Need Advice - Behaviour/Biting!!

[eyeoftheowl]

Hello,
I've been lurking for a bit, but finally registered because I am so frustrated!

I would consider myself pretty knowledgeable about birds and bird behaviour and am halfway through becoming a vet! BUT because this is my bird I just don't seem to see what the problem is. So I am hoping someone else can point it out to me.

Taz is a fully flighted Senegal who is 2.5 years old. I've had him since post-weaning. I have a cockatiel as well (Sunshine) who is 8.5 yrs old. I'm from Canada but am currently living in Scotland for the duration of my course. I got Taz my first year here (Sept 2010) and didn't bring Sunshine over till July 2011. So Taz was an only child for a bit.

Taz can step up, will poop on command (but not only), knows 'touch' but isn't great at it. I've tried to do more training with him but I can't seem to find anything he likes enough to go for longer than 1-2 clicks.

Now the problem: Sometimes when I go to pick him up - either from my shoulder, his cage, my desk, anywhere. He will lunge forward and bite hard or even worse step up then bite the finger he is standing on! This can be with or without the 'step' command. When he does the latter he will step up like nothing is wrong then just double over and BITE! My poor hand is covered in wounds at the moment. I try to act like nothing is wrong but it's almost impossible now and because I am so frustrated I can't help it.

He has lots of things to play with. Just last weekend I rearranged his cage and gave him brand new foraging things.

He likes to pull keys off my keyboard(!!) which in the past I would use my hand opened flat to 'push' him away although it was more to move him away it wasn't pushing as him walking away from my hand. I realized THIS was probably leading to fear of my hand and possibly the biting so I have stopped this action but the biting continues. Now I pick him up (step) and move him; but the biting hasn't changed.

So how do I get the biting to stop and to get him to leave my keyboard alone?

Sometimes when he approaches the keyboard when I go to pick him up he'll drop his head but then won't want to be scratched, then you go to pick him up and he drops his head again..

Please help! I don't want to end up with a nasty bird!

P.S. he also chases Sunshine away if she is picking at stuff on the floor, on my shoulder, so there is definitely some jealousy.

[janetafloat]

I'm no expert - there's a lot of people on here that are really experienced - but in the absence of any other more knowledgeable response here is some thoughts I have on on reading your post.

First of all welcome to our shores (though I know you've been here a while), you must be pretty chilly up there in Scotland at the mo but I'm guessing coming from Canada you're a hardy soul weather wise!

It sounds like you need to go back to basics. First of all, what diet your Sennie on? I can't believe that there's nothing that he likes enough to motivate him, and you need to find what it is as a priority. (It can be very helpful if the bird is on a primarily pellet diet because they're very keen then on seeds or nuts, for example). Also remember that, whatever it is he likes, if he's full up nothing's going to motivate him that much. You need to work with him when he's been without food for a while - you can figure out how long that needs to be by trial and error. My 'tiel is at maximum motivation after about 2 hours, any more and he gets too eager to get to the food and isn't focused on the training, any less and the training is not so eager. It'll vary from bird to bird.

Once you've figured that out, I think you need to go back to the beginning with some target training. This is Michael's 'basic training': blog http://trainedparrot.com/Taming/
It might be too basic for you but it could give you some good reminders or tips you haven't thought of. Starting a trick training programme would be good once you're happy with the basics like 'step up' and flight recall (sorry, I didn't look to see whether your bird is flighted or not). All of this will build your relationship with your parrot, give him confidence and give him something to keep him interested and challenged.

I don't know what other Sennie owners might think about this? I'd be inclined to teach him to step up on to a stick or a hand held perch for now and leave hands for when he's stopped the aggression. I would also stop him being on your shoulder. Michael is very specific that going on his shoulder is a reward for good behaviour for Kili, not a regular thing. If you've got a bird that's biting it's taking a big risk with your face, or ear.

With regards your keyboard, I have the same issue with my 'tiel, he's fixated on my laptop - of course....it's all bright and shiny and parrots like bright and shiny! - and if it's open he's going to be trying to pry up the keys. After battling with him over this for a while I realised that the obvious answer is just to not have him out when I'm working on my laptop, end of. You have to choose your battles.

I'd also suggest that the Sennie and your 'tiel shouldn't be out at the same time. Sennie's are known for being jealous and territorial and there's no way a 'tiel is going to come out of an 'encounter' with a Sennie unharmed. Just a thought.

I hope some of this is helpful.

[janetafloat]

ps
There's lots of information on this website about biting, and specifically Sennie's biting. Here's a thread from the last couple of days where a Sennie owner talks about their response to their Sennie's biting habit
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9921

[marie83]

janetafloat has given you some very good advice about motivating your parrot to learn, dont forget it doesn't have to be food, it could be a toy or head scratch if thats what works. I think you will find once you have started off with training that things will get easier and easier and with that you will get less biting over time, theres also a ton of posts on here from people with biting parrots so reading those will help you tackling the biting head on.

regarding your keyboard, Ollie does this too. I like the suggestion you have already been given about choosing your battles. That said it isn't practical for me so it may not be for you. I spend the vast majority of time at home on mine, researching, writing assignments etc. If I didn't get my parrots out whilst I was working they would barely spend any time out. So for the keyboard chewing I would like to suggest distraction as a method. Basicly give him something else to do before he starts picking your keyboard to bits, not afterwards to get him off, otherwise you are rewarding your bird. For example after I've finished 1-1 interaction/training time with Ollie he will either have had enough and snuggle into me whilst I work or if he dosn't I might give him a very light bath which usually keeps him quiet while he dries, he will sit on my knee and I will keep giving him random head scratches before he gets bored and moves on, offer him a bit of paper/card to chew on etc.

I'm no expert - there's a lot of people on here that are really experienced - but in the absence of any other more knowledgeable response here is some thoughts I have on on reading your post.

Yes there probably are more experienced people on here than you but you hardly sound inexperienced. I've only kept small parrots and had limited, brief interactions with larger ones but because I've done so much learning from them and reading etc about larger species I know that the general training aspects are the same between a budgie and a greenwing macaw for instance. I've never had an eclectus but I know they need a more specialised diet, some experience doesn't need to be direct. I've been keeping birds for years and do have a fair bit of experience but that said I don't feel experienced, I've learned alot but even if I was here 5,000 years there would always be more to learn.

[eyeoftheowl]

Thanks Marie and Janetafloat.

Yes Taz is fully flighted and I'm starting to wonder if I should take away this "freedom" of his for now.

He's on Harrisons pelleted diet, with add ons from my food. Yesterday after biting me I used a branch to pick him up (he's been trained on step up and step back for 2 years), to return him to his cage as I was so frustrated. He "stepped" onto the stick but by his choice was hanging upsidedown from it. As I was putting him and the stick into his cage he leaned over and tore the skin off my left index finger by my nail. While I was carrying him on the stick he was pinpointing/flashing his eyes.

This makes me wonder if perhaps this is hormonal type behaviour? Is just about 3 years too old/young for a senegal?

I did have a net that I made hanging from the ceiling which he would climb up but that has also been taken down.

[Michael]

http://TrainedParrot.com/Treats

[Eurycerus]

Based on what I've read from people who had baby Senegals (such as Michael) 3 is about the perfect time to reach sexual maturity. Nika, my Senegal, was very bitey and I'm sure could regress. I still have a little scar from her, as does my boyfriend, so I'm well versed in the biting as a behavioral problem. Nika also used to step up nicely and then bite me afterwards which was very confusing. So I understand the annoyance and confusion. Michael's guide is very helpful to follow and saved me, as did all the helpful people on here.

I would say above all be patient and build his trust. I learned to avoid behaviors that resulted in a bite. It's not that I was doing anything wrong, but I didn't want her to bite so I got way more careful and thoughtful with Nika. I started from the basics (because she had no training other than step up really). I worked with her in her cage for a week or so before I brought her out to work with. This meant we were interacting without any possibility of biting me. So I reinforced how super it was to interact with me in a nice way. If she was aggressive with the target stick she wouldn't get a treat or attention, so she learned it was pretty fun interacting with me in a nice way. Also, I would assess her mood by giving her a little head pat hello before asking her to step up, or I would target her around her cage before asking her to step up. If she was pissy she'd bite the stick angrily or snap at my fingers and I'd know to leave her alone. I can say training every day is what made her the friendly little parrot she is now.

Lately I've been having problems with her focus too, so I don't actually know how to change that. I'm reducing her breakfast meal so she'll be even more enticed by snacks and hopefully will pay attention to me. We'll see if that works!

In regards to your keyboard, you just need to remove it. If it's a problem, hide it when he's out. That way you aren't accidentally reinforcing his behavior, he won't wreck your keyboard, and you don't make your hand a bad thing by pushing him away. Avoid the issue.

Yes Taz is fully flighted and I'm starting to wonder if I should take away this "freedom" of his for now.

I personally think that unless he's endangering himself (smashing into walls) or endangering you (aerial attacks) I wouldn't. I prefer trust building over flight removal. :]

Edit: Taz is a guy, oops*