffering PMS ...........I hear males DO suffer that too

[silvercloud]

They sure do. Glad to hear he's friendly again.

[guinevere]

Hi, not to sure if someone might have mentioned this yet as the posts are rather long and im running late for work!
Have you got a new piece of furniture? got new glasses, started wearing nail polish? All these things can affect a birds behaviour. Not to sure if it applies to lories, but a lot of parrots do this. One cockatoo started lashing out after a woman bought a new coffee table. As soon as the table was removed, the bird came good again.
The bird usually takes it out on his/her favourite owner. Birds just hate change

Because your lori has come good again so quickly makes me think it isn't hormonal. A bird will hit its 'teeenage' stage when its about 2-4 years, then it wont be as cuddly. During the mating season it might become aggressive or try and mate with you, and become aggressive to anyone else. But thats a whole other issue

Sorry bout spelling and gramma, no time to check

[crazybirdlady]

He was only a few weeks ago trying to mate with my hand. Thats around the same time he started getting nippy. I also got a new lounge but it started before that.

[vankarhi]

They were some good suggestions gueneviere..............I actually forgot to mention changes too.

[guinevere]

Sounds like it might have been hormones due to mating season. Seeing as its coming into winter and end of daylight savings, that may be why he/she is becoming bearable?!?! Or maybe the combined info given by everyone here (its too hard to know)
If you find the same thing happening next year, you'll know it is because of hormones. Try putting your bird to bed earlier (as birds distinguish the mating season by the more hours of daylight there are) Ive read that birds need to get a good 12-14 hours of sleep a night. My bird gets awfully cranky if he gets less than 10 hours.

And thanks vankarhi! Ive been studying that much on bird behavior lately, it had to come out sometime:P

[vankarhi]

Good girl ........oh and your avatar of your quakers are just adorable. ;D

[guinevere]

Ha! thanks, thats my baby...with his brothers before I got him. If only I could have got them all