Q: I bought an adult yellow-naped Amazon through an ad, cage and all. She has been settling in well and seems to like me most of the time. She'll get on my hand, take treats and play on the gym on top of her cage. Usually, she's funny and good-natured.
Some of the time, though, she seems to be a bit bipolar, desperate to bite me. I know that parrots bite, but there doesn't seem to be any warning that she's in the mood to attack. I've read that I shouldn't hit my bird for biting me, but what else can I do? She has drawn blood. -- P.F., via e-mail
A:As I wrote with avian veterinarian Dr. Brian Speer in our book "Birds for Dummies," parrots can be loving, cuddly, playful or contemplative one minute, and demanding, aloof, manic or peevish the next. Sharing space with a parrot is like living with another human: Sometimes you just have to pick your moments and know when to back off.
Some of these moods are pretty obvious -- an Amazon in a rowdy state or a cockatoo who wants to be cuddled isn't hard to figure out. Other times, though, behavior signs may be more subtle, and the failure to heed these clues may earn you a nasty bite.
Parrots have keen eyesight and often stare at something that fascinates or frightens them, using one eye and tipping the head, or using both eyes for a head-on look.
When you see that your bird is fixated on something, follow that line of vision. A relaxed body posture accompanies a calm, curious bird's staring, and a more defensive or aggressive body language demonstrates fright. Most often, a locked-on look is a sign of fascination: Like the youngest children, birds can become attracted to something colorful in their environments.
Birds are able to control their irises, shrinking and enlarging their pupils rapidly in a display that's called "flashing" or "pinning."
You have to read the whole bird to put the message in its proper context. Birds may flash their eyes when they're excited or when they're angry. Flashing accompanied by aggressive posturing, such as tail-fanning, signifies a bird who's bound to escalate his warnings -- and maybe even bite -- if not left alone.
Consider flashing to be the physical display of strong emotion -- anything from the "I want to kill you" vibes of an angry or aggressive bird to the "Hey there, cutie" of an infatuated bird.
You might consider getting a copy of Sally Blanchard's "The Beak Book" (CompanionParrot.com, $20) to learn about how to read your pet better as well as how to work with her to modify her biting behavior.
Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.
