Once upon a time, in a land not so far away there lived a woman with seven
dwarf parrots. All was peaceful and good until an evil magic came to the
land blowing in on the warm air currents of spring. The woman's normally
loving and happy dwarf parrots transformed right in front of her eyes into
the seven evil hormonal dwarfs, who then came to be known as Screamy, Itchy,
Plucky, Chewy, Clingy, Horny and Psycho......Does this
sound familiar? Are you stocking up on band aids and ear plugs yet?
Peaking around the corners in your house to make sure the coast is clear of
your spouse's cute little birdie? Perhaps things don't have to look as
Grimm (forgive the pun) if we try to understand what our feathered friends
are starting to go through this time of year and investigate how we can make
their lives (not to mention ours) a little easier. First of all, it is
important to recognize that hormonal behavior is a natural behavior and it
is also a temporary one. A little patience and a little knowledge will help
both you and your bird.
Spring brings longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures which cue in the
breeding season. Your bird's hormones are telling your bird that it is
time to mate and, basically, it's out of their control. The degree of
impact can vary by species, the stage of sexual maturity and the sex of the
bird. Fortunately, not all parrots are slaves to the spring hormonal
surge.
Recognizing the signs of hormonal behavior:
- Excessive Screaming (Screamy) -Vocalizations are normal for a parrot and
they certainly can be LOUD at times. What we might think is obnoxious is
completely natural and instinctual to our birds. Prolonged and intensified
screaming can be the result of hormonal influence and can sometimes push
even the most patient of bird owners towards the edge. For more info on how
to cope with screaming, refer to our article
Why Does My Bird Scream?
Moulting (Itchy) - Moulting is the result of a hormonal process and can
be a physically stressful time for a bird. During a molt, your bird's body
demands a higher level of energy and nutrients. Therefore, dietary
supplements may be beneficial. Making sure your bird has adequate
opportunities for bathing will also help alleviate some of the itchiness
factor for your bird.
Feather Picking (Plucky) - Some birds resort to plucking especially on
their chest and between their legs when breeding season arrives. The first
step to take if your bird starts feather picking is to have him examined as
soon as possible by your avian vet to ensure the picking is not medically
related (i.e., due to malnutrition, injury or illness). Providing preening
toys may distract your bird from over preening or plucking his own feathers.
Nesting behavior (Chewy) - Is your bird crawling under the blankets and
pillows, chewing everything in sight, hiding out under the furniture and/or
laying eggs? If so, that's nesting behavior. Limit your bird's access to
sites that may look like good nests, provide plenty of acceptable chewing
outlets (destructible toys) and if your bird is laying eggs, leave them
alone and supplement your bird's diet with calcium.
Less independent (Clingy) - Suddenly the bird who has never had a
problem entertaining herself wants to be with you 24/7. Providing lots of
new entertaining distractions may help to mitigate this desire (i.e.,
foraging toys, destructible toys).
Masturbation (Horny) - Does your bird have a joy toy in his cage or have
you become the object of affection? If so, remove the toy from the cage or
calmly place the bird back on his play stand or cage when they start to do
the wild thing. Avoid over stimulating your bird by touching them on their
back or under their wings or tail. Grabbing their beak is also a no-no.
Scratching their head and neck is just fine.
Aggressive Body Language (Psycho) - Flashing eyes, fanned tails and
raised neck and crest feathers are all warning signs. When hormonal, birds
tend to become very territorial and sometimes very possessive of their
chosen one. Very hard bites are often the result of ignoring the warning
signs. For more info, refer to our article
"Understanding Your Bird's Body Language"
Regurgitation (Barfy, OK that makes eight but who's counting) - Parrots
regurgitate to feed their babies and their mates. Don't encourage this
behavior as it will add to your parrot's level of confusion. If your bird
tries to feed you, put him down for a few minutes or distract him with a
play object or new activity.
What else you can do?
Change your bird's environment around (inside and outside the cage) to
discourage nesting behavior. Remove boxes and toys from your bird's cage
that may be the focus of obsession.
- Control your bird's diet to limit high calorie and high fat foods that
trigger hormone production. Avoid grapes, corn, meats, sweet potatoes and
instead supplement your bird's diet with more fresh veggies and lower sugar
content fruits.
- Avoid feeding soft warm foods that might remind your bird of
regurgitated food from a mate (oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc.)
- Control your bird's exposure to light (both natural and artificial) by
making sure they get only 10-12 hours of light. A little extra sleep won't
hurt them. Utilize a cage cover or blanket to darken their environment.
- Distract your bird with lots of mental jobs, exercise and environmental
stimulation.
- In the case of overly aggressive behavior, be sure to supervise your
bird very closely or leave them in their cage when unsuspecting visitors are
around.
- As stated previously, hormones influence various species differently.
Do your research and understand as much as you can about the species of
birds in your home so you can more effectively meet their needs.
Armed with this new knowledge, the woman took pity on the seven little
evil dwarfs, took note of and changed her own behavior and showered them
with all the proper enrichments. Peace reigned again and, of course, they
all lived happily ever after.........
Optional sing-a-long:
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho it's off to work we go
To make our bird's lives happier
Heigh-ho, Heigh ho
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