Yay my first thread :) What's my lorikeet's problem!?

[Kez]

Hi everyone :) Long time reader first time poster from New Zealand :P

I have a beautiful Rainbow Lorikeet (of course they all are) unknown sex at this stage but we'll call it a she. She's 11 months old, had her since she was about 10 weeks, bought into us at the pet shop where I used to work. She's a darling pie of course, bringing so much joy and laughter, and like most lorikeets can have a cheeky-finger-nibbling side which is fairly normal.

The problem is she's suddenly (within the past week or 2) developed this absolutely weird desire to chomp down on my neck or cheek almost everytime shes on my shoulder. There is no aggression in this and no prior warning signs or body language - almost like she thinks my neck is a tasty fruit! Its certainly not as gentle as her play-bites and when I try to move her she gets very angry and then lashes out - just like shes been taken away from a fave treat! Other than that so long as shes not up on the shoulder she's absolutely normal :O

I've researched here there and everywhere about possible causes for it and ways to stop it - though I'm sure if she was a little better trained in her "step up" "step down"'s it would probably help. It's hard comparing it to lots of other lorikeet biting issues because she doesn't seem to do it out of aggression or anger.

My current theory (which I'm sure is absolutely unscientific and easily disproved) is based on that she seems to be going through her first major molt and has lots of feather pins all over her which could be making her cranky - and maybe even thinks I need my feather pins on my neck preened, as I preen hers when she's in my lap. Yes ok maybe that's crazy but I've run out of ideas :(

Anyone got any theories? Is it hormonal? Will it pass? Must I wear a scarf? :(

<3

[Rahni]

It could definately be related to her molting and being cranky, and the first thing I would do would be to stop allowing her on your shoulder until she stops this behaviour.
My lorikeet Alfie had non-agressive biting issues, he would nearly always bite REALLY hard when he was all snug and secure and curled up, there would be no warning whatsoever, his eyes wouldn't even pin. I still have no idea why he did this, I just avoid him if he's in his 'snuggly' mood.
Hopefully someone else will come along and provide further enlightenment!

[Monica]

The bird is sitting on your shoulder. You aren't doing anything. How boring. If bird bites, and you react, oh joy! That was interesting! Let's do it again!

You, now pissed, try to remove the bird from your shoulder. Bird bites you, saying *NO!! I'm having too much fun! I don't want to move!* but you force it anyway. Well, why should the bird come down off of your shoulder if it's having too much fun up there in the first place??? [we humans are so brain-dead that birds often resort to biting to tell us "No!" but we ignore it anyway, thus going for force instead of positive reinforcement... which doesn't leave birds with *CHOICE*)

So, what is your goal? Teach the bird that coming down off the shoulder can be more rewarding than being up on the shoulder. Reinforcing step up, but in a positive way. It's usually that simple.... but can be easier said than done!


In "Don't Shoot The Dog" by Karen Pryor, Chapter 3, Stimulus Control: Cooperation Without Coercion, here's a little something from the book... (which I recommend, since it's a great introduction into positive reinforcement!)

Complete, perfect stimulus control is defined by four conditions, each one of which may have to be approached as a separate training task, a separate item in the shaping recipe:

1. The behavior always occurs immediately upon presentation of the conditioned stimulus (the dog sits when told to).
2. The behavior never occurs in the absence of the stimulus (during a training or work session the dog never sits spontaneously).
3. The behavior never occurs in response to some other stimulus (if you say "Lie down," the dog does not offer the sit instead).
4. No other behavior occurs in response to this stimulus (when you say "Sit," the dog does not respond by lying down or by leaping up and licking your face).

Only when all four conditions are met does the dog really, fully, and finally understand the command "Sit!" Now you have real stimulus control.