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View Full Version : Beak Differences...WOW



kendrafitz
08-16-2016, 08:39 PM
Sorry that I haven't been around much this summer, it has been crazy busy here.

So I went to Bird Paradise to pick up some food for the diva a week or so ago. There weren't many macaws to play with but there were a bunch of baby toos and greys. After snuggling with and untangling myself from a few white cuddle bugs (not an easy feat when every time I would get one down, two more were climbing up...so silly), I visited the greys. One baby was super friendly and one not so much. He showed his displeasure with me with a good chomp, not a hard bite, but just get lost.

Now here is where I am amazed. I felt it a little and went on with whatever I was doing. I looked down later to see my finger bleeding in the perfect shape of his upper beak. Ok, no biggie. But the darn thing took over a week to completely heal.

I had read that grey and amazon beaks were like scissors, but it never really hit home before. Wow, they really are completely different from a macaw beak.

I hear over and over how people are really, honestly frightened of macaw beaks. Especially of the larger macaws like my GW, Rosie. I get it bc they are large, intimidating, and can do serious damage. Plus macaws are known to lunge at nervous people just bc it is funny to see the dopey human jump. But here's the thing. Rosie has only drawn blood once in the 4 plus years we have been together. That was bc she was a terrified panicking mess due to a harness mishap. She does pinch, sometimes hard if she is upset. But her beak doesn't draw blood. It obviously can, but from what I understand, macaws beaks are meant to grind, slowly applying pressure. Which gives me plenty of time to remove the offending beak before damage is done. Unless there is an unforeseen mishap, I trust Rosie's beak not to hurt me.

I am afraid of small beaks, they do damage, at least to me. I find it amazing that with so little effort, that funny grey baby was able to cut right through my finger. I can't imagine what he could do if he really wanted to do damage.

Wondering what the differences in other types of parrot beaks are?


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Mare
08-16-2016, 09:07 PM
I think that when a bird is startled or frightened..all bets are off! You could get a BIG one! I remember seeing/reading on a different forum a woman with a breeding pair of macaws ended up with something like 20 stitches in her thumb for getting too close! Chip has drawn blood on me for getting too close to his Jellybean or nest area. Freakin' birds!! :)

Amigo had more of your Rosie's grind action beak, although..when the mood was right, he bloodied many an earlobe but didn't take it off..which he could have!

kendrafitz
08-16-2016, 10:18 PM
Agreed, if a bird is startled/afraid all bets are off! I never thought about them being territorial with a mate though...

Amigo was such a good boy. Maybe he just thought the earlobes in question needed more earrings?? ;)



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Mare
08-16-2016, 10:35 PM
[QUOTE=kendrafitz;73094][FONT="Times New Roman"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][SIZE="4"][I][B]Agreed, if a bird is startled/afraid all bets are off! I never thought about them being territorial with a mate though...

Amigo was such a good boy. Maybe he just thought the earlobes in question needed more earrings?? ;)


The earlobes he tried to pierce were not female :). He did draw a bit of blood on one of mine, now that I think about it..we were on a walk and he wasn't feeling secure about the territory, he thought we needed to head back home. Ok,,point taken!

kendrafitz
08-16-2016, 10:36 PM
That's one way to get your attention!!!

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The Pinkertons
08-16-2016, 10:49 PM
The earlobes he tried to pierce were not female . He did draw a bit of blood on one of mine, now that I think about it..we were on a walk and he wasn't feeling secure about the territory, he thought we needed to head back home. Ok,,point taken! Men have pierced ears ! :th_smile:

Mare
08-16-2016, 11:35 PM
Men have pierced ears ! :th_smile:


A few of my men do but not by choice! :)

lolsavannahh
08-17-2016, 02:04 AM
I would rather be bit by a macaw then a zon or like-sized bird ANY day!

Casper's 2nd best friend
08-17-2016, 09:31 AM
Casper knows just how hard to bite so it either draws blood or doesn't. He also doesn't think humans should wear earrings and woe betide anyone who does. We have spent many happy* minutes searching for bits of earring that he has removed and fortunately not swallowed.
Spectacles however are tolerated as they can be handy to hang on to if he is slipping off the shoulder, as are ears.

Pinkbirdy
08-17-2016, 05:08 PM
The bites that you don't want is from a Grey or a Zon.That's been my experience.Not always the bigger beak like said.I'm amazed that I have as many as I do.Are first bird was a Grey (which liked Dave).Lots of bites for me ( didn't know what I was doing)

The Pinkertons
08-18-2016, 01:51 AM
The bites that you don't want is from a Grey or a Zon.That's been my experience.Not always the bigger beak like said.I'm amazed that I have as many as I do.Are first bird was a Grey (which liked Dave).Lots of bites for me ( didn't know what I was doing) Terri your so right! they are , "the Pit Bulls of the parrot world" :th_eek: