LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REASONS THAT A BIRD WILL "NORMALLY" BITE.
1) NESTLINGS will use their beaks to explore their surroundings. This is
normal. They will "beak" just about everything. This is how they will learn what
food is. They will also learn what to use as toys. When they begin to climb,
they will test out perches by grabbing them with their beaks. It is at this time
that they can also begin to learn how to bite their handlers. As they learn to
step up, it is perfectly normal to nip your finger to test this funny looking
new "perch"! If you react to it by saying "OUCH" you have just begun to
reinforce the behavior of the bite and you have inadvertently started to teach
your bird that biting is FUN!
2) CONTROL can be an issue that results in biting behaviors. If your parrot
is out of his cage and having a fun time, he may not want to go back in when YOU
want him to do so. Companion Parrots will learn by your reaction that if he
bites, he can train you to leave him out a little longer.
3) DEFENSE of a cage or a cagemate is often a cause of biting on the part of
a parrot. A Companion Parrot will become territorial about his or her cage and
will defend it to a point. Some birds are more "Cage Aggressive" than others. In
the case of a multiple bird home, a parrot may become aggressive as it defends
it's perceived mate. This also comes into play if your bird bonds to one
particular person in your household as your bird will defend it's human mate as
vigorously as he would another bird.
4) FEAR can cause a bird to bite. In nature this is called the "FIGHT or
FLIGHT" response. A bird will prefer to fly to another spot, but if that option
is not present, it may bite. This is one of the most frequent reasons that a
person gets bitten on the face or ear. A perfectly fine bird that is on a
shoulder and who is not prone to biting may, if startled, inflict an unexpected
bite upon it's beloved caregiver. If you allow a parrot to sit on your shoulder,
you must accept this as a risk.
5) HORMONES are a factor in your birds behavior if it has reached the age of
sexual maturity. Yes, your bird may experience what I lovingly call ""BIRDY
PMS"! When a bird begins to feel like breeding, it may show more aggression as a
means of protecting it's perceived mate and cage. This ties in with the DEFENSE
portion above but for those who have experienced this, they know that the bird's
aggression may be magnified at these times.
6) PLAYING with a bird can result in a bite. Please keep in mind that a bird
will use it's beak to maintain it's balance when needed. That means that if he
feels a little lop-sided or insecure with his footing, he may grab onto whatever
he can to steady himself. What he grabs could be a nose, an earlobe or a
convenient finger. A bird will also check the steadiness of a perch by using his
beak so when he walks on you, he will test his way by "beaking" you or lightly
biting you. These types of bites are not meant to hurt but they can.
7) MEDICAL problems can be a reason for a bird to bite. If a bird is acting
unusual and begins to bite for no other apparent reason, your bird might be ill.
Your bird may be signalling that it does not feel well. PLEASE don't waste time
and PLEASE seek medical attention from your avian veterinarian.
O.K., SO NOW YOU KNOW WHY YOUR BIRD IS BITING, WHAT NEXT?
At this point, it just makes sense to divide this section into two parts. One
section will deal with young birds that may occasionally bite and the second
section will deal with those birds that may be older or who are rescues that
have serious biting problems.
It should go without saying but I will anyway;
ALWAYS RULE OUT ANY MEDICAL
REASONS FOR A PROBLEM BEHAVIOR!
Once ruled out, try some of the following
ideas.
A DISCLAIMER! YOU KNOW YOUR PARROT...I
DO NOT!...WHEN YOU WORK WITH YOUR PARROT, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. I CAN NOT
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS WITH YOUR BIRD. PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS WHEN
ATTEMPTING TO RETRAIN YOUR BIRD! IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE IN ANY WAY WITH
TRAINING YOUR BIRD NOT TO BITE, SEEK THE HELP OF A TRAINED PROFFESIONAL BIRD
BEHAVIORIST!
"YOUNGER BIRDS"
Let me remind you that being owned by a parrot means that you will definitely
get bitten. Look at all the above reasons that a bird will bite and just get
used to the fact that at some point you will be in a situation where a bird's
beak will pierce your flesh.
When working with younger birds, or for those people working with birds for
the first time, avoiding a bite is more a matter of training ourselves than it
is a matter of training the bird. We must train ourselves to know when a bite is
coming and if bitten,
WE MUST NOT REACT TO THE BITE!
I know that is
easier said than done but parrots love drama! The more noise you make if a bite
occurs, the more the bird will bite. It is that simple when dealing with young
birds.
If you do not react to a bite, your bird will learn that it will not get a
rise out of you and will learn that a bite will not get a desired response. That
response being you saying "OUCH" or some other choice word used in an
exclamatory way! Whether by sound or action,
IF YOU PAY ANY ATTENTION TO A
BITE, YOU WILL REINFORCE THE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR!
It would be easier for you to
be bitten and remain quiet when a parrot is younger, smaller and can't bite as
hard than it would be to remain silent when a bird's beak is bigger and
stronger!
DON'T LET BAD HABITS START EARLY!
If you happen to be hand rearing a bird you will likely have a tamed bird
that doesn't bite by the time it is weaned just by following the above advice.
DON'T LET YOUR BIRD INTIMIDATE YOU!
Yes, a young Macaw can take a finger
off, so can an immature cockatoo but if you are dealing with a hand reared bird,
this is not likely to happen as much of the potential for biting has been
eliminated by virtue of the hand rearing process. If a bite occurs, it is
usually because we as humans did not pay attention to the signs that
precipitated the bite.
If you are playing with a bird, keep an eye on his behavior. Many Companion
Parrots (Cockatoos are noted for this) really get wound up when they play. You
can almost say that they overplay and get overly excited. It is our job to stop
playing with that bird at the earliest signs of that overly excited behavior.
Often the signs are:
Strutting back and forth
Spreading tail feathers
Loud vocalizations
Displays (In the case of Cockatoos and Cockatiels, The crest is erect and
wings are held out to the sides)
Pinning of the pupils in the eyes (Pupils get smaller)
Early signs of aggression
Attempted biting
Not trying to be too humerous, those signs can also mean that your bird
wants to relieve himself so I can make the point that it is important for you to
learn the body language of your bird. From the standpoint of safety and training
though, it is better to err on the side of caution and stop playing if you
notice similar signs. A young well socialized bird should be relatively easy to
handle.
Even a young bird will try to figure out "Who's Boss"! It should be YOU! I
don't often find that biting is a problem in younger birds that are handled
well. Most birds that are hand reared become biters as they get older if we do
not handle the behavior correctly. You must be in control and even if a bird
gives you a hard time putting him in his cage or getting him off his cage, you
must remain calm and get your bird to respond in a positive manner. You may have
to take a nip or two, (or THREE) before your bird gets the idea that you rule
the roost but they do learn, as long as you don't react, that biting you will
gain them nothing.
Again, keep in mind that how you react to your young bird's nips and bites
will determine whether or not your bird will enjoy biting you in the future.
If you must react to a bite, in a quiet way with no drama, put your bird down
or back in his cage and go somewhere away from your bird to deal with your
injury.
YOU CAN ELIMINATE BITING FAIRLY QUICKLY IN YOUNG, WELL SOCIALIZED
BIRDS BY SIMPLY IGNORING THE BEHAVIOR!
"RESCUES and OLDER BIRDS"
Many of my birds were rescued from horrible situations. Some of them had
injuries inflicted upon them by their former owners and as a result were
terribly fearful and distrusting of any humans. Birds like these will sometimes
attempt to bite as a last resort in order to protect themselves. The following
is a personal opinion but it seems to make sense. The longer a bird has been
biting, the longer it will take to stop the unwanted behavior.
While there are many rescued birds out there that do not have "issues", I
find that the many changes a rescued bird goes through can cause stresses that
can result in the bird picking up many unwanted practices. When I discover that
a bird is a biter, I handle it in several ways. I also vary my approach based on
the size of the bird. I am more willing to get bitten by a cockatiel than I am
by a Macaw so how I work with a biter has to be tailored to the individual bird.
Let me first say that these methods worked for me. They may not work for you
and your bird but they should. It is important that you tailor your training to
the bird you are dealing with.
A DISCLAIMER! YOU KNOW YOUR PARROT...I
DO NOT!...WHEN YOU WORK WITH YOUR PARROT, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. I CAN NOT
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS WITH YOUR BIRD. PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS WHEN
ATTEMPTING TO RETRAIN YOUR BIRD! IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE IN ANY WAY WITH
TRAINING YOUR BIRD NOT TO BITE, SEEK THE HELP OF A TRAINED PROFFESIONAL BIRD
BEHAVIORIST!
"WORKING WITH YOUR PARROT"
One key to success when retraining a bird not to bite is to do everything you
possibly can to
GAIN YOUR PARROT'S TRUST!
You don't always have the
full story when you adopt a previously owned parrot. Sometimes you only have a
partial history of a bird and that can make things a little more complicated.
While it is true that a very few birds are just plain mean, it is more likely
that a bird learned to bite because of something a human did. If your parrot
does not trust you, it will not respond kindly to you. You can see that Max
loves to play and trusts me completely!
Let's talk about the transition that a parrot will make coming from one place
and now becoming a part of your home. There are many changes that will be
experienced by your parrot and some can be taken advantage of right away. Your
bird will be traveling. Your bird will be adjusting to new surroundings! Your
bird may be adjusting to a new cage. Your bird will definitely be adjusting to
new people! Your bird may be adjusting to other birds. Your bird will be
adjusting to a new schedule each day and so on. During this "Honeymoon" period,
your bird will actually be looking to you for guidance. This is a perfect time
to have your bird see that you are a loving, trustworthy human so do your best
not to disappoint him!
BY THE WAY: IT IS IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE OTHER BIRDS THAT YOU
HAVE A VETERINARIAN CHECK ANY NEW BIRDS THAT COME INTO YOUR HOME. YOU MUST THEN
QUARANTINE THE NEW BIRD IN A COMFORTABLE AREA OF YOUR HOME AWAY FROM ANY OTHER
BIRDS. I RECOMMEND A 30 TO 45 DAY PERIOD OF TIME TO BE SURE THAT YOUR NEW BIRD
IS HEALTHY BEFORE PLACING HIM IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ANY OTHER PET BIRDS.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO START BUILDING TRUST?
If a bird is at a rescue facility, go visit him several times before bringing
him home.
Talk to him in a loving, reassuring and calm way.
Spend time with him to learn some of his body language.
Take over some of the responsibilities , such as feeding, or cleaning his cage.
Try to develop a bond with your new friend.
If all goes well, and you bring a bird home use all your efforts to make the
bird feel comfortable. A caution though...DO NOT spend more time with your bird
when you first bring him home than you will be able to spend with him later on.
You must be willing to devote a lot of time to your bird from now on but if you
spend eight hours each day entertaining your bird now, be prepared to spend that
much time with him from now on. Building trust with your bird also involves
teaching him to be independent.
Going on the assumption that you are bringing home a bird with a biting problem,
we are now ready to talk about some workable training methods.
Using the transition period as mentioned above, sometimes works to our
advantage. There are so many things changing, that a bird often gives us a
"WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY"
in which we can make some quick adjustments in a bird's behavior. Your new
family member, may look to you for guidance in it's new surroundings. Allow the
bird a day or two to adjust a little bit. Be sure to feed and water him at the
same times each day. Begin to give him some structure.
Many birds that have been adopted from rescue facilities have had a
structured life and may even have had things like biting issues addressed to
some degree. Keep the structure going.
If your bird has been allowed to come out of his cage, continue that
practice.
With smaller birds like cockatiels and conures, in the case of rescues, I
like to train them to step up onto my hand or a hand held perch while they are
away from their cage. This takes territorial issues out of the equation. I often
find that having a bird in an unfamiliar but safe area eliminates almost all the
aggression that I encounter if I work with a bird on or near his cage. I don't
find this to be a major problem with hand reared birds so I will teach hand
reared birds to step up even while they are in their cage.
A logical question is,
"HOW DO I GET MY BIRD FROM HIS CAGE TO A SAFE
PLACE, LIKE A T-STAND, IF I MIGHT GET BITTEN IN THE PROCESS?"
Great
question! For rescues, it is wise to take the time to "Stick-Train" a bird.
Here's where I take some flack from some folks but in order to work with a
bird that may not be used to being trained, I recommend having the wings
trimmed. This is not painful to a bird at all and it allows me some control over
the bird. From a logical perspective, I am able to work with a bird for longer
periods of time as I am not spending that time following a flying bird around
the room. This is not to say that I do not allow my guys flight once they learn
the rules. For stick training though, it just makes more sense to me to keep the
bird close at hand.
Of course, Stick-Training has to start from the cage. Whether your bird is in
his cage or on his cage will be determined by the bird. Parrots are actually
eager to please and you will be able to determine by his body language just
where he wants to work with you. I find that it is easier to work with a bird
from on top of his cage as long as the cage is not too tall. Use an
appropriately sized dowel for the training. You can not use a 1/2 inch diameter
dowel to train an Amazon Parrot and you cannot use a 1 inch diameter dowel to
train a cockatiel. I work with a bird for a period of ten to fifteen minutes,
two times each day when teaching a bird a new task.
Stick-Training a bird, in theory is easy but it may take some time. In the
case of a biter, you have to go slowly. The bird will try to bite the dowel as
it is offered to him. Allow him to do this and
DO NOT REACT or SAY
ANYTHING
to your bird when it happens. You must get the bird used to the
approaching dowel at a pace with which he is comfortable. In order to get the
bird to accept the dowel you must therefore establish his comfort zone. Bring
the dowel as close to him as you can before he begins to retreat from the dowel.
That will give you a place to start. Let us say , for example that the dowel is
a foot away from the bird before he begins to back away from it. Use that as a
place to start. Even when you show the bird the dowel, hold it steadily even if
it is a foot or more away and give the "Step-Up" command. It is a good idea,
even at this point to get the bird used to the command that you are ultimately
going to use.
The following part of the training may take days, weeks, months or even years
depending upon the background of the bird. What you need to do, is get the bird
used to the stick getting closer and closer to him without him responding in a
negative way. While working with your bird, you must never show frustration or
anxiety over the bird's behavior. You must always be calm and loving. Your bird
will feel any negative energy that you are giving off and it is better to stop
the training than it is to go on while you are frustrated. Ultimately, you want
to get the dowel close enough to press it lightly against the bird's chest.
Always using the "Step Up" command so that your bird knows what you want, allow
the bird to choose when he wants to finally "Step Up".
Remember to
KEEP THE STICK STEADY, A PARROT DOES NOT LIKE A WOBBLY PERCH!
Once your bird gets up onto the stick, the likelihood is that it will be for
only a second or two, praise him profusely. I don't use food as a training
treat, I find that praise used as positive reinforcement works much better. When
praising your bird, don't scare him by blurting out some form of praise. Keep it
Loving and Controlled! Your bird will understand! As he steps off the stick and
goes back onto the cage, use that opportunity to teach the bird the "Down"
command. Some folks just use the words "Step Up" and "Down" and those are
perfect. My phrases are a little more personal and work just as well. I use "Up
On Daddy" and "On Your Perch" as my verbal commands for this exercize. Whatever
you decide to use as commands, remain consistent and your bird will learn them.
It takes time but eventually your parrot will "Step Up" and "Down" on command.
IT OFTEN HAPPENS THAT STICK-TRAINING A BIRD ELIMINATES THE BITING BEHAVIOR!
Many times, training your bird to step up onto a perch will at the same time
eliminate the biting behavior. Remember that you are praising your bird for
learning how to "Step Up". At the same time remember what I told you before and
that is that your bird, if a biter, will probably try to nip at the dowel you
are using in training. While training him,
DO NOT SCOLD YOUR BIRD FOR NIPPING AT THE STICK!! NEVER USE NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT, LIKE SCOLDING, TO TRAIN YOUR BIRD!
Act like the nipping
never even happens. Your bird will much rather hear the praises for stepping up
and will learn that positive behavior instead. Parrots like to do what you
expect of them and by reinforcing the good behavior, and not paying attention to
the negative behavior, your parrot will learn to repeat the action that will
give him a desired response and that is your praise!
Anyone who has ever worked with or owned a parrot can probably tell you that
these intelligent beings will do anything that will elicit a response from you.
Remember to:
PRAISE the POSITIVE and IGNORE the NEGATIVE
when working with a Parrot!
Once you have a bird that will consistently "Step Up" onto a dowel, you can
transfer him to a T-Stand and when you are comfortable, move the T-Stand away
from the cage and work with your bird on Stepping Up onto your hand.
DO NOT USE GLOVES OR ANY OTHER COVERINGS FOR YOUR HANDS! THE BIRD NEEDS TO LEARN
TO TRUST YOUR HAND AT THIS POINT AND NOT SOME UNUSUAL OBJECT!
Now that you and your parrot have a training relationship going, things will
sometimes get easier from here. Your bird should have less of a tendency to bite
now especially if his biting was motivated by fear or distrust. When I am
teaching a bird that has been a biter to step up from a perch to my hand, I use
extreme care.
THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN BEING CAUTIOUS AND BEING DOWNRIGHT CHICKEN
WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING A BITER!
TRY NOT TO CROSS THAT LINE.
If your bird senses that you are intimidated, he will use that fact against
you. You will then be manipulated by your "Fine Feathered Friend" to make a game
out of your lack of composure. I would rather make a game that is based upon
teaching the bird a new skill. In this case stepping up onto your hand!
KEEP YOUR STICK HANDY!
I like to use the stick training that we've already learned as a transition
exercise before I offer my hand to the bird. Once you have your parrot on the
T-Stand, let him settle down for a few minutes. Look for a sign of comfort like
a wing stretch or a fluff up. When a bird relaxes, he will fluff his feathers
and do a little "shake". He may even stretch out a wing, looking much like we do
when we stretch one arm to relax. Those are good signs and that means your bird
is comfortable.
HAVE YOUR BIRD PRACTICE GOING FROM THE T-STAND TO THE TRAINING STICK AND THEN
BACK AGAIN TO THE T-STAND!
Use the "Step Up" and "Down" commands every time and
DO NOT FORGET TO
PRAISE YOUR BIRD FOR GOOD WORK!
When I and my Parrot are ready for "Step Ups" to the hand,
I DO NOT
OFFER MY FINGERS FIRST!
Ultimately, you want your bird to step onto your hand held in a position
similar to the ones shown below. Smaller birds should step up onto your finger
and larger birds should step up onto your hand.
When working with a potential biter, I find it a good idea to work slowly.
While your bird is on his T-Stand, offer him your bear forearm and see how close
you can get to your bird without there being any signs of aggression! Offering
your forearm and not your fingers allows you to see how your bird will react to
you. At the same time, It is easier for you to move your arm away in the event
your parrot tries to bite you. He will not be able to grab a finger and if you
are bitten, you should not be injured as badly. I offer a bear forearm so that
if a bird tries to bite during this training, he will not be able to attach
himself to my sleeve. He could injure himself or me and I don't want that to
happen. It is also important to mention that
YOU MUST NOT APPEAR AGGRESSIVE
TOWARD YOUR BIRD!
Keep an eye on him without looking directly into his eyes. A
bird may take that as a sign of aggression from you and he may want to defend
himself rather than work on training. In an ideal situation, your bird will not
try to bite and you can move on from here.
If on the other hand, your parrot still wants to bite, you will need to get
your bird used to your arm and hand the same way you got him accustomed to the
stick during his stick-training. Use a gradual approach staying within your
bird's comfort zone and you will eventually be able to get close enough to work
your bird onto your hand.
It is IMPORTANT that you know that many birds will "BLUFF" a bite so you
sometimes must try to determine if your bird is "BLUFFING" or is truly being
aggresive toward you. In the case of a cockatiel or a smaller bird, making a
mistake in this regard is not as critical as being wrong about the intentions of
a Macaw or an Amazon parrot.
AGAIN, IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU LEARN THE BODY
LANGUAGE OF YOUR PARTICULAR BIRD!
Some birds learn to step up onto hands right away and some will take years!
SOME BIRDS MAY NEVER LEARN TO STEP UP AND WE WILL JUST HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE
WITH THAT FACT!
Just keep trying! I never said that this was easy!
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND I AM NOT IMMUNE TO INJURIES! I'VE
BEEN BITTEN BY MANY BIRDS.
I'VE HAD A LOVEBIRD HANGING FROM MY LIP FOR ABOUT
30 SECONDS.
I'VE HAD A CONGO AFRICAN GREY TEAR UP THE TIP OF MY INDEX FINGER!
I'VE EVEN HAD AN UMBRELLA COCKATOO AT A RESCUE FACILITY BITE THROUGH THE PALM OF
MY HAND!!
IN ALL CASES, I FOLLOWED MY OWN ADVICE AND LIMITED MY INJURY AND
PROTECTED THE BIRD FROM INJURY BY NOT REACTING TO THE BITE. YES, EVEN IN THE
CASE OF THE COCKATOO GRINDING IT'S BEAK COMPLETELY THROUGH MY HAND, I DID NOT
REACT UNTIL THE BIRD WAS SAFELY OFF MY HAND AND BACK IN IT'S CAGE!
FORTUNATELY, I HEAL WELL AND I HAVE NO PERMANENT INJURIES OR SCARS!
FEATHER PLUCKING
FEATHER PLUCKING is one of the most complicated issues to deal with in any bird once it starts. That is not to say that it can't be succesfuuly dealt with but it can be tricky. Eclectus, Greys, and Cockatoos tend to be more likely to feather pluck or mutilate. I have however worked with plucking lovebirds, quaker parrots, conures and cockatiels. All parrots if in the wrong environment can become pluckers.
AT ONE TIME CASPER WAS FEATHERLESS ALMOST FROM HEAD TO TOE! YOU CAN SEE THAT SHE HAS MADE SOME GREAT PROGRESS!!
Sometimes a change in environment with some new toys and attention is all it takes. The first step though and it is almost a mantra when dealing with feather pluckers is to take the bird to the vet to rule out any medical problems.
If medical reasons are ruled out, some of other things that can contribute to plucking are as follows.
YOUR BIRD WANTS ATTENTION : If someone actually sees a parrot plucking feathers and makes a big deal of it, by saying something or reacting to the bird's plucking, you can actually reinforce the behavior and make the plucking worse. Give your bird a healthy amount of good attention but if you see your parrot pluck a feather, IGNORE THE BEHAVIOR.
BOREDOM : If the bird doesn't have something available to keep its attention in a positive way, a bird might just pluck out of boredom.
SEXUAL MATURITY : When a female parrot gets into an egg laying mode , for example, they sometimes pluck out a patch on the chest , we call it a brood patch. It is not something we are thrilled with but some birds use the feathers in a nest and they sit on the eggs with their skin contacting the eggs instead of the feathers that used to be in that patch.
DIET : Take the African Greys, for example. Some Greys pluck, In examining the situation and learning about these magnificent birds in the wild, researchers and veterinarians have discovered that the nut of the Red Palm Tree is a major source of oils and fats in an African Greys diet in the wild. Of course this is lacking in the diets of birds kept as companions. It has been found that by adding Red Palm Oil to the diets of some greys that it stops feather plucking or greatly reduces the problem. I have seen it work myself on two of my adopted greys. It has not been proven to work on parrots other than Greys.
DRY SKIN : Our indoor environment can be lacking in humidity. The bird's skin can be dry, flaky or itchy. That causes the bird to react, in some instances, by plucking.
THINGS TO DO and THINGS NOT TO DO!!
AS YOU CAN SEE, CASPER IS MAKING EVEN MORE IMPROVEMENT!! NOW SHE HAS HER CREST BACK!!
DON'T use any of those sprays that they sell to stop feather plucking. They are a waste of money and even if there is slight improvement, the underlying cause of the plucking is not dealt with and the bird will start all over again.
DO spray your bird's feathers with plain lukewarm water or better yet, spray the affected areas with a mixture of pure aloe juice and water. Most health food stores sell it. Mix one ounce of juice with three ounces of plain water and mist the bird with this. It will not harm the bird and the aloe is very soothing to the effected areas of the bird's skin.
DO give your bird attention. but ... NEVER give a bird more attention at the beginning than you will be able to provide later on in your relationship. Get the bird used to the amount of attention that will be normal as your normal routine develops with that bird. If you lavish a bird with a ton of attention, and then back away from that attention later, the bird will get bored as it expects you to be its entertainment.
DON'T give the bird attention for the plucking behavior. As mentioned earlier, The explanation is this: Just like a child, a parrot learns to do things that get a rise out of you. They love the drama and they will manipulate you into providing a show for them if they can. If you get bitten by a bird for example and jump around the room yelling and screaming or just say a loud ouch, the bird will without a doubt make a game of it. I had to retrain Casper (one of my rescued toos) not to bite as she used to bite a person and then yell OUCH. She created that "game" with her former owner by biting the owner and hearing the owner scream. It is the same with plucking. If you happen to see your bird pluck ignore it or you will provide the "drama" needed for your bird to make a game out of pulling out feathers just to see your reaction.
DO give your bird lots of toys. Birds are naturally chewers. They like to tear up pieces of wood or paper. For many parrots, this is a part of their normal, instinctual nesting behavior. They need safe toys that can be destroyed. They quickly get bored with toys they can't tear apart. For that reason, toys have to be examined carefully as certain toys while looking like fun can have dangerous components to them that can hurt your bird or worse. I have found that by using unprinted newspaper (Called endrolls, often given away for free by local newspapers) or even regular newspaper (made with safe soy based inks) woven through the cage bars that I am able to get some birds to play with and tear up the paper instead of plucking feathers.
DON'T use the shiny magazine like paper used in the supplements of newspapers as some use alchohol based and chemical based inks that are extremely harmful to your bird if ingested.
REMEMBER, THIS LITTLE GIRL HAD ALMOST NO FEATHERS LEFT!
LOOK AT HER NOW!!
You may have to teach your bird to play. You may have to teach your bird to tear paper. If so, just sit in front of your bird tearing up a newspaper and have a good time doing it! Your bird will learn that it is an acceptable fun activity.
PLEASE Keep an eye on your bird to see if the feather plucking problems increase or decrease. It is also important to note that the behavior can also get worse and a bird may begin mutilating its skin. Some birds can do immense damage if they become "self mutilators" . If you see any evidence of the behavior worsening,
CONTACT YOUR AVIAN VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY!!
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT SOME BIRDS NEVER GET OVER THEIR FEATHER PLUCKING BEHAVIOR. A PARROT THAT PLUCKS STILL DESERVES ALL THE LOVE AND CARE YOU CAN GIVE HIM or HER! IN MY EYES, THEY ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS ANY OF MY OTHER PARROTS!
MORE TO COME, STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
Please feel free to browse through my website. I will always attempt to bring
you as much helpful information as I can. If you are owned by a Companion
Parrot, then you should understand that all attempts should be made to work with
your parrot to provide it with a loving home. The best thing for your avian
friend is to be able to get the Love and Care it needs from YOU!
Please click on the above buttons to find more information
about The "BIRDS COME FIRST" Parrot Website! I'll look forward to hearing from
you!
Birds Come First
P.O. Box 1008
Olalla, WA 98359
2005 by WILLIAM
O'ROURKE
