Access to perceived nesting sites can also trigger hormone production. Photo credit: Barbara Heidenreich Parrots in the wild who are not breeding enjoy each
other’s company, but this type of bond is maintained through parallel activities and brief, playful interactions, not physical closeness.
The second area in which we go wrong is in providing
a diet that is too high in carbohydrates and fats. Carbo- hydrates and fats are two categories of nutrients that are used for energy production. They serve the parrot well in the wild, where energy expenditures are great. In cap- tivity, eating such a diet contributes not only to increased hormone production, but to louder, more excitable be- havior. Foods that contribute to the problem include: seed mixes, nuts, dried fruit, pasta, white rice, snack foods, and table food.
The thirdmost significant trigger for increased hormone
production is the ability for the parrot to spend time in perceived nesting spots. This is the area in which we can see the amazing flexibility demonstrated by our compan- ion parrots. As you assess your own parrot’s behavior in order to see if he searches out such places, remember that, if it has three sides, it’s likely to be deemed suitable. Typ-
If such a territorial parrot also has pair bondwith some-
one in the home, he may become extremely aggressive toward anyonewho comes near that individual.These can be very dangerous, both for the “intruder” and for the fa- vored person, who may be bitten in a misguided attempt to drive the bonded person away from the intruder.
Good Bird Magazine 29
ical favorites for companion parrots are closets, drawers, brown paper bags or cardboard boxes, playing under the covers, crawling down the owner’s shirt, small bathrooms, the area under the couch, sleeping huts in the cage, etc.
When these environmental triggers are present in our
homeswith our parrots,we are likely to find ourselves liv- ing with at least one of several behavior problems. Many parrots engage in resource guarding behavior when hor- monally triggered.Thismeans that the parrotmay become extremely aggressive if anyone gets near to a perceived nest site. One African grey male that I know is a perfect gentleman until he gets down and spends time under the couch, whereupon he turns into a demon near which you had better not come. He becomes extremely aggressive as he defends what he perceives is a potential nest site.
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