How do i assert dominance over my bird?

Question

I have a 6 year old cockatiel, who likes to gently bite. its more of a beak bumb/fake bite. In any case I see it as an aggressive act that i would like to curb.
I have tried everything I can think of: words, laddering, ignoring, "time outs", etc.
When I scratch his head, he will "bite" then he begs for his head scratched again; this has been going on ever since he was a baby. In the last few years he has been "biting" more often.

BTW, he is a flightless bird (I know the first answer will be "clip his wings")

Okay... i am not getting another bird...
and his actions are not attempts to groom me. They are attempts to dominate me... yes, he is showing me who is boss, and its him. I am HIS person. He bites anytime he is unhappy-basically throwing tempertantrums. and he has drawn blood, when defending his territory. sooo... i know WHY he bites... im wondering how to stop the biting! Like i said, I have tried everything i can think of... I need to show him I am the boss-and he isnt getting the message. oh, and on top of the techniques i mentioned before, he also has a very strict sleeping schedule (12 hours a night).

oh, and the only time he is alone is when we are working... otherwise he has free reign over the house, but he never strays more than 5 feet away from me.

Its funny that people feel like they know everything about you and your life from 2 paragraphs over the internet.
I dont need advice on getting a new bird, or if i should ever own a parrot (which by the way, i have!)
I simply want a few tips on how to stop a habit of biting.
Yes, I am aware that sometimes this behavior will display itself when he is grouchy or if i hit a pin feather... obviously, if that was the problem then i would KNOW how to fix it. Those arent the bites i am talking about!
stop leaving self righteous lectures-if you dont know of any tips then move on!

Just because you are a backyard bird breeder, doesnt mean you have the last say in bird behaviorism.

okay okay... forget i said about the head scratches... I am least worried about those "bites".

I would like to know is what to do when my bird aggressivly bites - when he is being territorial (which i know is hormonal) or for any other reason. of course, I am not going to bonk him on the head- or bite him back *roll eyes*. I have tried laddering, and all the other techniques mentioned in the original question. does ANYONE have another suggestion?

Answer 1

Ive seen several instinctive behaviors that probably generate the initial bite of any bird whether by crankiness, flocking instinct, territorialism and sexual related aggression. Combine these w/provacative behaviors by humans, unintenional reinforcement
& misunderstanding of how the bird uses its beak, & you have a biting tiel. A stern look, a loud "Stop It" a wobble correction (which you tried) a loud clap of hands , steps ups, aerobics.
dont reward him with any laughter or treats after you correct him they may have been problem in past - just get undr control soon
as his biting will beome more aggressive ...

Answer 2

You can't obtain dominance over a bird. It just makes them more aggressive. The behavior you are describing, is not aggressiveness, not matter how much you think it is. I've had tiels for 10 years..many many tiels. If they want to be aggressive..you WILL bleed. My females do the same think you are describing, they aren't being mean they just dont want you to stop scratching them. OR you are hitting a pin feather under there and it hurts so they are grumping a bit. And yes, the birds cage is his territory and alot of times they get defensive over it. Do you let people come in your house and move things around?
It just doesn't sound to me...like you are a bird person. This is a little cockatiel and you are..pretty much over reacting to normal bird behaivor. Please don't ever get a parrot. You'd not last a day through terrible 2's.

Answer 3

I take abused and unwanted birds into my home, and I have seen this with many birds, including one of my own, so I asked some professionals about this behavior. (This included my vet.)
The bites that you are describing are nothing more than showing you that you are "his person" and that he loves you. When you are scratching his head, it is like another bird "preening and grooming" him. He is trying to return this sort of affection.
There is a good chance, however, that if you try to train this out of him, he will become frustrated and mean, thus biting hard enough to draw blood.
Remember that cockatiels are very social animals, and that they do "pick their people".
As far as getting a female, it is not necessary, unless you want to get one. Your bird loves you, and he does not need to have another bird around.
Please, do not, under any circimstances hit him on the head. If this is done, he might get to be afraid of you and turn mean. Not to mention that it could kill him.
Good luck.

Answer 4

You are misinterpreting his attempts at communication and interaction as "dominance." It is a natural behavior in an adult cockatiel and you are most likely doomed to failure in your attempts to "curb" it. All birds beak/taste/feel with their beaks. The only "bites" that are worth trying to stop are ones that really hurt or draw blood. In that case, giving the bird a 'time out" by putting him in his cage AND covering him for about 5-10 minutes should get the message across to him that biting hard is NOT ok.

Answer 5

Bite him back? You sound like you are in need of serious and educated replies. I am answering because your question makes me chuckle. I think of me trying to assert dominance over my cats or my fish (only pets I have) and that makes me chuckle. My cats have it made. One of my cats who is a 12 year old female does what your bird does. She wants her head scratched but then she will get too frisky and bite. I stop interacting with her then. I work on petting her more gently or in a way that doesn't seem to trigger her biting behavior. Hopefully though, there is a web site that may be able to help you with your bird. It is my understanding that it is likely that your bird's personality is pretty set and changing behaviors at this time will be hard. Is there a hood, like they put on hawks, etc?

Answer 6

That isn't biting. He considers that mutual grooming. He can't reach your head, and doesn't understand that you don't have feathers. When you scratch him like that, you are like a friendly bird come to preen him and be friends. He wants to show the "friendly bird" that he is friendly too, and returns the preening as a sign of friendship.
It is extremely good that he does this and you don't want to train him out of it. He is probably confused by your disciplinary response. This will never be aggression. This is love!!!

EDIT
A female is not necessary unless you want one. He is perfectly happy with you and shows it.
Like I said, this is not aggression, will never be aggression, so stop disciplinary action, please.

Answer 7

your bird isn't being aggressive have you tried moving to another spot to preen him when he nibbles you? and that is all it is-nibbling-not biting i have parrots and cockatiels and believe me if he WAS being aggressive towards you, you would know about it.

Answer 8

I think this is attention seeking. Cockatiels hate being alone. And they can become stressed because of it. Make his day - buy him a female friend

Answer 9

everytime he bits you, grab his tounge, hell learn, if not, flick him on his head. just enough pain for him to say ow (if he cants say ow, hit him harder, hell say it