Do Parrots Bite?

Parrots' beaks are strong and sharp. They are tools for navigating the environment and eating; but they're also formidable weapons that can draw blood and hurt you. With the right know-how, you can handle either of the two main reasons why a parrot might bite.

  1. Using the Beak

    • The parrot uses his beak as a tool for variety of reasons, regardless of whether he lives in captivity or in the wild. His beak is strong enough to crack open nuts for feeding or to grab onto objects while moving around. Your parrot may move around his cage by biting the bars and swinging around, helping himself to gain leverage with his feet -- he would do this in the wild, too, to navigate tree branches.

    Fearful Biting

    • Not all parrots are well-domesticated or even well cared for. If your parrot's socialization is lacking, he may be biting out of fear. A reliable predictor of whether a parrot will bite out of fear is his level of socialization with humans -- one that hasn't spent much time around the same owners may fear people and is more likely to bite when a human encroaches on his safety zone, his personal space. Like other animals, the parrot learns from experience; abandonment or poor care causes a domesticated bird to feel insecure. If a bird doesn't know he can trust you, or people in general, he will fear you.

    Aggressive Biting

    • Your parrot may bite out of aggression. For example, a parrot who has become territorial may bite a human who gets too close to the cage or reaches inside. A parrot may feel territorial about his owner, biting people who take the owner's attention from the bird. Generally, bird aggression becomes worse after sexual maturation. Unlike more highly domesticated animals like cats and dogs, parrots are motivated by the same instincts they have in the wild and don't necessarily take as kindly to humans.

    Avoiding Bites

    • Working with an avian behaviorist or trainer is the best way to identify why your parrot bites, and whether it is motivated by fear or aggression. If he bites out of fear, you can train him to stop by spending more time with him and practicing more frequent socialization as instructed by your trainer. If he bites out of aggression, though, your trainer will have to determine the best way to proceed. Because aggressive behavior is motivated by instinct and hormones rather than personal experience, it can be harder to break.