Just like a child, Parrots are intelligent and will learn how to get their wants and needs met, unless provided with loving, positive redirection and structure. And, like children, parrots have very strong needs for socialization, mental stimulation, and structure. Parrots need about 12 hours sleep per night, a well thought out feeding regime, and a calm, safe, consistent living situation. When basic pet bird parrot needs are not met, parrots will develop behavior problems. Some of the most common behavior problems we see in parrots are screaming, biting, feather picking and regurgitating. The good news is that all of these parrot problems can be addressed by educating yourself on what your parrot needs and how your pet bird thinks.

Realize that parrots are extremely smart pets that will use both their intelligence and their innate behaviors to get their needs met. Anytime that your parrot feels that it is gaining your attention, good or bad, with a particular behavior, it is likely to repeat it. And, just like a kid, your parrot will repeat a behavior over and over again as long as it gets something from you. So, if your parrot does something to annoy you and then realizes that it "Gez, I got a rise out of you," (good or bad) you can count on your parrot doing it again.... and again.......and again.

1. Meet your parrots needs for sleep, foraging and enrichment, socialization and exercise.
2. Reward the behaviors that you want your parrot to repeat. Decide on what behaviors that you want your parrot to repeat and pay lots of attention to them.
3. Ignore inappropriate or irritating behaviors as much as possible.

What do you need to do to STOP the problem behavior?

1. Figure out a plan to teach and reward acceptable or alternative behavior.
2. Force yourself to NOT reward or reinforce inappropriate or unwanted behavior. OH GOSH, DID WE MENTION THAT TWICE?

Screaming

• Lack of exercise
• Lack of sleep
• Poor Diet
• Lack of Entertainment & Toys
• Insecurity or fear
• Chaotic environment
• Past reinforcement for screaming

I get cranky and loud when I don't get enough Exercise * Sleep * Good Diet or I'm around too much noise!

• Provide your bird more exercise by teaching it to fly and bird stands daily
• Make sure that your parrot gets 12 hours of sleep each night. Consider a sleep cage or a Bird Cage Cover
• Offer your bird a premium diet such as Harrison's Bird Food
• Teach your bird to talk. Talking parrots scream a lot less!
• Use up excess energy. Teach your bird to fly with an Aviator Bird Leash. Or, if you are fearful of letting your parrot fly, wing-flap the bird (hold its feet in your hand and move your arm up & down causing the bird to flap its wings) when it screams
• Use behavior management techniques such as that described in Clicker Training for Birds; Pay more attention to your bird when it is playing quietly and independently.
• AviCalm! is a safe, natural homeopathic formula that helps calm uncontrolled screaming.

Biting

• Insecure environment
• Poor Diet
• Copying the stress of the household
• Reacting to demands that cause anxiety
• Territorial behavior
• Feeling ill

I feel like lashing out when I don't feel safe, I'm around a stressful environment, I feel threatened or I don't feel good.

• Move your birds cage to a quieter place in the home
• Feed your bird a premium diet such as Harrison's Bird Food
• Tell the bird what you want it to do rather than force it with a strong command
• Offer foraging bird toys with the bird's favorite treat or small toys inside for enrichment
• Weave Shredders about the upper portion of the birds cage. Offer Wood Bird Toys. Shredding and chewing provides a stress outlet for the bird.
• Use behavior management such as that described in Clicker Training for Birds
• Check with an avian veterinarian if your bird continues to bite

Feather Picking

• Insecurity
• Lack of exercise
• Lack of sleep
• Lack of attention or socialization
• Habit
• Illness

• Take your bird to an Avian Veterinarian for a full exam to rule out a medical cause
• Weave Shredders about the upper portion of the birds cage and offer other preening style bird toys. Shredding provides a stress outlet for the bird.
• Move your birds cage to a quieter place in the home
• Offer your bird a separate sleep cage
• Offer your bird a premium diet such as Harrison's Bird Food
• Add nutrients with Featheriffic and Avivita Plus
• Offer more frequent baths with Bath Time Spray or with a shower perch
• AVIx Soother Spray promotes healing of lesions and irritations that are often noted in early cases of feather picking.
• Get the Healthy Feather Pack at Chirp n Squawk Bird Supplies

Regurgitating

• This is completely normal parrot behavior. Parrots feed their young and their mates by regurgitating. It is a show of love and dedication.

• Observe whether the bird is vomiting as opposed to showing affection. Sickness output will be more liquid in nature. Vomiting is a sign of illness and a veterinarian should be consulted fast .
• Observe for weight loss with a bird scale, abnormal droppings, loss of appetite or ruffled feathers.
• If the problem is affectionate regurgitation, encourage other people to hold and love on your parrot or simply put the parrot down.
• For affection regurgitation, offer favorite treats for loving time that doesn't involve barfing!