SPRING IS IN THE AIR... IS LOVE MAKING YOUR PARROT DIFFICULT?
By Tracy Schwarztrauber
For most parrot species, somewhere between Dec. & March breeding season begins... often lasting well into July. It's an inborn biological reflex, that designates certain times of the year will trigger a change in body chemistry of birds. This chemical change lets them know now is the time to choose their nest sites, choose their mates & plan their families. In the wild, the monsoons are often the signal for birds that breeding season is approaching. Why? Because when monsoons end, food will become plentiful as waters dry up & the forest fills with bugs, flowers fruits & seeds. "This is the time," says Mother Nature. "Now is when there will be food to feed your babies." The timing can be critical - the parent birds must have plentiful food nearby to return many times to their nest site to feed their babies. Traveling long distances in search of food & staying away overnight is not an option for parent birds when flightless baby birds are in the nest. The instinct for "everything has it's season" is deeply ingrained in our pet birds, even if they do not have a mate of their own kind. To many of our pet birds, WE are their mates & with the onset of breeding season, we may notice different behaviors ranging from barely discernible changes to frightening aggression, in addition to egg laying, masturbation, nest making behaviors (increased wood shredding, regurgitating food for humans or favorite toys, seeking dark places like boxes, under paper or blankets). There are a few things you can do to make this stressful time less difficult:
1) Avoid handling your bird in ways that might excite him - do not wrap your hand around their body & squeeze, no rubbing under the wings or in the lower back or on the vent area.
2) Remove all potential nesting containers (nest boxes, cardboard, happy huts, etc.).
3) Make sure your bird comes out of the cage and is taken AWAY from the cage every day to help reduce the territorial bond to its cage. (If your bird is absolutely impossible to handle, at least maintain calm & pleasant conversations even if you must stop handling him because of aggression).
4) If your bird is aggressively defending its nest area (the cage) you may have to towel the bird to remove him from the cage, but once he is out of sight of the cage he may calm down.
5) Do not feed sterilized hemp seeds or wheat germ at this time, as these may increase hormone production.
6) Provide daily showers-most parrots are also molting in preparation for breeding season, so daily showers or baths will keep them busy & help their new feathers come in healthy & beautiful.
7) Provide plenty of wood to chew.
8) It may be more difficult to handle your hormonal pet bird at certain times of the day than other times. For instance, Amazons may be particularly cranky in the morning, but mid afternoon or early evening may have calmed down & be more approachable.
9) Keep your sense of humor, be patient, and remember it's nothing personal. The birds can't help this anymore than you can. The worst should be over by July!
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