How To Stop Leg Biting
Here's a question I recently got from one of my students, and the corresponding answer given by Kim Bear, the parrot behavior consultant who answered this students question.
"We have an 8 yr old Greenwing Macaw, Coco. He's fairly well adjusted, in most respects, although I'm looking forward to receiving Chet's info in order to fine tune a few behaviors I find annoying (to say the least!)
Anyway, the one thing I've not seen nor heard addressed is leg biting. That is, he bites his own leg when he gets nervous or agitated. It doesn't look like a self-mutilation behavior, because he doesn't break the skin or pluck any feathers. I don't think it's a grooming behavior, because he doesn't do it all the time.
It looks to me like a child who knows he can't hit ME when he's frustrated, so he hits the wall, or such. But I could be completely mis-reading it.
Any ideas?"
Here's what Kim, my parrot behavior specialist had to say for some great advice!
"Take a good look to see if the area is irritated in any way. Look for bumps, scratches, redness, swelling, flaking, etc. that may need a vet's attention. It may be something your bird does under stress, like how some people will bite their nails, blink a lot or wring their hands. But if it gets to a point where there's any irritation, he may be picking at it because it itches or hurts."
"We have an 8 yr old Greenwing Macaw, Coco. He's fairly well adjusted, in most respects, although I'm looking forward to receiving Chet's info in order to fine tune a few behaviors I find annoying (to say the least!)
Anyway, the one thing I've not seen nor heard addressed is leg biting. That is, he bites his own leg when he gets nervous or agitated. It doesn't look like a self-mutilation behavior, because he doesn't break the skin or pluck any feathers. I don't think it's a grooming behavior, because he doesn't do it all the time.
It looks to me like a child who knows he can't hit ME when he's frustrated, so he hits the wall, or such. But I could be completely mis-reading it.
Any ideas?"
Here's what Kim, my parrot behavior specialist had to say for some great advice!
"Take a good look to see if the area is irritated in any way. Look for bumps, scratches, redness, swelling, flaking, etc. that may need a vet's attention. It may be something your bird does under stress, like how some people will bite their nails, blink a lot or wring their hands. But if it gets to a point where there's any irritation, he may be picking at it because it itches or hurts."
2 Comments:
I have a blue and gold that bites one leg when he is excited or really getting into playing with a toy. If it is a really long play session he does rub a few feathers off.
I don't think it is from any irratation just something he does.
By RB Seals, at 7:53 PM
My sun conure bites his own leg when he gets aggitated. It seems to be a warning that if I keep up the annoying behavior, he will bite me next.
By Anonymous, at 2:03 AM
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