The technique I
call “heading” in some cases serves as my first physical contact with a
larger bird that is showing signs of aggression. Once the bird is
on a perch, I slowly approach it from a distance, my hands clasped
behind me. I drop my head as I move closer to the bird and arrive
on the edge of its biting distance. Notice in the photo above, the
picture was taken just as the bird struck at my head, trying to bite me.
Luckily, he wasn't able to sink his beak into anything because the skin
on my head (your head may be different) is too tight for the bird to get
a grip. The bite turns out to be a tap, which is not painful (at
least, not to me). This technique is not to be used when the
bird is inside the cage.
It's best to
approach the bird with your head at a
distance and let the bird demonstrate how
far its striking range is. Then slowly
move into its range so the bird is only able
to barely touch your head when he is
reaching out to bite you.
