Birds and humans aren’t alike, we are built differently and we have different behavioral patterns. One animal’s species’ behavior may be commonplace for them but may seem very bizarre to the other.

Bizarre behavior that birds commonly do include regurgitating, feather picking, and tapping their beak on you. All this may seem bizarre to you but it serves a purpose to birds. This article explores the question of ‘why does my bird tap its beak on me’ 

There are a couple of reasons as to why a bird will tap its beak on you, these include: communicating its ownership of you to other birds or communicating that it is ready to mate (this is the case if the bird has chosen you as a mate).

Why does my bird tap its beak on me?

Birds have a habit of tapping their beaks against a variety of things, floors, mirrors, and other hard things. Don’t worry, a bird’s beak can take the beating that comes with the tapping.

A bird taps its beak on things as a part of its courtship ritual, to show ownership or to show off to another bird 

To let you know that it owns you

If a bird is tapping you, the animal is showing dominance and ownership. Taping you is the bird’s way of claiming that you are his/hers. Generally, male birds are known to do this rather than female birds as they are the more possessive gender.

Letting other birds know that it owns you:

Not only will a bird tap you to let you know that it owns you but it will also express that it owns you to other birds. If a bird taps you in the presence of another bird, the taping bird is trying to get the other bird to back off or to show that it “owns you” 

As a part of courtship behavior

If the beak tapping is part of courtship behavior, then the bird is trying to let you know that it’s ready to mate. Birds can sometimes choose you as a mate. If the bird also regurgitates for you you know that it has chosen you as a mate, regurgitation is a sign that the bird is strongly bonded to you 

How can I get my bird to stop tapping its beak on me?

When the beak tapping starts, you need to walk away and get the bird back into its cage. Walking away, and not entertaining the tapping, helps the bird understand that this behavior is not good behavior.

Placing the bird back in the cage also communicates that the tapping is not good behavior. Over time, the bird will come to understand that you don’t like this behavior and will stop 

Avoid shouting at the bird or disciplining it in any other way. Yelling and giving it attention will only reinforce this behavior in birds.

If you give it attention, the animal may not understand that it’s doing something wrong, it may even enjoy the attention and keep tapping in an effort to get more attention 

Why does my bird grind its beak?

If your bird is making a repetitive scratching sound, it is grinding its beak. The grinding is similar to putting in cats.

If your bird grinds its beak this means that it is content, relaxed, and may even be sleepy. Your bird is probably getting ready for a midday nap or getting ready to sleep.

Why does my bird keep pecking me?

If your bird is pecking at you it may be trying to guard its territory. Birds peck when they feel as though something, or someone, is stepping into their territory or trying to attack them. A bird will peck at your prying fingers if you’re getting too close 

Pecking can also happen if the bird has been left in the cage for too long. A lack of social interaction will cause the bird to become aggressive and peck at others if it feels that it needs to. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, if a bird taps its beak on you this can be a sign that it has chosen you as a mate and is ready to mate, it can also mean that the bird is claiming possession over you.

To stop the pecking, move away from the animal and place it in its cage. This will teach it that the tapping behavior is negative behavior. Birds will grind their beak when they’re relaxed and sleepy.

They will peck at you if you are intruding in their territory or if it feels aggravated as a result of being in the cage for too long.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can birds eat Quaker Oats?, Why does my bird lick me?, Why does my bird hate me?, Can baby birds eat bread?, Why does my bird nibble on me?