On my previous post, I mentioned about helping my friends, William and Amelyn to parrot-sit their parrots, the 3Ts for 10 days. The 3Ts (namely Tweety, Tyson and Teri) are gorgeous, fun-loving little parrots, but there was one big issue.
Tweety (the Lutino Lovebird) and Tyson (the Blue Pacific Parrotlet) are such tame sweethearts. Unfortunately, Teri (the Peach Faced Lovebird) wasn’t as cooperative like the other two. He’s aggressive and very territorial! He would lunged at anyone who tried to pick him up.
Teri gave me a hard bite when I wanted to offer my fingers for him to step-up. The bite was really bad and drew blood instantly. *Ouch*
So never ever underestimate the bite power of lovebirds!
In fact, I wasn’t the only victim. Everyone in the family had gotten a nasty bite from Teri. That’s really one big problem if no one in the family can handle him.
While Tyson and Tweety got to enjoy their out-of-cage sessions, Teri was the only one left in his own cage. I felt sorry for him. Seriously, I do not hope to see him ended up cage-bound after his 10-days stay at our place.
I strongly felt that I ought to do something to improve the situation.
William and Amelyn did warned about Teri’s aggressive behavior. I chanced to know little background about Teri.
Teri was already a “grown-up” lovebird when he was brought home. The early stage of his life being spent at the pet store, lacking in human touch and daily socializing, probably explain about his aggression and wildness.
I began my first approach working with Teri on the following day. My priority was to get Teri to get used to my hands and not afraid to be handled. I held small servings of spray millets into Teri’s cage. I continued doing this a couple of times a day, and tried bringing my hand closer and closer to Teri in each session.
After days of consistent approach, Teri could accept the presence of my hands in his cage without lunging at me. By the forth day, Teri could voluntarily hop on to my hands and even accept me touching him. At this point of time, I knew I had gained the trust from Teri.
I moved on in giving Teri formal training session using positive reinforcement techniques. I started off working on basic “Step-up” and “Step-down” commands, because these are very useful and important trainings. Reinforcing the “Step-up” and “Step-down” commands wasn’t too difficult for Teri, as they are natural behaviors. By reinforcing these commands, it will make handling Teri a much more easy task.
By the 8th day at our place, Teri had learned how to perform the basic “Turn-a-Round” trick on cue.
Below is a video taken on the 10th day of parrot-sitting (the final stay of 3Ts at our place), a clear evidence showing Teri being able to perform the “Step-up”, “Step-down” commands and the “Turn-a-Round” trick confidently on cue.
Although Teri still nips occasionally during his last few stays at our place, but he’s definitely much more handle-able than the day he just arrived. He even enjoys some scratches from us too!
He’s probably the most “challenging” lovebird I ever handled or work with. With patience and consistence in taming and training, I guess nothing is impossible.
Related Post:
Parrot Sitting the 3Ts
Tags: Agapornis, Bird, Bird Tricks, Bird Video, Companion Parrot, Lovebirds, Parrot, Parrot Training, Parrot Tricks, Pet Bird, Positive Reinforcement
Posted in Behavior Problems & Trainings, Youtube
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Looks like a real bad bite… I never expect a lovebird to cause such damage… That’s scary!
Comment by Janet — 20 March, 2010 @ 2:43 am
Neither do I expect the bite to be so bad too. It’s like a wake-up call for me! Never underestimate a small parrot!
Comment by bryan — 23 March, 2010 @ 5:55 pm
my lovebird is the same way :[ He’s so aggressive and scared of my hands. Im so lost on what to do my last lovie was never like this. Help pleasee!
Comment by Sarah — 27 July, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
Hi Sarah,
Sorry to heard about this, and I truly understand your frustration. I believe that your lovebird’s aggression can be caused by fear and he is yet to be conditioned to your touch or yet to be hand-tamed.
Try getting some millet spray (it’s one of lovebird favorite treat, because lovebird are seed junkies), and work on this approach. Hold the millet spray and slowly bring close to your lovebird (remember not too close but a little distance away from your lovebird), hold it there wait for him to come close to enjoy this little treat. This approach actually helps to break the ice, letting him get used to your present. Try repeating this routine over a few sessions (this may take a 1-2 days or even longer) until the stage whereby he looks much more enthusiastic to come close to you when seeing you with the treat.
Till this stage, you can move on with another approach by placing small servings of millets on your palm and place it near your lovebird. Let your lovebird come over to your palm to get the treat, rather than you bring the treat to him. While he is enjoying the treat, praise him in soft tone and you try giving him some head scratch. Try repeating this approach over a couple of days, you shld see much different. Good luck!
Comment by Bryan — 27 July, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
Hi! I just read your story and it really surpises me! You’re amazing with birds!
Well, as for me, I’m having the same problem. See, I have two lovebirds: One is about 3 years old and the other is 6 years old. They’re actually a couple. I first had an other lovebird, but she died. I’m trying to train my bird and I’ve been doing it for a few days. I’m not sure if they’ll ever get the chance to get tame. The things I do is sitting next to them, talking to them a bit and putting my hand in the cage with some spray millet. I don’t know, but I’m doubting if I’ll ever teach them to be tame. They’re old, maybe older than this Teri and they’re a couple. I read they might prefer each other’s attention than the attention of the pet owner. Is it possible to train them? I know training them costs lots of time, but I’m a bit of a busy person.
Please reply as soon as possible!
– Charlotte
Comment by Charlotte — 18 February, 2011 @ 11:28 pm
Hi There, I have two lovies (1x Peachface & 1x Fischer). You seem to be able to make the impossible possible because ours are so out of control. I just wanted to know what treat your feeding Teri in your video?
Comment by Emma — 24 March, 2011 @ 7:17 pm
I have a peached faced lovebird that is exactly like that. She has never been socialized when we got her and when we try and hold her she bite us really hard. I really need your help. I don’t know what to do and I don’t want to give her to someone else.
Comment by Haley — 15 October, 2011 @ 9:47 am
That bite is small compared to the ones my bird inflicts on me, on purpose. She grinds into your flesh and won’t let go. Even if you pull away she is attached to your finger. Are ou sure Teri is not a hen? Cocks are much less likely to bite and be mean.
My lovebird is the weirdest and demonized lovebird on the planet. if you could train her, I would be surprised. She both loves to be handled and hates me. She is truly crazy. As I write this I do it one handed because she ground my finger into mush. She cannot even get along with other lovebirds, she has no social skills.
She just fights all the time, she has no real life because all she ever wants to do is inflict pain.
Comment by Leigh — 23 February, 2012 @ 12:27 pm
hey my lovebird is so agressive that even if I try to feed treats she still trys to attack my hand. What should I do please help me!
Comment by Ania Smillie — 19 May, 2012 @ 1:30 pm
I’m glad I found your blog- I’m keeping our science dept.s lovebirds over the summer break and I am wearing two or three bandaids on my hands all the time because of the female Lutino. I finally had to separate her from the male and their fledgling because she’s just so aggressive, even before she hatched the baby.
Now that she’s had a couple of days undisturbed and quiet, I’m going to try your technique again, and maybe even move her cage even farther from the others.
You’ve given me hope to try again with her!
Comment by jan — 8 June, 2013 @ 7:04 am
I need help!!
We have 2 lovebirds, the first one we got we have never been able to hold her out of the fear of the power from her bite, so we stopped trying.
Our second lovebird Blue was very sweet when we first got her , but the older she got she started getting mean as well (she does have her sweet moments) BUT ITS SO INCONSISTANT.
We so badly want more social interaction from them and want to be able to have them sit on our fingers like a perch! Please help us!
Comment by Katherine Lavoie — 17 December, 2013 @ 8:35 pm
I have a mated pare of lovebirds. She is so aggressive and totally a bully. He is timid and just stays out of her way. She has actually dumped out treat dishes so he can’t have any. I acquired them from a neighbor who purchased a Sun Conure and has no room for the lovebirds so this is a challenge. What will happen if I seperate the birds and try to work with the male. She is so aggressive that I am not sure any amount of work will help. She is constantly trying to tear apart the cage and any toy in it.
Comment by Cindee — 25 December, 2013 @ 3:07 am
Hi, I have a lovebird and a conure that were living in the same cage because the breeder said they would be fine since they have lived together from the time they hatched. They are now both almost aa year old and I no longer allow them in either cage together…..they get play time together and that’s it. My conure ended up with a nipped tie that actually bled and too many feathers are starting to fly. For the most part they are OK during their supervised play time. Rosie, my lovebird had ALWAYS been aggressive. She still attacks when you tell her to step up unless she ended up on the floor and needs your help. Only then will she step up. She love sitting on my head and generally likes to be around people, she just doesn’t want anyone touching her. Is thus somewhat normal? Or do I have a crazy bird? Lol
Comment by sonia — 26 May, 2015 @ 10:45 pm
I have held Millit and he is happy taking it he will fly near me for it but if I put it in my hand he goes for a bite also he is happy to hop on my arm but I have to wear a jumper as he constantly try’s to bite even though he fly a on my arm his self – what do I do !!!
Comment by Georgia — 17 July, 2015 @ 3:08 am