Umbrella Cockatoo

I had two days off in a row this week!!  I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when you work in retail, believe me, it’s rare.  It feels like spring break.  I intended to tackle some projects that needed tackling.  I actually tackled two.  And they were, of course, bird projects.

New cage covers were desperately needed for Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, and the cockatiels, so I moved this to the top of the to-do list.  I went to the quilting section at the fabric store and bought about 2 miles of dark broadcloth.  Linus has a really big cage.  He also has a really big beak and had shredded his cover beyond usefulness.  He has a favorite side to his cage for sleeping, and there was so little fabric remaining on that side that he recently decided to move to the other side for a good night’s sleep.  I know this because his back-end has been positioned over his water bowl all night for about a week now.  I don’t think I need to say more.  I constructed the cover and attached it to the cage using grommets and quick links.

The cockatiels.  My sweet little darlings.  The only thing worse that waking up to the horrors in Linus’s water dish is waking up to the cockatiel’s belting out a tune at 6:30am when I worked late and got to bed at 1 the night before.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love hearing their joyous little voices.  Just not then.  I made them a darker cover to encourage them to sleep a little later.

I was so excited when I went to bed last night, new cage covers in place, knowing I could sleep until I woke up rested.  Well, that was the plan, until I woke up to my alarm clock buzzing at 6:45.  Apparently, I had set it the night before out of habit.  The good news is that I did not hear a peep from the cockatiels at 6:30…if that can be construed as good news.  Oh, and by the way, I came down stairs to find that Linus had torn a hole in his new cover, right at his eye level, and every movement I made was being monitored by a blue eye ring surrounded by black cloth.  Creepy.

Blue throated macaw, Camelot macaw

Today’s project was toy making for the cockatoos.  Linus was pouting this morning as if to say:  “Mom, I have nothing to do with my beak.”  I was thinking how he found something to do with it earlier that involved his new cage cover, but kept quiet.  I went to the lumber store for a pile of 2X4s and cut enough 1″ pieces to fill a 10 gallon bin.  I drilled holes into each piece so they could be strung onto chains.  I made HUGE toys for both Linus and Theo, my goffins cockatoo, who didn’t even notice the wooden behemoth in her cage.

Linus was thrilled, though, and spent most of the day transporting bitten off chunks of wood to his stainless steel pail for further processing.  I noticed about an hour ago that he has managed to give himself a black eye, something he does several times a year in the course of going to battle with his toys.  Sometimes they hit back.  He has already gone through about 7″ of wood, or the equivalent of 15 boxes of toothpicks (if I were counting, or thinking about going into that business).  I guess we both had a productive day.  Next project on the list:  Easter baskets for the cockatoos, and Easter…boxes for the little guys.

Congo African Grey Parrot

Parrots are instinctively highly attuned to everything around them.  It is this awareness of their environment that keeps them safe from predators.  So it’s easy to understand why parrots are so quick to pick up on the energy levels of their owners and the home they live in. This is something we can use to our advantage and is just one more example of how having an understanding of a wild bird’s nature will help us with the birds we keep in our homes. Have you ever noticed that when you stand in front of your bird and act silly and animated that he will start bouncing up and down on his perch and become vocal?  Have you observed that when you stand quietly and speak to him in quiet tones that he will turn his head to the side and listen intently to your words? The energy level present in the home is often responsible for the behavior, or misbehavior, of our parrots.  If things have become too chaotic or noisy, sometimes all it takes to restore peace is a quiet chat. When Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, decides the time is right for his afternoon vocalizations, I can nearly always quiet him by speaking softly to him.  Even when he is in  full-on scream mode, I can generally stop it by standing in front of him and continuing to speak quietly.  He may not be able to hear me over his own loud voice, but he can see me, and I figure he has to come up for air at some point.  My low energy gradually rubs off on him.

Umbrella Cockatoo

On the other side of that coin is instigating play.  For the parrot that tends to be a perch potato, some music and lively dancing and singing on your part might be just the things to get him moving, and exercising.  Sometimes birds are afraid of, or disinterested in, new things.  Since your bird trusts you, your enthusiasm with new things will make him feel comfortable with, and an excitement about, the things you introduce him to.  Once you tell him something is okay, it will be. Talking to your parrot serves a number of purposes.  For the new parrot in the home, it is trust building.  Your new parrot can learn to feel relaxed with you as you continue to show him that you are a safe playmate.  As his comfort increases, you can begin to show him that you are fun as well. Talking to your parrot can prepare him for events coming up in the future as well, such as your trip to Europe and his subsequent trip to the boarding facility, or any other big change that is approaching. Tell your parrot that a change is coming, but that it is a temporary arrangement and that everything will be fine.  Assure him that he is loved, and throw in how beautiful and good he is.  The more time you spend talking to him, explaining and reassuring him, the better prepared he will be for your absence.  I realize this sounds silly, and I can already see some eyes rolling, but this really does help, and I don’t know of a single parrot expert who doesn’t agree.  While they don’t understand your words, they will certainly take your tone to heart.  Somehow, this reaffirms your relationship with them and carries them through what might otherwise be a traumatic event.

Blue and Gold Macaw

In every case where a parrot that has the benefit of an owner that takes the time to talk to him, he will  feel included as a member of the household.  This improves your relationship with him, betters his life and will make him more family friendly.

Blue and Gold Macaws

With springtime fast approaching, we have to be on the lookout for “quirky” behaviors that are related to onset of hormones.  I have often compared hormonal parrots with teenagers.  They both know what is right or wrong in terms of their behavior, but neither seem to be able to control themselves at times when hormones are involved.  Your once placid parrot may overreact to things that he would normally overlook, and he might express himself with aggression.

Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, always seems to be walking a fine line when he is excited.  Throughout the entire year, I have to carefully watch his body language to make sure his play doesn’t escalate into aggression.  He gets to a point of excitement where he seems to lose control, and is quick to bite.  It really appears to be temporary insanity.  Sometimes he seems as shocked by his actions as I am, and he quickly tries to make amends by doing something cute.  Or he walks away grumbling something along the lines of: “Look what you made me do!”

Linus is not a bad bird.  He is typical of a cockatoo in every way, except he has a bit of an edge.  Over-stimulation is something that affects all species of birds.  I bring it up now because it is a behavior that is exaggerated by hormones this time of year.

Camelot Macaw

How much is too much for our parrots?

The signs of an over-stimulated bird look very similar to typical signs of aggression, but they are easy to confuse with a bird that is excited by play. A parrot that is playing hard will have raised feathers, pinned eyes and a fanned tail at times.  Since these are also the signs of an angry bird, the best way to figure out if your bird’s mood is by assessing how it is responding to you at that time.  A playing bird will encourage you to join in the fun, or at least want you as an observer.

For instance, when I get on the floor and roll a ball to Linus, he might grab the ball, throw it over his back and run after it.  He’ll look at me to make sure I’m watching.  He’ll grab the ball, run back and forth with it and then drop it.  He’ll look at me to see that I am watching and cheering him on.  Then he’ll grab the ball, bang it on the floor a few times, maybe smack it into the wall, and then stop to see that I am paying attention.  This is a happy-excited bird, who is behaving in an interactive way with me.

However, the tone can change quickly.  I will retrieve the ball and toss it to him again and he will go through his repertoire of moves.  After doing this several times, he becomes possessive of the ball, and is no longer including me in play.  He is now eying me wearily and is taking the ball in a direction away from me.  If I approach him, he takes on a defensive stance and might hiss at me.  It is a perplexing behavior, and frustrating to say the least.  Playtime comes to an abrupt halt.

Umbrella Cockatoo

What could I have done differently to avoid over-stimulation?

The first and most important thing to remember is that your bird keeps a scorecard.   The card has two categories:  good experiences and bad experiences.  Any time something unpleasant happens, he puts a note under bad experiences.  When that column is full, behavior problems begin, even if there are an overwhelming amount of entries in the good experiences category, and even if the bad experiences are brought on by himself.  Any experience that is perceived as negative, regardless of our level of involvement, can be related back to us, so we want every interaction to have a positive conclusion.

That said, we need to halt the escalation of a potential problem BEFORE we get there.  Knowing Linus has a short window for play, I should have stopped the game while it was still fun and interactive.  There’s nothing really gained by continuing until the bird is tired or bored with the game anyways.  Keeping him wanting more will only make it that much more fun the next time.  I should have stopped after a few tosses of the ball, and moved onto something different.  Once I am able to notice subtle changes in tone and attitude, the game is already over.

Blue throated macaw

How do I handle my bird once he has reached the point of aggression?

Usually, over-stimulation is easy to calm.  Remember that it was just seconds ago that the two of you were having fun.  I find that lowering levels of excitement and speaking in quiet tones gets the job done quickly.  Parrots are quick to match our energy levels.  Since your bird is just high-strung at the moment, and you have not committed an atrocity for which you must be repaid, a parrot will generally relax quickly.  A period of quiet cage time is a good idea at this point, not as punishment because he’s done nothing wrong, but to maintain calm and assure his level of stimulation has lowered.  Playtime can resume, more carefully, in a while.

Hyacinth Macaw

Studies are showing that parrots bred in captivity are not living as long as they used to.  It seems impossible to me.  With all the advancements in avian sciences and medicine, with the increased numbers of avian certified vets, with all the information available out there on the internet, how can this be??

Up until as late as the early 90′s, the parrot owning general public had only the advice of pet store employees on how to care for their new birds.  All seed diets, with the occasional table scraps, were routinely recommended. Parrots were kept in tiny cages and offered little, if any, mental stimulation.  We had no understanding of the dangers of metal toxicity or the benefits of sunlight, and vets treated birds with medications intended for cats and dogs.  We had virtually no information about the wild habitats and behaviors of commonly kept species.

I understand how some  parrots fared badly in human care during those days.  Some of the longer lived parrots that survived their all seed diets, are paying the price for this ignorance with poor health now.  Some of the sharper owners applied common sense and gave their bird a healthier, more active life than was the norm.  Still, there were no guidelines to follow and there was a lot of “winging it”.  But that is not an excuse today.

So, given the glut of great information available to parrot owners, new and old, how can we be taking such a huge step backwards? I spent quite a while on line trying to find answers, but there really aren’t any at this time.   So I gathered the opinions of some very trusted sources on what might be some causes and these are what made sense to me:

Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot

The Pelleted Diet:

This portion of a parrot’s diet is very misunderstood.  People who own other animals will go to the supermarket and buy a 50lb bag of Purina whatever Chow, pour it in a bowl and consider their animals fed.  I wonder how many parrot owners are doing the same thing with their birds.  For the lazy owner, pellets are ideal, no muss, no fuss.  I think, though, that we may be leaning on them to heavily in our parrot’s diet.

I want to point out that I am not anti-pellets.  I offer them everyday.  I do fault the manufacturers who claim their pellets to be a complete diet.  They are not, and the uneducated owner might believe this claim.   Parrots are not at all like cats and dogs in their dietary requirements and MUST have fresh foods, which are the only foods that contain the ingredients that help fight disease and sustain good health in old age, and not just keep a bird alive.  To my way of thinking, pellets are a supplement to a fresh food diet.

For the best and 100% organic pellet that can help your parrot live longer, try Feed Your Flock organic parrot pellets. They come with a homemade recipe from Chet and Dave Womach of birdie bread muffins with the organic pellets incorporated in, that will have your parrot drooling for more!

Galahs

Poor Breeding Practices:

Disreputable breeders have been around forever.  However, with parrots now being the third most popular pet, they are in a particular hurry to “crank them out”.  Aside from the breeder parents being in poor health, another age old problem is in the practice of in-breeding (mating of parents to sibling or sibling to sibling) and line-breeding (mating of relatives outside the immediate family: uncles, nieces, grandparents etc), which if carried out over a series of generations will lead to health issues and odd characteristics.  Breeders have been doing this for a long time, but with the increase in consumer demand, it may very well be happening in much higher numbers.

Galah, Military macaw

Lack of Exercise:

Birds are meant to fly.  Everything in their physiology screams this, from their feathers to the their hollow bones to their uniquely designed respiratory system.  But we discourage this behavior, and often clip their wings.  Sometimes the safety of a bird in the home requires clipping, since so many accidents occur as parrots fail to navigate windows and mirrors.  What are we doing to makeup for the loss of this natural ability in terms of exercise?

Obesity is one of the most common parrot health issues today, and is usually the result of both a poor diet and an unmotivated bird.  If our birds are not flighted, we need to be making every effort to see that they are getting ample exercise both inside and outside of their cage.

Thank you to everyone who offered opinions on this subject, but I still can’t wrap my brain around this.

Galahs, Congo African Grey

Establishing boundaries for your young parrot, one that has yet to reach sexual maturity, is an important first step in laying the groundwork for a happy and healthy co-existence between parrots and people.   By setting and adhering to rules consistently, you are ensuring that your older parrot, who might have become more assertive of his wants, will cooperate with your requests in pleasant and acceptable ways.

Rescues are packed to the brims with unwanted parrots. Many of them have been determined to be a “problem” later in life when owners tire of  misbehavior, destruction and their inability to retrieve their uncontrolled parrot.  Rescue owners frequently report that these behaviors stem from a parrot having been given free reign of the house and never being shown limitations.

The first step in eliminating unwanted behaviors is to find the source of the problem, and place the blame squarely where it belongs, which is always on the caregivers: US!  Whenever a parrot’s behavior goes awry it is the fault of the humans involved.  We have failed in either teaching acceptable behavior, or have been inconsistent in establishing our expectations.  Why would a parrot accept being told no today to something it was allowed to do yesterday?  How can we expect her to follow rules that have not been clearly defined?

Let’s look at the three top reason that people give up their birds, how it relates to us as their teachers, and what we can do to prevent problems in immature birds, or correct an existing problem in sexually mature birds:

Rose Breasted Cockatoo and African Grey

BITING/LUNGING:

The young bird:

Baby birds learn with their beaks the same way human babies learn with their hands.  They explore and experiment.  It is not uncommon for a baby bird to nip us without understanding the intensity of the pressure they are applying.  These are not bites in the traditional sense, with the intention to warn or harm.  It is simply the exaggerated action of an inquisitive beak.  Still, this is an ideal opportunity to teach your young parrot how much is too much, and what is acceptable.

When she latches on to your finger or your clothes, quietly detach yourself (a good way to do this with a bird of any age is to gently push into the bite rather than pull away from it) and put her on a nearby perch or cage top.  Discontinue eye contact, don’t speak, turn away and count to ten.  Then you can pick her up again and go with whatever you were doing.  The most important thing is to be certain NOT to make a scene, even if it hurt.  A young parrot, in particular, will turn biting into a game in no time.  Then you will have to start over, but this time you will not only have to teach the right behavior, but undo what has just been learned.  If you are completely consistent in your actions, your bird will have learned that a bite equals only the loss of your attention, nothing more, nothing less.

The older bird:

An older bird that bites has learned somewhere along the way that lunging (threatening to bite) or biting will get her what she wants.  This is a more complex problem because it requires that you first undo the notion that biting is beneficial.  The only way to do that is to STOP making it beneficial.

How is biting beneficial to a bird?  Aside from all the fun drama it creates, which is, in itself, a good reason to bite, a bird can teach its owner to back off and let it have its way.  He’ll think:  “If the lunge doesn’t work, the bite surely will!”  And it usually does.

If your bird bites you, or threatens to bite, when you go to retrieve her, calmly withdraw your hand, but stay where you are standing.  This way you have removed your hand from danger, but have NOT fled in terror.  Continue to engage your bird verbally, using quiet tones.  Offer a toy for the bird to chew on.  This is an incompatible behavior: a bird can’t chew on you and a toy at the same time!  Attempt the step up again,  and again as necessary.  While you may not have gotten the bird off the ground yet, she is learning that threats are not going to be effective.

Take a look at possible reasons for the bite.  Is it possible your bird is reacting out of fear?  Birds have been known to develop hand and other phobias, quite out of the blue to our way of thinking.  If this is the case, you will have to go slowly and re-establish trust. I think the best way to reform a broken bond is by literally starting over.  Interact with her as though she has just come to live with you again.  Move slowly and respectfully around her, letting her learn that you and the home offer no threat to her.

Galah, Military macaw

SCREAMING:

The young bird:

Vocalization is natural for a bird.  Your baby will sooner or later learn to use that ability to emphasize a point.  Your peaceful future with your parrot depends on how you handle it today, tomorrow and the days following. Think of the child in the cart at the checkout line in the supermarket who is wailing “But Mooomm, I WANT a caaaandy baaar!!!”  Mom finally relents and says:  “FINE.  Just be QUIET!”  We all know what will happen to Mom in the checkout line next week.  This is not a bad child, in fact, it’s a smart child.   But poor Mom will be paying for this transgression for a long time.

If your parrot is screaming for your attention, and not out of need, don’t give in until there is quiet.  This sends a clear message to your parrot and will save you a lot of frustration in the future.  Problems at this age are usually quickly resolved.

The older bird:

A learned behavior is difficult to change.  As many times as a parrot has experienced it can get away with something, it will take many, many more experiences of NOT getting its way to learn that the game is over.  A single slip up can send you back to Go.  As maddening and incessant as it can become, you must remain consistent in the following while your bird is screaming: Do not make eye contact, do not approach the cage, do not speak to or address him in any way.  You don’t hear anything, you don’t react to anything, your ears are not bleeding, you are not fantasizing about the “special” turkey you will be having next Thanksgiving.

As soon as there is quiet, within seconds, start to make pleasant conversation with your parrot and have a treat nearby to offer him.  Be very aware of your timing in doing this, so that you don’t reward the wrong behavior, and immediately disconnect with the bird once the screaming resumes.

Sometimes a pleasant shower or spray bath will give you a reprieve until you regain your sanity.  Remember not to issue this as a punishment.  Your bird is learning throughout this process that screaming has no gain.  It is expending a lot of energy to no avail, and will eventually give up and stop.  At this point, teach your bird a call to get your attention that is suitable.  I have a different contact for each of my birds.

It is really important that you analyze why your bird is screaming.  Are her needs (clean water and good food) met?  Does she have enough toys and shreddables in her cage?  Is she utilizing the toys you have provided for her or does she have to play with ones YOU thought were cute?  Is she comfortable, too hot or cold?  Is there anything in her environment she might perceive as scary?

Another consideration is that your parrot is screaming to get you to leave the room, which is usually what people do.  If your parrot becomes quiet once you, or the “problem human” is gone, this is pretty clearly the case.  If you leave the room you are rewarding the screaming.  Follow the same procedure as above, but try to ride it out in the same room for a bit.  The best advice I can give you is to go about your business without connecting with the bird in any way and when you do leave the room, don’t leave in a huff.  Just go as if you have business in the other room.  Remember, you don’t hear anything, your ears aren’t bleeding…etc, etc.  These methods work, they really do, as long as you remain unfaltering in your application, and your hearing is covered in your insurance package.

Galah

DESTRUCTION:

The younger bird:

Birds chew things. It is natural and normal and to be encouraged.  If you value your furniture and woodwork, you will set up boundaries on this issue right away or your parrot will literally eat you out of house and home.  The most effective way to keep a young parrot from destroying your valuables, is to not let him have access to them in the first place.  It’s hard to explain to a parrot why the wood toys on the playstand are okay to demolish, but not the chair legs.  Instead of wasting your time with this, make areas of the house off limits.  Have a designated area for bird play in your house and only let him outside of the area when he accompanies you and will be on a portable T-stand.

I can practically guarantee that your parrot will make every attempt to step outside of these invisible boundaries to explore, so be alert and react in time before damage is done.  Birds are crafty little devils and will sometimes wander off just to get you to come and get them.  This is a favorite game.  Usually they will be looking over their shoulder to make sure you are watching.  Try not to make this too much fun for them.

The older bird:

Bad habits are hard to break. Damage to the house is probably the best example of the result of lack of limitations.  I am not going to pretend that I haven’t experienced damage, but it’s always been my fault because I have been dumb enough to turn my attentions away from a cockatoo for more than a few seconds.  Several years ago, Linus, my umbrella, managed to open up about two feet of the top seam of my couch in the 30 seconds it took me to go into the kitchen for a drink.  I came back to find him staring at the exposed stuffing contemplating the fun he was about to have.  My bad.

The best way to start with the experienced home-wrecker is to make sure he has plenty to do in the area he is allowed to play in.  When he wanders off, divert his attention in such fun ways that he would rather stay put.  If your parrot enjoys eating a good book, why not give him one that you’re done reading! Over a period of time he will not only learn where the no zones are, but might actually prefer the play area.  Never say: “My job here is done.”  He will continue to surprise you by finding things you didn’t realize he was aware of.

Galah

If you are having behavioral problems with your parrot, NEVER RESORT TO hitting, shaking the cage, throwing things, or spraying with water out of anger and frustration.  These methods will only anger the parrot, and/or make him fearful of you, and compound those problems you are already experiencing.  Parrots do not respond to violence in ANY productive way.  Punishment is ineffective in dealing with parrot problems.

The way your bird behaves is all on you.  Birds are not bad, but they are inquisitive and that will sometimes get them into trouble.  The methods I mentioned of dealing with those problems are by no means the only ways, but ways with which I have had successes.

Blue throated macaws

Here it comes!  It’s only January!!  Normally, I wouldn’t see some of the behaviors I have been noticing until well into February.  Perhaps it is because of our change in location, but all the signs promising a very hormonal season are in place with my birds.

I took Theo, my goffins cockatoo, in to watch a movie with me the other day.  Normally, she would be preening herself, preening my hair, untying my shoes and hopping up and down the length of my body while I try to see over her flapping wings. Instead, she was trying to crawl inside my ear.  When she was buried so deeply in my neck that no air could pass between us, she started clucking like a hen and quivering like a jello mold.  Back to the cage she went.

I recently gave Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, a cardboard box filled with strips of newspaper, raffia and other shreddables and wood.  For the first hour, he was having more fun than it should be legal to have: tearing apart the shredders, running miscellaneous this and that up into the stainless steel bucket attached to the side of the cage, gleefully chewing away a side of the box.  When I looked in on him later, the box was in the corner of his cage, upside down, the chewed side was now a doorway, and all the shreddables were lining his lovely new NEST!  I removed the box and gathered up the shredders and put them in his bucket.  For the rest of the day, he stayed inside his bucket, face first, with his butt sticking up in the air.

Libby, my quaker, has been nippy and moody.  The cockatiels, and even Jamie and Dave’s too-sweet-for-words budgies, have been excessively vocal.  Following this new schedule, I can expect to see the traditional levels of cage territorialism and aggression from Linus in about 3 or 4 weeks.

Mitred Conure

Springtime means extended daylight hours.  The warmth and rain showers encourages plant growth, which means the availability of fresh foods.   These are opportune conditions for breeding and with it comes a surge in hormones that tells your bird that time is right for reproduction.

There is a never ending list of strange behaviors and vocalizations that parrots exhibit when it is breeding season, and while not all birds are affected in ways that bring out aggression, it is a good idea to be cautious when you are working in and around their cages.  Many birds get very territorial during this time of year and would prefer that you keep out!  Since none of my birds have ever offered to clean their own cages, I still have to get in there from time to time.  I move my birds into carriers and out of the room while I tend to the chores and toy replacement.

Here is a link to a post on Handling Hormonal Birds that will give you some tips on what you can do to lessen the effects of hormones and how to keep your bird’s environment free of things that tend to stimulate the instinct to breed.

Camelot Macaw

You will notice, at the beginning of breeding season, that your bird’s appetite picks up quite a lot.  Even the pickiest eater seems to be more willing to to eat fresh foods during this time.  TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS!  This is a great chance to get him to eat fresh foods if he typically turns them down, and it’s the time to offer new variety to the bird who is stuck in a rut.  There’s a short window of opportunity for this, so start now!