Beak Grinding

[smspringer13]

So today I put Ellabelle in her new happy hut. She started making this noise with her beak - but it sounded pretty loud and more like a "crunching" sound. Is this the beak grinding everyone has talked about? And if it is - this is a good thing, right? She has done this one other time outside of the happy hut, but I just thought she was finishing eating a seed or something...

Also, I started taking the millet seeds off and putting the single seeds on my finger. Ellie eats them off of my finger, which is great! However, she starts exploring my finger when there's nothing on it...and she'll kind of take a taste with her tongue, and her beak clamps down a little harder...then a little harder...until it's like a pinch. Is this her biting, or do they usually do that a little faster if they're going to bite? It doesn't hurt, but like I said, it feels like a gradual pinch.

Otherwise she is great and has come out exploring from her cage a couple of times now! Sooo hopefully we are making progress.

[bellarains]

Yep,

Beak grinding is a good thing. This means you have a happy birdie who feels safe, and loved:)

Babies do have exploring little beaks, so the little nips on your fingers are her way of checking things out. Sometimes this can be a way to test your fingers, hands, etc.... to make sure they are a stable place to step onto. I would guess though since you have been giving her seeds on your fingers, thats what she is looking for, and just taking a little bite to see what she gets. I would discourage the nipping though, as those little nips can get harder with age, and also, you don't want her to think this is acceptable.

All in all, sounds like your little one is a happy little sweetie.

[LauraO]

YEP! Beak grinding, or smacking their birdie chops, is a good thing and usually means the birdy is relaxing. They usually do it before sleeping or a nap. Even my larger parrots like my grey and meyer's parrots beak grind.

Lovebirds, especially babies in their first year or so of life, do a lot of exploring with their beaks. So your lovie is just exploring your hand. Some baby lovies gnaw on hands more than others. As Lori said, if he/she nips a little hard just tell her easy or gentle so your lovie can learn the correct pressure to use when exploring with her beak. This is also a great time for you to get used to your lovie using their beak and to become a little desensitized yourself. Many of us are afraid of birdie bites or are afraid of the beak but it's important to know our lovies use their beaks for so many other things than biting......Another good thing is if your lovie starts exploring your hands a little too much, get something to give your lovie to play with like a straw, a large button or something else that interests them.

Good luck:)