Many of us know birds to be gentle creatures, we know them to go about their day looking for food and chirping. But in fact, birds sometimes display behaviours that seem out of the ordinary, like biting you all of a sudden. If your bird is biting you all of a sudden then this article will shed some light as to why it’s doing this 

In reality, birds biting humans is not uncommon and there are a number of reasons why your bird can suddenly start biting you. The reasons behind the biting can include a lack of trust of humans, sickness, the marking of their territory, hormone imbalances as even jealousy 

 Why is my bird biting me all of a sudden?

If you own a bird, that is generally sweet and avoids conflict, it suddenly biting you may be very surprising and even concerning. You may think that there is something wrong with the animal but this is not always the case 

Biting is normal behaviour for birds. There are several reasons that can cause your bird to bite you. A common reason why birds bite is fear or lack of trust for humans. Some birds might have been mistreated at a young age, this can develop into the fear of and distrust of humans. If the bird learns that hands are a danger to them, this happens if the bird has been hit, then it may mistrust hands and bite them.

Also, biting can happen as a result of hormones brought on by breeding, sickness, the marking of their territory, jealousy and even a desire to play.

How do you stop a bird from biting?

You can stop birds from biting you by teaching them that hands are not going to hurt them, teach them that hands are there to care for them. Do this by giving it bird treats, holding them and preening them. Do not use your hand in a negative context. This will allow the bird to be calmer and not bite you.

The reason it bites you can also be because of illness or any number of other things. Do not yell at your bird or torture it physically or mentally when it bites you. Speak softly to them and let them express their displeasure. Birds give physical signs of displeasure before they resort to biting, always watch out for these signs and stop doing whatever you’re doing that is making them uncomfortable.

What to do if a bird bites you.

• Do not yell at the bird, yelling rewards the bird with attention, it might bite again to get your attention.

• Do not blame the bird as it is simply trying to communicate its displeasure.

• Do not punish the bird. This reaction can make it confused and this could lead to more biting. Punishments can make the bird more aggressive and hot-tempered.

• Treat bird bites immediately to prevent getting infected.

Can a bird bite your finger off?

In theory yes, a bird can bite your finger off. Some birds have the crushing power to bite your finger off but they rarely bite with enough power to do so. Birds like Hyacinth macaws and black palm cockatoos have jaws strong enough to bite a finger off. They have a bite power of up to 12,000 pounds. That being said, there have been no cases of birds biting fingers off, all we have are just speculations and unverified stories.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the reason that your bird is suddenly biting you is that it’s feeling scared, because of a hormonal change brought on by breeding, sickness, marking of territories, jealousy and even a desire to play. If the bird is scared of hands then help it perceive hands as something that brings pleasure and not pain. Do this by holding, preening and petting it. Do not yell or punish the bird if it bites you as this can confuse the bird. Treat your bird bite immediacy after the bird bites you to prevent an infectiondeveloping.

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: When do pigeons moult?, Why is my pigeon shaking?, How do pigeons reproduce?, Where do pigeons roost and why?