Most birds aren't mean. Even those who bite hard and who seem to be attacking a person are not necessarily exhibiting hatred for that person. There are many reasons that a bird shows aggression. Some reasons include; fear, hyperactivity, Cockatoo Mate Aggression (this does have a proper "term" of UKge and is discussed below **), upset, stress, bad manners, improper training, you showing fear, lack of confidence and the list goes on.
What I hope to help you understand in this article are some things about your bird that you may or may not already know. Maybe this can help you define some of the reasons that your bird is biting. Remember, a biting bird does not necessarily hate you. There are many reasons it can be doing this.
I am not a certified behaviorist, however I have a good understanding of the birds I have and hope this helps you out. This is what I call good old friendly advice. ;o)

1. Don't let the bird above your sternum at any time. Hold the bird lower on the body and be affectionate, even if it has the look of an oncoming bite. Speak softly and in an encouraging tone. Your bird doesn't understand everything that you say, but it understands the tone of voice, including a voice that is afraid. Singing a soft song may help you both to relax before you progress to holding or touching the bird. Singing is not just for an untrained bird, but for one who you are working with as well. Its main purpose is to relax the atmosphere. 2. Tell yourself that you are probably not going to die if this bird bites you - Do this before you go to work with your bird and resolve to believe it before you have a training session. Your confidence is a must.

Parrot Feeders

3. Don't run from it or make loud noises of fear, such as screaming and yelling or sudden movements. Always have 3 words you use while training your bird; "Good Boy/Girl" and "NO". When you say "NO", mean it and say it firmly, but then quickly say, "good boy/girl" when it has stopped being bad. It has to learn to get attention for the good, not the bad.
Running, yelling, showing a retreat, painful noises, shaky voices, quick gestures or movements are all negative attentions for the bird. They justify to the bird that it is doing whatever it's doing just the right way to get your attention.

4. Don't leave your bird in the cage because it's bad. It has to be out with people and especially with you if you are the one it is picking on. It will need to learn that you don't scare off easily.

5. Remember, be firm but not aggressive. Don't hit the bird (and if you have been hitting it, stop right now), but if it nips, here are some things you can do;
Drop the hand it's biting at a speed faster than it would freefall. Yank your hand down and most likely the bird will let loose of whatever it is hanging onto. Say "NO". Bark/growl like a dog if it works (don't be alarmed, I lost my marbles, however this seems to work in some cases because of a natural instinct of some animals to be afraid of dogs). Be firm.
6. Do not put the bird back in its cage if it has bitten you.. Keep holding it. Sometimes the bird has learned that when it bites you, it's promptly put back in its cage, hence reinforcing bad behavior patterns. Parrots are very intelligent. Most likely the bird has you right where it wants you. Do not give it timeouts in its cage, but instead prove to this bird that no matter what it tries, it's not going to get its way. Anything you do with this bird has to always be on your terms, not his/hers.

7. Be careful to never make a move become a "challenge". Make it so that if it wants good attention, it has to stop the bad behavior, but don't turn your aggressiveness into a challenge. The last thing we want to do is make the problem worse. Use moderation in the aggressiveness you show so that the bird does not become challenged from your behavior.

8. Most of all, set some boundaries with this bird and don't let it cross them. For instance; the bird is never allowed above your sternum (breastbone). The bird is not allowed to bite you to go back to its cage. The bird must endure a holding if it's out. This bird is not allowed to bite and you are the boss here.
Remember, you can always start fresh as if he/she was never trained and completely retrain him/her, but in most cases, it's not always the bird's fault, because part of it is your behavior as well,. You would have to retrain yourself before you did this not to make the same mistakes twice.

9. Be consistent. Whatever you choose to do with your bird, do it consistently. Don't attempt one thing, let it fail, then fly to the next thing. There isn't such a thing as plan A, plan B, plan C with birds. You make out plan a and you stick to it, or the bird becomes confused.
Remember, the bird is smart but unless it's psychic it won't understand what you want unless you teach it consistently what that is.

10. Use repetitive behavior. For instance, a routine for times when you handle your bird.
Example: First, go to the cage, talk nicely to it and pet the bird through the cage, all the while trying not to concern yourself with whether it will bite or not. Second, open the door and talk nicely to it. Begin singing softly and put your hand into the cage. If you are able, softly pet the bird before you pick it up. This gives it reassurance and then you go for the pickup. When it does, say very emphatically..."Good boy/girl", and then either admonish it once more or give it a pet or treat. (Making a big deal out of when your bird does a good thing will prove far more prosperous for you during training than you'd expect.)
You must do the sessions the same way every time. This will teach your bird discipline and show it that you do not veer from the course you set with it. This also shows that you are consistent and helps your bird to have more confidence in you as its owner. A bird has a hard time being trustful of someone who does one thing one time, then another the next. (Most of the bites we've received were from a bird who was showing fear aggression. That is when a bird bites because it's afraid.)

11. Last but not least, put yourself in your bird's place just a bit. Imagine you are the bird. Try to understand why it does some of the things that it does. Look at it while walking in its shoes (feathers in this circumstance) if you can and then try to keep understanding.
**MATE AGGRESSION IN COCKATOOS: Mate Aggression is mainly confined to the populous of domesticated Cockatoos. In the wild, Cockatoos do not usually kill their mates, but in captivity this can be an all too real fate.

Little understanding of the reasons associated with this behavior are known, but it is a definite problem with breeding Cockatoos. Mated pairs who seem perfectly fine together one day, sometimes are discovered to have mutilated, killed or maimed their mate for no apparent reason the next.
How this relates to my article: This is an important note for Cockatoo owners specifically. Cockatoos choose an owner sometimes like a mate. They think of us as their flock. When we do something to make them feel betrayed or for no apparent reason at all, they can begin Mate Aggression toward their human mates as well.
Birds who were previously loving and silly will suddenly become aggressive, often lunging toward an owner and attempting to peck them very hard. This can be viewed in two different ways;

1. Aggression.
2. Possible Mate Aggression.
It's very difficult to tell.
Sometimes when you have started paying more attention to another bird, the bird who thinks of you as his/her mate will become aggressive out of jealousy. The sad part is that the jealousy is either taken out on you or your other bird. To be honest, I don't know whether to categorize this as a Mate Aggression or not. But it is one problem bird owners face.
Sometimes birds who were assumed to be very aggressive suddenly just change over night and sometimes this is due to the bird being ready to breed during what would usually be his wild bird breeding season, if he was not domesticated. A bird who is sweet can become aggressive for several months, then suddenly go back to his old self for no apparent reason.
In conclusion, I hope that this has offered some advice to you about your aggressive bird. As I think of new things, I'll add them here in hopes that my thoughts may be of use. I enjoy writing articles and even though I don't know everything yet about Cockatoos, I love having them, sharing what knowledge I do have with others and learning everything I can about them.
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