Bird Behavior

Understanding Your Bird And Bird Behavioral Issues

On this page I am going to train YOU to cope, adapt, and train your feathered companion. We strongly believe in positive reinforcement training!

If you would like more help with a behavioral issue or you have a specific question, please do not hesitate to ask, we are happy to help.

We may need to ask you numerous questions to evaluate the problem.

thebirdnerds616@yahoo.com

I do NOT train birds! I train owners to understand and read their birds, as well as adapting to their birds needs. YOU, as an owner will need training in order for anything to change in your bird's behavior. Your bird is only doing what comes natural.

One of the most important aspects of correcting a behavioral issue is understanding the behavioral issue. You need to understand WHY your bird is biting, screaming, being cage aggressive, attacking other members in the house etc. because all of these behaviors have reasons behind them. NO bird bites, screams, etc. for NO REASON! Many of these behaviors have been reinforced and a lot of times with out the owner realizing it.

For example: Owner puts the bird in the cage and leaves the room, the birds screams (because he wants the owner to return), the owner returns in order to quiet the bird...owner just gave the bird exactly what he wanted...Bird learned; I scream, my person comes back! Yea! I am going to scream EVERY time they leave me!

Some birds develop behavior problems from fear, lack of education on the owners part, sexual frustration, owners not reading the body language.

Above all training takes TIME, PATIENCE, and LOVE! There are no quick, easy fixes to solving behavior problems. Some behavior problems take months and even years to fix!

Cage Aggression-

I get many people asking me behavioral questions regarding the cage and aggression in and around the cage.

My house my rules:

1. You should never interact with a bird that is behind cage bars! What does that remind you of? Jail? You should only be interacting when your bird is out of the cage or on top of the cage.

2. DO NOT ENTER A BIRD'S CAGE WHEN THEY ARE IN THERE!!!
Bird's House = BIRD'S RULES

PLEASE READ THIS PAGE!

Communicating with your bird

Dealing with a cage aggressive bird is not complicated. Provide your bird with the largest cage possible, when you think of the largest cage possible for your bird...get the size bigger. Make sure you have the proper bar spacing.

Only enter your bird's cage when bird is on top of the cage or on a play stand. Even changing food and water should be done when they are away from the cage.

In the above video you will see Cody who was severely physically abused. He was given no toys and as a result he regurgitates on any toys I give him. He age is unknow and his cage aggression is a result of fear. With this type of aggression you need to gain his trust. Do NOT push him. You positively reinforce, a lot of treats, PATIENCE and TIME are key factors. You have to allow him to learn that you are not going to hurt him. He has learned to be aggressive because he has had to defend himself from his abusive owners. It is very possible that this bird may never be able to be handled like a bird who has not been abused. He may need to be given a large cage and allowed to live out his life and just be a bird.

*Cody has been adopted to a wonderful home where he will be able to live out his life happy!*

Plucking-

Plucking is a huge concern that I am contacted about ALL the time. Please read my "Love My Plucker" page.

Screaming/Biting-

Ignore this behavior. NEVER punish a bird only use positive reinforcement! Every zoo trainer including the trainers for Sea World who train the animals including parrots and marine mammals only use positive reinforcement. Which means you do NOT punish your birds! Your first step to changing any behavior will be this.

No yelling
No screaming
No covering cage
NO PUNISHMENT!

You must ignore the undesirable behaviors and simply pretend they are not happening. If you cannot handle the scream then you should have a goldfish instead of a bird!

Make sure you check the environment to insure nothing is scaring your bird such as scary toys, perches, or other new stuff scary to a bird.

Read this site on Screaming and Biting:

Screaming and Biting

Don't Be A Tease-

This is something that a lot of parrot owners do without even realizing it. Many Cockatoo owners especially do this because of their nature of Too's being so cuddly.

If we are the "chosen mate" and they start to show sexual behavior when we pet them anywhere other than the head and neck. That is when the problems start because we "are" basically engaging in what the bird considers foreplay. On the other hand if you are in the position as "not" the chosen one but rather just the buddy who looks after them until their choose human enters the room and the "buddy" is dismissed. They will not show sexual behaviors to their non chosen ones no matter how they are petted. Sometimes the bird's chosen human only has to lace their hand above their bird without even touching him/her and he/she may start to vibrate, cluck and squat.

Sometimes the bird will only have eyes for another bird in the house and therefore not view any of the humans as mates. They may not respond sexually to any of the humans.

When I pet my birds I do not "stroke" them repeatedly but when I do pet them I watched how another bird would touch them. I simulate how she preens him by scratching his tail feathers on his tail and touching individual feathers, gently preening around the ears and eyes but not real petting.

http://www.rationalparrot.com/tease.html

Aggression Towards Another Person In The House-

Whenever you show affection towards each other in the birds presence you are in essence "flirting" with the enemy and having an "affair" right in front of him. In the wild a bonded pair of birds would never give pay attention to a different bird, "ever". They are monogamous and do not flirt or carry on affairs.

Example: You love me and I am paying attention and flirting with another woman right in front of you. How would you feel?

All behavior and activity in the birds presence must be platonic. If you want to hug and show affection, do it somewhere else outside the birds view. When the bird is around you are his and his alone. Simple as that.

~John

The Bird Nerds Rescue/Sanctuary

Rescue, Rehabilitation, Adoption and Sanctuary Services