Self-plucking
There can be many possible reasons for this, including:
- too much time in their cage
- not enough to do
- not enough chances to forage
- something happening to frighten them
- poor diet leading to poor feather condition
Do's
- Make sure you have provided all the enrichment you can.
- Make sure your bird has a good relationship with everyone who interacts with them.
- Take yourself out of your bird’s sight when they start self-plucking and stay away for a few minutes.
- Contact a specialist bird vet and a certified animal behaviourist for advice (see below)
Don'ts
- Saying “no” or “stop that” when you see your bird self-plucking can actually encourage them to keep doing it.
- Even staying within their sight as they pluck themselves will encourage it.
Noise
Birds are naturally noisy, though some species make more noise than others. Without the right enrichment, they may become very noisy indeed.
Do's
- Give your bird plenty of time out of their cage.
- Your bird is a highly social creature, so give them lots of contact with you and plenty of attention.
- Give young parrots almost constant attention until they are adults.
- If you’ve given your bird all the attention and enrichment they need, but they start making extremely loud or unwanted sounds (including swear words), just walk out of their sight every time it happens. If you do this often enough, the problem should eventually stop.
Don'ts
- Don’t ignore your birds, keep them in their cage for too long or leave them with not enough to do.
Parrot behaviour
Aggressive biting
Parrots will naturally use their beak for climbing and holding things, and they will sometimes need to hold onto you with their beak. This is not biting.
But if the grip becomes a painful bite, you need to deal with it straight away.
Do's
- Stay calm, say nothing, take the bird from you as gently as you can and walk away.
- Make sure your bird has been properly trained to step on and off a hand-held stick. Our advice on training your bird explains how to do this.
Don'ts
- Doing nothing and staying where your bird can see you will not stop the biting.
- Don’t put the bird back in their cage
Jealousy
Sometimes, a parrot may have a strong preference for you or another person. This can lead them to display sexual behaviours towards the favoured person, such as regurgitating food. They may also start to act aggressively towards other people.
Do's
- Try to stop your parrot from getting over-excited when they are out of their cage. Stay calm and quiet yourself and walk away if they become aggressive or show sexual behaviours. If you are calm, they will usually follow your lead.
- If you are your parrot’s favoured person, go out of their sight when someone else is around. They will be more likely to accept cautious attention from the other person.
Don'ts
- Don’t touch your parrot anywhere on their body during these times.
Damage and mess
In the wild, parrots love to chew tree bark, leaves and twigs. They need to be able to chew things to destruction in captivity too, but you can encourage them to chew their own things and leave your precious furniture alone.
Do's
- Make sure you have provided all the enrichment you can.
- To encourage your parrot to play with the items you’ve provided, play with them yourself while the bird is with you.
- Give rewards and praise when they show an interest.
Don'ts
- Don’t introduce new items straight into the cage or aviary without preparing your bird carefully. Help them get used to new items away from their cage at first.
If your bird is frightened
If something makes your bird panic, they might fly off and crash-land.
Do's
- Wait a few seconds until the bird has recovered before you do anything.
- When they seem settled, move carefully towards them and offer your hand for them to step up.
Don'ts
- Don’t go straight up to the bird and try to pick them up – it could just make them more scared.
- Don’t force them onto your hand. Instead, wait for them to walk to you.
Getting help
To find a reliable, certified behaviourist who can give advice about your bird’s needs, go to:
For problems specific to parrots, you should consult an avian (bird specialist) vet. The Parrot Society has a list of avian vets with pet bird experience.