Major Freak-Out
He is an African grey parrot named Dusty, and he is boarding with me again. Over the
two years that he's boarded with me, the reaction has always been the same. When I
approach him, he screams and throws himself around his cage. I cannot reach inside for his
food bowls without sending him into a paroxysm of terror.
In the case of a recently wild-caught adult
parrot or for a bird with a history of terrible abuse, I suppose I would consider this to
be somewhat understandable behavior. But Dusty is a three year-old domestic bred,
hand-raised young bird who has lived for two and one-half years with the same family. His
human caretakers are experienced parrot owners whose other birds are consistently and
lovingly controlled, and are delightful companions. Dusty's behavior is not just caused by
the approach of a non-flock member such as myself, either -- his owner can't get near him,
either. How could a young parrot in a good home end up so horribly maladjusted?
Always the Owner's Fault?
In the past when companion parrots developed behavior problems, the owner was
automatically assumed to have been responsible -- and from my experience this has often
been the case. Raised in an environment with no training and no controls, a headstrong
young parrot will almost always get out of control and turn into a miserable ex-pet, often
ending up on consignment in a pet store.
Shared Responsibilities
However, we are now starting to realize that the owner may not be the only responsible
party in this sad situation. The accusatory finger now points also at the aviculturists
and pet stores that failed to provide these incredibly complex and intelligent creatures
with a foundation of socialization long before they reached the pet market.
Socialization = Teaching
So what do I mean by socialization? Simply put, a parrot needs to be TAUGHT as well as
fed. Proper socialization entails teaching a parrot such things as how to survive in the
environment, how to cope with and enjoy variety and change, and what their position is
within the flock.
Prolonged Learning Period
In the wild, most species of parrots stay with their parents long after they are
weaned. During this period, they are learning volumes of information regarding food
identification and location and the development of the manual dexterity necessary to
procure food (once it is located), as well as predator avoidance and successful
interaction with other members of their flock. Therefore, the parenting responsibilities
definitely entail a great deal more than simply feeding their young until they are old
enough to find their own food.
Little Info Needed to be a Hamster
Most animal experts agree that generally speaking, the more intelligent the animal,
the less instinctive information the animal is born with and the more it must be taught by
others. For example, a hamster is born knowing pretty much what it needs to know about
being a hamster. Consequently, the mother hamster's responsibilities only entail feeding
and protecting the babies until they are weaned. Once weaned, the young hamsters are on
their own -- the mothering instincts stop and the mother hamster does not even recognize
them as kin. On the other hand, more intelligent life-forms like dogs and cats have more
extensive parenting responsibilities. In the wild, the offspring of canine and feline
species stay with their family units long after they are weaned because they must be
taught complex survival skills like hunting.
Wild Behavior Info Lacking
With parrots in the wild, behavior information is woefully incomplete -- but we do
know that many species stay together as a family unit for as long as two years after the
babies leave the nest. During that time, the parents and other flock members are teaching
the young priceless skills. Once these survival skills are learned, the adolescent parrot
can safely develop independence from the nurturing protection of its parents and join the
remainder of their flock as primarily a member of their peer group. Not long after this
stage, they begin to achieve puberty and look within their peer group for a suitable mate.
Behavior Problems Develop
It is unlikely a coincidence that most of the problems we parrot behavior consultants
encounter are in adolescent parrots. We theorize that the adolescent parrot, having been
taught nothing in its life as a companion animal but reaching an age at which it would
begin to be independent of its natural parents, somehow senses that its survival skills
are lacking.. And in the wild, a parrot without survival skills is a parrot that does not
survive.
Fear Causes Problems
Consequently, in a frantic effort to control an environment to which they sense they
are not adapted, many adolescent parrots begin to show a variety of aberrant behaviors.
They often become rigid in their patterns, like pulling out all their tail feathers
because their cage is moved to the other side of the room They may get rigid about food
choices -- for instance, eating ONLY seed, corn and grapes. Or they may become excessively
territorial about their cages, attacking even family (flock) members that dare venture too
close.
Eating Dexterity
On the subject of food, Phoebe Linden, well respected aviculturist and parrot
behaviorist, feels that a major cause of food rigidities are due to poorly developed
eating dexterities. "They only eat a couple of foods because they have 'cracked the
manual code' for only a couple of foods." In the wild, these babies would be taught
by their parents how to cope with a wide variety of foodstuffs -- like how to open hard
nuts and how to find the fruit inside of its protective shell. In captivity we put the
food in a bowl, assuming the young parrot can figure it out on its own – which human
babies are not expected to do.
Heartbreaker
But perhaps the most heart rending birds are the ones that become phobic like Dusty,
and get hysterical when anyone approaches them. It is as if they anticipate their own
demise every time another being comes near. When Dusty's behavior was described to Phoebe
and Sally Blanchard, they agreed that he was probably "force-weaned" In other
words, hand-feeding was withheld before he was psychologically and physically ready to eat
on his own. From our experience, force-weaning often sets the foundation for a variety of
fears -- fear of starvation, fear of abandonment, fear of change. Force-weaning can result
also in obsessive food-begging behaviors seen in older birds, such as adult macaws
exhibiting chronic wing-flicking and repetitive calling.
Aviculture = Big Business
So what does all this mean to the pet parrot owner? To quote internationally renowned
aviculturist Rosemary Lowe, "Parrot breeders used to be parrot lovers. Now it seems
there are some who care little for the birds they breed." (Psittascene,
publication of The World Parrot Trust) Or to quote a breeder I know personally who told
me, "Kiddo, you gotta understand that it's a business, it's just a business."
(Need I mention I no longer refer possible buyers to this person?)
Assembly Line Production
Nowadays, large numbers of baby parrots found in the pet market are raised in assembly
line style in large "puppy farm" styled breeding facilities where profit seems
to be the prime motivation. No thought is given to any nurturing or psychological
development. The chicks are pulled from their aquariums only to be fed, then stuffed back
in -- that is the only handling they receive. If the babies are really lucky, they might
be kept clean. Some babies don’t even get that much handling. There are mass
production setups where the feeder simply pokes a ketchup bottle full of formula through
the wire of a cage full of parrot chicks and squirts in the direction of begging mouths.
My Short Pet Store Career
In my stunningly brief career of running a baby bird room in a pet store, I was
constantly criticized by the store manager for handling and teaching babies when I should
be "working." In other words, I was supposed to feed and clean them only,
then be out in the store waiting on customers.
Birds that come from these below par
conditions can still be good pets, but as Blanchard puts it, "The owner starts out
with one foot in a hole." It is possible, in other words, but it often is much
harder. It is much better to start with a parrot raised by an aviculturist or pet store
that truly cares about their birds, not just their income, and takes the time to socialize
their babies properly.
Learning Is Critical
No matter how good or bad the source of your parrot, it needs to be taught vital
skills and contrary to apparent belief, parrots are never too old to learn. Going slowly
and taking care not to frighten it, start introducing it to a variety of stimuli -- all
the time talking to it and reassuring it. Carry the bird from room to room in your home,
showing it a variety of settings -- what Blanchard calls "Playing Real Estate
Agent." Take it for rides in the car (in a safe and comfortable carrier). Take it to
visit your parents and friends. If you have friends you trust with your pet, take it to
their home for a slumber party. Teach it that change is interesting and fun, not
terrifying and threatening.
Have a variety of toys for your parrot of
different colors, shapes and textures. Teach it how to play with a new toy by letting it
watch you play with it, then inviting it to join in the game. Rotate the toys in its cage at
least weekly, making sure that life doesn't get too boring. "Hand toys" are
useful in developing manual dexterity. As parrots learn to play, they often begin to
invent new games. My own blue and gold macaw is 40+ years old and after more than twenty
years, she is still teaching me new games.
Pig-Out Parties
Teach your parrot how to eat a wide variety of foodstuffs by having Pig-Out Parties.
Phoebe suggests putting it on a table with lots of different bowls of foods -- i.e.,
different kinds of nuts in one, multicolored pasta (cooked and raw) in another, cooked and
raw veggies cut in different shapes in another, etc.. Get creative!
Parrots often learn by example, so show
your bird what to do by letting it watch you eat something. (It'll improve your diet,
too!) Learning by watching another bird is also very useful, so if you know someone with
an older healthy parrot (one who has been thoroughly checked by a good avian veterinarian,
like your bird has been) who can show your parrot the ropes as to food handling,
then invite them to the party, too. Needless to say, expect a mess!
Climb The Ladder!"
Teach your parrot vital survival skills. Whenever possible, Phoebe tries to replicate
the mother bird's behavior with her babies, so if one of her young parrots falls on the
floor, she will not pick it up. After all, the mother bird can't do that!
Instead, she teaches her babies the very
real skill of climbing a ladder, and there are ladders leading to different perches all
over her house. When she says "Climb the ladder!", all her babies scurry for
them. This decreases anxiety levels by reassuring a young bird that it can reach safety
without assistance.
Critical Skills
By helping your parrot learn the skills it needs as well as teaching it the controls I
have discussed in previous articles, you will go a long way towards having a happy, well
adjusted pet that you can enjoy for both of your lifetimes.