Once in a while, all parrots will misbehave. For many unfortunate owners, however, chronic behavior problems make their relationship with their parrots a miserable affair. If an avian veterinarian has determined that there are no health concerns manifesting themselves as behavior issues, then a visit with a Parrot Behavior Consultant may be in order. To help discern whether or not your bird needs professional help, look over these tell-tale signs that your pet's behavior is out of control.
1. Extreme Aggression
Most aggressive birds can be
tamed with proper training techniques, but training overly aggressive or vicious parrots should be left to professionals for safety reasons. All birds will bite, and
they bite for different reasons. Owners should determine whether or not a bite is truly dangerous. A trained and experienced Parrot Behavior Consultant will be knowledgable in handling these types of birds safely. If your bird is so aggressive that you cannot safely place your hand in his cage, seek out professional assistance as soon as possible.
2. Excessive Screaming
Birds can be loud, and screaming off and on is a completely normal and natural behavior. However, a bird that screams all of the time almost certainly has some need that is not being met. If you've tried everything and your pet still refuses to tone it down a notch, schedule an appointment with your
avian vet to rule out any health issues. If the doctor gives your bird a clean bill of health, contact your nearest Parrot Behavior Consultant an schedule an appointment for he or she to assess your bird's situation. In most cases, slight adjustments to the bird's environment, routine, and interactions with the owner can go a long way in correcting excessive screaming behavior.
3. Overly Destructive Behavior
All birds love to tear things up -- it's just their nature! But sometimes they destroy things that aren't theirs or aren't meant to be used as playthings. This not only causes problems to their owners, but can be hazardous to the bird as well. While plenty of supervision,
safe bird toys, and
proper mental stimluation will usually curb most destructive behaviors, there are some birds that need a professional touch when dealing with their tastes for demolition. If your bird can't seem to stop destroying everything he sees, then an appointment with a behavior consultant could be beneficial in helping you get to the root of the issue.
4. Feather Plucking/Self Mutilation
The moment you notice that a bird is biting itself or plucking its feathers, you should schedule an appointment with your vet to check for health problems. If no health issues are to blame, then the problem could be an issue with the bird's environment, or with the bird's emotional state. In either case, a Parrot Behavior Consultant should be able to get to the bottom of the problem, and help you begin rehabilitating your pet.
