Head Banging Senegal Parrot.

Question:
I have inherited a three-year-old hand-reared Senegal parrot from an
owner who could not keep her. Could you please tell me why she keeps
doing what I call a head banging'? Even when sitting on my head, which
she loves, she does it. She also keeps nipping my ears, and now and
then my fingers. Is this something she will grow out off ?
Answer:
The Senegal parrot is a very feisty bird for its small size and can be quite
nippy I must tell you that your pet won't outgrow this habit; it is rather
more likely that she is developing the habit more as she matures. This
often happens with Senegals. You have to teach her that this is not welcomed
otherwise you can get a very nasty bite during the breeding season when
her hormones are aroused.

A friend of mine who hand- reared a Senegal had this problem when her bird
reached about three years of age. My friend received a very nasty bite on
her lip, which was quite unexpected I think that some birds get over-excited
and do not really mean to hurt their owners.

I would advise you to take care when your bird is near your face you should not let her sit on your head during the breeding season because you are in a vulnerable position. I always advise owners to keep their bird sat on their knee, where they can be kept under control during periods of hormonal surges (usually summer) and when; with some birds they get a bit bad tempered during moulting.

You will have to judge at what times you need to use caution when petting your bird do not stroke her on the body at these times, only on her head so the hormones are not stimulated.

The head banging' is her way of enticing you to stroke her I have seen this behavior many times before with all sorts of different birds. The best way to deal with it is to have her sit on your knee and just stroke her head. Birds soon develop little rituals for getting what they want from their favorite humans.

Because your pet has been hand-reared she will not have any anxiety, let alone fear, of humans, so it is vital that you instill discipline in her behavior as you get to know each other, otherwise she will continually try to dominate you in many different ways.

These are nice pets of trained properly and, as she is female and you are male, she will look upon you as a mate as she matures. When she was younger she would have regarded an owner as a parent, especially the person who did the hand rearing. Sexually mature birds often play rough, even with their own, so bear this in mind.

_{source Bird Keeper Mag}