How to Stop an Indian Ringneck Parrot From Biting
Indian Ringnecks are a popular species of parrots. They come in a variety of striking color mutations and are often praised for their talking ability. Ringnecks are not affectionate in the way other parrots can be, and new bird owners who might be unaccustomed to a Ringneck's standoffish nature might find they have a pet with a biting problem. Following a few simple steps and taking a few precautions can go a long way toward avoiding a bite from your feathered friend.
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Instructions
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1
Change your body language to a relaxed and comfortable state. Parrots are very sensitive animals and will sense a change in your mood. If you are worried about getting bit, your bird might pick up on that feeling and be more apt to bite out of nervousness.
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2
Handle your bird with gloves the first couple of days if the biting is a consistent problem, especially if you cannot remove the bird from the cage without getting bit.
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3
Reward your Indian Ringneck every time you are able to handle him without receiving a bite. The reward can be a small amount of his favorite treat. It is natural for younger birds to gently nibble on fingers and test their beak strength and your limits. Tell your bird to "be gentle" and reward him if he stops nibbling.
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4
Create a time-out station by putting a T-perch in a low-traffic area of the house. When your bird bites, tell her firmly, "No," and place her on the T-perch. Leave her there for no longer than minutes. Removing her from the stimulus that might have caused the bite serves as a time-out and cool-down period for both of you. After the time out, pick up your bird and reward her for any good behavior she exhibits.
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5
Work on these behaviors by repeating steps 1 through 5 until you notice a steady change. Reward him each time he makes progress, such as letting you get him out of the cage without biting. Continue to discourage biting behaviors and reward positive replacement behaviors instead.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are searching for a positive replacement behavior, you might be interested in teaching your bird a couple tricks. Check out some trick training books online to get ideas.
You can choose to use clicker training to help curb any biting behaviors.
If your bird is a new bird to your household, take it slow. Birds bite out of fear and as a last resort, so avoid any situations that might make your bird fearful.
