PREVENTING NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS

Because of the increasing incidences of behavior problems in companion birds, many are losing their homes. Problems that may develop include biting, screaming, feather picking, and phobias. The biting bird can terrorize the entire family.  The screaming bird can get on your nerves. The feather-plucker may continue on to self-mutilation. 

Cage: Overly small cages are a common problem with companion birds and cause stress, which often leads to behavior problems.

Cage Location: Cage location can be critical. Some birds are social and need to be in the middle of the family as much of the day as possible. Some nervous birds need to be in a quieter room, but one that still is occupied by the family for social interaction. Placing the cage so one side is against a wall or providing a hiding place in the cage may relieve stress as the bird is able to relax and stop looking for predators.

Cage Height: A correlation exists between the height the bird can attain in the cage or play gym and its self-perceived ranking in the flock (human and bird). If the bird is at or above shoulder/head level, it believes itself to be higher ranking than anyone who is lower.  Do not place the bird's cage on the floor as this may cause a nervous bird's anxiety to increase.

Height and Shoulders: Parrots should not be allowed to sit on shoulders especially as adolescents. Birds sitting on a human's shoulder are within easy reach of causing severe damage to the owner's eyes, ears, nose, and lips. The bird may cause damage intentionally (biting) or unintentionally (grabbing onto something to keep from falling).

Boredom: This is a major factor in behavior problems because the bird has nothing to keep it occupied. Toys should be provided and rotated to provide new entertainment for the bird. Food can be hidden in toys, hung in the cage (make sure it is safe), or provided in large pieces the bird needs to break up before eating. Parrots are intelligent birds and you need to provide an outlet for their curiosity and energy.

Sleep: Many companion birds originate in the tropics. They would normally see 10-12 hours of darkness year-round. Adult parrots should receive 10-12 hours of sleep each night. This is best accomplished by covering or moving the parrot from the family room to a quiet darkened room for sleeping.

All pets have normal behaviors that can become problems for the humans.  Parrots normally chew on items. These become problems when they occur at the wrong time or place for the human family. The humans need to teach the proper behavior and set rules from the first time the pet comes into the household. Typically, the human family needs to make changes in the way they handle the bird. Small things such as the owner deciding when the bird will get a treat or leave/return to its cage will raise the ranking of the human in the bird's eyes.