Blue and gold macaw

Q: My bird has been biting me a lot lately and I was told that it was because of hormones. What are hormones doing to my bird? Does she need a “boyfriend”?
Shannon M., Ithica, NY

A: In the Northern Hemisphere, we are in the thick of the spring season and birds residing in this area are probably acting a bit “off”. That may be an incredible understatement in some households. The Southern Hemisphere may be noticing the milder effects that resurface with many species in the fall.

No ...

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I have to admit that I chuckle when I read the stories about the weird bird behaviors going on at this time of year. I think I chuckle out of relief that I’m not the only one with strange birds. This year has produced some funny stories. One friend tells me...

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Rose breasted cockatoos

Just a quick reminder… It is fall and a time of year when birds will exhibit some hormonal behaviors.  I have been noticing that Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, has had trouble lately sleeping through the night.  This is always a sure sign that he is hormonal.  The good news is that this is a milder version of the peculiarity that we see so often in the springtime, so not to worry.

Hormonal behaviors are brought on by the changing seasons. Spring behaviors come about when warmer temperatures ...

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Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, always seems to be walking a fine line when...

Here it comes!  It’s only January!!  Normally, I wouldn’t see some of the behaviors I have been noticing until well into February.  Perhaps it is because of our change in location, but all the signs promising a very hormonal season are in place with my birds.

I took Theo, my goffins cockatoo, in to watch a movie with me the other day.  Normally, she would be preening herself, preening my hair, untying my shoes and hopping up and down the length of my body while I try to ...

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Rose Breasted Cockatoo

I have mentioned in past posts how useful it is to have a faithfully kept journal to refer back to in times when you feel at a loss about a particular behavior your parrot is exhibiting.   Spring is coming, and the hormones will soon be raging.  A parrot’s behavior can be so perplexing during this time that I have often referred to last year’s journal to see what craziness was present, as well as refreshing my memory about changes in eating an sleeping patterns.  This is a great ...

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