Lovebirds attack my neck

Hi all, I'm a regular lurker with a question for you experts! I recently (a couple months ago) acquired two lovebirds from an old man with Alzheimer's. They will take food from my hand, but won't step up. When I let them out of their flight cage, they often land on my shoulder. This is where the problem begins: they won't stop biting my neck and ear!! They drew blood (tiny pinpricks of blood, but still!) in *seven* places today.

I have a hunch that it's just one of them who bites, but obviously I can't see my neck while they're both on it. Certainly only one of them bites my fingers. I know (from this board and others) the correct response to this kind of behavior is not to respond, but my earlobe is quite sensitive and so I can't really help it then.

My thought is that if they can't fly upwards, then they can't reach my neck and ear! But they seem to enjoy flying very much, and I think I'd feel quite guilty for taking that away from them. I know that this is an extremely hot-button issue, but I'd like to hear your thoughts just the same.

Secondly, should I (temporarily) separate them so that I can "work" with the friendly one? He (?) seems to not be so afraid and/or violent, and so it seems like he could actually be tamed relatively quickly. The problem is that the two of them stick like glue to each other, and so if I reach towards the nice one, the "mean" (frightened/territorial) one rushes over and attacks me.

Thanks for your help,

-MB

Do you know if this is a mated pair? Or are they the same sex? In general, keeping them in separate cages is generally going to lead to more interaction with you as opposed to each other, but if they are a long term mated pair I'd defer to those with breeding experience on attempting separation.

Since they aren't tame, you could consider starting with target training in the cage. That would give you a tool to lead them off of you when they are out. The advice to not react is, IMO, only sound up to a point -- you can't just sit there and let them draw blood ad infinitum. The solution probably depends on identifying why the bites are happening. Is it fear, territorial aggression, learned/manipulation, treating you as if you were an inanimate perch or over-intense preening? Of course, this is easy for me to say -- I can't seem to keep my GCC from getting nippy no matter what I do. Every time I fix the problem, it reappears in some other guise. Good thing he's not a macaw.

You'll find this board is fairly open to individual decision on the wing trimming issue. The plus in your situation is that you can protect yourself better. The minus is that you could accidentally wind up not taking as much time as the bird really needs to get them comfortable -- essentially flooding them rather than allowing them to become fully comfortable. I tend to think most birds are safer in a home if they have somewhat restricted ability to go everywhere and get into everything.

Thanks for your reply!

I don't know if they are the same sex or not - I never saw any paperwork for DNA sexing, but the daughter of the man they belonged to before seemed to think they were a MF pair. They've definitely not bred before.

As far as the reason for the bites, I don't think it's fear, as they fly to me from other parts of the room in order to land on my shoulder. It could be territorial aggression, learned, or the inanimate-perch thing.

I'll definitely start some target training - that will give us something to work on that's not so dangerous! As far as the trimming, they have a well-bird appointment tomorrow so I'll ask the vet's advice as well.

Thanks again!

My Green Cheek Conure bites my neck and ear, but more because he's trying to preen me than anything else. I tend to shoo him away when he bites a bit too hard. Clipping their wings won't do much in the way to get them to stop biting as they can still climb up your shoulder to get to where they want to be. If it hurts too much, I tend to wrap a towel around my neck to protect sensitive skin.

Yeah, I shoo them off my shoulder if they can't behave. They learn pretty quickly it's due to the biting if you're quick about the shooing. If you worry about making them handshy with using your hand to shoo, you can also bend your head and shoulders really quick and shoo them off that way with a stern "no biting".

I like to warn the first bite with a stern "Ah!" Second bite with the shooing.



Oh - And !

IMO, your not going to have much success with taming a pair of love birds who are more into each other than you. You could separate them but i doubt that you'll truely make either one of them a real pet, Leave them together and enjoy independent birds who are willing to allow you to be a part of their flock, even if you are just a whipping post. I i'd shoo them off of me if they are doing the biting thing , if they want to hang with you let them know what is OK behavior and what you won't tolerate. They just want to be part of the flock and you have to set limits or otherwise they will run amock , if left to their own devices.

@Henpecked, I agree that they'll never be tame in the way many of your birds are, but I would like to train them enough to enjoy out-of-cage time without biting me being the main entertainment Thanks for your advice (and thanks to everyone else, as well!) You guys have given me a lot to think about!

I'm in favour of working with each bird independently for short sessions. I'd take out each bird to a small enclosed space such as a bathroom (make sure to remove hazards) and work on target training, touch training, and on just getting to know each other with the power of spray millet! I'm also in favour of the idea of separating them, but keeping the two cages close to each other so the birds don't get lonely.

I agree with Glass Onion on the training and interacting with each bird separately. Start away from the cage so that they don't keep looking at their partner. If the aggressive one doesn't seem to be catching on to what you want, once you get the other one working well, practice in front of him. I have heard and read that sometimes they learn better from watching another bird. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

RogerP wrote:

I have heard and read that sometimes they learn better from watching another bird. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

I've seen the same thing Roger! If this guy is right, it's pretty cool!



And DUH! I forgot to say to MaryBeth!!! We're glad you came out of the shadows! Since it's Paradise, you don't have to hide ... we don't allow sunburns!

As the owner of two untame bonded lovebirds, all I can tell you is they are scrapy little poots. I don't care what anyone says, you aren't going to be able to target train them, and at best, all you are going to be able to do is get them to stop biting by not allowing them on your shoulder. Shoo them off, and don't allow them on you as a pair. Good luck!

I also would not seperate them. Lovebirds don't respond to that like other birds, it makes them more desperate and lonely, even if they are side by side. If they are bonded they need to be able to touch and love on each other. Working on them one on one should produce your desired and realistic results.