Biting Bird!

[RubyTusmiel]

Hello again!
Does anyone have a clue why my best little friend bites me sometimes without any warning while I play with him?
I have a 2 year old male ringneck who is normally really good and does not bite me at all.
He likes kisses on his little breast and can be even a bit cuddly at times.
Anyway what happens occasionally and without any warning, while he gets his kisses and seems to enjoy them he bites me without any warning.
And what is the worst he bites around my eyes. He did it the other morning and I had quite a scratch on my lower left eyelid.
I always put him away after that and leave him alone.
But does anyone know why my buddy would do that and why he is aiming at my eyes?
Looking forward to reading feedback.
Cheers,
Dorit

[Wessel Gordon]

Dorit,

Does he contract his pupils until they're the size of a pin, opens them and then pins them again really fast? Or does he puff his feathers up right before he bites? Or does he pull his head back and curls himself into a little bundle right before "striking"?

All of those are warning signals that he isn't in a good mood and probably doesn't want to be handled at that very second. If you see any of those signs before you pick him up do not pick him up because in IRN language it boils down to "I warned him to not pick me up so I'll have to use Plan B" - Plan B would be to make his mood known in a much plainer way, i.e. biting. Be very observant when you approach him....any of those "signals" I described can last anything from a split second to several seconds.

If I am missing something I'll be gladly corrected by someone more experienced.

Wessel

[MissK]

I noticed that Rocky will sometimes nibble at Sinbad's eyes. Claire has noted similar activity in her birds, I think. Maybe it's an eye thing?

[Melika]

I don't dare let Hane near my face. While he has never actually drawn blood, it's too big a risk for me to take. He will pluck hair and put holes in my clothes, so I'd rather it not be my skin. He doesn't seem to do it for any other reason than he simply feels like it. He doesn't get agitated or anything. He has always been that way. So I simply avoid letting him sit on my shoulder.

I've seen some pretty nasty wounds from bird bites to the face. Not pretty. Might get a free nose piercing out of it though.

[RubyTusmiel]

Hey there,
And thanks heaps for all your replies. Somehow I did not get the notice that I had replies and only checked today.
Well, the thing with Ruby is that he gives no warning signs. He is happy playing away with me which includes my nose touching his beak and so on and in most cases he will always be friendly, but then all of a sudden he goes for one of my eyes. However this happens rarely, but is scary.
I just can not trust him 100% anymore.
When I play with him now I keep him far enough from my eyes, so he won't reach them in case he is getting in his grumpy mood again and gives no warning signs.
Well, I was just wondering whether anyone had experienced the same and knew why ringnecks were doing it.
Ruby is normally the best bird ever and never bites my hands or anywhere else.
Cheers, Dorit