Imprinting of Birds [Video] + Spring is in the Air [article]

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SPRING BEHAVIOR
Oh, Joy! Tra La… OUCH!
article by Liz Wilson:

It is early spring, and already it has begun. The phone rings and it is my client Mary. She has a two year old domestic-bred African grey parrot that she purchased eight months ago. He is her first parrot and she adores him. Mary's voice is shaking and she is obviously barely under control as she says, "Liz, something is terribly wrong with Alfred and I'm really upset! He's gone crazy or something!"

Thanking fate for my previous experience as a crisis counselor, I manage to get her quieted down enough to get a somewhat coherent story. Alfred, normally a gentle and loving bird, had suddenly lashed out at her that morning and had actually drawn blood. I question her carefully about his physical health and find he had just been to her avian veterinarian last week for a routine check-up and everything was fine.

So I ask her a number of questions regarding Alfred's recent noise level (louder than usual?), his play behaviors (rougher than usual with his beak?), and his attitude towards Mary (more possessive?) As I suspected, all the answers are affirmatives. Sweet little Alfred is growing up, and the spring nesting season has begun.

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Bad and Good Changes and "Characteristic" Behaviors
Other possible behaviors or behavior changes include one or more (or none) of the following (and this list is far from complete):

* Flat backing -- aviculturist term for the submissive posture of some female parrots, with or without accompanying wing shivering and/or clucking. Some birds may also revert to baby-like behaviors, begging to be hand fed by their favorite person.

* Strutting with tail feathers fanned, neck feathers up and eyes flashing wildly -- This is often (but not always accurately) defined as male behavior and is seen other times of the year as well -- especially when meeting new people. This is probably normal territorial behavior that becomes more frequent and dramatic during nesting time. Don't reach for this bird unless your really want to check your normal healing time.

* Nest-making -- manifests in minor ways, such as burrowing in fabric or sofa pillows, or major ways -- in the absolute destruction of anything and everything the bird touches. The latter is (of course) what Sam does. This is not necessarily a female trait, since in many species (i.e. many larger cockatoos) the male is the primary nest builder. This behavior goes above and beyond the "normal" destructiveness of parrots.

Some years, I have given Sam with a large cardboard box to shred in her cage, which seems to ease the biological pressures on her -- after all, she simply wants to make a nest. However, being allowed a nest box of a sort also encourages Sam to lay eggs. These eggs are infertile, of course -- she's my only bird and it takes two, as they say. But there isn’t any point to her egg laying so I don't give her a box, anymore. I especially would not recommend giving nest-like boxes to birds like cockatiels, whose hens can be prone to obsessive egg laying cycles that can become life threatening.

* Feather picking -- some individuals do a little feather chewing or picking, usually in small, localized areas of their bodies like their breast or the tops of their wings. From my experience, hormone-induced feather chewing or picking is ONLY seen during spring behavior. It should not be confused with the more dramatic and extensive plucking seen as a manifestation of physical problems such as infections in the feather follicles, or in allergies.... or as a behavior problem.

* Regurgitation of food -- Ah, Birdie Barf! Parrots will regurgitate food to feed their mate and their young, so if your parrot upchucks on you, don't get grossed out -- take it in the spirit it's offered. It is, after all, a tremendous compliment. This can happen whenever your parrot is feeling loving during the year, but it definitely happens more often in nesting season. By the way, sexual regurgitation is associated with a favorite person, toy, etc.. When it occurs without any obvious stimulus, it may be evidence of a medical problem. If the human is unsure as to what is happening, one’s avian vet should be consulted.

* Masturbation – Notwithstanding whatever feelings their pet humans might have about this subject, parrots have no moral hang ups about it at all -- they just enjoy it! If you're lucky, your visiting minister or maiden great aunt will not catch on to what is happening.

And as previously mentioned, making more noise than usual and biting harder than usual.

Not All Bad….
But not all of these seasonal behavior changes are negative -- a client of mine has an Amazon who becomes a real snugglebug when in nesting behavior, at which time he LOVES to be cuddled -- which is the only time all year that he will accept any human touching at all!

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