# Cockatiel Biting/Possession Issue



## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

Enzo is a completely tamed Cockatiel, having come to me hand-raised. However, recently he's been having an issue with biting. This issue is with me (his main care-taker) and everyone else that he comes into contact with. 

When he's standing on someone's shoulder or is cuddling up to the back of someone's neck, if someone else tries to come up and get him to step-up onto their finger (or even if it's me) he'll open his beak or try to bite you once or twice before he seemingly gives up and will step up onto your finger. It's not just a case of shoulder aggression, however, cause he'll do this even if he's standing on someone's finger. It keeps my friends from wanting to interact him and makes my friend terrified of birds want nothing to do near him.

I understand when he does this in his cage because sometimes he just prefers to rest in his cage and can be grumpy in the mornings if he's woken up. However, is there any way that I can try to get this "aggression" out of him? Cause I'm tired of being bitten by him and people who want to visit and see him are too.


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## ParrotLover2001 (Dec 30, 2016)

How hard is his bites? 

My cockatiel does similar things, but he doesn't really bite, he is gentle and wouldn't hurt a fly.


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Bribery!! Bribe him off one place to another with a favorite treat... also curl your fingers under your hand into a flat fist and offer the back of your hand to step onto... harder to get skin to pinch that way...


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## Teagan (Mar 7, 2017)

I don't know if this is helpful, my cockatiel Jabberwocky does this if we forget to give him the command, step up, or if we just move a hand to him quickly without letting him know what is going on. I feel like he is startled and he is really trying to protect me. For instance, Jabberwocky will be content on my shoulder and my son will come up with a quick movement and place his hand right at Jabberwocky's chest. Jabberwocky gets startled and I think he is trying to protect me from this crazy fast intruder. This is just my personal experience, which is limited to one bird!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

He might be feeling aggressive because he's hormonal. I agree with the bribery notion - he's a lot less likely to bite if the hand that's approaching has a piece of millet spray with it! Asking him to step up on a stick is another approach. It's OK if he bites the stick because that doesn't hurt anybody, and once he's off the place that he didn't want to leave he might be more willing to step up on a finger without aggression.


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## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

ParrotLover2001 said:


> How hard is his bites?
> 
> My cockatiel does similar things, but he doesn't really bite, he is gentle and wouldn't hurt a fly.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't even really call them "bites" to be honest for they don't hurt, but it's more like he wraps his beak gently around your finger in warning.


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## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

Teagan said:


> I don't know if this is helpful, my cockatiel Jabberwocky does this if we forget to give him the command, step up, or if we just move a hand to him quickly without letting him know what is going on. I feel like he is startled and he is really trying to protect me. For instance, Jabberwocky will be content on my shoulder and my son will come up with a quick movement and place his hand right at Jabberwocky's chest. Jabberwocky gets startled and I think he is trying to protect me from this crazy fast intruder. This is just my personal experience, which is limited to one bird!


I think that this may actually be the issue! 
I've been neglecting to say step up as often as I should, and perhaps this is what is causing as I and you described above. 
I'll definitely test this once I get home and see!


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

mlj722 said:


> I wouldn't even really call them "bites" to be honest for they don't hurt, but it's more like he wraps his beak gently around your finger in warning.


Are you sure he isn't testing to make sure the perch (finger) is steady? A bird that is scared of falling and unsure of the safety of the perch will grab onto it to hold it still before stepping on.


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## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

ParrotletsRock said:


> Are you sure he isn't testing to make sure the perch (finger) is steady? A bird that is scared of falling and unsure of the safety of the perch will grab onto it to hold it still before stepping on.


No, since Enzo has his foot defect and is naturally a little unstable, I know the difference between his balance "bites" and his regular bites. I know these ones are different based upon the fact that milliseconds before he will bite, he will open his beak wide and follow the finger before biting it, showing this is more than stabilizing himself. Along with making loud sounds that signal his intent to remain where he is located.


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## AutumnElf (May 2, 2017)

Try watching videos from the Parrot Whisperer on YouTube. He has some great videos dealing with this issue... The whys, the how to fix it...good advice there. 

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## chrissy055 (Jan 16, 2017)

Our 7 month old female does that as well. If she is on my husband's shoulder and I haven't seen her all day she will have her crest go down and try to bite but not really bite us. So far we have not actually ever been bite by her just the annoyed I don't want to move fake bites.


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