Acclimating New Birds

Now that my services have expanded into the "matchmaking" business, It dawned on me that we need to talk about the transition of a bird moving to a new home, whether a hand fed baby just adopted to a new home or an older bird going to a second home. This is a stressful time for any bird, but you can help lessen the strife and make the move easier for both your new bird and the rest of the family.

Good planning ahead of time is essential. A pet parrot should NEVER be an impulse buy. Adopting a companion parrot is just that - ADOPTING a new family member - they're not used cars to be traded in when you get bored! They are living, feeling, sensitive beings who should always be considered PERMANENT additions to the family. I'll never forget the first local bird expo I went to after moving to the Northwest. It was winter - cold and rainy, and I saw a person after person exiting the expo, each with a tiny baby African Grey tucked under their coats. There was a vendor inside with lots of cute baby Grays and a cheap price - apparently, many folks couldn't resist. Since no one seemed to have brought a carrier, it didn't seem to me that these were "planned" purchases, but rather spur of the moment purchases. I wonder how many went home to a nice cage, all set up with new toys and the proper diet? Not many, I'll bet. It's a deadly combo - cute, cheap, and baby! I'll bet not too many folks had done their homework either, studying up on African Greys and bird care in general.

The other common scenario is the "petshop rescue" - the pitiful bird at some pet store that knows nothing about birds - there he is, in a tiny cage, eating sunflower seeds, no toys, tucked in between the hamsters and the snakes, while the resident shop cat climbs freely through the store. So, on a whim, you take him home.

So, whether it's the irresistible baby, the sad ill cared for rescue, or an actual well thought out carefully chosen new addition - there he is, coming in your front door, hoping to spend the rest of his life with you, his ever loving devoted family!! So how do we transition from scared outsider to contented feathered child?

First, be prepared. Have the cage, toys, and food all set up prior to his arrival so he can slide right in and not have to stand by while everyone scrambles around, frantically searching for bird stuff. Normally, we advise putting a bird's cage in the busiest part of the house, where he can be the center of attention. But new birds need some space, quiet and privacy during the settling in process, so find him a comfortable safe corner where he can observe, but at a distance. Of course, he should have made a trip to the vet first thing and quarantining him for at least one month away from any other birds is always recommended. So this may not be his permanent location, but rather serve as a "pit-stop" in the beginning. You may want to partially cover his cage, draping a towel over the back and one side to help him feel safe. If possible, have some of his previous diet to mix in with the new (wonderful) cuisine you'll be serving.

Find out as much as possible about, not only his diet, but preference in toys, play time, bed time, and daily routine. Keeping some consistency helps for a smoother transitional time. Radical changes don't agree with many parrots, so go slow. Introduce him to every family member, but avoid anyone doing too much "hands on" stuff in the beginning. Rather, spend time just sitting by him, talking to him and offering some treats by hand. Don't force him or expect instant love. Work on building trust with "step-ups". Play "The Towel Game" to have interactive fun, as well as aiding future needs for handling by a vet or groomer.

Put your new guy on a regular schedule. Feed him lots of fresh veggies and nice warm cooked grains and legumes. Warm food is "comfort food" and helps strengthen the bond when fed by hand. Share some family dinner with him, preferably on a stand by the dining table. Watch TV together and preen his head feathers for him while you hang out on the couch. Include him in lots of family activities to help him feel a part of the flock. If everyone is gone to work or school during the day, leave a radio or TV on and make sure he's got plenty of interesting toys that provide both chewing exercise and mental stimulation. Talk to him before leaving, tell him he's okay and reassure him that you'll be back. When you do return give him a warm hello and a big hug. If you do have other birds, try to maintain the flock order. It won't help him relax if the other birds are resentful of all the attention the new guy gets. Always address your primary bird first - first one out, first one kissed, first one fed, etc. Don't allow the birds to get together until you're sure everyone gets along. First time together, it's helpful if it's on a neutral new stand that no one is territorial about. If you expect the two to ultimately share a cage, remember that will take time and patience - you don't want the new guy intimidated by an overbearing dominant "resident" who thinks he runs the place.

An important point to remember - don't make the mistake of totally doting on the bird at first, then ignoring him after the novelty wears off. He'll definitely need extra attention in the beginning, but try to maintain a balance from the start, to avoid rebound problems down the road. So be prepared, go slow, build trust, and have fun getting to know each other. This is the beginning of a beautiful lifelong friendship.

by Marilu Anderson, Bird Nutrition and Behavior Counselor
Phone: (503) 771-BIRD

Clicker Training For Pet Birds

Does your parrot scream or bite? These are two very common and very annoying behaviors. Especially when company is over! If you are at your wits end, give clicker training a shot. Since we can not reason, or sometimes beg, with our pets, we must communicate through other means. Clicker training helps bridge the communication gap and be quite successful in ending bothersome behaviors.



You don’t have to be a professional trainer to teach your pet. Owners have successfully trained their parrots to hold their wings out for feather trimming and hold out their toes for nail cutting. Can you imagine your bird holding still while you put a harness on it in order to go outdoors? And the joy of a veterinary examination without biting! Bring on the clicker training.

Before you can teach Polly how to fly around freely and come when called, you must first teach her what the clicker is. So, what is a clicker? A clicker is a small, hand-held devise that makes a “clicking” noise when pressed. You can purchase a clicker at any pet supply store. Now, just going around clicking is not going to do anything for your bird. The next step is to teach her that the clicker is good.

When beginning, don’t make your parrot do too much to get a treat. In fact, they need not do anything at all. For the first session or two have your treats ready and hand them out freely. Good treats are nuts and seeds. For about 5-10 min just press your clicker and then give your bird a treat. The idea here is for the bird to put the sound and the treat together. “Click-Click” means “treat-treat.” Birds are smart and it won’t take long for the connection to be made.

Once the sound and treat mechanism is established, try to get an actual response from your bird before pressing your clicker and handing out a treat. Trainers use what they call a “target.” This target is some sort of object that the bird can touch and then get rewarded with the click and treat. Often, your bird will accidentally touch whatever you choose as the target. Who cares?! Click and treat. Soon your bird will figure out that to get a treat he needs to touch the target. You do need to take care when picking a target. After your bird is trained to look for the target, you can then use it to lead your bird to another target. And it’s definitely wise not to use their perch. Once you get the basics down, there are a myriad of tricks you can teach your parrot. It all depends on what your end goal is.

Training your parrot truly doesn’t take terribly long. Birds are smart and you will be quickly rewarded with the time you spend together. Remember to have fun, your bird will sense it and be even more responsive to your training!

In The Bird's Mind

Birds are emotional beings and can be highly sensitive. Your attentiveness to her needs and responses to stimuli, your understanding of her intellectual and emotional signals and your constant presence all contribute to the health and well-being of your bird. Without these, you risk distress, anxiety and resultant health disorders in your bird.

You have to pay attention. Your bird will display emotional patterns, which betray her inherent tendencies and behavior toward the world around her. Her needs will vary according to species, the atmosphere, her surroundings and the stimuli she must respond to. The bottom line is, your expression of emotional support to a needy, oftentimes dependent bird will be vital.

One of the most important ways you can express your attentiveness to your bird is simply by being there. If you are gone for much of the day, your bird will need special time with you in the morning or evening. Even if you're home during the day, but overly busy, your bird will want you to slow down a while to spend quality time with her. This relaxation period will not only be good for your bird, but will also be beneficial to you.

Remember, your bird requires a constant and methodical schedule of eating, playing and sleeping. If you skip playtime or considerably disrupt her routine, your bird may sink into a period of anxiety and confusion, and may attempt to win back your attention through self-mutilation.

Disruption and Degeneration

Harry, an Amazon parrot, spent the first two years of his life happily settled in his owner's living area in a second floor condominium in the suburbs. His owner talked to him, played with him and taught him new words. They even sang together. Suddenly Harry's world turned upside down, literally and figuratively. An earthquake, measuring just 4.5 on the Richter scale, struck his hometown. Although the quake lasted only a few minutes, it sent dishes crashing to the floor from their precarious perches along the narrow shelf near the ceiling.

The crash as the dishes hit the floor and the shudder of the concrete building as the condo walls flexed sent Harry into a tailspin. He no longer wanted to play and was even afraid of familiar toys and perches. Any newcomer in his owner's home was the enemy, and he responded by flapping about the cage, making peculiar squawking noises and hurting his delicate feathers on the cage bars.

This behavior soon turned to feather picking, a form of self-mutilation and a habit that greatly alarmed Harry's owner. She talked to him constantly, begging him to stop. She bought him treats and let him walk all over her table during mealtimes, but this departure from the normal routines and rules worsened the situation.

Finally, she read an article about skittish birds, which gave her the key to Harry's behavior. He needed continual training, constant emotional support and a methodical schedule of playtime, feedings and rest. Harry is now back on track, his wounds from his feather picking healed. He enjoys plenty of socialization time with his owner and any visitors she has in her home. Harry now spends his time in activity and rest. The stress of the earthquake still exists, as do other stresses such as loud police sirens, injuries, freeway noise and apartment living, but his now-predictable schedule and extra recovery time with his owner have helped him adjust from his stressful experience.

Insecurity and Interaction

Violet, a delightful female Budgie, wouldn't mount her owner's arm and frequently fell off her perch for no apparent reason. An insecure bird, Violet spent most of her day alone in her cage. A neighbor boy who visited her owner frequently would taunt her and poke at her through the cage bars without mercy.

One day, she bit her owner, who yelled, and Violet hid behind her water dish the rest of the evening. The next day, he caught Violet plucking feathers from her own body, but instead of reacting negatively to this behavior, Violet's owner used his head. He began to talk to Violet in soothing tones, giving her treats and lightly scratching her neck. Violet warmed up to this activity, but after a few minutes, she returned to her hideout behind the water dish.

The next morning, her owner was up early with Violet. He opened her cage and moved her gently to her perch. The bird seemed thrilled, stayed on the perch with ease and mounted her owner's arm when commanded. They played ball. Violet screeched with joy as she bit at the rubber ball and chased it under the couch. They went around and around for a full hour of playtime. After breakfast, her owner left for the office, and Violet settled down for a long wait. A few hours later, her owner was back for lunch and more play. He left music playing all afternoon, and when he returned home in the evening, they played more games.

Within a few weeks, Violet had stopped plucking her feathers, and she ran to the cage door to see her owner when he walked up. Her behavior had turned 180 degrees. Suddenly this normally insecure bird was receiving the stimulation she needed for survival. By having scheduled and routine interaction and playtimes, meals and rest, Violet became fully adjusted to her owner's work schedule.

Violet's owner also refused to allow the neighbor boy to come into his apartment, unless he was with his parents. This eliminated the last cause of stress for Violet, and she no longer feared strangers. Her owner understood that by ignoring the behavior and addressing the stress that was causing the behavior, he could much more quickly bring Violet's life back to normal.

Territory and Trauma

A territorial bird is not acting on instinct. She is simply suffering from a form of aggression. She thinks she needs to stake out a claim on a particular person, room or toy because of emotional instability, usually the result of some sort of trauma or unwanted pressure. Often, being harassed can lead to territorial tendencies in birds. Remember to ignore a negative behavior in your bird, since any behavior, negative or positive, will continue when given attention. The best approach is to maintain a schedule or return to an already existing routine, and stick with it.

Hormones and Mates

The sexually active bird is imitating its own behavior in the wild. Birds have frequent hormonal rushes and find themselves attracted to their reflection in a mirror or try to mate with their owners. Don't get a mate for your bird just because your African Gray is in love with you. Be patient with her. Remember that she is simply showing her affection for you. Place her back in her cage and continue on with your day, or place her on her perch and give her a spoken command. Continue to train your bird through this difficult behavior, always maintain a regular schedule and he will soon cool down.

Aggression and Adrenaline

The aggressive bird is often overloaded with excitement and not sure what to do with her adrenaline rush. A large Macaw may be thrilled with the idea of a visitor to your home, but you may not recognize her excitement as pleasure when she rushes at the cage bars or attempts to bite you or your visitor. This behavior stems from feeling overwhelmed and can be remedied by calmly ignoring the behavior. A Macaw may frequently use her voice to insult, bludgeon and intimidate any visitor, making the guest feel uneasy. Don't punish your bird for this display. Simply train her out of it. Teach her something nice to say to visitors instead, or if she can't say something nice, teach her not to say anything at all!

Patience and Persistence

Seeing into your bird's mind takes patience, knowledge and plenty of persistence, but it will pay handsomely in the final analysis. Give your bird time for adjustment, training and socialization, and you will be rewarded with a happy, well-adjusted pet.

Pet Bird Behavior and Misbehavior

If you think men are from Mars and women are from Venus, imagine where birds are from. Not only is a bird owner required to feed and care for his pet, he must also read the bird's mind and try to understand why she behaves or misbehaves. However, there are clues to help you understand what makes birds tick and how to interact with them.

Much as with children, normal behavior in birds can go awry as a result of physical or psychological difficulties, or just plain boredom. For example, if your bird is bored and lonely, she may scream for attention. Your bird thrives on interaction with the 'flock,' and her flock is you! Being a flock is a lot of work, but learning the ropes can be quite rewarding.

Why Birds Misbehave

Because parrots are intelligent, they are easily bored and express their frustration in a variety of ways. In addition to screaming, other indications of boredom include biting, fits of jealousy, feather-picking, overeating, refusing to eat and destroying objects within reach. During out-of-cage time, she may attack the furniture, woodwork, telephone cord, computer keyboards or any other object she can sink her beak into.

Parrots are social creatures, and they need to be included in the activities of the human flock. Bonding with a favorite human is important. You are the master of the flock, and it's up to you to set boundaries and provide opportunities for exercise, play and mental stimulation. Isolation can turn a potentially wonderful pet bird into either a screeching, biting menace or a quiet, obsessed feather picker.

Food for Thought

A varied and nutritious diet can also influence behavior. Include interesting and challenging foods like corn on the cob, unshelled peas and nuts. Many single pet budgies without out-of-cage time for exercising and socializing will spend their days overeating, particularly fattening seeds and treats. The addition of fresh fruits and vegetables will keep those little beaks busy while providing in-cage exercise.

Some of the budgie's larger cousins tend to undereat or feather-pick when bored. Give larger parrots stimulating fresh foods on a birdie kabob, a skewer for serving large pieces of fresh foods, and make sure you provide a wide variety of choices for the food cup. Varying the diet and presentation will stimulate a new interest in eating.

Overstimulation

Just as a child can become too overwhelmed at his birthday party, your parrot may wiggle away from an extended head scratch, back rub or cuddle session. She may either tire of the attention and want to move on to something else or may have to go potty. If you don't react in time to her need to eliminate, you may have droppings on your furniture, carpet, clothing or hand. When she squirms, put her in the cage or on some paper provided for the occasion. You can always try playing again when she's finished!

Despite your efforts, your parrot may eventually become restless and bored with toys and games. She'll want something else to do like explore the out-of-cage environment, eat or take a drink. If you don't pay attention to the mood swings, your cranky bird may move on to biting as a signal that it's time to do something else.

Boredom has a profound effect on your bird's overall well-being. If you've made the effort to keep her from being bored, but the undesired behavior persists, it is important you look in other areas of her life to discover what's causing the problem.

Screaming

Parrots are verbal creatures with voices that vary from pleasant whistles to raucous screeches and screams. Normal screaming occurs when the bird greets the morning, when she is ready to roost at night, when she is frightened or in pain, when hormones surge at breeding time and even when she's just plain happy.

Just as parents must learn with infants, a parrot owner must quickly learn to differentiate normal screaming from a learned behavior. Screaming frequently may indicate hunger, thirst, boredom, loneliness, fear, stress, fatigue, a reaction to the owner's stress or a lack of toys.

Screaming may also be an attempt to copy another bird or a behavior that has been unwittingly rewarded in the past by a novice owner.

Screaming, often combined with other undesirable behaviors such as biting or jealousy, can be prevented once the cause is discovered. To determine the reasons for this ear-shattering behavior, you should examine your bird's environment, her state of physical and psychological well being, the way she is handled, whether her nutritional needs are being met, whether she has been spoiled by too much attention or if a change in the bird's or family's life has drastically disrupted her routine.

If you need help with behavior modification, document when the screaming occurs and report your findings when you take your bird to see an avian vet or bird behaviorist.

Biting

For bird owners, biting is probably the most fearsome bird behavior. A little budgie beak is capable of piercing a hole in a finger, lip or earlobe. The thought of a bite by a conure, Amazon, cockatoo or macaw can certainly cause even the most unflinching owner to shudder.

There are a number of reasons why parrots bite, most involving the owner's behavior. For example, birds will usually bite when they feel threatened by a fearful owner who, at the approach of that formidable beak, jumps back waving arms, hands and fingers.

An otherwise docile bird may bite if disturbed while eating, bathing, playing or sleeping. Biting is a way to let others know she does not want their attention. Other reasons for a biting reaction may include changes in the environment; an invasion of the bird's territory; a lack of trust of the owner, family members or strangers; sudden movements, noises or vibrations; neglect or abuse including hitting and isolating; a lack of guidance; insufficient social interaction; improper nutrition or care; a separation from a human or feathered mate; and hormonal changes during the breeding season.

Young birds going through an explore-the-environment stage use their sensitive beaks to taste and 'feel' humans and objects and to help them keep their balance when they are climbing or stepping up to something. The best way to handle the little 'toddler' is to avoid the beak, but if it does get a hold of you, gently remove your finger. Be forewarned that innocent beak explorations in the form of nibbling may, if encouraged, grow into full-fledged biting as the bird grows older.

In order to prevent biting, you must learn to read the bird's body language and understand her personality and moods. It's important not to engage in negative reinforcement by shouting in pain, screaming or hitting the bird. These actions will make your bird think you are playing a game of 'I Bite/You Dramatize.' Biting can also be discouraged with the use of a calm 'no' command and by providing foot toys, chew toys or a piece of vegetable or fruit. Brief timeout periods in the cage, followed by attention and a reward such as a head scratch or a treat, may also be effective.

Feather Picking or Self-Mutilation

Feather picking and self-mutilation are behaviors exclusive to pet birds. Normally, birds will pull out a couple of feathers here and there when they are preening or molting. However, when birds carry this to an extreme by chewing off breast, wing or tail feathers, the behavior must be stopped before it becomes an obsessive habit. Continued feather plucking will eventually damage the feather follicles and stop the growth of normal, healthy feathers.

Cockatoos, African grays, macaws, conures, Timneh parrots and Amazons are prone to feather picking. They sometimes carry the activity one step further to self-mutilation by chewing on the legs, feet or skin to create rather nasty, bloody messes ripe for infection.

Parrots may develop this behavior for either medical or psychological reasons. These include changes in hormone levels, malnutrition, external or internal parasites, bacterial or fungal infections of the skin or feather follicles, Psittacine beak and feather disease, environmental stress, nervousness, sudden temperature changes, insufficient sleep, lack of bathing time, not enough playtime, too small of a cage, incorrect cage location, isolation, boredom, lack of physical activity and exercise, inappropriate handling, insufficient light, constant fear and constant fear of danger from other pets.

A cure or prevention should begin with an examination by an avian vet. You need to keep a good record of your bird's feather picking and self-mutilation habits as well as the circumstances surrounding each incident. Take note of your bird's overall psychological condition and examine her environment with an eye for what might be improved.

Routines are important for your bird and should be followed as closely as possible. Make sure your bird gets enough sleep and good nutrition. Provide the opportunity for frequent bathing. Give your bird quality time for play and cuddling every day, offering her a variety of chew toys.

Regurgitation

Regurgitation, or bringing up undigested food from the crop (a saclike enlargement of a bird's gullet in which food is stored before digestion) and attempting to feed a favorite human, mirror or toy is a common behavior. This behavior is similar to when a cat brings home a prized dead mouse for its owner. What people perceive as disgusting is the highest honor their bird can bestow. It is the avian way of expressing love and affection to their human mate, just as it is part of normal courtship and breeding behavior between birds.

If your bird regurgitates on you, accept it graciously and don't confuse your amorous 'mate' by expressing your disgust.

Since regurgitation is more likely to occur during breeding season when hormones are raging, it is best not to arouse your parrot by stroking her abdomen, neck or back. Be prepared to receive this precious gift if your bird begins to bob her head, pump her crop and neck muscles, and pin her eyes (narrow and dilate her pupils rather quickly). One good strategy to prevent regurgitation is to distract her with a game or toy.

Regurgitation directed at a toy or mirror, accompanied by rubbing against the object, signals an attempt at mating. Budgies are famous for this since they think their reflection is another bird. Removing the object of your bird's affection can easily prevent this behavior.

Frequent regurgitation could be a sign of illness, such as a crop or upper digestive tract infection. If the behavior persists, you should take your bird in to see an avian vet.

Inexperienced bird owners frequently mistake regurgitation for vomiting, a forceful expulsion of the crop contents. If the cage, the walls and the bird are sticky with vomit, it is likely she has become ill with poisoning from zinc, lead or another toxic substance, has a gastrointestinal disorder or has ingested a foreign object. Take the bird to the avian vet immediately.

Night Frights

Cockatiels, cockatoos and macaws frequently experience night frights, also common among small children, when startled from sleep by a loud noise, vibration or sudden movement, or simply for an unidentifiable reason. Your startled bird may try to take flight, fall off her perch, thrash around the cage or bang against the cage bars, toys and feeders. She may become injured, bleed from pulled feathers, bruise her wing tips, feet, chest or abdomen, go into shock and even sustain internal injuries. When night frights occur, try to calm your bird. Stop any bleeding with styptic powder and call your avian vet for advice.

To circumvent injuries due to night frights, try placing a small night light near the cage or in the aviary so your bird can see where she is during this episode. Or, place an air purifier in the room to drown out potentially frightening noises. You can also provide a small, toy-free sleeping cage to reduce the possibility of injury. To lessen the chance of injury, place a towel on the bottom and lower sides of the cage to cushion the impact of a fall or from thrashing about.

Seizures

Seizures are sometimes mistaken for night frights. In fact, they are symptomatic of more serious, life-threatening problems such as lead or zinc poisoning, head trauma, epilepsy, infection or diet deficiency.

Following a seizure, your bird will look dazed and extremely tired. She will usually sit on the bottom of the cage or on a low perch for a prolonged period of time. You should keep it quiet in a toy-free, covered cage. After treating any bleeding from pulled feathers, take your bird to the avian vet for immediate evaluation.

Nurturing Intervention

As a bird owner, you'll need to become familiar with your parrot's body language, moods, likes, dislikes and personality traits. This will help you to discern behavioral changes and determine the reasons for them, and recognize you may inadvertently be causing or encouraging undesirable behaviors.

Never punish your bird, as she cannot make the connection between the crime and the punishment. For example, screaming at a screaming bird can actually encourage her to scream more, if only for the attention she receives. You should never hit a bird. Hitting or grabbing a bird's beak causes the bird to respond aggressively, fostering fear and distrust.

To help control inappropriate behaviors, let your bird know you will both love and protect her. Once you have gained the bird's trust and affection, she will begin to bond with you. This opens the gate to easy handling, learning commands, verbal interaction in both human and parrot language, and successful behavior modification.

Play Toys

Parrots, like children, need play activities to exercise and strengthen the body, burn energy, stimulate intellectual activity and for fun and entertainment. They must also learn to play by themselves, substituting the wild bird's instincts for flight, flock interaction and foraging for food with caged bird alternatives. Some safe toys readily available in your home include paper cups, cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towels (ideal chewing toys for Amazons, macaws and African grays) and uncooked pasta strung on vegetable-tanned leather strips.

Retail bird toys include blocks of wood with unshelled nuts or seed treat sticks inside, wooden blocks with rope and leather knots strung through them, wooden ladders and barbells, natural ropes and branches, zinc and lead-free chains, swings with wooden beads, nylon or acrylic keys or rings, hanging toys with zinc-free and lead-free bells, shapes made out of plain or vegetable-dyed soft woods or pieces of hide and leather strung on rope.

More complex toys include a mix of branches, rope, wooden beads and blocks, hide, leather, parrot cookies, pieces of cholla and manzanita wood and chains. These provide your parrot with decision-making opportunities and hours of mental and physical stimulation as she figures out how to take her toy apart.

To avoid tragedies such as lead or zinc poisoning, cut tongues, beak or foot injuries, strangulation or infection, toys must have lead-free and zinc-free links to attach them to the cage. Check your bird's toys frequently and remove them from her cage if cotton rope is frayed or sagging. If your bird has made holes that could trap a foot, beak or neck, or if the toy is covered with food residue or droppings, discard or clean the toys immediately.

Toys should be selected according to the size of the bird to avoid injuries caused by toy parts that are too large or too small. Avoid toys made with loose-linked chains, jingle bells, and metal parts that are not lead-free or zinc-free, such as bells with lead clappers; weighted toys containing lead, locks, nuts and bolts that may contain zinc or other heavy metals; eye screws that can be swallowed or caught in the mouth; and objects made from brittle plastic that can easily be broken into sharp-edges.

Naturally, if your bird shows no interest in a toy, or clearly dislikes it, take it away.

Play Activities

There are many interactive games people can play with their pet birds. Playing these games encourages trust, strengthens parrot/human communication, helps your bird release energy in a non-destructive way and gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with your little feathered bundle of energy.

Games

The Blinking Game: First establish eye contact, then close your eyes and the bird will copy you. Birds will generally blink whenever their human playmate does and sometimes will do it first to initiate play.

Peek-A-Boo: When a person leaves the room, a bird will normally stretch its neck to see where he went. To play, peek around the door so your bird sees you again. This game is also fun as an out-of-cage activity. Place a towel or light cage cover over your head. Your bird may burrow under it or pull it off entirely. Or place a cover over your bird and reward her with a cuddle or head scratch when she peeks out.

Yoo-Hoo: This game is fun when you are somewhere else in the house. Teach your bird to cry 'yoo-hoo' or 'hi there,' and you whistle or call back. This can also help teach your bird to whistle or speak, rather than scream, when she wants attention.

Drop-and-Pick-Up: Much like toddlers, birds love to repeatedly drop a toy and watch you retrieve it.

Tug-O-War: Take a towel and allow your bird to grab an end and pull while you gently pull on the other end. Allow your pet to win a few times so she doesn't develop aggressive behavior. If you have a shy bird, the odds of winning should be in her favor.

Upside-Down Game: Some birds enjoy hanging upside-down from the top of the cage or from a perch, often while holding an object such as a wooden barbell in its mouth. Your bird may become so expert she can hang upside-down from your finger while twisting her body around. Reward this fine trick with high praise, a good neck and head scratch or a piece of fruit.

Games are most successful if they are designed according to your bird's personality and favorite solo activities. Your bird may graduate from simple games to more complex tricks such as shaking hands, playing basketball, riding toys and playing dead. Parrots can also become great talkers and wonderful dancing and singing partners. Some like jazz or golden oldies music while others prefer Viennese waltzes or a bit of Mozart.

Obviously, it takes time, understanding and patience for birds and humans to learn to play together successfully. Take the time to observe your bird's individual behavior and learn the essentials of training and handling. This effort will result in hours of fun and laughs for both you and your bird.

How Can I Tell If My Bird Is Bored?

Your bird needs to socialize every day. It is easy for her to get bored if she's not getting enough stimulation. Parrots get bored easily because they are very intelligent and social creatures. If your parrot is being ignored, she'll go out of her way to let you know. Be careful, though, because many indications of boredom are also indications of illness.

Signs of boredom include screaming, biting fits of jealousy, feather picking, overeating (especially in budgies who are housed alone), refusing to eat (more common in larger birds) and destructive behavior.

If you think your bird is bored, restructure your schedule so you can spend more time with her. She needs to hear you talk, get out of her cage for exercise and interact with everyone in the family. Give her a good head-scratching, backrub or cuddle session. Introduce new toys or new foods. Teach her a new trick. If she's a talker, teach her a new word or phrase. Most important, don't get in the habit of ignoring her. Whenever you walk by her cage, take a moment to interact and if you're near her doing something, talk to her while you work.

You'll find that keeping your bird happy is rewarding for you both.

Kids, Family, and Birds!

In todays world almost every family with kids has a family pet. Whatever pet it may be, it becomes just like another child or family member. Birds are commonly among these family pets, especially budgies and cockatiels. Any family that mixes birds and kids has a few extra things to consider that they never may have thought of!

A Bird as a Family Pet: the Pros and Cons

Lets start with the bad part of mixing children with birds. Birds, being fragile creatures, obviously can't put up with any rough housing and big hugs such as a dog or cat might. However, if kids are properly taught how to handle feathered friends gently this may never pose a problem. Secondly birds can be stubborn and sometimes not very friendly, and children need to understand this before they're allowed to handle them. In the first months of a bird living in the house, it should be handled and tamed by an older individual before interacting with younger family members.

Now for the good! Birds are hardy and fairly easy to care for, making them great pets for teaching responsibility to kids. Birds are also very social creatures that enjoy company and interaction with their flock (whether it is people or other birds). Interacting with birds can make a great activity that the entire family can participate in.

Bird Breeds That Are Best for a Family

Depending on how much the family plans to interact with their birds, there are a few bird breed common to families with kids. The most common of these would be budgies and cockatiels. Both of these birds are good for first birds and children's pets, as they are hardy and once tamed can become very affectionate. There are a few differences as always between the two breeds, as budgies are sometimes more difficult to tame and cockatiels commonly learn to speak more easily.

Other breeds sometimes owned by families include finches and lovebirds. Finches are nice to look at, fun to watch and easy to care for but aren't the best for families interested in taming their birds. Lovebirds are on the other side of the spectrum: they need an abundance of attention, especially if you decide only to purchase a single bird. Contrary to popular belief lovebirds don't require a mate; however they are very social and need daily attention and interaction with family.

Always keep in mind that larger birds might not be the best for children. They have stronger beaks and claws that can cause a lot more damage, and are best suited as pets for experienced bird persons. When choosing the breed of bird for your family, do a lot of research on the breeds you are interested in by taking a trip to the library and checking out some breed specific books.

Helping Children Care For Birds

However responsible they may be, younger children shouldn't be in full responsibility of a bird. They should be encouraged to do a lot of their own research on the care and handling of a bird, but the parent(s) should also do plenty of research on their own. Always make sure that children know what they're doing when feeding, handling, and caring for their birds and try to supervise this as much as possible. Birds are small creatures that are sensitive, and a mistake made in their care can be a serious problem. However with proper supervision and a bit of luck, a bird could be your family's next perfect family pet!

Birds Need Toys Too!

Because birds are such intelligent animals, they need mental stimulation. Bird toys and accessories help provide this mental stimulation. They can also help in maintaining the beak and nails at their proper length.

Providing your bird with toys and appropriate chew items will go a long way towards eliminating undesirable behavior such a screaming or nipping. That's because your bird will not have so much pent-up energy that it becomes unmanageable when you want to play with it.

There are a variety of bird toys available; some are better suited for certain types of birds. Select toys that are appropriate for the type and size of your bird. Toys that are too small will break and shatter with large beaks. Toys that are too large will frighten smaller birds.

Plastic toys and metal toys with bells are ideal for the smaller birds, such as Budgerigars (Parakeets) and Cockatiels. Rawhides, wooden toys, metal toys with bells, and rope toys are also suggested.

Plastic toys should never be given to a larger parrot, such as a Macaw. A large parrot can dismantle a plastic toy in seconds and could ingest the pieces. Instead, provide big birds with larger durable rope toys, rawhides, leather, and large wooden or acrylic toys.

All toys should be made with nontoxic materials. Leather should be untreated or vegetable dyed. Wood should be untreated or colored with a nontoxic coloring.

Make sure the toy is sturdy. It should not have small parts that could be broken off and swallowed, or clasps that could pierce the beak, mouth or eyes. Toys with smooth edges are best. Toys should be strung on sisal or cotton rope, or a closed-link chain (where each chain is welded shut). When the end of a piece of rope begins to unravel, clip it off so your bird does not become entangled.

Purchase several toys and frequently rotate them into the cage to keep it interesting for your bird. Wash and disinfect toys when they become soiled and discard them if you notice excessive wear.

Pet Bird Body Language

Have you ever taken the time to watch your birds really closely and notice the different behaviours they have that can indicate an enormous amount of information about each bird ? Just as humans have a definite body language so to do our birds. In this article I will go through some that I have noticed and I would love to hear from other members who may have made observations of their own while observing their birds. Even without inspecting the nestbox it is possible to tell by the behaviour of a breeding pair when their chicks are starting to hatch. Over the 21 days your birds will most likely have been taking regular shifts of looking after the eggs with the male sitting all day and the hen sitting all night. The changeovers are usually fairly predictable the hen emerging around 6 or 7 am and the cock taking over and changing back around 5 or 6pm. Things are quite calm and orderly. Then around 21 days after the first egg was laid the sitting routine goes right out of the window. Changeovers are much more frequent as each parent take a turn of feeding up and returning to the nestbox to feed the chicks. Things take on a much more frenetic pace and woe betide you if your late taking them their soft food and greens in the morning. You won't be met with the calm happy twitters of your grateful birds, more like an exasperated looking parent pacing the perch or hanging off the front wire of the aviary indicating in no uncertain terms that you better hurry up as they have babies waiting for breakfast. If you don't pick up on these sort of signals you may not be as in tune with you birds as you could be. From the moment a baby bird hatches its very existence depends on its ability to convey to its parent that it is hungry and needs food. This carries on for as long as the chick is dependent on the parent bird for food and sometimes they will try it on even after it is weaned and usually the parent bird will respond with the bird equivalent to a clip on the ear. The one thing I love watching the most is when a chick first emerges from the nestbox. After finally working up the courage to follow it's parent who has been patiently flying backwards and forwards from the nestbox to the front of the aviary to encourage their offspring to follow, for all the world as if it is saying come on watch me, you can do it. Then once that first giant step is taken the very next thing the parent starts to teach the chick is where the food is . The parent will fly from beside the chick to where the food supply is backwards and forwards until the chick follows and starts the long process of learning to eat by itself. Then once all the chicks are fledged and all demanding food from the parents at the same time you can soon see who has the dominant personality amongst the group or who is the more quiet one who usually is last in line for a feed. Other examples of reading a bird's body language are when your birds go into a sudden panic and fly around madly then just as quickly go completely still, not making a sound. In my part of the woods this usually heralds the arrival of a bird of prey such as a hawk. I don't need to see the bird to know that it's there. One thing that fascinates me is that usually just before the arrival of such a bird you will often see some wild rainbow lorikeets screaming through the sky, yelling their heads off, as if in warning to other birds who don't have the lorikeets speed to escape, to take cover as danger is approaching. We have a lot of spotted turtle doves around here, unfortunately for them, much sought after by hawks for their lunch. Their plan of action when a hawk arrives on the scene is to keep perfectly still so as not to attract attention to themselves. Usually after a short while one will panic and try to escape and is usually snapped up by the waiting hawk. Back to watching your own birds, obviously there are the signs to look for if you suspect a bird is unwell. We all know that birds will try to hide the fact that they are sick for as long as possible, but if you are really in tune with your birds you should be able to pick up very slight changes in their personality and behaviour that may indicate they have a problem before it gets too serious. Things like sleeping a bit more than usual, changes in eating habits, irritability, being a bit dominated by the other birds more than would normally happen could all mean something is not quite right. You can usually tell when a hen is about to start laying . She will get a bit of a humpy look to her stance and her dropping will become large and runny. She should however still be eating well and generally be in good health. This is the time to make extra sure you hen has a fresh and plentiful supply of calcium to replace what she uses up laying her eggs. If a bird is egg bound ( unable to pass the egg) she may go down to the floor of the aviary and appear in some distress. The first thing to do if this occurs is to keep the bird warm and administer a liquid calcium supplement such as Calcium Sandoz by mouth. If you are unsure of what to do or the bird doesn't seem to be responding contact your avian vet immediately. Sexing your birds can be made easier by some careful observation of their behaviour. Young males will start to show tell tale signs of the first throaty whistles at quite a young age, but it is easy to miss if you aren't watching. It is best to observe them from a distance and don't stare at them or they will stop doing it. If you can't tell which one is making the noise look at their tails for a tell tale slight movement in time with the whistle. Once you have an idea a particular bird might be a male you can either shift him to a different aviary and continue to observe the rest of his siblings or make a note of his ring number for future reference. Compatibility is very a important factor in breeding. If you have the opportunity to let your birds select their own partners you will see they have very definite ideas about who they want to be paired with. If you have an aviary with equal numbers of young un-bonded cocks and hens it is quite often the case that one of the hens has the attention of all the males or conversely one of the cock birds has all the young females trailing after him. I don't know what that exactly says about those more popular birds body language to the other birds but I think I'll let you figure it out for yourselves!!

Feather Plucking

Feather plucking by caged birds has been almost totally enigmatic through these past few decades. Some of what I opine to be causes are listed below:

• BEHAVIORAL: This is found mainly in Cockatoos and Congo African Greys. Timneh Greys are not as susceptible to the neurotic plucking that their close relatives tend to do when upset emotionally. Cockatoos pluck out of frustration from lack of attention, being kept covered or away from stimuli because of their loud calls, and/or other physical factors. Once a Cockatoo begins to pluck itself, the whole regime can turn into a nasty mutilation scene. It becomes a vicious circle of irritation, itchiness, more plucking and then mutilation. Unless you can put up with the noise of these magnificent birds, and afford to give it the attention it deserves, then an affectionate loving Cockatoo is not for you. The larger Greys, being very intelligent and sensitive birds, have a tendency to pluck when anything in their environment changes - maybe even a new visitor.

• PHYSIOLOGICAL: Upon medical exam, some birds have been diagnosed with parasites or bacterial infections. Some bacterial infections may be secondary to the cause of plucking and as a result of the irritation.

• DIETARY: Chemical additives in some artificial pelleted diets may well be a cause of plucking in birds that become sensitive to the chemical buildup. Lack of foods rich in amino acids and phytonutrients (fresh produce) can be a cause of plucking. I believe in a varied diet with a good vitamin, mineral, amino acid supplement to keep the bird's system from becoming immuno compromised. Dietary requirements are also species specific in many cases. It's best to do some research on the type of bird(s) that you own before making dietary changes or decisions.

• HOUSING: A happy healthy bird is one that can ideally fly or at least have a cage large enough to be able to hop around and stretch and flap its wings. Extra care must be taken with a bird that has flight, though, to keep it from escaping and to keep it from getting into trouble. Birds need to chew and need stimuli, so a few safe bird toys in its cage will help it to escape the boredom of being confined. I've found that fresh clean sliced or chunked pine 2x4s are the bird's favorites. My breeders chew them vigorously to use as nesting material while the others love them as hand held chew toys.

• ENVIRONMENTAL: Last, but not least is the environmental factor. New carpeting, upholstered or laminated furniture, new sheet rock, and neurotoxic odors from household sprays can be deadly to birds. The first four items outgas the highly carcinogenic formaldehyde for many years. Weather permitting, birds should have a source of fresh air and/or air conditioning. A good HEPA filter air cleaner will do the best job in keeping stale air fresh and bird dust down. Ozone air cleaners are a no-no because of the after effects that are lung irritants. Birds have been known to succumb to fumes from running trucks or cars close to their room. Most everyone is aware of the danger of overheated Teflon™ or Silverstone™ coated pans, utensils, and new appliances.

• MOLD: This should be covered under environmental, but I feel it important enough to be given its own heading. If you can see mold anywhere in your home or aviary, you have a problem that could cause the itchiness in plucking birds. If you have had water seepage or leaks that were fixed or have stopped, you can still have a problem with hidden mold that emits mycotoxins. Mycotoxins cannot be seen or measured, but they can be physically devastating to both birds and humans. Sheet rock is fodder for mold. Bleach does NOT kill mold. It masks it and then leaves a residue that feeds the spores later on. White vinegar is the best cleaning agent that I know of to kill mold. Stachybotrys mold can only be killed at temperatures above 500 degrees! This is one of the most toxic types of mold and can cause CNS (central nervous system) problems, cancer, and many other ailments. Aspergillus (very common) can cause bad respiratory problems that are difficult to cure. There are a few other lesser toxic molds and numerous non-toxic types. I believe that these mycotoxins are the main offender in birds that pluck.

Pet Bird Potty Training

Over the years there have been hundreds of examples of birds who have been potty trained. We have heard of macaws, cockatoos, cockatiels, lories, conures, amazons, lovebirds and greys who have been successfully trained. Because parrots are among the most intelligent of the animal species, it is easy to understand why they can so easily be trained to go potty.

Birds have a much higher metabolism than mammals. Their normal body temperature is over 100 degrees farenheit and food passes through the digestive track of a parrot in about 30 minutes. After eating, food is stored in the crop and is gradually passed into the rest of the digestive tract. For this reason, birds will poop periodically for 2-3 hours after eating.

Birds also tend not to poop overnight, when asleep, and thus the first poop of the day is often a massive one. In addition, birds usually take a poop before they fly.

Potty training an older bird may take more effort, but young birds are relatively easy to teach. Wait until the bird is about four months old, since birds have difficulty in controlling their poops until that age.

Follow the same guidelines used with other animals such as dogs and cats. Observation, positive reinforcement, persistence, patience, and consistency are the keys to successful potty training.

There are a few things which must be understood and decided in order to successfuly complete the potty training process. You need to observe the frequency of eliminating and the behavior patterns the bird exhibits when ready to poop. You should identify any special behaviors the bird makes just prior to pooping. These are signals that the bird is about to poop. You should also decide where you want to allow the bird to go to the bathroom - in the cage, on a perch, in a wastebasket, etc. Additional questions are: Do you also wish to train the bird to poop on command? and Who is going to perform the training - is it one person or a group of people? Whoever does the training must also be committed, be consistant and have patience.

Successful training depends upon positive reinforcement. When the bird does what is desired, it should be rewarded with praise.

Frequency

Anticipating the needs of the parrot by its owner is an important step in the training process. Spend a few days observing the bird. How frequently does it poop?

How often after eating does it take it's first poop and then how frequently after that does it take another one? If the bird has not eaten for a few hours, does the frequency change? Record the number of minutes between eliminations and the situation. Watch the first dropping in the morning. Is it a massive one?

Does the bird poop just before it steps up onto your hand or if it is coming out of the cage? If not clipped, does it eliminate when about to fly? Does it poop when nervous? Learning the specifics will help you in predicting episodes and in training the bird.

Most small birds, like budgies, conures and cockatiels, poop about every 10-20 minutes. They often go when you pick them up. Smaller birds need to eliminate more often than big birds. Time between droppings may vary from 10 - 30 minutes. Cockatoos and macaws can last an hour or more, but many are more comfortable going more frequently.

Our cockatoos are often out for a period of 2 hours at night. Although there is a place for them to take a poop, two of them often go for more than an hour and one of them usually lasts the whole 2 hours. The length of time before taking a poop is shorter if they have eaten immediately before coming out or eat during the time they are out.

Many people report that the longer the bird is out, the less frequently it eliminates. Unless more food is eaten, apparently the source of the droppings runs out.

Behaviors

What behaviors does the bird exhibit when getting ready to take a poop? Learning the particular signs of your bird enables you to anticipate when it is about to go to the bathroom and to intervene for training.

Watch the bird in its cage, and while it is out playing. You will notice that the bird will squat and sometimes raise its wings and back up a bit before going. They will also crouch a bit and lift up the tail to facilitate pooping.

Our birds prefer taking a poop from a height - on a perch, from one edge of the top of the cage or the cage door. If on a bed, sofa, chair, playpen or shoulder, they seem to prefer going to the edge of the surface so that the droppings fall down and away. If your bird moves this way, it may be a sign that it is getting ready to potty.

Others have described getting ready to poop as - a low, crouching stance with the rear end of the bird extended as if stretching. If on a flat surface this is often accompanied by a backward step or two.

Still others refer to the bird as getting antzy or doing a little dance or wiggling the tail.

One pet owner believes that his bird's feet become hot. Another has a bird who makes small noises, and one has a bird who when sitting on her shoulder, fidgets and grabs her ear when it has to go to the bathroom.

Observe your bird and get to know what behaviors it performs when getting ready to poop. Catching the bird as it begins these behaviors, is the time to intervene and train the bird on where to go potty.

Once trained, you may find that your bird will tell you when he needs to potty. The bird may repeat a phrase you have used during training or go over to the place it is allowed to poop on by himself. It may become agitated, wiggle, make noises or do something unique to alert you that it has to eliminate.

Where

Give some thought as to where you want to train your bird to potty. Some people prefer that their bird go only on or in its cage. Others train them to go when on a playpen, perch or chair, over a newspaper, on a wicker basket with a handle, or when over a wastebasket. Some even hold the bird over a sink or toilet.

Others train their bird to go whenever they hear a certain phrase. The bird can be placed over anything its owner wishes and when the phrase is uttered, the bird knows it is all right to take a poop.

It really doesn't matter where you teach a bird to poop, as long as you choose places which are readily available when the bird needs to evacuate.

Teaching a bird to go over a newspaper or paper towels, in a wastebasket, when on a portable perch or on command gives maximum flexibility. Such places enable you to vary the location. If the bird, and the items it has been trained to go on, are taken with you to visit friends or other places, then it is easy to ensure the bird will know where to take a poop.

Methods

Choose a simple word or phrase which you want the bird to associate with taking a poop, such as 'go potty' or 'poop' or whatever seems right for you. Be aware that the bird may learn and repeat this phrase, so choose carefully.

Begin while the bird is in the cage. Watch the bird for the behaviors it makes when it is about to take a poop. When it starts to go, then use the phrase you have chosen. Use a firm, positive tone of voice. When it does poop, then praise the bird lavishly. You can also scratch it's head or perform some petting which the bird enjoys. You want to give the bird positive reinforcement. Continue this for a few days. You want the bird to associate this phrase with the act of pooping.

If you are able, then return to the cage when you expect the bird will be ready to poop again. If you can, try to be there when the bird takes its first poop in the morning. This is usually a large one.

Once you believe the bird has made an association with the words, begin training when you take the bird out to play. Some people make it a game.

When the bird begins making signs that it has to potty, pick it up and take it to wherever you have decided you want the bird to poop and speak the phrase you have chosen. It can be the cage, a playpen, a newspaper or what ever. If the bird is already on the designated spot, then watch it and when it is about to poop, speak the phrase.

Again, lavish praise on the bird when it takes a poop. You may wish to train the bird to eliminate in more than one place. If so, teach it one place at a time or it may become confused.

The time it takes to train the bird will vary depending upon the bird and the amount of time devoted to the training. It could be a few days to a few weeks. Have patience and be consistent. Birds are intelligent and are capable of learning.

Once trained, some birds will let you know when they have to poop by making a special sound, by uttering the phrase you have used for taking a poop, or by performing a special action (we have heard that one bird nips it's owner's ear, another does a dance, another gets nervous). Others will walk over to the designated place on their own when they need to potty.

Expect that there will be times when accidents happen. Nothing is perfect.

Managing Parrot Behavior : Behaviour Problems and the Future of Companion Parrots

Due to the increasing incidence of behavior problems in companion parrots, many psittacines are losing their homes. Problem behaviors manifest in a variety of ways. Despite being flock species in the wild, over-bonded "one person birds" won't allow interaction with anyone other than their favorite- even refusing the attentions of other family members. Over-dependent psittacids are unable to amuse themselves, requiring constant attention from their human caretakers. In complete control of their diet, food-rigid parrots are living on abysmal nutritional planes, eating only such things as junk food, corn and grapes. Sensitive adolescent parrots abruptly become phobic, often overnight- responding to their formerly beloved and trusted caretakers as if to deadly predators. High strung birds pluck incessantly, driving caretakers to distraction and making themselves look like something that should be cooked for dinner. Self-mutilating parrots appear to be attempting suicide. Previously gentle parrots abruptly won't allow caretakers access to their cages, so that reaching into the cage to feed entails serious personal risk. Biting and screaming are probably the most common complaints heard about companion birds; biting parrots terrorize families, attacking without provocation the humans can recognize. Screamers are getting caretakers threatened with evictions and/or divorces.

Despite all this, numbers of companion parrots are increasing rapidly- consequently, so are the numbers of parrots that are ending up in adoption and rescue organizations. It is important to understand that these aberrant behaviors can-at least to some degree- be modified. Education is the key to lessening these dilemmas.

Behavior Problems -General Etiologies

There are several reasons why behavior problems develop with companion parrots, and these must be addressed or no long-term resolution will be possible. Stop-gap measures, or what lay behaviorists call "quick fixes," do nothing to resolve the source of the problem, so they just postpone the inevitable result of the bird losing its home. What must be sought is a resolution of the problem, not a Band-Aid.

Physical or Management Etiologies

When the parrot does not have everything it needs for a happy, healthy life in captivity, problems will result. For example, when my own macaw had an annoying screaming episode a few years ago, investigation revealed (to my chagrin) that she'd knocked down her pellet bowl and was without food. Besides inadequate food and/or water, other management problems that can impact behavior would include: cage issues related to size, location, height and monotony (as in, boredom) and sleep deprivation.

Cage Size: Overly small caging is extremely common. One client kept her Moluccan cockatoo in a 20" x 20" cage, and could not understand why the bird self-mutilated. Part of a bird's medical history should include the brand and measurements of the bird's cage. I believe that birds should be housed in the largest possible cage with safe bar spacing, and feel that the absolute minimum cage size should be 11/2 times the bird's wingspan in width, depth, and height from the highest perch. This, of course, is judged after cage furniture (food and water cups, toys, etc.) is added to the cage space.

Cage Location: Depending on individual personality, cage location can be critical. If the bird is gregarious, being caged off in a room by itself often results in excessive screaming, as the bird calls for the rest of its flock. Nervous, high-strung parrots may become feather pluckers if caged in the middle of a high traffic area, especially if the cage shares a wall with a door. If so, the bird is constantly startled by people appearing without warning. Cage location is also an important factor with many screamers, especially if the bird's cage is against a window. With this type of placement, the bird has a full 360 degree view in which to watch for predators, and can therefore rarely relax. Relief can be virtually instantaneous if a hiding place is provided in the cage, or the cage is moved, at least partially, against a solid wall.

Cage Height: There is a definite correlation between altitude and attitude with captive parrots. Consequently, if a bird has an aggressive or dominant personality, this can be exacerbated if the cage allows it to sit above the human eye level in its environment. This is especially problematic with the so-called "cage-top playgyms" marketed with various types of cages. People often don't wish to give up their own living space, so tall but narrow cages and cage-top play areas are popular. Ironically, they also contribute to home-threatening behaviors. Aggressive or dominant psittacids can be lowered a couple of wayseither by lowering the cage, or by lowering the perches within the cage. Denying access to cage tops and removing the highest perches from tall climbing 'trees' can also help a great deal. If cage and playgym designs don't allow alteration, then (using Chris Davis' trick) one can raise the people. By placing a footstool or small ladder next to the cage, the owner thereby raises smaller humans to a position of higher rank.

If too high is potentially problematic with parrot behavior, so also is the opposite. A nervous, high-strung and/or phobic bird's condition can be worsened if its cage placement is too low. I also do not approve of the old technique of placing an aggressive parrot's cage on the floor. Being trapped on the ground must be terrifying to prey animals like psittacids, and the act of terrifying an animal has no place in behavior modification.

Height and Shouldering: As an addendum to the issue of height dominance, a common practice that can be especially dangerous is the ancient fashion of allowing parrots on shoulders. A popular custom over centuries of parrot custodianship, this practice probably didn't become especially dangerous until the advent of domestic-bred parrots. Wild caught parrots have a fundamental respect for humans as predators, whereas domestics have no such regard. As a result, domestics are capable of much greater violence towards people. Hence, allowing parrotsespecially adolescentsto shoulder is particularly dangerous, not just because of the superior altitude and therefore dominance of the bird. Shouldering parrots places the birds within easy access of extremely vulnerable (and valuable) parts of the owner's anatomy (eyes, ears, noses, lips, etc.), which are then subject to severe damage from the parrot's beak. This type of injury can permanently harm not only the human anatomy, but also the parrot-human bond. Damage can occur even if the bird didn't intend to bite but was startled into grabbing onto something to keep from falling. Knowing the parrot meant no malice does not decrease healing time. This is probably the only issue on which all experienced lay parrot behaviorists totally agree.1, 2, 3, 4

Boredom: Just as boredom is a major source of behavior problems in adolescent humans, it is a major factor for many companion parrots. Home alone for hours while caretakers work, many parrots are expected to just sit there. Dr. James Harris described the generic wild parrot's day as being divided into quarters: one quarter of the day is spent interacting with one's mate and/or other flock members; two quarters are spent locating, procuring and eating food; one quarter is spent grooming.5 The average companion parrot in this country is alone all day, has few/no interesting toys and has a food cup under its nose. No wonder that many birds get into aberrant behaviors such as feather destruction and excessive screaming. After all, what else is there to do?

Ideally, parrots should be allowed relatively small numbers of stimulating toys, rotated on a weekly basis to keep life interesting. (This also allows them maximum space in which to play.) Debbie Foush described four categories of parrot toys: chew toys, climbing toys, foot toys and puzzle toys.6 One toy from each category would satisfy most parrots' need to play, investigate and destroy, and also leave the bird room to move around its cage. Food can be offered in new and challenging ways, such as stuffing an empty tissue box with greens, or hiding a nut within view but not easy reach inside a puzzle toy. These are extremely intelligent animals and intelligent animals need challenges in their lives. So parrot caretakers need to spend time figuring out ways to keep their birds occupied, especially during the long hours alone. Foraging behaviors are not only natural parrot behaviors, they are also important activities in terms of physical and psychological health.

Insufficient Exercise: Parrots are extremely animated creatures in the wild, often flying many miles between roosting and feeding sites. Consequently, they are designed to be activenot sit quietly in their cages all day. Veterinary ethologists estimate most canine behavior problems would be solved by the simple expedient of having owners run their dogs daily. The same is true with parrots, and owners who encourage daily wing-flapping exercises and frequent, drenching showers, rarely have parrots that have serious behavior problems.

Sleep Deprivation: Since parrots are equatorial birds, they would be getting 10-12 hours of darkness in the wild, year-round, and as is the case with people, sleep deprivation can be the origin for many forms of behavior problems in companion parrots. I recommend an absolute minimum of 8 hours of sleep a night for adult parrots, and 10-12 is better. Those hours are counted from the time the humans exit the vicinity of the bird's cage and that area is dark and quiet, until dawn the next day or the first person in the house awakenswhichever comes first.

Since parrots are flock animals, they generally enjoy being in the center of the home, and that often means they are housed in the same room with the television. Caretakers generally assume parrots are sleeping if their cages are covered, even if humans continue their use of the same area. This is fine, except that parrots, as prey animals, are not going to sleep deeply while someone is moving around in the vicinity. Consequently, the idea of 'sleep cages' is excellent. A small, often portable and spartanly equipped cage is set up in a room that isn't occupied at night, and the parrot is put to bed at a reasonable hour, as one would with a small child. First thing in the morning, the birds are moved back into their regular 'day' cages, in the center of human activity. Problems like biting and screaming often decrease dramatically as soon as birds get more sleep. Incidentally, the quiet period most parrots have in the afternoon does not counteract this deficiency. Sleeping in the daylight hours cannot be a safe activity for a prey animal, so parrots nap very lightly. As with humans, a light nap cannot compensate for the lack of deep sleep.

Owner Problems

An extremely common cause of parrot behavior problems is the owner, and owner problems manifest in a plethora of ways. Often, caretakers have unrealistic expectations about parrot ownership. Since most purchases are made on impulse, these people did no research and have no realistic conception of what a parrot is...and is not. Parrots are genetically wild animals, whether born in captivity or not. They have no conception of being "owned" or a "pet." Most humans are accustomed to dogs and assume all other animals see people as dogs do. Dogs perceive humans to be superior, god-like beings who are the center of the universewhich agrees with most of humanity's perspective. However, as far as I know, this is an opinion shared only by dogs and humans. Parrots certainly do not view humans in that manner, and this can be quite a shock to many people.

A parrot is a loud, boisterous, highly social creature with a talent for destruction and a gift for making huge messes. A parrot is NOT a little person with feathers, a dog with feathers or a surrogate child. Often caretakers have serious misconceptions of a parrot's normal
behavior. An important question to ask is, whose problem is it?7 Many psittacine behaviors are normal for parrots and therefore are not the parrot's problem at all. For example, chewing is a normal, natural parrot occupation. It is the owner who perceives the bird's chewing as a problem, therefore the bird's chewing is the owner's problem.

Other owner issues can include those who have difficult relationships with other humans, such as marital problems. Hostility is hardly veiled when an owner smirks while proudly stating something like, "I'm the only one who can touch my parrothe hates my husband!" I vividly recall one young woman who claimed her cockatoo was extremely well-behaved. Questioning other family members revealed that the bird routinely attacked and drew blood on her husband, and had repeatedly chased her mother out of the house. One must assume this owner has difficulties with repressed hostility. In this situation, the parrot is unquestionably getting rewarded for its aggression and there is little an outsider can do to alleviate this problem. The owner must want this aberrant behavior corrected, or nothing will change.

Control Issues: By far the most common source of psittacine behavior problems is a lack of control by the caretakers. They set no behavioral guidelines for baby parrots, allowing the birds to do anything they please. Then these same people get rid of their parrots as they mature because the bird isn't a good pet. Yet it is a fundamental concept that a parrotor any other companion animalwill not know how to be a good pet unless it is taught how to be a good pet.

When behavior problems develop with parrots, it is perhaps human nature that many people are concerned only with fixing the symptoms of a problem, without addressing the actual underlying cause, which is a lack of control on the part of the caretakers. Addressing only symptoms fixes nothing. Deadening the itch solves nothing long-termtrue resolution requires curing the rash.

Basic Training-Curing the Rash, Not Deadening the Itch

No matter what the behavior problem, resolution requires that humans establish themselves in a position of higher rank first. Once in that position, they can then make the adjustments necessary to resolve or decrease the occurrence of a negative behavior. Changing a parrot's actions requires a correlative change in that of the human. Successful behavior modification, therefore, requires the cooperative effort of all the people involved with the parrot.

From my experience, the easiest way to increase the humans' rank in the bird's eyes is for the human to assume a major decision-making role. The bird is no longer allowed to make such important decisions as whether or not to get off the human's shoulder, whether or not to come out of -or off of- the cage, etc.. Using the techniques of nurturing guidance, the owner teaches the bird to step onto and off of the human hand on the commands of 'Up' and 'Down.' The bird is patterned to respond to these commands during short, upbeat daily lessons that happen in 'neutral territory'-out of sight of any area in the environment that the bird considers to be under its dominion. True to the tenets of behavior modification, the lessons must end on a positive note.

The neutrality of the training location is critical to the success of the behavior modification training, especially with aggressive parrots. It is a rare parrot who will bite their human in truly neutral territory. Parrots are prey animals, and it is illogical that they would chose to alienate the only familiar being when placed in a completely unfamiliar surroundings. This explains why the terrors of the veterinary exam room can transform a normally homicidal psittacid into a sweetly gentle bird with the owner-at least temporarily.

Working in neutral territory, caretakers teach their parrots flawless responses to the commands, therefore establishing themselves in a position of higher rank. Once this is accomplished, the owner can start adjusting the parrot's behaviors that have become problematic. But once again, this training is not a step that can be circumvented.

The Most Common Behavior Problems

Biting and excessive screaming are the most prevalent complaints the lay behaviorists hear of especially in the springso this article will address each of these issues in depth.

Biting

Oddly enough, the term biting first needs to be clarified. Contrary to the belief of some inexperienced caretakers, biting does not include a human just being touched by a bird's beak. A good rule of thumb for estimating the true severity of a bite is encompassed by questions such
as, "Did you bleed?" A real bite is characterized by either bleeding or bruising, and "nipping" would be defined as pinching, sometimes with minor bleeding or bruising.

Biting Isn't "Natural" ??

It is important to understand that wild parrots rarely seem to use their beaks as weapons against other flock members. If necessary, the beak is used as a defense against predation, but not against other members of their own flock. In their natural environments, competition and/or conflict between parrots rarely appears to escalate to physical violence-instead, they vocalize or use body language by strutting, posturing, and fluffing feathers to make themselves look bigger. (This appears to be the psittacine equivalent to the popular street phrase, "Yo' mama.") Consequently, beaks are used for climbing, eating, playing and preening... not for fighting. In a dangerous situation, flight is the first choice of prey animals such as parrots-not warfare. However, for the captive parrot, flight is curtailed by either wing clipping or caging; therefore, biting becomes the primary solution if a bird finds itself in close proximity with something it perceives as a threat.

This means that biting may not be an instinctive flock behavior, so biting behaviors are not, in my experience, difficult problems to resolve. Biting is probably an example of what ethologists call a displacement behavior. Natural behaviors designed for survival in the rain forest are not generally possible in the average living room, so others take their place and these are displacement behaviors. These improvised responses are not all negative, incidentally. A positive example of displacement behavior would be a parrot's ability to bond to a human in the absence of other psittacids, and to accept the humans it lives with as members of its flock.

Why Is The Bird Biting?

The first question to ask when dealing with a biting parrot is why- under what circumstance is this happening? Generally speaking, birds bite for one of two reasons: survival or control. The category of "survival" would include a bird biting when it is terrified (i.e., when a smoke detector goes off and a shouldered parrot freaks out and bites off a chunk of a person's ear) or when it is hurt. (Vet hospital personnel have learned from experience that the old saying that "Animals can sense if you're trying to help them" is not a truism.) Other behaviors that would fall under the category of survival would include hormonal behavior, cage territoriality, and veterinary appointments. Under the category of control would include, for example, biting the owner's significant other, or biting the owner to keep them away from their significant other. Survival and control will be discussed in greater detail in subsequent paragraphs.

Hormonal Behavior

Hormonal behavior is related to reproduction, so aggressive behavior during nesting season is logically categorized under survival. An increase in aggression is common with many life forms when hormone levels are raging- human teenagers being a good example. However, if controls are established before puberty's onset, the frequency and severity of aggressive incidents are greatly reduced. A parrot in a dominant position will give orders and expect them to be followed, often enforcing its wishes with violence. Conversely, parrots in a submissive position within the human flock will look to the dominant flock members for direction, thereby decreasing aggressive incidents.

Learning a bird's body language will go a long way toward preventing problems during this time and the advice is simple: when a parrot is in full sexual display, the owner should not reach for it. Instead, it should be left alone until it settles down. Hormonal behavior is one of many reasons why experienced lay behaviorists strongly recommend parrot caretakers perch train their birds, in addition to hand training them. This eliminates the handling dangers if a bird becomes seasonally aggressive.

As an aside, despite common opinion, increased aggression is not always the hallmark of hormonal behavior. Indeed, some parrots become incredibly affectionate during this period, soliciting physical attention much more than at any other time of year.

Survival Situations - The Veterinary Hospital

A prime survival situation, as far as a parrot is concerned, is encountered in the office of the avian veterinarian. Many practitioners are extremely short on time, so they may neglect to properly introduce themselves to the psittacine patient. This negative situation is exacerbated by the veterinarian or veterinary technician swooping down from behind with a towel, to capture the unwary parrot.

As an avian technician who used to train veterinary students, I admit to personal guilt in this area, since I taught countless vets and veterinary students how to
capture in exactly this manner. Indeed, with imported or untamed parrots, this is still the capture technique of choice to protect both the bird and the handler.

However, a majority of the parrots currently seen in the US are domestically raised and do not perceive humans as predators. Hence, the Harpy Eagle Catch8 is not only unnecessary, it is detrimental. I have found that the stress of handling and restraint is greatly assuaged by what I call the Frontal Towel Approach.9 This technique is not only friendlier, it is also more realistic. Prey animals like parrots have their eyes on the sides of their heads, so their peripheral vision warns them of a forthcoming predatory attack; therefore, the Harpy Eagle Catch serves only to throw a parrot into a full fight or flight response as it is captured in the towel. Once this physical response is initiated, the resulting adrenaline rush causes the bird to fight the restraint frantically. An autonomic nervous system response is not a process that is easily shut down like a light switch.

The Frontal Towel Approach

In contrast, the Frontal Towel Approach does not elicit this kind of response. When placing a parrot under restraint, I do the following. Talking quietly, I step the parrot onto my hand and pin the feet, while smiling in a friendly and relaxed manner. While talking to the bird (not the owner), I catch one corner of the towel in the fingers of the hand on which the parrot is sitting, and wrap the towel around the parrot while it sits on my hand. Then, I gently put the bird under restraint. Even parrots that are terrified of towels can be captured in this manner. These birds generally flip backwards as the towel approaches, but since their feet are pinned, they cannot escape. The towel is then wrapped around the upside down bird, it is lowered to the table or floor, and restraint is commenced as usual. Consequently, a full autonomic response has not been initiated, and the bird settles down very quickly.

This capture technique can easily be done by the owner, who then hands the towel-wrapped parrot to the veterinarian or technician. If the veterinarian is not comfortable having the owner do this, then the veterinarian or technician can accomplish this in the same friendly, non-aggressive manner. It is absolutely unnecessary, in my opinion, for a tame parrot to be grabbed from behind or by first turning off the exam room lights. I have been using this frontal approach for over a decade, and have not yet been bitten using this technique - and thanks to this method, most birds seem dramatically less stressed by restraint.

How To Turn A Nice Parrot Into A Biter

If biting in parrots is a displacement, not an instinctive behavior, it is logical to assume that the behavior must be rewarded in some way or it would not continue. In other words, if it did not accomplish something positive in the parrot's experience, then the parrot would not continue to do it. It is vital to understand that companion parrots are actually rewarded for biting - by humans who simply do not understand how differently parrots can perceive things. The following are classic examples.

"The Teething Stage:" Young parrots often have no idea what their beaks can do, especially if they were raised isolated from other baby parrots. During "The Teething Stage," the baby parrot is learning to eat and explore with its beak, and an unfortunate scenario is often acted out. The youngster, in the process of investigating with its beak, encounters those fascinating things called fingers. If the human makes the mistake of using these extremities as toys in the baby's mouth, sooner or later the baby will bite down harder than the owner of the fingers might like. If the human responds to this accidental nip by yelling (as in, "Ow, NO BITE!!!"), then they have inadvertently taken the first step towards actually teaching their baby parrot to bite.

Contrary to human beliefs, parrots often enjoy it when humans shout at them. Parrots frequently scream simply for the fun of it so it is a fallacy to think they perceive that yelling is a reprimand. On the contrary, they may interpret it as positive feedback, since it is a drama reward.10 The groundwork has now been laid for the parrot (baby or adult) to bite again, because the behavior was inadvertently rewarded.

The Indecisive Pick Up: This scenario usually occurs when inexperienced caretakers are not clear in their signals to their parrots. For example, when offering a hand for the bird to step on, novice caretakers often aren't quite sure of themselves so their hand motion is uncertain. A young parrot is generally eager to climb on, but like a workman unsure of the stability of a ladder, it will reach with its mouth to steady the human perch, using its beak as a hand. Humans who are afraid of the beak, then pull their hands away. Confused but still eager for interaction, the baby will probably grab the hand with its beak the next time it is offered. Once again, the bird has now taken the first step in learning to bite a human for control.

Fear = Lost Control: When people pull away when parrots reach with their beaks, the birds begin to learn the use of lunging and biting as an effective technique with which to control the humans, and the birds will remain in control for as long as the humans remain afraid. Parrots can sense when someone is frightened and will take advantage of the situation every time. If people cannot get over their fear response, then they will probably never gain control of their parrots.

Bad Advice: There is a lot of outdated and incorrect advice being given about biting parrots. People are often told to grab the bird's beak and shake it and yell NO!! This doesn't work because ornithologists have now realized that grabbing a parrot's beak (what experts call "Beak Wrestling"), is considered to be play behavior between parrots. So once again, in the human effort to give negative feed-back to parrots, they have only succeeded in rewarding them.

It also doesn't usually work to punish by putting a parrot in its cage. By the time the door is closed, it has probably completely forgotten the connection between biting someone and being locked up. Obviously, the bird can't bite anyone again because it has been removed from human proximity, but it hasn't learned anything about not biting. In addition, since parrots often spend prolonged periods in their cages while caretakers work, it is not logical to use the cage as punishment.

Effective Response

In actuality, it is quite simple to discourage a parrot from biting. If the owner has already established a relationship of nurturing guidance with their bird, then the bird already perceives the person as higher in rank and it is already trained to step onto a hand when told "up". To reprimand the bird, the owner needs to do the following things immediately.

First, the owner should show displeasure by giving the bird an extremely dirty look. Parrots are extremely empathic creatures who watch facial expressions closely. A parrot will understand the owner's displeasure if the owner frowns sufficiently. Simultaneously, the owner should step the bird from one hand to the other several times while saying Up in a very firm and negative but not loud voice. This is a non-abusive technique to give the parrot negative feedback because parrots really understand this as a reprimand. This technique is called "Laddering" and it is an exercise in controlreminding the bird that it does not have sufficient rank in the flock for that kind of behavior to be tolerated. If the owner is firm and consistent, reminding the psittacid of this will put it back under control. Without the positive feedback that it inadvertently received before, and through the judicious use of the laddering exercise, the biting should be curtailed. For this reprimand to be most effective, it must be done the second the bird bites. The owner should not take the bird into a neutral room to perform this exercise - the time lag will negate the effectiveness, since the bird will probably not make the proper association. Under NO circumstances should the owner show any aggression at all, since aggression begets aggression and facilitates a lack of trust.

When dealing with a youngster in the Teething Stage, it is also quite simple. When a baby bites too hard, the owner should say No in a firm but quiet voice and give the baby a dirty look. The young parrot will understand that the human is unhappy and will try very hard not to do it again. When humans are interacting with baby parrots, it is also often useful to have a favorite small toy within reach. If the bird starts getting too excited and overly rough, the owner can introduce the toy as a distraction, thereby preventing a bite. The human should also immediately lower the parrot's excitement level by slowing and quieting the activity.

Excessive Screaming

Excessive screaming is a more complex problem and not as easily resolved. Parrots are not by nature quiet animals, as attested by those who have observed them in the wild. Nature has equipped them with prodigious voices, and they seem biologically driven to use them. "Normal" sound levels vary with species. Cockatoos are known to sound off with an ear-splitting racket twice daily, dawn and dusk, whereas the macaws seem more inclined to vocalize (loudly) off and on throughout the day. Some species are reputed to be "quiet," but this is completely relative. To be considered quiet in the parrot world, a species need only be quieter than the avian species that are considered to be noisy, which would be like saying a terrier is quieter than a beagle. As the saying goes, If you want a quiet pet, get a reptile.11 However, screaming non-stop for hours at a time would obviously be considered excessive. Any individual who repeatedly engages in the same behavior over and over can be said to be obsessive.

Incidentally, the time of year can also be an important factor with excessive noise. The moment the days start to lengthen, many parrots respond by starting to scream much more than is "normal." This is strictly seasonal behavior, and if not inadvertently rewarded by the caretakers, the birds will settle back down on their own after a few weeks.

Time Limits and Problem Humans: The problem of unreasonable noise is often exacerbated by a limited time frame, since many people do not seek help until an ultimatum has been set by family members, neighbors, landlords or even the local police. It takes time to create behavior problems and it takes time to change them. Consequently, these issues are not fixed overnight, which is of course what the caretakers need. However, the judicious use of ear plugs can often prevent the dilemma from worsening while the caretakers are trying to improve the situation. Often, angry neighbors are mollified when they hear the caretakers are actively working on resolving the problem. From my experience, the primary obstacle to improvement in parrot behavior is the impatience of the caretakers.

Simply put, parrots who scream constantly are birds who have been rewarded for screaming. Giving birds what they want to silence them is easy to understand, since obsessive screamers can be a nightmare with which to live, and people reach a point where they will do almost anything to get the birds to stop. Consequently, they offer treats, let them out of their cages, etc., thereby rewarding the behavior. It is also no mystery why so many screaming parrots end up abused.

To change an unwanted behavior, the caretaker must be clear, consistent, and above all, patient. The caretaker must also change his/her behaviors that created or exacerbated the bird's behavior. If there are multiple humans in the household, there must be a group effort whereby all members have to be consistent in their approach to the bird. With biting problems, one member of the household refusing to work with the bird does not impact the rest. Regrettably, this isn't the case with the excessive screamer, because one person rewarding the bird for inordinate noise will undo any progress the others might make.

Step By Step: Dealing with screamers requires a step by step approach. As with all "behavior problems," a medical work-up should be done first, to make certain there is not a physical reason for the racket. Other fundamentals need to be reviewed, such as proper diet (meaning not what the caretakers feed, but what the bird actually consumes), hours of sleep, and cage placement. The normal noise level of the home must be reviewed as well. I remember one phone call from a woman complaining bitterly about her noisy parrot - but the conversation was almost obliterated by the background noise of a blaring television, barking dogs, and shrieking children. Noisy environments beget noisy parrots.

Redundant screamers are birds who are unable to amuse themselves in acceptable ways, so this problem can be perceived as a failure of independence. Consequently, the caretakers need find to lots and lots of acceptable activities for the parrots, such as chewing wood, beating up on wonderful toys, eating (and throwing) lots of interesting and delectable foods. The birds need to be encouraged to find other outlets for their energy. Caretakers who give their parrots frequent long, soaking showers and flapping exercise times often have substantially quieter birds.

The next step would entail having the caretakers train their parrots as explained previously, thereby establishing themselves in a position of higher rank. Parrots respond best to those they perceive as being higher in rank.

Keeping A Diary: It can be extremely useful to caretakers to see if there are patterns to obsessive screaming episodes, so all people living in the household should keep diaries for a couple of weeks. Whenever the bird has a screaming incident, they should note such things as:

a. time of day

b. day of the week

c. phase of the moon

d. mood of the people around the bird

e. the bird's apparent mood

f. what is happening at the time, and

g. any other information that might have a bearing on the parrot's behavior.

After 10-14 days of collecting information, the people get together and review the information, looking for patterns in the bird's excessive vocalizations. They should not to go over their notes or discuss the content prior to that time, so that artificial patterns are not created. If there are patterns to the screaming episodes, then they can change the pattern before the screaming starts, thus preventing the problem from even beginning. For example, most dominant birds scream when the caretakers have company. If so, caretakers can move the bird (in cage) to a quiet part of the house before the company arrives. Giving the bird a soaking shower prior to the move, then a new or different toy, lots of safe branches with bark for chewing, etc. will give the bird plenty to do in its isolation, and likely prevent the problem from beginning. Caretakers must stay ahead of this behavior, not wait until it begins. As an aside, getting complaining neighbors in this activity can be very positive, since they have now become a part of the problem resolution process.

Rewarding Good Behaviors and Ignoring The Bad: Human flock members need to start rewarding their birds for sounds they like, and ignore the sounds they don't like. Consequently, if a bird talks, people should answer it. If it whistles, they should whistle back. If it screams while people are in the same room, they should give the bird a dirty look and turn their backs on it. This is an example of using the bird's own body language to express feelings, since this is what parrots do when they are not pleased with something. If the racket continues, they should give the parrot another dirty look and leave the room.

The absolute worst thing the caretakers of a screamer can do is yell back, since that is a prime example of the drama reward. If the bird is screaming in another room, caretakers can do absolutely nothing. Any attempt at reprimand would be perceived as a reward, since the birds are getting the attention they crave. Instead, care-takers should wait until the birds stop squawking- even for a couple of seconds- before entering the room. They cannot enter the room while the birds are screaming without rewarding the behavior. If caretakers are consistent, their parrots will learn that screaming does the opposite that it used to do- but this will take time and people must be patient.

As always, under NO circumstance are people to use punishment or aggression. Aggression and punishment can destroy any potential for a trusting relationship with parrots and it doesn't work, anyway. Again, there must be full cooperation from everyone in the environment. Birds will not change their behaviors if even one person is yelling at them and therefore reinforcing their noise with drama.

So the process of rehabilitating screamers is not to 'unlearn' the behavior. Since the birds have been rewarded for their racket, they have learned that yelling is a successful activity. Instead, caretakers have to teach their birds that other behaviors are more successful. By replacing the screaming with new behaviors that become habits, the excessive squawking becomes extinguished.12

The Exceptions: Parrots appear to have an instinctive need to vocalize loudly when the human flock comes home, and this is not a behavior that can be eliminated. Instead, the human caretaker needs to respond to this call. Rather than ignoring the bird, the human should go directly to the bird and greet it. Ideally, the bird should be removed from its cage and physically acknowledged, then given a treat to eat and returned immediately to its cage. Caretakers can then go about their business, leaving the psittacid to munch at leisure.

The other exception is one that can cause far-reaching ramifications if the caretaker mishandles the situation. Very young parrots can go through a stage that aviculturist-behaviorist Phoebe Linden calls "Lost in the Woods." Ms. Linden feels this happens around the time parrots fledge13, and these babies often act extremely anxious and vocalize excessively. Ms. Linden says:

"A baby who feels 'lost in the woods' may call repetitively and plaintively, pace or weave back and forth as if they are going to jump from their perch, jump down from the perch, seem unsettled and nervous, and crave attention." 14

Ms. Linden feels a baby like this needs comfort and reassurance and caretakers should respond to the bird's crying. This stage should last less than a month, at which point the youngster should settle down again.

Conclusion

By establishing themselves in a position of higher rank through the patterning and constant use of simple commands, parrot caretakers place themselves in a position of authority with their companion birds, giving them clear guidelines for acceptable behaviors. Then as problem behaviors manifest, the people can use positive reinforcement to replace negative displacement behaviors with ones that are more acceptable in the human habitat.

With a clear understanding of what parrots are and are not, caretakers can get a better grasp of what can be expected from their psittacids in terms of behavior. By not inadvertently rewarding unwanted conduct with confusion and drama, annoying behaviors need not become established. Clear controls, consistency, patience and non-aggression will prove to be successful when dealing with common unacceptable behaviors we see in companion parrots.

This article was printed first in the proceedings for the annual conference of the Mid-Atlantic States Association of Avian Veterinarians, April, 1999.

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2 Athan, M.S. "The Importance Of Being Tall." Guide to a Well-behaved Parrot. Barrons, 1993, 64-66.

3 Davis, C. "New Techniques in Pet Avian Behavior Modification." Proceedings of Annual Conference, Association of Avian Veterinarians. 1989, pp. 183-189.

4 Wilson, L. "Behavior Problems in Adolescent Parrots: Guide to a Well-Adjusted Pet." Proceedings of Annual Conference, Association of Avian Veterinarians, 1995, pp. 415-418.

5 Harris, J. Behavior round table discussion, AAV Annual Conference, 1996.

6 Foush_, D. "Play Therapy." The Pet Bird Report, Issue # 23, pp. 30-32.

7 Doane, B. My Parrot, My Friend. Howell Book House, NY. 1994, pp. 110-155.

8 Blanchard, S. "Trust Building Towel Handling Techniques," The Pet Bird Report, Issue #14, pp. 36-37.

9 Wilson, L. "Phobic Psittacine Birds - An Increasing Phenomenon?" Proceedings of Annual Conference, Association of Avian Veterinarians, 1998, pp. 125-132.

10 Blanchard, S. "Games Parrots Play." Bird Talk, Nov. 1991, Vol. 9, No. 11.

11 Anonymous

12 Athan, M.S. Personal communications, 1999.

13 Fledging, the developmental stage prior to weaning, generally happens around 21/2-3 months of age for medium-sized birds [amazons, greys], and at 3-41/2 months for large macaws and cockatoos.

14 "Socializing Baby Parrots", The Pet Bird Report, Vol. 2, No. 6, pp. 12-15, 1992.