Ah, biting, one of the most painful and misunderstood problems associated with companion parrots. A bite from a parrot not only hurts, it can ruin relationships, and not just the parrot-human relationship. Many human relationships have been compromised as the owners struggled to understand their parrot's aggressive behavior.

All behavior is a product of instinct or experience. Some parrots learn to bite through experience. They discover that biting helps them gain something they want or avoid something they don't like.

Your bird seems to be going by instinct. Understanding wild parrot behavior can provide great insights into companion bird behavior. So, let's start there.

In the wild, young parrots form pair bonds that often last a lifetime. When the birds are old enough to breed they locate a suitable nest site and set up housekeeping.

For about half of the year, the breeding territory will be their home and they will aggressively defend it and drive away most intruders. They will not allow intruding parrots into this territory because they know that other parrots may try to steal their coveted nest hole. Their instinctive defense of this territory is very important to their successful production of young.

However, contrary to popular belief, parrots rarely bite in the wild. I have observed many species of parrots in the wild, and have talked about biting with many scientists who spend the majority of their time in the forests studying parrot behavior.

Only two of the many researchers I have spoken with have ever seen or heard of a wild parrot biting another, and both of these cases directly involved the nest. In most territorial confrontations, the defending parrot easily chases away intruders using body language and vocalizations.

So, how does all this apply to your parrot, Oscar? Nature has provided wild parrots and companion parrots with the same instincts. The desire to bond, mate, and defend a territory is often just as strong in captive parrots as it is in wild parrots. Because companion parrots are usually raised by humans, they grow up a bit confused as to who to bond with. Most hand-raised parrots are very happy to bond with a human. When this happens, nature's influence kicks in.

It sounds like Oscar has chosen to bond with you. This can be a good thing for you, but not so good for your husband. Remember, instincts are the same for companion parrots as they are for wild parrots. You are welcome in the territory (which could be the cage, a room, or even the entire house), but your husband may be thought of as an intruder.

So why does you parrot bite your husband if parrots don't bite other parrots in the wild? No doubt Oscar is sending your husband signals and communications that he feels are clear. However, Oscar's body language is very subtle and easily overlooked or misread by your husband. What your husband may interpret as, "Come here I want to play," may actually be Oscar's way of saying, "Come here so I can bite you."

Finally, when Oscar has exhausted his body language repertoire and cannot take the anxiety any longer, he lashes out and bites your husband in frustration. When your husband retreats, Oscar thinks, "Hmmm, that's the way to communicate with this human."

Another twist is what is commonly called "displaced aggression." Rather than direct its aggression where it is intended, the bird directs it to a more convenient place. For instance, Oscar is sitting on your hand as your husband approaches. Oscar may get so anxious and determined to drive your husband out of the territory that he actually bites you.

There's one more complication to throw into the mix: Why does Oscar let a stranger pick him up but continues to attack your husband?

Let's go back to the jungle for the answer to this one. Think of Oscar and you sitting in a tree in the wild. It is not breeding season, so you don't have to worry about defending the nest from every parrot that comes along. When a parrot enters your territory and approaches the branch you are sitting on, you and Oscar may welcome him and even do a bit of mutual preening.

However, if the bird spends a bit too much time, or comes back a bit too often, Oscar may move him away with some very subtle body language. The more often the stranger visits, the more he wears out his welcome.

Eventually, Oscar will chase him away with more meaningful body language and maybe even a disapproving vocalization. And finally, Oscar will not even tolerate him anywhere near the territory. However, a new parrot approaching the territory may be welcomed like an old friend.

This is very similar to what happens in companion-parrot situations. Because your husband has repeatedly entered "your territory," Oscar may no longer tolerate his presence. However, Oscar has no history with new people, so they are accepted into the territory.

Territorial aggressions are difficult to eliminate because they are driven by instinct. The best way to avoid the problem is to accustom parrots to many different people early in the bird's life. Thus trained, the parrot may be less likely to bond with one individual later in life. However, there are no guarantees. Most parrots are instinctively driven to bond to one person.

If it is important to you that Oscar likes your husband, I suggest you eliminate yourself from the picture for a while. At the same time, your husband should become a more positive image in Oscar's life by providing him treats at first, and attention a while later after Oscar accepts him in the territory.

In time, which varies greatly from bird to bird, Oscar may transfer the relationship he has with you over to your husband. Just like in the wild, when one parrot dies, the other just goes out and gets another mate. If you allow Oscar to believe you have gone he may pick your husband as his mate.

Oscar may establish a relationship with your husband that is so strong, it will continue even after you return. However, as you might expect, when you are magically resurrected, Oscar simply may return to his old ways.

Again, every bird is an individual and the level of the bond will vary. The strength of the bond Oscar has with you will determine his acceptance of your husband.

Grey Fisher is a trainer at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. Previously he was a trainer with Natural Encounters, Inc., a world-renowned organization that helps zoos all over the world train birds and many other types of animals using positive reinforcement.

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