Please help!! My African Grey keeps biting me!

Question

Okay so.. the past couple of days we've been visiting this 2 year old African Grey at the pet store. The owner didn't want to sell it but after awhile he chose us to sell it too because he couldn't give it the attention it needs etc. At the pet store this bird would put it's head at the bars for absolutely anyone to pet!! It was such a friendly bird! It liked me the most while we were there. We brought it home and it starts biting everyone!(and I do understand why that could be..)

SO me being the only one who has done research about these birds and knows what to do if they bite.. I say "Ouch. No bite!" in a firm voice with eye contact and put her back in her cage. Then they go "Why are you doing that?" and take her right back out! They let her bite them! and do nothing! I can just TELL she hates me now because I'm the only one giving her trouble when she bites.

I always thought that animals could sense bad people.. but she's favouring my mom and dad and brother:s Just recently.. I walked up to her, she says "Hello" and puts her head down for me to pet her, so I do. Then she puts her feet on my hand as if to step up.. so I let her and then she bites me with all the force she could and made me bleed!! Again.. I said no and put her back in her cage, only for my mom to let her out again anyways and yell at me:s

They keep laughing in my face saying "Haha she hates you." going on and on. It's upsetting me because I know they are jealous. This is the first time any bird has liked them this much. It upsets ME because almost every bird I come across loves me! I really care about animals. I'm so nice to them! My other parrot for example only lets me pet her, and attacks everyone else. My nanas birds freak when I don't pay attention to them so I do.. and I'm appearently the only one they all cuddle up to and stuff.

I really don't want to have to inherit a mean bird that hates me.. I really wish she would sense that I'm the one that cares about her! and not a stupid video game. I'm the only one that takes care of all our pets! This just adds another one.. that favours mean people over me:( I don't know what to do... is there even anything I CAN do??(Sorry this is so long!)

Answer 1

First, your family are being idiots. A parrot is comparable to a young child: because of your family members, this bird is becoming a spoiled brat, hence the problems you're currently having. Of *course* she's favoring them, they let her do whatever she wants rather than providing necessary discipline for bad behavior. *They* are also teaching her to dislike you, for scolding you and yelling at you, the bird is learning that her "favored people" dislike you and she will too, as a way to better fit in with them.

Your family needs a good talking to, because they are ruining this poor bird. I wish she would turn around and bite them for once, because then they would get a taste of what they're creating. Your family members need to realize that they are creating a problem that can stick with the bird for decades if they don't stop immediately. The bird will just continue to get worse until THEY change their act; you can't teach the bird to behave again until they have stopped this ridiculous nonsense. What happens if she needs a new home some day? If she has become a "problem bird" because she was spoiled and now bites all the time, it will be very difficult to find her a permanent home.

Personally, I suggest finding an avian behavioralist. They know how to get through to people who do stupid things like this, it's part of their job. Hearing it come from a professional will add quite a bit of weight to your case.

Answer 2

Everybody has to work together or this bird is going to keep biting

Answer 3

I don't think that you should yell at her. She doesn't understand that. It might just frighten her more. The thing that you should do is, if you are holding her on your arm and she bites you either shake your hand or move it down about two feet very fast to make her feel an "earthquake" kinda. And do this every time she bites. Then she will associate the earthquake with biting, and hopefully stop. Also birds are flock animals so they are always trying to be the leader. You need to let her know that you are in charge. There is a very easy way to do this. Make sure that when you hold her you do not put her on your shoulder. Make sure all her perches are no higher than heart level with you. And when you hold her keep her heart level or below. This is showing her that you are the dominant one because you are 'perched higher' than her. And if she continues to bite put her in the cage for 1 hour and tell everyone not to let her out until YOU take her out.

I hope this helps you out.... I know it helped with my parrot who seemed to like everyone, except me! :)

Answer 4

You need to start all over with this Grey.

You need to build trust in this bird towards you..over time.

For now don't take the bird out of the cage, but rather sit and talk calmly and nicely to him/her. ( Male's have a longer & flatter head

and females heads are shorter and rounder) let this bird watch you doing other things, talk to the bird from other rooms in the house, cheerful say his/her name along with other thing's he may pick up to say, like Hi Pretty Bird, Whatcha Doin, Etc. teach him to count 1,2,3,4!! Greys like to interact with us through words.

After afew days, offer him a pine nut or other other healthy bite of food through the cage bars. Find a healthy food he loves, tiny and something he can eat fast for a training reward.Keep afew pine nuts in your pocket, If he likes them.

This next step should be done only when you and this bird can be alone. If you can, carry him and cage to your bedroom and close the door, if there is no other way to be alone with him.

When he will take the food offer a day or two --continue sitting and talking to him also, then ask; Would you like to come out..as you open the cage door and extend your hand palm side facing you and exdex finger for him to step up on - say Step Up ~ the second he steps up, walk away from the cage with him while talking to him.

Walk with him to a chair and sit down. Either hold him or place him on your knee and talk to him while he watches you  observe him for learning his body language as to his emotions.

IF he bites you there, say a calm, but firm No. Do Not yell or express angry, or you will cause him fear and surely he will bite.

IF he steps up on command, Praise the heck out of him, Good Boy!

Praise is The Best Teacher for birds.

Only keep him out with you about ten minutes the first few days.

Maybe if you can, do this three or four times daily.

Also I must tell you that birds pick us in reality, given the chance to.

So if this bird likes another better, nothing you do can chance that and trying will only distance the bird from you.

The actions of caged birds in pet or bird stores isn't a real clue to how the bird will behave outside the cage and/or in the home with us.

Only years of experience with bird ownership can we expect our knowledge is correct with given bird or birds.

See the Cockatoo on my shoulder in my picture here. I am his third home, so I expected behavioral problems with him. Nope, none he was my bird until he became hormonal and picked my husband as his favorite person.This must be accepted, the bird has the right to choose.

Answer 5

you wrote so long and i don't have much time so i can't answer your question.

Answer 6

You better sit down with your family and get them straightened out or your not going to get anywhere with your bird.  Tell them what they are doing is un-acceptable.  

Answer 7

Next time he bites you, grasp his beak and hold it shut saying, "Don't bite." Do this as many times as you need and hopefully he'll stop. Otherwise, I don't know what to say.

Answer 8

I dont know.

BUT do NOT listen to Rocky if u grasp its beak it will hurt it and scare it from you and might stop talking

FACT; A birds beak is the most sensitive part of its body ( part from its eyes) thanks for listening