Thursday, March 19, 2015

Spring has Sprung in the Parrot World

Those spring time warm days often seem to bring with them a feathered friend who may act like a bird with a newly developed personality disorder.

For example, in our home there is one very loud boisterous Amazon named Gertie, one very aggressive "Make My Day" Amazon named Ronnie, and one very very needy Cockatoo named Girlie.

Although there are some birds who seem to move through season with very little personality change, other than maybe a seasonal molt, there are many others who are not so mellow in their seasons.

Spring is breeding season for most parrots we share our lives with, and can bring with it hormonal ups and downs ranging from ear deafening noise levels of screaming for no apparent reason, to unprovoked aggression against the person it loved only yesterday, to needy hold me all the time or I will be a very bad bird tantrums, and on occasion an egg or two in the cage.

Spring is a good time to change out some of those old toys for new ones that can be destroyed and help redirect some spring behaviors.  Some parrots in breeding mode often have a need to shred, tear, and destroy, to fulfill that nesting feeling.  Doesn't matter if they are the only bird in the home, that breeding cycle is happening and they need to do what they need to do.  Sometimes moving the cage to a new location, even in the same room, can help give a little "change of attitude" (just make sure the move doesn't scare you bird in any way as some birds are very sensitive to change and this might make matters worse)

Although it may seem some of our feathered family may have lost their mind temporarily, be patient, as this too shall pass. (Hopefully sooner than later)