My African Gray is eleven years old and I can do anything I like with him. He flies free around my bungalow, say 350 + words, sentences, up to 10 words in a sentence. He knows people by their name. Talks to everyone who walks past and all the children on their to and fro from school. He goes in when I go out and bed time. An exceptional bird. I can't work so gets a lot of company. Enjoy watching your extracts. I live in Cornwall, England. He loves it here. Thanks a lot. Rob and Max.
I find that all really hard to believe. Up to 10 word sentences and 350+ words? Sounds like he could go nursery. Can you post a pic of your fab bird and how you taught it to be so awesome
I am sorry for your loss. I lost my Orange Wing Amazon back in December after 30 years. He was my first parrot. I can't look at or see a photo of a OWA without a great amount of sadness.
wes mcfadden thw mate but i think both of our parrots deseaved it and they need it. Some vets say tha a parrot that goes over 40 sill carryy allot of deseases and taking care of it will be a bain
I love that your so honest..it took me about 2 years to get trust from my family bird...and hearing you say fearfullness I can so relate...thank you......I love shortee an African Grey....
hey ,if anyone else needs to find out about how to get your parrot to talk try Dalz Parrot Tips Discovery (should be on google have a look ) ? Ive heard some decent things about it and my cousin got great results with it.
Poor Smokey - every time you demonstrated with your hand approaching him he was ducking his head for a scratch - he's just so good and patient - if that was my OWA i would have been bitten from tantrum - frustration by now!!! x
Thank you so, so much for this video!! You said you were talking too much but you weren't!! It was all super interesting, clear, no repetition or rambling, very "to the point". And the greatest thing for me is that, just yesterday I called a bird breeder to get 2 small parrots (couldn't find any rescue were I live, or even in the range of 300 Km or more) and I wasn't sure what to do when I would have brought them home. I've done lots of research about everything but that subject. I was thinking to open the cage and let them be but then I thought that it would have been almost impossible to get them back into their cages. So.....yeah, this video was life saver for me!!!! 😉 And all of your other videos are so very informative and always very sweet......Smokey is such a wonderful girl and to see your relationship is always joyful. So cute when you would get close to her with your fingers, when you were talking about giving treats to a fearful bird, and she would lower her head for you to scratch her, but you would keep talking and she would keep her head down waiting for you to touch her.....soooooo cute!!!! Sorry for the long comment. I'm really grateful for your insight and all you give (videos, editing, time, cameras and video, money, etc.) so that people can learn for free how to live the best with their birds 🐦🐤🐧 💖 Thank you 😊 Thank you 😊Thank you 😊
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, the video recording and editing takes a lot more time than most people realize. For a 15 minute video, it usually takes a while to record and a lot of time to edit out parts that are redundant, not to mention uploading time.
Hey, yesterday I adopted an African grey parrot because of your channel :) he is 3 months old, he's eating pallets, some sort of healthy mix and some sort of pallets to make him slightly bigger and help him grow up. I been sitting next to him for a couple of hours now, I care about him a lot, he's here for less than 24 hours and I already cleaned his cage and swapped water. People told me that I should let him out of his cage and I did, but he is a bit afraid of me, he's biting me when I get near and he's making little noises when I try to reach him (with food or just to pet him). I built a little tree stand for him so he can stand out of his cage and still feel comfortable near me... he's grabbing his wooden pole inside his cage as hard as he can when I try to pick him up and also few minutes ago he saw a cat outside our door (we have glass doors around our house) and he fell off the table (about 50cm height). He looks so scared, sometimes he's even shaking a little bit. I always talk softly, I alert him every time before I go near his cage but I think he hates me and nothing's gonna change that... he's eating and drinking water and he got many toys inside his cage.
Hi there, I have to say thank you. Because of you I have a relationship with my parrot. He used to hate me and I him. When I realised he would be mine someday I knew I had to do something so I could look after him. Now, after watching your videos, he asks me to tickle him, I can feed him and water him whilst he's in the cage, whereas before he used to attack me. He's better tempered as well. So once again thank you for these videos
Im getting my first African Grey and im binge watching your videos before it gets here.thank you for showing how to do everything right....i will name my one Smokey to say thanks🐥❤
I'm going to be adopting a 45 year old African Grey and I've heard he's a biter. This video especially is helping me gain some insight and learn what body language I need to watch for. Thank you so much for sharing!
You are absolutely right on several fronts. There is a lot of misinformation about how to work with birds, the worst of which is the dominance based theories.
Hi, I love all of your videos. I have a female CAG, Jade, who's about 17 years old. She's been in my family for her whole life, but only with me for the last year. Unfortunately, she's been neglected. Up until she was about 5 she would regularly get out of her cage and was quite friendly. Although she's always liked to trick people by putting her head down and acting like she wants scratched. Then when you go to do it, she snaps her head up and bites. Luckily she usually didn't harm too much, but it still hurts. Then for the next 10 years she was pretty neglected, the house she was in was pretty small, so she wasn't let out of her cage. Although she was still scratched and feed well. At any rate, 2 years ago, she ended up in a home where they were just grabbing her, even if she didn't want picked up. He would wear gloves, so he wouldn't care if she bit, and actually was encouraging her to bite. She also got sprayed with soap. At any rate this is when I got her. She'll take treats from my hand and she'll let me scratch her head occasionally. However in the past year she has bit me 3 times where she's drawn blood. Partly, I think, because it hurts and so I jerk away making the bite worse. She'll get out of her cage, but if I come up to it and try to get her to step up, she'll just go to another part where I can't get her. I let her out in the morning and at night. Anytime I try to get her to step up though, she'll just move to a new spot, Do you suggest that I just keep working with her?
I wish you could come see my bird. Hes a double yellow head parrot that we inherited from a family friend. The exact age of Bill is unknown, however he is notorious in this area. Since the day our friends inherited this bird, he has been aggressive. Chasing people or biting people. We treat him like royalty, and maybe that is the problem. He bites to the point to where he will make you bleed. You absolutely cannot touch him. Any attempt will result in a snip, and if he can get you, a bite. He knows phrases and he says them often. His favorite phrase is: "I'm a bad bird!" He knew this phrase already from his first owner, we are his third. He has been too wild for anyone to take, but he fits in with us. I just really wish I could hold him. He free roams everywhere. He use to chew on the wall but we have corrected that behavior. Other than him biting he is a pretty chill bird. We've never gotten him clipped, so he can fly when he wants, which he doesn't. You cant even get your hand a foot away from him.
This is a wonderful video about gentle training. I have always thought the whole dominance thing was wrong-- Especially for a prey species. Sally Blanchard coined the term "nurturing dominance" in her books about parrot training and a lot of people disagreed with that so she later dropped the the word "dominance" from her talks and articles in order to adjust to public opinion. Basically, she was trying to use dog training tactics in parrot training and she was wrong. It is now known that the whole dominance thing with dog training is not appropriate for most dogs. Our little Aztec Conure used to step up nicely and would allow us to hold him and place him into a handstand in our hands and to put a flight suit on him. However, once he became fully mature and got territorial and aggressive, we could not do these things anymore. Only my son can handle him and only when the bird is in the right mood.
My African Grey bites because it’s mad if I am leaving him. It wants me to stay with him. Ruby has learned not to bite hard, but the level of upset is pretty severe if he knows I am going away.
We got our eclectus parrot for a few a days now and at first he was ok with the pushing to step up, but now he bites me when my hand is near. I'm so glad i found this video, now he steps up on his own when i have a treat, but i still have a long way to go so he would trust me again. I just wanna be loved :')
Hi there. First of all let me echo all of the appreciation that other viewers have given. I have learned so much from you and Smokey. I started watching your videos before I purchased DaVinci as a young bird. He was 4 months old when I got him and he's about 18 months old now. He's healthy and definitely has a personality. I wanted to ask about his constant chewing on wires and basically almost anything he can get his beak on. I think I provide plenty of chew toys on his perches and in his cage. It could it be that I don't change the toys often enough. How often do you suggest I rotate toys?
I know its been awhile but you should provide toys that can be completely destroyed. Rotate them around the cage every couple of weeks if the toy goes untouched. Once the toy is destroyed, you replace it. Bird kabobs and planet pleasures pinatas are good foraging toys.
I have 2 African greys that I hand fed since they were very young. I have them now since around a year to a year and a half. I love them very much. They love to always fly and sit on my shoulder. Sometimes I let them on my shoulder for long periods of time while I watch tv or do certain things around the house. However recently one of them started to bite kind of hard. I realized the biting usually occur during 3 situations: 1.sometimes when he is on my shoulder and when I am just sitting and not doing anything that he may find interesting and not giving him much attention ( for example if I am watching tv) 2. sometimes when I try to pet him 3. if I see him playing with something that I feel is dangerous for him and try to take it away from him. Usually when he bites, I respond with "don't bite!" in a loud voice and/or put him back to his cage (he loves being out of his cage) and/or I leave the room if he is not on my shoulder ( but for the most part he is on my shoulder when he is out of his cage. He always loves to fly to me and sit on my shoulder and it is very difficult to get him to remain sitting anywhere else for an extended period when he is out of his cage, which is another problem and it would be great if you can help me out with this issue as well). Please I need your help and advise I love him very much and from all the youtubers I've seen I personally believe you give the best advise and tips about parrots and your videos are highly appreciated.
I have a 9 month old gcc. Got him from pet smart. He lived there most of his life. I am fairly certain that the employees were great with him and gave him a decent amount t of attention. He came out of his travel box and ran right up on my shoulder. He's made amazing progress over the Last 3 weeks. I've stick trained him, having him touch and perch on the stick. I've thought him to " climb the ladder" on my fingers. I've even thought him a command I call "pretty bird" to get him to flap his wings. I'm honestly very surprised we have come so far I such a short amount of time. However, over the last two days, I feel as though he regressing. I'm being pretty consistent but lately he is biting much more and is just generally moody. I call him a " he" but I haven't had him sexed yet. It seems a bit early to be puberty. At least based on my research and he's not showing signs is sexual maturity. I wish you could be here to observe the behavior cuz I can't really paint a totally accurate pic of what's going on. I'd love any thoughts or advice you have on the situation. Oh and one more thing, this behavior began around the time I put his cage next to my budgies cage. He seemed to really enjoy their company and was very curious about them. I don't allow them out together and I'm afraid my gcc will harm the budgies. Could this be my problem? He's litteraly obsessed with them. Unfortunately there's no where in my house that he can't hear them so his attention is never fully on me. Sorry for the long message. Thanks in advance.
I have a 9 week old Derbyan, my first large bird and I’m getting discouraged by his biting especially with a large beak Thank you for making these videos
I just got my first large parrot a Catalina macaw and my arms are covered in bruises and bite marks. She loves to step up and hang out with me but she doesn’t go back on her playstand without biting me. I’m going to limit handling for a few weeks and then try to resume training.
Didn't know that female AGs can be territorial too. My male TAG definitely is, not with me but with anyone else. I also read that greys are not cuddly before I got him but he can't get enough of it. If it was up to him, he would like to cuddle all day.
Hi there Firstly, I must thank you for your TH-cam channel. I've learnt so much. Your explanation is done in such beautiful plain and simple language that makes one understand. My African Grey is 12 weeks old..... Absolutely loving. However at times it does get aggressive and want to bite so I just place it in the cage. It's a very intelligent bird knows it's way around the house, knows it's meal times. Her territorial space is my room. I just need assistance with that sudden aggressiveness coz when she gets like that she wants to go for my nose or ears. O don't wear earrings anymore.
Funny thing is that my bird seems to not trust me but was able to get on my shoulder all by itself and stay there. I've been trying to get it off and nothing just a lot of biting
A good informative post! My grey bites like yours also for the second reasons… -territorial/ when he has a new "toy" like maybe a spoon I was using that he stole and he gets upset if i try remove it from his possession.. also his cage and bells…-protective/ whenever my partner is around, he starts nipping me hard (i think this is him trying to be aggressively sweet and "protecting" me to get me away from my partner whom he perceived is a threat! Cute but not so cute)-dominance/ nipping if i am doing something he doesn't like i.e. cleaning the counters with a dishcloth or not sharing my food with him...Looking forward to seeing the second part of your video!!p
I have a 32year old grey,"kahlua"I have had him since he was 3months old. He is wonderful. I have tried on several attempts to change him from a seed diet to a pellet mix. Slowly introducing the pellets,while decreasing his seeds. He always pulls out the pellets and throws them away,or leaves them entirely. Any suggestions?
My bird is just like that. But it was my stepfather's bird. Who pasted. Then it became my brother's. He is the only one who can handle him. And now he is snapping at my lil brother. And is only trying to play with the kids. But we dont trust him
@@mauricecrenshaw7789 yeah it's my steph father's too. Recently I have been letting her bite me and not freaking out and it doesnt hurt so I've been playing with her trying to get close.
I have a 3 month old African grey and I was hoping to potty train. I don't know if it's to young but I was wondering if you can give any tips to help train it
Hi, just subscribed to your channel. I have got a cockatoo ( a 2 year old male) I am watching your videos as quickly as I can, I have him out of the cage as often as I can,mostly short (20minute) or longer. What does it mean when he hangs off me and flaps his wings and his crest is raised and he screams! I avoid eye contact and ignore him, but it is slightly unnerving. Also hes been trained to always sit on your shoulder, and nips my ear occasionally. He is very affectionate at other times, I want to do the best for him and want to get him an outdoor aviary next summer so he can spend some time outside and exercise a bit more, is this a good idea.? I appreciate I've asked alot hope you dont mind, but I want this bird to be happy, many thanks Gill
amazing video. i dont recall any videos of you going outside with smokey. i do remember you saying you dont outdoor free flight her. so does this mean that you use a harness for her? if so can you make a video showing us how you get her to where it and not be scared of the harness. Keep up the great work :)
How do I stop my parrot from play biting. He doesn’t bite intentionally. He’s good with humans but when I want him to step up he just starts play biting.
Don't make a noise or show any reaction. Just simply walk away every time he does it. Leave the room for about 5-10 min When you return stay positive & show you want to interact, if he does it again, repeat the process for days, weeks, months.. however long it takes. Hope this helps 2 years too late 😄
I love your videos :) could you do a video on harness training? My Amazon parrot won't have anything to do with them. I've tried desensitizing with different types of harnesses and I can't get him used to them and I've been trying for months with no progress. Some advice would be greatly appreciated 😊
Can you do a video on what you feed Smokey? I heard chop along with pellets and sprouted seeds is a very healthy diet with occasional dried seeds and nuts.
I wanna thank you for your videos I learn a lot from them. I also have a question I hope you can address in the territorial video. Winter is my male African grey he's one year old. He's always been territorial with me I mean when someone touched me or kissed me he gave them a nasty look especially to my nephew... I try to fix that by making my nephew to give him treats, at least Winter doesn't try to bite him anymore... But that's not my main concern, a few months ago my grey starting to bite me when never did In the past. If I'm scratching his head and he had enough he'd bite me, if in the morning I say hi to any of my other parrots he'd bite me, if I don't give him his food or treats before anyone else he'd bite me, if he sees my petting any of my other parrots and then I go to pet him (even if I did pet him first) he'd bite me and / or try to bite the other parrots. I tried to do what you said a while ago and I complain loudly and go to the other room but if when I get back I try to touch him he'd bite me again... And he'd go to the top of his cage and stare down at me (i'm in a wheelchair so I realized that when he's mad he'll go to the top of the cage and stare down at me in a " i'm the boss" kinda thingy)... I don't know how to fix it at this point I use a perch to make him step up because I'd like to keep my fingers, he also bites the perch and of course only steps up when he's in the mood sometimes it seems that he prefers to stay inside the cage instead of stepping up and go out to play. Apart from that he eats the same (pellets and chop) sleeps the same, no new parrots or family members... I think he's a bit spoiled maybe but I need to fix the bitting... Sorry for the long comment and thanks in advance!
Nice video. My lovebird seems bonded with us as when i let it out of the cage, it comes to me and would try to climb on to my body. Anywhere except my hands, which it used to bite. However, I just got that sorted out by desensitizing it through positive reinforcement. It has been able to step up with some positive reinforcement. However, it still is scared of it as long as there is no millet to satisfy it once it perches. Sometimes... it still attempts to bite. How do I move on from here? I give it attention everyday for at least half an hour and it is in a fairly big cage for a single bird.
I have a 3 month old African grey and I was hoping to take it off it hand feeding formula. And I was wondering if it is to young. And if it's not how will I take it off it's formula
have had the Bean "a gray" for over 30 years, lives in the living room, big cage often open, lots of treats, whistle games she always bites, always draws blood
My Ring Neck parrot Lalli is only about 10 months old. We got her from a pet shop at 5 months old. She was starting to trust me. Would not step up onto my finger but would climb onto my hand and run up my arm to my shoulder. She started to give kisses and show affection and started talking only a few words " wat ya doin" and whistling. I went away for 11 days and came back only to find that she no longer talks or whistles and is biting. Her trust for me seems to have gone. Sometimes she will take treats from me but other times will lunge at me. She is only ever locked up when we go to bed or go out, other than that she is free to roam all over in n out her cage and also has plenty of toys, perches and a free standing perch to use. My husband was home with her wen i went away and she was whistling n talking the whole time whilst i was away. Since my return a completely different bird. It hurts me wen she is like this as i dont know how to make it better for her n me. I have tried everything i can think of. I have tried utube and too many different opinions . I have had parrots b4 n never had this problem. PlZ help..... :-(
This is really sad when this happens I’m kinda going through the same thing but my bird is confusing and I really don’t know what I did wrong my bird has mood swings and when he bites me it make me sad but also sometimes he lets me pet his head and that’s why it’s so confusing idk what to do
Thanks so much for your hints. However, my Amazona Amazonica parot of 14 years, started biting me last week. Nothing significant happened to cause this, as long as I can remember. But he bites "out of love", not knowing that he is hurting me. And when I react with pain, he thinks I like it, and repeats biting, and wants more biting. He starts laughing as if he's gone mad..... playing. I can't have it anymore. What do I do?
Great videos. How do you earn an African grey rescue trust? She’s 28 and I’ve had her a year and half. Her early life was bad and she lets me let her but after all this time still won’t step up so when she walks around the house and I need her to go back in, it’s a fight.
Someone who's asking the question, why is my parrot biting is asking the wrong question. They should be asking, what am I missing or not seeing that is making my parrot bite, and how can I mitigate or control that for the safety of both of us.
I have a double head amazon I adopted she was about 14 yo. After two years I can hand feed some times, I can pet her but a lot of times in the middle of petting she’ll try to bite , sometimes she just lunges or snaps at me. I might even just move my hands no where near her and she’ll snap. It’s like a split personality, one minute loving the rubbing next I’m bleeding , and I’m sure you know the bite is deep and hurts, I’ve had her for 2 or 3 years now very little change. Now when she does that I walk away after telling her she’s a bad girl. What else can I try. I even tried the step up thing, no luck but she has no problem getting on the vets finger or any other medical person. I had two other Amazon’s ,they lived till 35 or so, most loving birds ever after a while. Hope you can help. Thanks.
You are very accurate because I rescue African grey I know that stroking there beaks softly also helps. My name Is Muriel I am in SA I like everything you say because it’s very true.💝👍
Where in SA? Weve even taken our bird to her breeder for 3 months but he couldn't help. She cracked her neck when she was little and hasnt stopped plucking or biting
Hey wingsNpaws, My family has had an African Grey Parrot for a while but she's always tried to bite everyone. We got her from a family friend who got her from a pet store and she's about 7-8 years old. She doesn't seem scared but whenever anyone even puts her hand on the cage she tries to bite, idk if she is scared or if she just doesn't like people but I want to try to train her like smokey. I know it's hard to judge a situation without seeing it but any tips?
Hi Greg videos thanx ..we took on an African grey that was in a pub for 8 years in ..how do I get him out of his cage ? I’ve let him out an d he goes to floor .I can then get him to step up onto me ..he sometimes gives me a nip ,doesn’t draw blood, I take in into our living room and let him go on a stand .. I will them let him get used to his surrounding then I’ll go to him and ask him to step up as u do ...after a while he has got his claw up ready to get on me ... which is great ,,,,,but the prob is trying to get him from cage in first place ..from the top of his cage he’s higher than me wen I offer my arm I just know he’s going to bite what is th best way to take him-from cage as I don’t want him to be in habit of biting me every time he goes on me colin uk
I just got a 20yr old African grey and as soon as my hands go near him he try’s to bite. I was told at one point he could be handled and talked and even knew a couple tricks but was rehomed and isolated and hasn’t talked much if he does and has the biting thing in or out of crate. Thoughts on what to do?
Great video, I see people making those mistakes all the time unfortunately, not respecting what the bird wants. Then they get recommended to trim the bird's wings to make it more easy to handle and it's all sad really :/ Birs are such pacifist creatures and come to aggressive biting just as a last resort and yet so many of them learn biting behaviour. About the step up routine you mentioned it worked well for the "nippy" behaviour issue with the Sun conure, now she nibbles only on her toys an playstands. She has a bit of a biting problem when we handle her food (I guess it's the protective hungry hippo) and when she sees a stranger she bites them and then immediately calmly steps up for them like nothing happened - it's really weird :D But it's never like a big bite, it's rather just a gentle catch with the beak like a warning.
Hello I have African grey parrot I just got 6 days ago she is very nice step up but some time I little scared she sometimes check my finger or thumb with her beak but not biting can I hold her with my both hand or not yet Let me know and where are you live in US ?
I love your videos and trust your advice. I have a rehomed CAG 8 years whose been with me 3 months. He's on pellets but unless I put some seeds (low sunflower) he throws his food bowl out. I am slowly trying to introduce other foods to him. He is confident to come out of his cage and fly around the room. Sometimes when he's in his cage he bends his neck for me. I hope he will trust me in time and will discover what treats he likes. I discovered I am allergic to nuts when tasting them to encourage him! He likes to sit on top of his cage. Do you think it's a mistake to try and stroke him or should I wait longer? He always looks apprehensive when on top of his cage.
It all depends on his body language. I would begin by seeing if he would accept a head scratch, he'll be much more likely to accept that than to be pet.
Heey there, so I have 2 green cheeks and 2 sun conures. When I'm home I have all 4 out with me, their main cages are in my room and then I have 2 living room cages for them to hang out on freely. One of my sun conure is close to a year old now, alot of the times when he doesn't get his way he will bite me and other times I think he is trying to play but will bite too hard. When he ends up biting me when he isn't getting his way, I will set him down or put him inside the living room cage for a "time out" so he wont fly to me. I don't feel like what I am doing is helping him stop though... I remember you mentioning to leave the room when birds are misbehaving so should I put him in another room away from the rest of the flock? Or is there any other suggestions?
Oh thank you so much that’s why I was wondering why she bites because I feed her and today I open the door and I put my hands through the door and I put some treats for her but she got a little bit scared and she’s a good bike and she starts to move backwards because you know I understand and thank you
i have a new one but its 2 years old i bought it yesterday but now it is biting a lot it is boring what should i do with it how i can make it like your bird
Hello! Im a big fan of yours, and I was wondering if you could help me because I'm not too sure what to do with my African Grey. He was traumatized because he flew away and someone caught him with a towel and returned him to us. Now he bites everyone, and I really don't know how to make him not bite. I have gained some of his trust but he still tries to bite me extremely hard. There are also times when he bows his head to let me pet him but then quickly tries to bite my finger once I touch his head. It's as if he's trying to outsmart or make a trap. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you!
Great video. The 'bigger' birds like AGs are fascinating to watch for me. I also love hearing about their care. This is *kind of* weird because I am actually completely afraid of birds. Any of them pretty much. But the more intelligent and/or the bigger the beak the more I can't even be in a room with one (out of its cage). I have a fear of getting bit. And it's not even rational in the true sense; because I am not afraid of dogs biting (had this happen once with my elder beagle when she had a night terror) and I am not afraid of cats, or sharks when I am in the ocean or even black widows (had one bite me due to shielding my 7 pound Maltese when she tried to sniff it - yeah, I know lol). But I have this irrational, complete fear of bird bites. I've never even had a sketchy encounter with a wild or 'domestic' bird. It's so odd. But anyhow. You do great videos! If fixing a biting situation was something that could be done in a week or even a month we wouldn't have the need for so many bird rescues sadly. It's sad that *I* know that and I am not even interested in getting a bird, but someone will walk in to Petco tomorrow and buy a parrot on a whim. :|
Well, your fear is warranted, their bites can be very painful! And, you're right, very sad how some people will be getting budgies/parakeets for their kids just because they're so colorful and inexpensive.
My female African grey when I first got them (I got the pair, female and male) the female was super territorial. However one day I just put up the strength and put my hand next to her and she just stepped up. Since then I always have her with me, and have taught her to give kisses and say “Viva cuba” (long live cuba 😂). However the male is on the other spectrum. I can pet ever so softly his head. If I try anything else HE WILL ATTACK, and not soft whatsoever. I can hand feed him with fruits and seeds. That is about where I am not with him. I’m going to keep trying to have him understand I am not an enemy.
I’m new to your channel and bird keeping in general. I just rescued a bird that was left outside in there cage. The owners where moving and didn’t want him so they gave him to me. He’s a monk parrot. He’s super territorial of his cage and doesn’t like any kind of contact. I’ve been hand feeding him every day the. Leaving him alone for 2 weeks now trying to get him used to me. I wanna know how to train him to be comfortable with me and to step up.
My lil birb has just started biting. I think it is for attention. She will fly over to me and sleep and let me smooth her and land on my head and all but when she is on my fingers she bites and she bites my nails. She has never made me bleed. She is very social. I was just wondering how do I fix this? Usually, when she bites, I be as quiet as I can and that put her down and ignore her. However, she usually flies over to my hand or legs etc for attention .Am I doing the right thing? Please help me
I've got a little 7-month-old green cheeks who is neither territorial nor scared of me. He steps up fine, loves eating treats from my hands, and wants to preen my beard and moustache all day. For some reason though, when licking and preening my face and fingers, he will occasionally apply too much pressure and it will hurt. I have never yelled at the bird, just put him back in his cage for a few minutes whenever it happens to let him know it was wrong. I've been told through various parrot websites to yell at the bird or blow air in its face, but those just seem so mean so i've never even tried. Should I just live with it since he doesn't draw blood? or is there a few methods anyone can recommend that are humane?
Video was great and very informative! I have a smaller bird, a cockatiel who just turned 12 weeks. We have bonded quickly, he is a great social bird. First of all I want to mention that he (not 100% sure of sex) is moulting and I see a few blood feathers growing in...which I found very weird because they say birds moult at 6 months and he is way younger. When I got him he already stepped up nice, enjoyed being on your shoulder and did not mind hanging out on your finger but enjoyed the shoulder more. What I am noticing now is that as soon as he steps up he is practically running up my arm to get to my shoulder even when I want him to stay on my finger, then when he is on my shoulder and I put my finger up by him and ask him to step up he either moves away or tries to bite.....how can I change this? I don't like making him step up over and over trying to have him stay on my finger either like you mentioned in your video. I understand with moulting that it can be a painful, uncomfortable time for them so I am not sure if this recent change in him is because of this. Tonight I had to pick him up off my shoulder which he hated to put him in his cage for bed. I waited and tried a couple of patient attempts but time was passing by and I just didn't know what to do so I gently picked him up and placed him in his cage. He was not impressed with me picking him up let me tell you! I also notice that he is getting very protective over his cage to the point that when I put my hand in to get his dishes he is doing the open beak head bob as I call it to try and bite me. Now he is not biting hard but he is showing a little aggression which he never did before. I am a neat freak over his cage and clean every part of it daily...I transfer him over to his spare cage when I do this not to upset him but sometimes I have to get his food/water dish while he is in there and that is when he gets mad. How can I help him with not always scurrying up my arm to get to my shoulder? Stop him from biting when its time to be taken off my shoulder? Stop him from being cage obsessed to the point of being aggressive? Help please!!!!! I want him to be as happy and comfortable as possible. Your help will be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!!
Nagol Bud Thank you so much for your timely reply.....you were not joking when you said you reply to your questions. I will try the treat, hopefully he will go for it. Right now he is on a 100% seed diet but I am trying to convert him over which right now he is not interested. Any suggestions as to what I can do there? Even trying him with fruits & veggies and he doesn't even seem interested :( Thanks again, love your videos & love Smokey!!!!! Your training is not the standard text book.....your training method I find is a more realistic approach, it makes a lot more sense to me for sure.....very refreshing!!!!!! I live in British Columbia Canada and enjoy your videos please keep it up!!!! :)
Calista Lockheart There are a lot of videos that might answer all of your questions. Do a search, here on YT. You'll find everything. 😉I think Flock Talk has a video were she talks how she got her birds interested in veg, but I watched so many videos that I'm not sure. Again, just search and you might want to start your search with WingsNPaws
Someone below already answered this for me but let me reiterate: If you want him on your hand and not your shoulder, you have to make it more reinforcing to be on your hand. Whenever he's on your shoulder, use treats to lure him back onto your hand. Then, slowly reward him for staying on your hand. Soon, he'll learn "why jump onto his/her shoulder when I have to come back down in order to get the treat" and he'll stay on your hand.
my grandparents have a Congo African grey and I'm 12 it's 19 I grew up with me and I used to handle and he get on my hand now everytime I try to handle him he bites so I was just wondering me and her are bonded, he let's me pick her up of the floor but not from her cage??
My grey bites when she's sulking. I came back from a week away and CHOMP. She also bites me when I'm getting her breakfast ready. And when she's bored. And for some reason she hates my right sleeve and attacks it.
My African Gray is eleven years old and I can do anything I like with him. He flies free around my bungalow, say 350 + words, sentences, up to 10 words in a sentence. He knows people by their name. Talks to everyone who walks past and all the children on their to and fro from school. He goes in when I go out and bed time. An exceptional bird. I can't work so gets a lot of company. Enjoy watching your extracts. I live in Cornwall, England. He loves it here. Thanks a lot. Rob and Max.
Robert Nicholas May I know did he ever bite you?
I find that all really hard to believe. Up to 10 word sentences and 350+ words? Sounds like he could go nursery. Can you post a pic of your fab bird and how you taught it to be so awesome
You bird sounds great. Do you put any film on youtube of him talking?
My parrots name is Max!
Ayman Syed oh well
This is the only way to make me rememeber my parrot sunny. He died 4 years ago after a 36 years of age. Will be remembered ;(
I am sorry for your loss. I lost my Orange Wing Amazon back in December after 30 years. He was my first parrot. I can't look at or see a photo of a OWA without a great amount of sadness.
wes mcfadden thw mate but i think both of our parrots deseaved it and they need it. Some vets say tha a parrot that goes over 40 sill carryy allot of deseases and taking care of it will be a bain
RIP sunny🌞❤
Love the vid. I died of laughter when smokey bowed his head at 7.53 bc he taught he was getting a scratch and slowly raised his head again🤣
Awwwwwwww
I love that your so honest..it took me about 2 years to get trust from my family bird...and hearing you say fearfullness I can so relate...thank you......I love shortee an African Grey....
7:53
You're making excellent videos, thank you so much for making the lives of bird owners easier. You and Smokeys relationship is absolutely awesome!
Thanks for the positive feedback!
hey ,if anyone else needs to find out about how to get your parrot to talk try Dalz Parrot Tips Discovery (should be on google have a look ) ? Ive heard some decent things about it and my cousin got great results with it.
@@wingsNpaws Nice
Poor Smokey - every time you demonstrated with your hand approaching him he was ducking his head for a scratch - he's just so good and patient - if that was my OWA i would have been bitten from tantrum - frustration by now!!! x
Thank you so, so much for this video!! You said you were talking too much but you weren't!! It was all super interesting, clear, no repetition or rambling, very "to the point". And the greatest thing for me is that, just yesterday I called a bird breeder to get 2 small parrots (couldn't find any rescue were I live, or even in the range of 300 Km or more) and I wasn't sure what to do when I would have brought them home. I've done lots of research about everything but that subject. I was thinking to open the cage and let them be but then I thought that it would have been almost impossible to get them back into their cages. So.....yeah, this video was life saver for me!!!! 😉 And all of your other videos are so very informative and always very sweet......Smokey is such a wonderful girl and to see your relationship is always joyful. So cute when you would get close to her with your fingers, when you were talking about giving treats to a fearful bird, and she would lower her head for you to scratch her, but you would keep talking and she would keep her head down waiting for you to touch her.....soooooo cute!!!! Sorry for the long comment. I'm really grateful for your insight and all you give (videos, editing, time, cameras and video, money, etc.) so that people can learn for free how to live the best with their birds 🐦🐤🐧 💖 Thank you 😊 Thank you 😊Thank you 😊
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, the video recording and editing takes a lot more time than most people realize. For a 15 minute video, it usually takes a while to record and a lot of time to edit out parts that are redundant, not to mention uploading time.
Your videos are amazing, I admire them, I like how you know what you're doing with smoky
Hey, yesterday I adopted an African grey parrot because of your channel :) he is 3 months old, he's eating pallets, some sort of healthy mix and some sort of pallets to make him slightly bigger and help him grow up. I been sitting next to him for a couple of hours now, I care about him a lot, he's here for less than 24 hours and I already cleaned his cage and swapped water. People told me that I should let him out of his cage and I did, but he is a bit afraid of me, he's biting me when I get near and he's making little noises when I try to reach him (with food or just to pet him). I built a little tree stand for him so he can stand out of his cage and still feel comfortable near me... he's grabbing his wooden pole inside his cage as hard as he can when I try to pick him up and also few minutes ago he saw a cat outside our door (we have glass doors around our house) and he fell off the table (about 50cm height). He looks so scared, sometimes he's even shaking a little bit. I always talk softly, I alert him every time before I go near his cage but I think he hates me and nothing's gonna change that... he's eating and drinking water and he got many toys inside his cage.
I've always found african greys kinda scary looking or intimidating but smokey is adorable.
wow, this video really clicked with me. everything you described in the video is what my bird does and now i know why and how to handle it, thanks!
Your videos are well made and very informative! Lots of love from Gizmo the sunconure and Jade the human!
Thanks Jade! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Hi there, I have to say thank you. Because of you I have a relationship with my parrot. He used to hate me and I him. When I realised he would be mine someday I knew I had to do something so I could look after him. Now, after watching your videos, he asks me to tickle him, I can feed him and water him whilst he's in the cage, whereas before he used to attack me. He's better tempered as well. So once again thank you for these videos
Im getting my first African Grey and im binge watching your videos before it gets here.thank you for showing how to do everything right....i will name my one Smokey to say thanks🐥❤
Very informative. Thank you!
so much knowledge here, thank you !
thank you so much !! you really helped me understand the whole biting thing
I'm going to be adopting a 45 year old African Grey and I've heard he's a biter. This video especially is helping me gain some insight and learn what body language I need to watch for. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hey buddy awesome videos I just got an derbyan parrot 5 months old. So I'm grateful I can learn from you 😃
You are absolutely right on several fronts. There is a lot of misinformation about how to work with birds, the worst of which is the dominance based theories.
Thank you for the video. I do wonder why people keep asking the same question bc it's been addressed so much.
Hi, I love all of your videos. I have a female CAG, Jade, who's about 17 years old. She's been in my family for her whole life, but only with me for the last year. Unfortunately, she's been neglected. Up until she was about 5 she would regularly get out of her cage and was quite friendly. Although she's always liked to trick people by putting her head down and acting like she wants scratched. Then when you go to do it, she snaps her head up and bites. Luckily she usually didn't harm too much, but it still hurts. Then for the next 10 years she was pretty neglected, the house she was in was pretty small, so she wasn't let out of her cage. Although she was still scratched and feed well. At any rate, 2 years ago, she ended up in a home where they were just grabbing her, even if she didn't want picked up. He would wear gloves, so he wouldn't care if she bit, and actually was encouraging her to bite. She also got sprayed with soap. At any rate this is when I got her. She'll take treats from my hand and she'll let me scratch her head occasionally. However in the past year she has bit me 3 times where she's drawn blood. Partly, I think, because it hurts and so I jerk away making the bite worse. She'll get out of her cage, but if I come up to it and try to get her to step up, she'll just go to another part where I can't get her. I let her out in the morning and at night. Anytime I try to get her to step up though, she'll just move to a new spot, Do you suggest that I just keep working with her?
thanks so much for filming, my bird is good around me but is crazy around others by the way i love your bird! :>
You are amazing!
Thank you!
wingsNpaws i had i dog named smokey
Thanks love your videos so helpful! Thank you!
I wish you could come see my bird. Hes a double yellow head parrot that we inherited from a family friend. The exact age of Bill is unknown, however he is notorious in this area. Since the day our friends inherited this bird, he has been aggressive. Chasing people or biting people. We treat him like royalty, and maybe that is the problem. He bites to the point to where he will make you bleed. You absolutely cannot touch him. Any attempt will result in a snip, and if he can get you, a bite. He knows phrases and he says them often. His favorite phrase is: "I'm a bad bird!" He knew this phrase already from his first owner, we are his third. He has been too wild for anyone to take, but he fits in with us. I just really wish I could hold him. He free roams everywhere. He use to chew on the wall but we have corrected that behavior. Other than him biting he is a pretty chill bird. We've never gotten him clipped, so he can fly when he wants, which he doesn't. You cant even get your hand a foot away from him.
Per usual a quality video! Only thing I would do differently is to push target training. An invaluable training tool.
Thank you, this helped so much.
My African Grey loves to be played with and cuddled while in the cage . But when he comes out . He only wants to bit me
This is a wonderful video about gentle training. I have always thought the whole dominance thing was wrong-- Especially for a prey species. Sally Blanchard coined the term "nurturing dominance" in her books about parrot training and a lot of people disagreed with that so she later dropped the the word "dominance" from her talks and articles in order to adjust to public opinion. Basically, she was trying to use dog training tactics in parrot training and she was wrong. It is now known that the whole dominance thing with dog training is not appropriate for most dogs.
Our little Aztec Conure used to step up nicely and would allow us to hold him and place him into a handstand in our hands and to put a flight suit on him. However, once he became fully mature and got territorial and aggressive, we could not do these things anymore. Only my son can handle him and only when the bird is in the right mood.
My African Grey bites because it’s mad if I am leaving him.
It wants me to stay with him.
Ruby has learned not to bite hard, but the level of upset is pretty severe if he knows I am going away.
We got our eclectus parrot for a few a days now and at first he was ok with the pushing to step up, but now he bites me when my hand is near. I'm so glad i found this video, now he steps up on his own when i have a treat, but i still have a long way to go so he would trust me again. I just wanna be loved :')
Hi there. First of all let me echo all of the appreciation that other viewers have given. I have learned so much from you and Smokey.
I started watching your videos before I purchased DaVinci as a young bird. He was 4 months old when I got him and he's about 18 months old now. He's healthy and definitely has a personality.
I wanted to ask about his constant chewing on wires and basically almost anything he can get his beak on. I think I provide plenty of chew toys on his perches and in his cage. It could it be that I don't change the toys often enough. How often do you suggest I rotate toys?
I know its been awhile but you should provide toys that can be completely destroyed. Rotate them around the cage every couple of weeks if the toy goes untouched. Once the toy is destroyed, you replace it. Bird kabobs and planet pleasures pinatas are good foraging toys.
I have 2 African greys that I hand fed since they were very young. I have them now since around a year to a year and a half. I love them very much. They love to always fly and sit on my shoulder. Sometimes I let them on my shoulder for long periods of time while I watch tv or do certain things around the house. However recently one of them started to bite kind of hard. I realized the biting usually occur during 3 situations:
1.sometimes when he is on my shoulder and when I am just sitting and not doing anything that he may find interesting and not giving him much attention ( for example if I am watching tv)
2. sometimes when I try to pet him
3. if I see him playing with something that I feel is dangerous for him and try to take it away from him.
Usually when he bites, I respond with "don't bite!" in a loud voice and/or put him back to his cage (he loves being out of his cage) and/or I leave the room if he is not on my shoulder ( but for the most part he is on my shoulder when he is out of his cage. He always loves to fly to me and sit on my shoulder and it is very difficult to get him to remain sitting anywhere else for an extended period when he is out of his cage, which is another problem and it would be great if you can help me out with this issue as well).
Please I need your help and advise I love him very much and from all the youtubers I've seen I personally believe you give the best advise and tips about parrots and your videos are highly appreciated.
I have a 9 month old gcc. Got him from pet smart. He lived there most of his life. I am fairly certain that the employees were great with him and gave him a decent amount t of attention. He came out of his travel box and ran right up on my shoulder. He's made amazing progress over the Last 3 weeks. I've stick trained him, having him touch and perch on the stick. I've thought him to " climb the ladder" on my fingers. I've even thought him a command I call "pretty bird" to get him to flap his wings. I'm honestly very surprised we have come so far I such a short amount of time. However, over the last two days, I feel as though he regressing. I'm being pretty consistent but lately he is biting much more and is just generally moody. I call him a " he" but I haven't had him sexed yet. It seems a bit early to be puberty. At least based on my research and he's not showing signs is sexual maturity. I wish you could be here to observe the behavior cuz I can't really paint a totally accurate pic of what's going on. I'd love any thoughts or advice you have on the situation. Oh and one more thing, this behavior began around the time I put his cage next to my budgies cage. He seemed to really enjoy their company and was very curious about them. I don't allow them out together and I'm afraid my gcc will harm the budgies. Could this be my problem? He's litteraly obsessed with them. Unfortunately there's no where in my house that he can't hear them so his attention is never fully on me. Sorry for the long message. Thanks in advance.
I have a 9 week old Derbyan, my first large bird and I’m getting discouraged by his biting especially with a large beak
Thank you for making these videos
I just got my first large parrot a Catalina macaw and my arms are covered in bruises and bite marks. She loves to step up and hang out with me but she doesn’t go back on her playstand without biting me. I’m going to limit handling for a few weeks and then try to resume training.
such a nice person
Didn't know that female AGs can be territorial too. My male TAG definitely is, not with me but with anyone else.
I also read that greys are not cuddly before I got him but he can't get enough of it. If it was up to him, he would like to cuddle all day.
Ur helping me alot first time parrot owner..
Amazing! Thank you soo much
Pretty cool video. I was thinking about getting one of these birds.
This was so helpful as I recently adopted my first bird. Even though my lil guy wants to come out and be with me (he flies to me) he still nips.
Hi there
Firstly, I must thank you for your TH-cam channel. I've learnt so much. Your explanation is done in such beautiful plain and simple language that makes one understand.
My African Grey is 12 weeks old..... Absolutely loving. However at times it does get aggressive and want to bite so I just place it in the cage.
It's a very intelligent bird knows it's way around the house, knows it's meal times. Her territorial space is my room.
I just need assistance with that sudden aggressiveness coz when she gets like that she wants to go for my nose or ears. O don't wear earrings anymore.
Funny thing is that my bird seems to not trust me but was able to get on my shoulder all by itself and stay there. I've been trying to get it off and nothing just a lot of biting
Thanks for the info it helps a bunch
Glad it did!
A good informative post! My grey bites like yours also for the second reasons… -territorial/ when he has a new "toy" like maybe a spoon I was using that he stole and he gets upset if i try remove it from his possession.. also his cage and bells…-protective/ whenever my partner is around, he starts nipping me hard (i think this is him trying to be aggressively sweet and "protecting" me to get me away from my partner whom he perceived is a threat! Cute but not so cute)-dominance/ nipping if i am doing something he doesn't like i.e. cleaning the counters with a dishcloth or not sharing my food with him...Looking forward to seeing the second part of your video!!p
Hi Amanda! You're absolutely right about the protective biting. I'll try to have that second video up this weekend!
amazing video. Smokey is so cute
Thanks!
Share what type of pellet food you recommend to get my African Grey off seeds . Thanks
Where can I find such a small table perch?
Thank you so much brother
Thank you!
Amazing video!! Keep up the great work 👍
Thank you!
wingsNpaws :)
How does Smokey sit still for so long and so relaxed
I have a 32year old grey,"kahlua"I have had him since he was 3months old. He is wonderful. I have tried on several attempts to change him from a seed diet to a pellet mix. Slowly introducing the pellets,while decreasing his seeds. He always pulls out the pellets and throws them away,or leaves them entirely. Any suggestions?
I love your videos and I love smokey, I have male and female Quaker parrots that are about 8 months old, how do I train two birds
Hello, what do you think the best way to get an African grey is?
My African Grey has been aggressive for 14 years and is aggressive to anyone who isn't my dad.
My bird is just like that. But it was my stepfather's bird. Who pasted. Then it became my brother's. He is the only one who can handle him. And now he is snapping at my lil brother. And is only trying to play with the kids. But we dont trust him
@@mauricecrenshaw7789 yeah it's my steph father's too. Recently I have been letting her bite me and not freaking out and it doesnt hurt so I've been playing with her trying to get close.
I have a 3 month old African grey and I was hoping to potty train. I don't know if it's to young but I was wondering if you can give any tips to help train it
Hi, just subscribed to your channel. I have got a cockatoo ( a 2 year old male) I am watching your videos as quickly as I can, I have him out of the cage as often as I can,mostly short (20minute) or longer. What does it mean when he hangs off me and flaps his wings and his crest is raised and he screams! I avoid eye contact and ignore him, but it is slightly unnerving. Also hes been trained to always sit on your shoulder, and nips my ear occasionally. He is very affectionate at other times, I want to do the best for him and want to get him an outdoor aviary next summer so he can spend some time outside and exercise a bit more, is this a good idea.? I appreciate I've asked alot hope you dont mind, but I want this bird to be happy,
many thanks
Gill
One of the best descriptions of bird behavior and observations I have seen....Excellent discussion/advice!!!
amazing video. i dont recall any videos of you going outside with smokey. i do remember you saying you dont outdoor free flight her. so does this mean that you use a harness for her? if so can you make a video showing us how you get her to where it and not be scared of the harness. Keep up the great work :)
I'll keep this in mind for a future video!
How do I stop my parrot from play biting. He doesn’t bite intentionally. He’s good with humans but when I want him to step up he just starts play biting.
Don't make a noise or show any reaction. Just simply walk away every time he does it. Leave the room for about 5-10 min
When you return stay positive & show you want to interact, if he does it again, repeat the process for days, weeks, months.. however long it takes.
Hope this helps 2 years too late 😄
@@bigsky445 That didn't work with mine. When I tried that he started biting more because he wants a reaction so bad.
I love your videos :) could you do a video on harness training? My Amazon parrot won't have anything to do with them. I've tried desensitizing with different types of harnesses and I can't get him used to them and I've been trying for months with no progress. Some advice would be greatly appreciated 😊
Great idea for a future video :)
Can you do a video on what you feed Smokey?
I heard chop along with pellets and sprouted seeds is a very healthy diet with occasional dried seeds and nuts.
marquise Washington he already made a video about it :) its called "Diet and enrichment" if i am correct.
I do have a video about that on my channel. Do you have an IG account? I sometimes post short videos on there about diet and what I feed her.
I wanna thank you for your videos I learn a lot from them.
I also have a question I hope you can address in the territorial video.
Winter is my male African grey he's one year old. He's always been territorial with me I mean when someone touched me or kissed me he gave them a nasty look especially to my nephew... I try to fix that by making my nephew to give him treats, at least Winter doesn't try to bite him anymore... But that's not my main concern, a few months ago my grey starting to bite me when never did In the past. If I'm scratching his head and he had enough he'd bite me, if in the morning I say hi to any of my other parrots he'd bite me, if I don't give him his food or treats before anyone else he'd bite me, if he sees my petting any of my other parrots and then I go to pet him (even if I did pet him first) he'd bite me and / or try to bite the other parrots. I tried to do what you said a while ago and I complain loudly and go to the other room but if when I get back I try to touch him he'd bite me again... And he'd go to the top of his cage and stare down at me (i'm in a wheelchair so I realized that when he's mad he'll go to the top of the cage and stare down at me in a " i'm the boss" kinda thingy)... I don't know how to fix it at this point I use a perch to make him step up because I'd like to keep my fingers, he also bites the perch and of course only steps up when he's in the mood sometimes it seems that he prefers to stay inside the cage instead of stepping up and go out to play.
Apart from that he eats the same (pellets and chop) sleeps the same, no new parrots or family members... I think he's a bit spoiled maybe but I need to fix the bitting...
Sorry for the long comment and thanks in advance!
I sure will!
Thank you for such an excellent and informative video! Can I please ask where you bought the wooden training perch? Would like one for my parrot 😊
You can buy them on Amazon. Look up large table top perch and various options will populate.
Nice video. My lovebird seems bonded with us as when i let it out of the cage, it comes to me and would try to climb on to my body. Anywhere except my hands, which it used to bite. However, I just got that sorted out by desensitizing it through positive reinforcement. It has been able to step up with some positive reinforcement. However, it still is scared of it as long as there is no millet to satisfy it once it perches. Sometimes... it still attempts to bite. How do I move on from here?
I give it attention everyday for at least half an hour and it is in a fairly big cage for a single bird.
What are the best treats to use for training
I have a 3 month old African grey and I was hoping to take it off it hand feeding formula. And I was wondering if it is to young. And if it's not how will I take it off it's formula
have had the Bean "a gray" for over 30 years, lives in the living room, big cage often open, lots of treats, whistle games she always bites, always draws blood
My Ring Neck parrot Lalli is only about 10 months old. We got her from a pet shop at 5 months old. She was starting to trust me. Would not step up onto my finger but would climb onto my hand and run up my arm to my shoulder. She started to give kisses and show affection and started talking only a few words " wat ya doin" and whistling. I went away for 11 days and came back only to find that she no longer talks or whistles and is biting. Her trust for me seems to have gone. Sometimes she will take treats from me but other times will lunge at me. She is only ever locked up when we go to bed or go out, other than that she is free to roam all over in n out her cage and also has plenty of toys, perches and a free standing perch to use. My husband was home with her wen i went away and she was whistling n talking the whole time whilst i was away. Since my return a completely different bird. It hurts me wen she is like this as i dont know how to make it better for her n me. I have tried everything i can think of. I have tried utube and too many different opinions . I have had parrots b4 n never had this problem. PlZ help..... :-(
Maybe ur husband did something to her
This is really sad when this happens I’m kinda going through the same thing but my bird is confusing and I really don’t know what I did wrong my bird has mood swings and when he bites me it make me sad but also sometimes he lets me pet his head and that’s why it’s so confusing idk what to do
Thanks so much for your hints. However, my Amazona Amazonica parot of 14 years, started biting me last week. Nothing significant happened to cause this, as long as I can remember. But he bites "out of love", not knowing that he is hurting me. And when I react with pain, he thinks I like it, and repeats biting, and wants more biting. He starts laughing as if he's gone mad..... playing. I can't have it anymore. What do I do?
Great videos. How do you earn an African grey rescue trust? She’s 28 and I’ve had her a year and half. Her early life was bad and she lets me let her but after all this time still won’t step up so when she walks around the house and I need her to go back in, it’s a fight.
How do you tell if your bird bites out of fear or aggression?
Someone who's asking the question, why is my parrot biting is asking the wrong question. They should be asking, what am I missing or not seeing that is making my parrot bite, and how can I mitigate or control that for the safety of both of us.
I have a double head amazon I adopted she was about 14 yo. After two years I can hand feed some times, I can pet her but a lot of times in the middle of petting she’ll try to bite , sometimes she just lunges or snaps at me. I might even just move my hands no where near her and she’ll snap. It’s like a split personality, one minute loving the rubbing next I’m bleeding , and I’m sure you know the bite is deep and hurts, I’ve had her for 2 or 3 years now very little change. Now when she does that I walk away after telling her she’s a bad girl. What else can I try. I even tried the step up thing, no luck but she has no problem getting on the vets finger or any other medical person. I had two other Amazon’s ,they lived till 35 or so, most loving birds ever after a while. Hope you can help. Thanks.
You are very accurate because I rescue African grey
I know that stroking there beaks softly also helps.
My name Is Muriel I am in SA
I like everything you say because it’s very true.💝👍
Where in SA? Weve even taken our bird to her breeder for 3 months but he couldn't help. She cracked her neck when she was little and hasnt stopped plucking or biting
Hey wingsNpaws, My family has had an African Grey Parrot for a while but she's always tried to bite everyone. We got her from a family friend who got her from a pet store and she's about 7-8 years old. She doesn't seem scared but whenever anyone even puts her hand on the cage she tries to bite, idk if she is scared or if she just doesn't like people but I want to try to train her like smokey. I know it's hard to judge a situation without seeing it but any tips?
Hi I have a african grey parrot it's 11 yrs old I have a question if you pet is make noises and whistling, clicking what does that mean
Hi Greg videos thanx ..we took on an African grey that was in a pub for 8 years in ..how do I get him out of his cage ? I’ve let him out an d he goes to floor .I can then get him to step up onto me ..he sometimes gives me a nip ,doesn’t draw blood, I take in into our living room and let him go on a stand .. I will them let him get used to his surrounding then I’ll go to him and ask him to step up as u do ...after a while he has got his claw up ready to get on me ... which is great ,,,,,but the prob is trying to get him from cage in first place ..from the top of his cage he’s higher than me wen I offer my arm I just know he’s going to bite what is th best way to take him-from cage as I don’t want him to be in habit of biting me every time he goes on me colin uk
I just got a 20yr old African grey and as soon as my hands go near him he try’s to bite. I was told at one point he could be handled and talked and even knew a couple tricks but was rehomed and isolated and hasn’t talked much if he does and has the biting thing in or out of crate. Thoughts on what to do?
Great video, I see people making those mistakes all the time unfortunately, not respecting what the bird wants. Then they get recommended to trim the bird's wings to make it more easy to handle and it's all sad really :/ Birs are such pacifist creatures and come to aggressive biting just as a last resort and yet so many of them learn biting behaviour.
About the step up routine you mentioned it worked well for the "nippy" behaviour issue with the Sun conure, now she nibbles only on her toys an playstands.
She has a bit of a biting problem when we handle her food (I guess it's the protective hungry hippo) and when she sees a stranger she bites them and then immediately calmly steps up for them like nothing happened - it's really weird :D But it's never like a big bite, it's rather just a gentle catch with the beak like a warning.
What was ur first bird and how dose it compare behavior wise to smoky
Hello I have African grey parrot I just got 6 days ago she is very nice step up but some time I little scared she sometimes check my finger or thumb with her beak but not biting can I hold her with my both hand or not yet Let me know and where are you live in US ?
Which type of treats to attract african grey. Please suggest...
My African Gray is pretty independent but still wants me to be in the room with her.
I love your videos and trust your advice. I have a rehomed CAG 8 years whose been with me 3 months. He's on pellets but unless I put some seeds (low sunflower) he throws his food bowl out. I am slowly trying to introduce other foods to him. He is confident to come out of his cage and fly around the room. Sometimes when he's in his cage he bends his neck for me. I hope he will trust me in time and will discover what treats he likes. I discovered I am allergic to nuts when tasting them to encourage him! He likes to sit on top of his cage. Do you think it's a mistake to try and stroke him or should I wait longer? He always looks apprehensive when on top of his cage.
It all depends on his body language. I would begin by seeing if he would accept a head scratch, he'll be much more likely to accept that than to be pet.
Heey there, so I have 2 green cheeks and 2 sun conures. When I'm home I have all 4 out with me, their main cages are in my room and then I have 2 living room cages for them to hang out on freely. One of my sun conure is close to a year old now, alot of the times when he doesn't get his way he will bite me and other times I think he is trying to play but will bite too hard. When he ends up biting me when he isn't getting his way, I will set him down or put him inside the living room cage for a "time out" so he wont fly to me. I don't feel like what I am doing is helping him stop though... I remember you mentioning to leave the room when birds are misbehaving so should I put him in another room away from the rest of the flock? Or is there any other suggestions?
Oh thank you so much that’s why I was wondering why she bites because I feed her and today I open the door and I put my hands through the door and I put some treats for her but she got a little bit scared and she’s a good bike and she starts to move backwards because you know I understand and thank you
When training my parents, what train are finished and most importantly healthy? I have read somewhere sunflower seeds are not the best, is this true?
i have a new one but its 2 years old i bought it yesterday but now it is biting a lot it is boring what should i do with it how i can make it like your bird
Hello! Im a big fan of yours, and I was wondering if you could help me because I'm not too sure what to do with my African Grey. He was traumatized because he flew away and someone caught him with a towel and returned him to us. Now he bites everyone, and I really don't know how to make him not bite. I have gained some of his trust but he still tries to bite me extremely hard. There are also times when he bows his head to let me pet him but then quickly tries to bite my finger once I touch his head. It's as if he's trying to outsmart or make a trap. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you!
Great video. The 'bigger' birds like AGs are fascinating to watch for me. I also love hearing about their care. This is *kind of* weird because I am actually completely afraid of birds. Any of them pretty much. But the more intelligent and/or the bigger the beak the more I can't even be in a room with one (out of its cage). I have a fear of getting bit. And it's not even rational in the true sense; because I am not afraid of dogs biting (had this happen once with my elder beagle when she had a night terror) and I am not afraid of cats, or sharks when I am in the ocean or even black widows (had one bite me due to shielding my 7 pound Maltese when she tried to sniff it - yeah, I know lol). But I have this irrational, complete fear of bird bites. I've never even had a sketchy encounter with a wild or 'domestic' bird. It's so odd. But anyhow. You do great videos! If fixing a biting situation was something that could be done in a week or even a month we wouldn't have the need for so many bird rescues sadly. It's sad that *I* know that and I am not even interested in getting a bird, but someone will walk in to Petco tomorrow and buy a parrot on a whim. :|
Well, your fear is warranted, their bites can be very painful! And, you're right, very sad how some people will be getting budgies/parakeets for their kids just because they're so colorful and inexpensive.
My female African grey when I first got them (I got the pair, female and male) the female was super territorial. However one day I just put up the strength and put my hand next to her and she just stepped up. Since then I always have her with me, and have taught her to give kisses and say “Viva cuba” (long live cuba 😂). However the male is on the other spectrum. I can pet ever so softly his head. If I try anything else HE WILL ATTACK, and not soft whatsoever. I can hand feed him with fruits and seeds. That is about where I am not with him. I’m going to keep trying to have him understand I am not an enemy.
Just wondering where you got your parrot’s perch in this video?
I’m new to your channel and bird keeping in general. I just rescued a bird that was left outside in there cage. The owners where moving and didn’t want him so they gave him to me. He’s a monk parrot. He’s super territorial of his cage and doesn’t like any kind of contact. I’ve been hand feeding him every day the. Leaving him alone for 2 weeks now trying to get him used to me. I wanna know how to train him to be comfortable with me and to step up.
My lil birb has just started biting. I think it is for attention. She will fly over to me and sleep and let me smooth her and land on my head and all but when she is on my fingers she bites and she bites my nails. She has never made me bleed. She is very social. I was just wondering how do I fix this? Usually, when she bites, I be as quiet as I can and that put her down and ignore her. However, she usually flies over to my hand or legs etc for attention .Am I doing the right thing? Please help me
I've got a little 7-month-old green cheeks who is neither territorial nor scared of me. He steps up fine, loves eating treats from my hands, and wants to preen my beard and moustache all day. For some reason though, when licking and preening my face and fingers, he will occasionally apply too much pressure and it will hurt. I have never yelled at the bird, just put him back in his cage for a few minutes whenever it happens to let him know it was wrong. I've been told through various parrot websites to yell at the bird or blow air in its face, but those just seem so mean so i've never even tried. Should I just live with it since he doesn't draw blood? or is there a few methods anyone can recommend that are humane?
I have a video on this on my channel!
I have the same problem with my parrotlets 😂
Pretty girl!!!! Xoxox
Video was great and very informative! I have a smaller bird, a cockatiel who just turned 12 weeks. We have bonded quickly, he is a great social bird. First of all I want to mention that he (not 100% sure of sex) is moulting and I see a few blood feathers growing in...which I found very weird because they say birds moult at 6 months and he is way younger. When I got him he already stepped up nice, enjoyed being on your shoulder and did not mind hanging out on your finger but enjoyed the shoulder more. What I am noticing now is that as soon as he steps up he is practically running up my arm to get to my shoulder even when I want him to stay on my finger, then when he is on my shoulder and I put my finger up by him and ask him to step up he either moves away or tries to bite.....how can I change this? I don't like making him step up over and over trying to have him stay on my finger either like you mentioned in your video. I understand with moulting that it can be a painful, uncomfortable time for them so I am not sure if this recent change in him is because of this. Tonight I had to pick him up off my shoulder which he hated to put him in his cage for bed. I waited and tried a couple of patient attempts but time was passing by and I just didn't know what to do so I gently picked him up and placed him in his cage. He was not impressed with me picking him up let me tell you!
I also notice that he is getting very protective over his cage to the point that when I put my hand in to get his dishes he is doing the open beak head bob as I call it to try and bite me. Now he is not biting hard but he is showing a little aggression which he never did before. I am a neat freak over his cage and clean every part of it daily...I transfer him over to his spare cage when I do this not to upset him but sometimes I have to get his food/water dish while he is in there and that is when he gets mad.
How can I help him with not always scurrying up my arm to get to my shoulder? Stop him from biting when its time to be taken off my shoulder? Stop him from being cage obsessed to the point of being aggressive? Help please!!!!! I want him to be as happy and comfortable as possible.
Your help will be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!!
Nagol Bud Thank you so much for your timely reply.....you were not joking when you said you reply to your questions. I will try the treat, hopefully he will go for it. Right now he is on a 100% seed diet but I am trying to convert him over which right now he is not interested. Any suggestions as to what I can do there? Even trying him with fruits & veggies and he doesn't even seem interested :(
Thanks again, love your videos & love Smokey!!!!! Your training is not the standard text book.....your training method I find is a more realistic approach, it makes a lot more sense to me for sure.....very refreshing!!!!!! I live in British Columbia Canada and enjoy your videos please keep it up!!!! :)
Calista Lockheart There are a lot of videos that might answer all of your questions. Do a search, here on YT. You'll find everything. 😉I think Flock Talk has a video were she talks how she got her birds interested in veg, but I watched so many videos that I'm not sure. Again, just search and you might want to start your search with WingsNPaws
Someone below already answered this for me but let me reiterate: If you want him on your hand and not your shoulder, you have to make it more reinforcing to be on your hand. Whenever he's on your shoulder, use treats to lure him back onto your hand. Then, slowly reward him for staying on your hand. Soon, he'll learn "why jump onto his/her shoulder when I have to come back down in order to get the treat" and he'll stay on your hand.
my grandparents have a Congo African grey and I'm 12 it's 19 I grew up with me and I used to handle and he get on my hand now everytime I try to handle him he bites so I was just wondering me and her are bonded, he let's me pick her up of the floor but not from her cage??
My grey bites when she's sulking. I came back from a week away and CHOMP. She also bites me when I'm getting her breakfast ready. And when she's bored. And for some reason she hates my right sleeve and attacks it.