Dealing with Seasonal Behavior in Parrots

Signs of Seasonal Behavior in Parrots

• Flat backing
• Displaying
• Strutting w/ tail feather's fanned
• Increase in territorial behavior
• Nest making
• Feather picking
• Regurgitation of food
• Panting
• Masturbation
• Louder than normal vocalizations
• Increase in biting
• More aggressive play

About Seasonal Behavior

Seasonal behavior in parrots is totally normal and natural in adult parrots. But for the novice parrot lover, changes in parrot behavior can be upsetting. Each year in late winter and early spring, as the days start to get longer, adolescent and adult parrots experience a surge in hormones.

Just like a teenage kid needs understanding during hormone surges, so does your parrot.  Seasonal hormone surges are NOT a reason to rehome your parrot.  

Each spring, parrots bodies are telling them it is time to snuggle up to their mate and create a family. For a few months, adolescent and adult parrots go through seasonal behavior changes and become more temperamental, territorial and aggressive.

Most parrot species go through seasonal behavior once a year, when the days begin to get longer. Sexual maturity begins at different times for different species and individual parrots within a species. As a general rule, the smaller the bird, the earlier sexual maturity is reached. A cockatiel may reach sexual maturity at about nine months of age while a large cockatoo, such an Umbrella, may reach sexual maturity at 3 to 6 years of age.

Socializing your parrot and bird training are essential before your parrot reaches sexual maturity. Clicker Training for Birds teaches proven bird training techniques. Clicker Training for Birds is an excellent way to bond well with parrots because it uses only positive techniques to induce tame bird behavior. Our Good Bird Basic Training DVD wet takes clicker training several steps further by actually demonstrating bird training techniques. When you teach your parrot to do tricks, you establish yourself as the flock leader. Your bird training will payoff huge when your parrot matures and experiences seasonal behavior changes. With a positive and respectful relationship with your parrot, you'll find that your parrot looks for positive ways to interact with you and get your attention and will be less prone to common parrot behavior problems or seasonal behavior problems.

General Age of Sexual Maturity of Parrot Species

• African Grey Parrots: 2-4 years
• Amazon Parrots: 2-4 years
• Blue and Gold Macaws: 3-6 years
• Budgies: 6-9 months
• Cockatiels: 9 months
• Conures: 2-4 years
• Goffin: 2-4 years
• Mini Macaw: 2-4 years
• Moluccan Cockatoos: 4-7 years
• Pionus: 2-4 years
• Umbrella Cockatoos: 3-6 years

What to Do to Manage Parrot Behavior

• Realize that hormonal changes are a natural biological process in all parrots.
• Mark your calendar so you can anticipate when hormonal changes will take place.
• Identify what behavior patterns your bird demonstrates when (s)he is hormonal.
• Keep hormonal parrots caged when you have company over that might make your parrot jealous
• Distract your bird if it begins masturbating or regurgitating on you.
• Clip flight feathers before seasonal behavior begins.
• Consider using an Finger Saver Perch if your parrot is aggressive when you attempt to take it out of it's cage.
• Use proven bird training techniques such as Clicker Training for Birds or the Fantastic Parrots Bird Training DVD set

Don't Do:

• Don't punish your bird for seasonal behavior.
• Don't ignore your parrot due to seasonal behavior.
• Don't pet the bird's back, it's wings or it's tail area. Stimulation in these areas only causes your parrot frustration.
• Don't keep anything that might resemble a nest box in your parrots cage.
• Never leave your bird out of it's cage unsupervised, especially when other people are present that your parrot is not bonded to.