Ive had my Ringneck Articuno for a solid year and 2 months, I received him when he was just around 3 or 4 weeks old and never really had a serious bluffing stage. Now that he's older he's starting to feel more comfortable with showing me when he's upset and will bite really hard.
Articuno comes out of his cage fine and loves being on me, he'll always sit on my shoulder or hand and only lets me handle him, but if he wants something or I scratch him unexpectedly his eyes will pin and he will lunge and bite hard.
Its been happening for a good 2 weeks now and it's starting to worry me, no matter how many times I blow on his face of drop him a little to get him to stop, he keeps going back at it.
For example while I was checking my phone Articuno was playing on my shoulder. The second he saw my phone he ran for it and started biting it, so i grabbed it with my other hand and threw it across the couch. Throwing my phone pissed him off and he lunged at me, but I saw his eyes pin and turned away before he bit me in the face, he then RUNS OVER TO MY FACE AND BITES ME. He's smart enough to know exactly what he wants to do, which is bite me so it hurts, so he purposefully goes out of his way to get me good.
All the other posts about biting don't seem quite like my situation because its either bluffing, or the bird doesnt really show the owner affection in general. Does anyone elses bird have an anger management problem? Suggestions on how to get him to stop or should I just keep blowing at his face?
Nasty biting
Moderator: Mods
Re: Nasty biting
Blowing at his face is probably irritating him. I believe that he is trying to tell you that he needs a bit more space, which is ok. Learn to anticipate what causes him to lunge and bite and simply stop doing it. You said "if I scratch him unexpectedly..." I think most ringnecks are suspicious of phalanges and would rather bite them or avoid them than to be touched unexpectedly from them.
The sudden movement of you throwing your phone probably startled him, causing the lunging and biting behavior. Change your tactics to be someone more gentle. For example, Sunni knows that no means no. If I tell her no she will stop long enough to look at me to see if I'm going to follow through. If that doesn't work, I will quietly made an "ah ah ah" sound or a "tsk tsk tsk" sound and it works. What I have to do at that point is remember that I'm basically dealing with a five inch tall toddler and side track her most of the time with something more exciting.
Ringnecks are not innately cuddly, but can be very affectionate when they trust. Your sudden movements and blowing in his face is showing him that you are not to be trusted right now. He knows the blowing is coming from your face, so that's what he feels he needs to attack before it gets him.
Hope this helps.
The sudden movement of you throwing your phone probably startled him, causing the lunging and biting behavior. Change your tactics to be someone more gentle. For example, Sunni knows that no means no. If I tell her no she will stop long enough to look at me to see if I'm going to follow through. If that doesn't work, I will quietly made an "ah ah ah" sound or a "tsk tsk tsk" sound and it works. What I have to do at that point is remember that I'm basically dealing with a five inch tall toddler and side track her most of the time with something more exciting.
Ringnecks are not innately cuddly, but can be very affectionate when they trust. Your sudden movements and blowing in his face is showing him that you are not to be trusted right now. He knows the blowing is coming from your face, so that's what he feels he needs to attack before it gets him.
Hope this helps.
~Dana
