Umbrella cockatoo. Linus

I know I am not the only person that has suffered through another crazy spring breeding season this year. I hate to use expressions like misery loves company, but I have to admit that while Linus was threatening to use my body parts as nest lining, I was glad to have those around who truly understood my frustration. This year has been hard on everyone it seems.

Thankfully, it appears to be drawing to an end for most of my birds. While their behavior is only somewhat improved, I ...

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Bluethroated macaw

This season seems to be handing out more than the average share of hormones to our companion birds. Oddly, I am hearing reports of rotten behavior from bird owners all over the world – even in places where it is autumn and not spring. I wish someone would do some research to explain why this sometimes happens.

Why are there some seasons so much worse than others on such a universal scale? Is there an unusual atmospheric condition that is triggering hormones that we don’t recognize? And while researchers are ...

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Chronic egg laying in parrots

A few days ago, I noticed a strong odor coming from the bathroom. No human had recently been in there, so I felt the need to investigate the source. I found a fresh, poorly formed dropping that I could immediately identify as belonging to Theo , my goffins cockatoo, who is potty trained and will go to her cage or into the bathroom to relieve herself.

Theo’s appearance, weight and behavior were all normal, but knowing that there should never be any trace of odor from a ...

“I have adopted a male Eclectus parrot and I have a question about cuddling and petting. I have been very cautious about it so far because I have read that with their hair like feathers they don’t like to be pet like other birds. However, when he is relaxing with me he seems to want to cuddle and be pet, but I don’t want to upset him. I would like some advice about what he ...

Timneh african grey

A couple of years ago, someone located here in the US asked me a great question: he wanted to know if his eclectus, a bird native to Australia, would display hormonal behaviors during the local spring season or by the one in its native land.

For those unaware, the seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres of our planet oppose each other. When it is summer in the north, it is winter in the south. Likewise with spring and fall. Spring actually occurs twice on our planet each ...

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Blue fronted amazon

Q: June is almost over and my bird is still being nippy and trying to build nests. Is it normal for a parrot to still be thinking about breeding season ?
–Jacob C., Davenport, IA

A: Your cockatiel’s behaviors are the result of hormones that begin flooding the body at the onset of spring. Hormones are chemicals which are released into the blood stream causing reactions in other parts of the body. It’s like a communication system. In the springtime, chemicals are released telling a bird that it is ...

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