Spring and What it Means for Your Parrot

This time of year, many animals are coming out of hibernation, or their winter slump, and our parrots are no different.  During this time, the weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and for wild parrots, the food is getting more plentiful.  As for their captive cousins, the food amount is always a constant, but the rest remains the same.  Spring for most species of parrots is when all of these factors come into play, and is a time that can trigger mating and reproductive behaviors in our feathered companions.  Remember, while dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, parrots are still wild animals, they have only been kept for a few hundred years, and most of their wild instincts have not been bred out of them like with dogs.

We, as humans, are naturally affectionate towards our pets, especially, pets that are able to reciprocate the same affection and show willingness to be with us.  I mean, who can resist a freshly regurgitated heap of pellets, veggies, or whatever else you parrot recently ate piled on your lap?  However, our affection can sometimes get us into trouble when it comes to the language barrier between us and our parrots.  Because we are unable to speak parrot, we must communicate through our actions and behaviors. What to us may be an action of affection, may translate into a mating action to our parrots.

Our parrots have a flock mentality.  Each flock member must work together to survive, in other words,  there is not a dominant member, thus no subordinates.  Normal flock behavior includes foraging together, chattering, light preening, and warning eachother of danger.  When special attention is given to a certain induvidual, such as regurgitating, one on one interaction, heavy preening, etc, it is seen as mating behavior, rather than flock behavior. 

We love to cuddle our birds, and are flattered when our birds want us and only us; we take pride in the fact our birds truct us enough to let us touch them all over without a fuss.  But, did you know there are several stimulating areas on your birds body that can be telling him that you don't want to be "just friends?"  The most obvious area would be around the vent area, but other spots such as under the wings, down the back, and the tail can be areas that can get your parrot going.

So, what is so bad about stimulating you bird?  Let's imagine for a minute a date.  You go out with someone, they're flirty, holding your hand, pays for everything, gives you all the right signals, even a goodnight kiss, and then when you call the next day, they say they would just like to be friends.  Confusing, right?  Now imagine you go out again, and the same scenario.  You might become frustrated, maybe even angry and lash out at the person.  This is the same emotional roller coaster you put your bird through everytime you go through a heavy petting session with yout bird.  Then when they attempt to regurgitate for you, or maybe even mate with your hand, they get sent back to the cage and told "no, bad bird."

I can't tell you how many times a person has come to me complaining that their sweet baby parrot, has all of the sudden become mean and withdrawn.  After a few minutes of seeing them interact with their now older and mature bird, the problem is the behavioral signals they send their bird.  They are rubbing them under the wings, down the back under the tail, and say "well she lets me do it."  I could say something inappropriate here, but I'll refrain...

While heavy petting to you is saying, "you're my baby, my pet," to your parrot, you're saying "I want to be your mate."  Then when rejected enough times, they can begin to display undesireable behaviors.  These can include, but are not limited to becoming insisent to the point of being aggressive, they can become depresses and withdrawn, or they will even find an substitute to mate with, often to the point of injury, they may even beign to self mutilate. 

Heavy petting is not the only reason a bird can have behavioral issues this time of year.  Other reasons include, boredom.  I can't tell you how many times I've asked an owner what kind of toys does your bird play with and they have responded "none," or "he doesn't like to play with toys."  WRONG.  What if you bought your child one toy, and he didn't play with it.  Would you decide he just doesn't like toys?  No, you would find something else that might spark his interest.  Perhaps bring him alon the next time so he could pick one out.  This is no different when choosing toys for your parrot.  One toy is not going to cut it.  With my senegal parrot, it took several tries and paychecks to find out all she wanted a hunk of wood, or basket, she could just tear apart.  I'm lucky to have a few stores near me that allow my parrot to shop with me, I will bring her to the aisle and let her pick a few that strikes her fancy.

There are several important components to a bird toy. I will go into them briefly as I will cover them in another guide.  One is safety.  There should not be loose ends your bird can get tangles in, the toy should be size appropriate to your bird (it is not smart to get a marble sized piece of wood for a macaw).  It should be made of natural, pesticide free materials.  I will post a link at the end for woods that are safe for your parrot to have, if you are ever in doubt, don't buy!  The Second is foraging.  Foraging is an activity where parrots search for their food.  It can be as simple as having to open the shell to get to a nut, or as complicated as a puzzle toy with moveable parts to get to a treat.  I recommend several foraging toys for your bird to have access to throughout the day.  See my about me page for a great link to the Parrot Enrichment Activity Book for foraging ideas and examples.

One other reason for behavioral problems I'd like to briefly adress and that will be covered in another guide is diet.  A happy bird it usually a healthy bird, and a healthy bird has a healthy diet.  Too much of anything can be harmful for your parrot.  Fresh vegetables and greens, some fruits seed, and grains, and a high quality pellet are the best things you can give your parrot to eat. 

Unfortunately, a hormonal bird is going to be just that, hormonal.  It is a natural fact of all living things.  It is natural and instinctual for them to find a mate and procreate, and you cannot spay or neuter your bird like you can a dog.  However, there are a few things you can do to curb your parrot's hormonal behavior.  First of all, stay away from the heavy petting!  Keep mostly to scratching the head, most birds are content to be groomed there, it is flock behavior.  Try not to come to every one of your bird's beconing call.  If your bird is calling to you, just call back, its a good way of letting your parrot know you are there without running to him.  In my home, we have a routine, the birds wake up and sound off, but they don't expect me to come right away, after a few minutes of noise, they quietly wait for their breakfast and morning scratches before I head off to work. 

Try shortening their daylight or leangthen their sleep, you can do as I do and have sleeping cages which they go into at eight at night in a room that they won't be disturbed in.  During the winter, provide them with about eight to ten hours of natural light which means they muct be outdoors, parrots need the natural UV rays to the sun to get the benefits!  If this is impossible, get a artificial UVA UVB full spectrum light and keep it on for 14 hours a day.  Your bird should get 10 hours of sleep at the maximum, or seven at the minimum. 

Limit your parrot's intake of fatty foods such as seeds, nuts, breads, pastas, etc.  Have different people feed your bird if possible.  Have a different bird interact with your bird every night, or take your bird with you when you run errands as long as they can come out with you.  Never EVER leave any pet in a car!  Basically, get your bird used to all kinds of different people and places.

Again, give your bird lots of foraging activites, give them something to keep that sharp brain busy.  Research your birds natural habitat, and find foraging activites that would suit them.  For example, budgies, or parakeets, are ground foragers; they forage through grass for seeds and other niblits.  I've found success wetting leaves of kale or other dark leafy greens and sprinkling some seeds and cat grass for them to dig through.  My senegal enjoys tearing into anything to find some fresh fruit (I recommend staying away from most dried fruits as they contain sulfites and sugars which can be harmful to birds).

In the end, parrots are monogamous creatures, so they are going to choose a mate of sorts; it is natural for them.  However, our job as pet owners is to not so much discourage mating behavior as to keep them from becoming obsessed with it, and keep ourselves from stimulating it.  By following some of these ideas and researching your particular species, avoiding some things that may stimulate them, you are on the path to becoming a better bird owner. 

Having a Parrot is not for the light- hearted, or light wallet.  Parrots require more from an owner than most pets do, so before you decide on making a parrot part of your flock, be sure you can answer the following questions:  Am I ready for a pet that will require up to and hour and beyond of my time every single day for 20+ years?  Am I ready to spend hundred of dollars every year to make sure my bird stays healthy, even if it is just a six dollar budgie?  Veterinarians are not cheap, and most of the time diagnostic blood tests are the best way to protect your bird and family from disease.  Am I ready to give my parrot all he requires?  Am I purchasing this parrot because I think he is pretty and is a novel idea, or I am purchasing this parrot because I want a life long companion?  These are just a few questions that must be thought of before you purchase a bird.

Thanks so much for reading.  I hope I have been helpful!