my biting birdy

Question
hello, i'm kim and i have 2 adorable goffin cockatoos.my too, princess likes to bite whenever you put your fingers near her but there are times that you can pett her without her biting.so i'm wondering why she could be doing this or how i can get her to stop biting, my other too,doesn't bite which i'm glad of.well if you can help me and princess i'm greatly appreciated.thanks.

Answer
Hi, Kim.  Thanks for posting your questions.

Obviously, Princess is tame or you couldn't pet her at all.  There could be several reasons why she bites.  You didn't mention age, which can be important information.  You also don't state whether this is new behavior or behavior Princess has always exhibited.

- Something has happened in the past that has made her leary of human fingers.  For example, parrots on display in pet shops learn to hate fingers because there's so many people poking their fingers at them during the day.  This results in biting behavior because the bird can't escape the problem by flying away, so its only alternative is to bite in order to defend itself against something it perceives as a threat.    

- Parrots don't always want to interact with their humans at the same time their humans want to interact with them.  For example, parrots get used to routines where they nap at certain times of the day, play at certain times, etc.  When we interrupt this routine, some parrots don't appreciate it, and biting is their way of saying "leave me alone for the moment."  As long as you are not interferring with Princess's established routine, you should make her do what you want her to do.  During the process of breaking this negative behavior, you will most likely incur some bites, but it's part of the process of teaching Princess that you are the boss.  Evidently, she's been getting away with this behavior and she knows it works!  You need to train her to "step up" on your hand (toos are a bit large to step up on just one or two fingers) whenever you want her to (as well as the reverse "step down" when your interaction is done).  Don't forget to reward Princess EVERY TIME she does what you ask her to do (give her her favorite treat as positive reinforcement for good behavior).

- Perhaps Princess doesn't know what you are asking of her when you put your fingers near her.  You state she tolerates petting, which I'm assuming means you're placing your hand on her head and moving it down her back, etc., but you're using your entire hand (not just fingers).  Perhaps you should try using your whole hand (fingers tightly closed together), pressing against her lower chest, and giving the "up" command when you want her to step up on your hand.

- Young parrots test their humans to see just what they can get away with.  If Princess is young, say under 2 for a cockatoo, she might be testing you to see what it takes to get her own way with you.

- Young parrots also teethe like human babies do when teeth are coming in.  Chewing and biting help the teething process.  Is Princess young enough for this to be occurring (say approximately 4-12 months in a too)?

- Is Princess biting just one individual or anyone who puts fingers near her?  If just one individual, perhaps she doesn't like that person (that person has done something to her that frightens her or that person resembles someone who has done something to her that frightened her).

- Do you show favoritism toward your other too?  Toos are very intelligent birds and can recognize this.  Princess may feel jealous if this is occuring and is retaliating.

Biting is a learned behavior...Princess has learned to bite for some reason (she gets a desired result from biting).  As you can see, there are many reasons this behavior could be occuring.  You need to try to figure out why (try the process of elimination) she is behaving in this manner and eliminate the source and teach her that fingers are nothing to be afraid of.  Princess has to trust you for this behavior to end and you must reward her EVERY TIME she behaves positively.  You teach her to like fingers by showing her that your fingers are nothing to be afraid of by exposing her to your good fingers every chance possible!  

If you have additional questions or my explanation above isn't clear, please let me know.

Chrys