# Biteing bird?



## Biirdie (Feb 27, 2016)

I have two budgies, the taiming on my male is going great but my female not so much. The male will hop to my hand and loves to train but the female seems more food aggressive. She sometimes pecks at the other when they are eating, but it doesn't escalate from there the male simply moves out of her way and continues eating. My main concern is she will only step up if she can see millet in my hand and even then she bites me really fast and lightly, using her tounge too. I know it's no testing my hand as a perch because my male does this and it's a totally different thing. She just plain bites me! Any tips to get her to stop? Or any ideas what she is trying to tell me?


----------



## Island (Feb 23, 2016)

As far as I know, budgies bite when they are scared. How long you have your budgies for? My male budgie was very scared when I first got him and first couple times I let him out to fly he could not fly that well at first (3 months old at the time) and surroundings was new to him so he did not know where to land and occasionally end up falling. When I went to pick him up after he fell, he was biting my hand super hard and it really hurt. He was super scared after falling of course, so he was biting my hand when I try to save him. After 1.5-2 weeks he started eating from hand and sitting on my finger he stopped the biting completely. I think they need time to trust you and get used to the new home and they will not get scared from you and they will no longer bite. You can try talking to your budgie first when she is in the cage, so she will get used to your presence and voice (with calm/soft voice). Also try playing some music for them help them get relaxed. Then you can try feeding her in the cage from your hand (spray millet could work, they seem to love it). Budgies can have different personalities some can get used to humans quicker than others or they do not get scared as much, so that could be why your male one is not biting you. Budgies will also bite or show signs of biting (opening the beak at you) when you get closer, if they do not want to interact you, if you keep pushing you will end up getting bitten. Even after they are hand tamed, if you see that your budgie showing you the beak and making a sound that she is annoyed give her space and do not push her to interact with you. Also try to keep en eye on your female budgie keeps bullying your male one, if it continues this will cause a stress on your male budgie and not good for his health. If this happens, you might consider having separate cages for them.


----------



## Riovedo (Oct 22, 2015)

You're budgies sound like mine! Baxter, never bites and steps up with no problem. I've had Rio for almost a year and she is tame but man, oh man does she ever bite hard and she chases Baxter away from the food and he just blows it off like nothing. I never ever put my hand in the cage to get Rio because I know I'm going to get it. If she's outside her territory she's a lot better. I use an extra wood perch to take her out of her cage but she usually comes out willingly. It could just be a territorial thing with your girl.

Also, Rio's hard biting started when she went into condition so it could also be a hormonal thing!


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Take a look at this link:

http://talkbudgies.com/taming-bonding/225961-biting-learned-often-avoidable-behavior.html*


----------



## Biirdie (Feb 27, 2016)

It's not a hard bite and it usually isn't accompanied by mad or territorial body language. Sometimes she steps up and other times she won't. I've had them a month and a half and she isn't scared when I put my hand in the cage and will eat seed out of my hand with no problem! When she bites I don't move away till she stops so I don't reinforce the behavior. Oh and she doesn't really bother little Percy, he just shakes it of like its nothing. I could try and get a video of the behavior if that would help.


----------

