T-Bird DOES know you are afraid of him. It would help for you to work on not feeling afraid. Visualization can help you wonders. When you pick up T-Bird, visualize him in your mind's eye as getting onto your hand without biting. Visualize him as a perfectly acting bird. Our Greys are telepathic and they read our minds. When you visualize to him that you want him to behave, he will. But when one is afraid, they visualize they are going to get bitten. The bird then follows the telepathic cue and bites.
Visualization helped me more than anything else in getting Merlin to improve her behavior. Now, she's perfectly behaved. Please be sure to read that article that I suggested. It will help you wonders!!!
Blessings,
Maggie-