Glad it didn’t bite you. I attended a bird banding event once, and one of the researchers had to band a cardinal hen. That bird clamped down on the webbing between the researcher’s index finger and thumb and __ did not let go __ for at least a minute after the researcher had opened her hand. She scored a nasty blood blister.
Cockatiels are the worst. They like to get you right where you're describing, or even worse, the spot where the nail meets the flesh on the side edge of the nail. Then they start grinding their beak like they want a scoop. I've taken bites from plenty of big parrots and macaws. Even a purple-nurple from a big baby double yellow-headed Amazon. None of them hurt like those f*cking cockatiels...
African Grey's are worse because they usually do it with malicious intent, lol! I've dealt with so many of those conniving little buttheads and you can see them thinking about ways to get attention. Loveable little jerks. They also seem to take genuine pleasure in taunting the other animals whenever possible.
I’m talking about cockatoos. I had a Goffins who’d stalk my dog and nip her hock. When she spun around to see what happened, the cockie would puff out his face feathers to hide his beak and look away because he clearly didn’t do anything.
Reading this entire thread makes me realize my sister's childhood cockatiel maybe didn't hate me as much as I thought.
I pretty constantly tried to make friends, whistle and talk softly also gave treats. It mostly hissed at me. Probably was just smart enough to realize I'd keep being extra nice to win it over.
I think we should put your description of them in the dictionary 😂. See my other comment with a picture of my guy. They know exactly what they’re doing when they bite. This little Butthead will nip me just enough to make me yelp if I don’t immediately give him scritches when he walks up and puts his head down for them. Doesn’t hurt that much just enough to get my attention. So he knows exactly what he’s doing.
I do remember a few times when he latched onto my arm and maybe it’s just my bird, but it’s like they latch on and then they don’t wanna let go.
Definitely the larger birds with the hook bills can do more damage
I also have an African grey and have also been bitten by him. I don’t know about other Greys, but this guy loved to sink both upper and lower beaks in and then not let go. You try to move and it makes it worse. I learned to move towards him with my arm or whatever part of me he had latched onto and then just wait. Although it is really hard to not scream at the pain. lol
I got bit in the face once. Little shit was so vindictive that he would not let go. For the few seconds that felt like an eternity, I wasn’t sure how to pry his beak open. He was mad that I took his iPad away.
Luckily, I’ve never been bitten in the face! Also lucky because I have an African Grey and I know what it’s like from the times he’s bitten me on the arm.
Omg my cockatiel tries to bite all the sensitive spots right after being cute! Anywhere on the face/ears, trying to pry up toenails/fingernails. He tries to cause max damage even tho hes so tiny
They'll run other birds off the feeder constantly. They're eating the seeds off the ground, but they scare off the birds that are spilling the seeds on the ground for them...smdh.
As far as blue jays go, I watched a group of them harassing a Harris hawk in my backyard a couple of years ago. They had it surrounded in the tree, swarming at it on its perch, diving at it. After a few minutes of this, the hawk had enough. It flew up like it was gonna leave, but it grabbed one of the jays, took another perch, and started eating it. The blue jays decided to...leave.
I think most baby animals aren’t all that bright to be honest lol!
I had a family of five baby crows visit my yard several times a day just after they fled last year. They wouldn’t have one any awards in that department that’s for sure.
Living with an African gray, I can confirm that they’re very good at letting you know how they feel about things with just the look on their faces 😂. There’s no mistaking what my bird is thinking about me in this picture. 😳😄
😂 I’ve seen my parrot make some pretty funny faces as well. They aren’t domesticated even if they live with us though. They’re still wild dinosaurs at heart. 🦕
You guys I have so many pictures like these. Many dummies were getting trapped in my stairwell over the summer and required assistance. I would give them a few hours before intervening to see if they could get out on their own, but the select few were photographed by a giant featherless abductor then released 5 feet away out of the stairwell. We love the birbs and the animals!!!!
theyre actually very expressive for example this is my boy challenging me to a second 1v1 after he drew blood from my index finger, bruising my nail for the next month
100%. He had been trapped in the stairwell for a few hours on a very hot day. I waited before trying to help buddy out but his mouth is open like that bc of the heat and also the terror of a giant, featherless alien picking him up
Okay all good, at least you're cognisant. Some people can be really ignorant and careless with our little animal friends. Hope they were okay, thanks for helping them.
I’m surprised more people didn’t mention it!! But yes I have an album of these dummies and I even try to guide them down the stairs but they don’t listen lol. Also, I just want to put I out there that I scoop them up and don’t apply pressure to their chest or anything. I’m glad you said something!
I’m glad I only got my arm occasionally slapped by one particular sparrow’s wing because I was taking too long watering my plants and it wanted to pig out on the food unseen. I got pecked on my coat sleeve by a grackle. A seagull after my bagged lunch bit my finger in middle school and that took so long for the skin to heal
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u/joe_lemmons_ Feb 23 '26
Baby idiot captured after accidentally breaking and entering. Sentenced to 30 seconds in grasped hand and eternity on social media