Parrot behavior is the subject of a great deal of study and research. Just as parrots in the wild have a social structure and behaviors that communicate their feelings, desires, and moods, companion parrots use behaviors to communicate their needs to their human flocks. You simply have to learn how to read parrot behavior to “speak parrot”.
A large part of a parrot’s behavior has to do with taking care of its physical needs each day. The parrot will wake up about the time daylight begins and, with short naps along the way, continue its day until darkness. Many parrots adjust this pattern because of artificial lighting, but parrots need quite a bit of sleep time to be healthy.
During waking hours that are not spent interacting with the human flock, a parrot will spend time eating and grooming. A great deal of time is spent each day preening feathers so that every feather is in perfect condition. Play is another parrot behavior you’ll see daily.
If you have a companion parrot in your home, you may notice that your parrot eats when it sees humans eating. This parrot behavior is because in the wild parrots eat as a flock frequently. Your parrot will probably love it if you include it in mealtimes, serving some healthy human foods to the bird and introducing new foods at this time. It is much more likely to try new foods when it sees its owner eating them.
Post Navigation
Good and Bad Parrot Behavior
Generally, a parrot makes noise in the mornings shortly after waking and during the late afternoon. This is the parrot’s way of saying it is glad to be alive. It can also be a means of attempting to attract a mate and you may hear special sounds that are indicative of sexual calls.
A parrot behavior that simply can’t be changed is the fact that every parrot that is a companion parrot will make contact calls with its humans from time to time. Your parrot can be expected to call to you when you return home after being away for any length of time, from a few minutes to a few hours. It is telling you how happy it is to see you return.
Some parrots also call when their humans leave them. It is not normal for a happy, healthy parrot to scream all the time, however. This can result from boredom, lack of attention, improper training or socialization, behavioral problems due to improper hand feeding or weaning, or illness.
Another parrot behavior that can’t and shouldn’t be changed is the desire to chew on wood and engage in other forms of play with its beak. Parrots in the wild chew wood to wear down their beaks, to create nesting cavities in trees, and as a form of play. Do not expect to teach a parrot not to chew on its toy. In fact, this parrot behavior should be encouraged because busy beaks are happy beaks.
Changes in Parrot’s Behavior
If you notice your parrot’s behavior changes significantly suddenly, you should watch closely to be sure your parrot is not ill. A parrot that stops playing, grooming, interacting with humans, eating, or begins to sleep an abnormal amount is probably ill and medical attention must be sought quickly to ensure the illness is treated before the parrot becomes so ill it can not be saved.
Parrot behavior is a complex issue and if you watch your parrot closely, you’ll begin to understand the meaning of the parrot behaviors it exhibits. You’ll understand your parrot much more if you watch behaviors, keeping in mind what has just occurred that elicited the action on the parrot’s part.
Stop Parrot Screaming
Have you ever been awaken by your parrot screaming early in the morning? Does your parrot scream when you leave the room, come home from work or scream for what seems, “just the fun of it”? Why do parrots scream and what can be done about bad parrot behavior? Parrot training is essential to help Stop a Screaming Parrot.
Remember, parrots are social creatures and vocalization is normal for all birds because that’s their primary way of communicating. So there is going to be a certain amount of squeaks and chatter from your parrot. You have to understand this but also be able to determine normal chatter from distress screaming.
Normal Screaming Parrot
It’s normal for parrots to scream a little bit first thing in the morning. I once owned a Cockatiel who was notorious for waking me up every morning and wouldn’t let up. He refused to be ignored until he got his morning neck rub. Parrots will typically scream when you get home from work also.
These are normal screams and usually will subside once you greet your bird, spend a minute with them to let them know you’re there by simply responding to their way of saying “hello flock member”.
Of course if your bird is hungry or without water you can bet he is going to let you know about it.
Bad Screaming Parrot
Bad may not be the best way to describe this but your parrot will also scream if he is bored, lonely and continually isolated. Don’t forget, parrots are very intelligent and social birds and they need interaction from the flock; this means you. The worst thing you can do is ignore your parrot and throw a sheet over his cage to make him shut up when all he wants to do is talk to you.
Parrots need something to do. You can help by first of all making sure you have a large enough cage so your bird isn’t cramped up. Make sure there are plenty of toys for your bird to play with. Leave the T.V. on when you go to work so he gets some sort of stimulus when no one is home. Try sitting in a room all day by yourself and see how you like it.
Always remember that parrots communicate through vocalization and you will never completely stop all screaming. Birds do this naturally in nature and you don’t want to totally deny them of their natural expression. But there are a few things you can do to alleviate some of the birds screaming.
Train Your Parrot
A trained parrot is a happy and more controllable parrot. Spend time with your bird and teach him bird tricks. You are the dominant flock member so take charge. Start out by teaching your bird the “step up/step down” command and move on from there.
This is the most important thing you can do. Stop unwanted behavior before it progresses by imposing dominance over your bird. When you “make” your bird step up you are showing him who is in control. You exert your dominance by insisting your parrot “do” what you want him to do, not what he wants to do.
A noisy house will also contribute to a loud bird because parrots tend to emulate their environment. If the T.V. is loud and the kids are screaming your bird will naturally ramp up the volume and “communicate” likewise.
Don’t yell or scream back at your bird and tell him to shut up. That’s a positive response for the parrot and he thinks he did the right thing. You’re giving him the attention he wants but it will backfire on you.
Of course you never want to hit your parrot or shake the cage violently because now you’re only making the situation worse and producing a bird that’s fearful and a scared bird won’t trust you and can be dangerous.
It takes a little time and a little patience but you can get your parrot under control and make your bird a happy family member. If you would like to get free parrot video training you can right here.
Stop Parrot Biting
As beautiful and affectionate as your parrot can be there’s nothing worse then a parrot that bites. Parrot training is the answer. There are a lot of reasons your bird may bite and the biggest reason is most likely a test of dominance. How you respond to a biting parrot will determine how quickly you can bring the situation under control.
Understanding Parrot Behavior
In the wild birds use their beaks for eating, playing, display and defense; not for biting. But they will use the beak when necessary for dominance against other birds. The natural instinct for all animals is to try and be the dominant member of the group, pack, or in this case the flock.
Young birds may bite as they mature but this is natural and is simply the result of them teething and discovering the abilities they have with their beaks. But older birds may very well be testing you and attempting to gain control of you.
Of course fear is a primary consideration which we don’t want to leave out. But if you have established a relationship of trust with your bird then you can rule this out altogether. So if you have a bird from a previous owner then the first thing you are going to have to do of course is start out slow and gain your birds trust.
Don’t rush it, you have to take things slow in the beginning. Remember, your bird doesn’t know you don’t want to hurt him.
Don’t Let Your Bird Punk You
If you got your bird when he was a baby chances are he was hand fed and you may not have had any issues with challenge biting. But after about six months or so even a sweet baby bird may bite you. If you have an older bird and he/she starts to bite you in an attempt to gain dominance you have to let your lovable friend know who is in charge.
Parrots are among the most intelligent of birds and they can, and will, push the limits of your patience. It’s up to you to make sure you stay in control and remain dominant.
How To Stop Parrot Biting
- Parrot Dont’s
Don’t pull your hand away in fear. I know this is a hard one but don’t do it. Birds can sense the fear and when you pull away quickly you are yielding to the bird and that puts them in a position of authority. You have to stand your ground and be the leader.
Never yell at the bird in a loud voice when you get bitten. Birds communicate through loud verbal exchanges and in fact they actually enjoy being loud. So when you scream in pain you’re actually responding in a positive way as far as your bird is concerned and therefore reinforcing a negative behavior, and this will not help stop parrot biting.
- Parrot Do’s
Put yourself in a position of dominance by placing your birds perch below you. Never put your bird up high in a cage or perch so that they look down on you (literally). You’re giving your best friend the high ground; Don’t do it!
Do you want your bird to look down on you? Of course not, you want him to look up to you as the dominate member. It is as much psychological as it is physical for you and for your bird it becomes instinctive to submit to dominance.
Stop Your Bird from Biting
Make your biting parrot submit by commanding him to step onto your hand with the “up” command. Instead of backing away place your hand up high against his chest and make him step up. By imposing your force you are displaying dominance once again.
Do this over and over again, at least five times after a bite so that you end the session on a positive note but most of all with you in control.
One last thing, and this may sound a little crazy, but make sure you use facial expressions when disciplining your parrot. Did you know parrots actually do recognize expressions of happiness, anger and disgust.
Use these techniques to stop your bird from biting. Be patient and take it slow. Find out more by getting free video training on the best way to stop parrot biting.
How to Stop Parrots Feather Plucking Problems
Some parrots are great pluckers like the African Grey. The reason behind the plucking is almost always due to behavioral problems like parrot boredom, parrot physical problems or disinterest on its surroundings or its owners.
Because plucking is a cycle behavior, once a parrot starts to self-mutilate, it is very hard to stop him from doing it. So, you must know how to stop the cycle.
But why do parrots pluck in the first place?
There are a variety of reasons for a parrot to be a feather plucker, and I will just name a few below…
Feather Plucking
Your parrot is not receiving enough human interaction – if you don’t give proper attention to your parrot he may turn into a feather picking parrot!
Your parrot is receiving too much attention – parrots are like small babies who need your beloved and dedicated attention. But like a spoiled child, if you manage to give them too much attention, your parrot will probably behave on a feather plucking manner!
Someone hit or screamed to the parrot and he got emotionally abused or there was a single frightening experience in his life.
Dietary and nutritional imbalances.
Environmental problems – this can be the air being too dry or smoking around your parrot.
To end a parrot feather plucking behavior, you must consider to spend quality time with your parrot, for his psychological health and well being, as activities help him to avoid distress and prevent some of the most common feather picking and screeching problems parrots face. For instance, rotate its parrot toys on a consistent basis.
Parrot feather plucking tips to consider:
Place tree branches around your parrot – this is to remove attention from his feathers to the branches, and he will probably start to chew them instead of his feathers.
Get your parrot natural vitamins and minerals – these are crucial to the natural feather condition of your parrot.
Provide daily fresh eucalyptus branches and also fresh water – this helps prevent boredom.
Leave a Reply