Dealing with behavior problems of parrots

Jan Hooimeijer,  DVM CPBC

Clinic for Birds, The Netherlands

www.kliniekvoorvogels.nl  email: jan.birds@worldonline.nl

( presented at the DVG-Vogeltagung, March 2008, Munchen)

Keywords: welfare, behavior, protocol, handling, responsibility, education, wing clipping, parrot walk, parrot picnic, parrot rescue.

Introduction: The welfare and well-being of parrots in captivity is part of the  responsibility of (avian) veterinarians.

Veterinarians need to know the basics of parrot behavior in order to handle and deal with them properly.

It is important to acknowledge the fact that parrots are prey animals and respond accordingly to all kind of situations. Fear to get killed as a prey animal determines a major part of normal behavior in nature as well as in captivity. Living in flocks can be considered as one of the adaptations of a prey animal.

It is also important to acknowledge that the outcome of the past 30 years of research has shown that parrots are very social and  intelligent birds with amazing cognitive abilities.

Veterinarians have the opportunity to make a difference in the exam room when we are dealing with insecure behavior, screaming, feather picking and biting.

Within the Clinic for Bird we have developed a 5-step protocol enabling veterinarians and caretakers to deal with parrots in a professional way, reducing the stress of manipulation and creating mutual trust and respect. Using this protocol enables owners to take their birds for hiking and biking activities and become part of the family as companion bird.

Educating owners/clients how to take care of their parrots is an important responsibility of the avian veterinarian to prevent and to solve behavior problems.

Behavior

Behavior in nature is partly based on instinct and partly based on learning and experience. Behavior is driven by the urge to survive as individual and as species.

Dealing with parrots in captivity we need to understand that the behavior of parrots is determined by different factors.

Understanding the consequences of dealing with a non domesticated social, intelligent prey animal is crucial for the development of a relationship based on mutual trust and respect.

Dealing with behavior problems is looking for a diagnosis based on the circumstances, understanding the reason for the behavior and the consequences of the behavior.

Unwanted behavior as learned behavior

Dealing with unwanted behavior we have to consider that unwanted behavior will become more and more a problem when the consequence of that behavior is experienced by the parrot as a reward. 

Withdrawing the hand, walking away from the bird, getting angry or any  (emotional)response can be considered as reward and reason to repeat unwanted behavior.

Any response, positive, negative , emotional and even subconscious responses to the unwanted behavior can be considered as a reward.

Preventing unwanted behavior

Prevention starts with understanding  the background of unwanted behavior looking at the circumstances, the consequences,  the natural behavior and body language of parrots as social, intelligent prey animal.

Prevention is about creating circumstances in which fear, insecurity and defensive behavior is not created.

Prevention is about showing an attitude and body language as owner/caretaker and veterinarian that is the opposite of intimidating and is showing respect for the intelligence and social skills of the parrot. 

Prevention is about creating an enriched environment in which the parrot is allowed to express their intelligence and skills by providing toys and providing food in a way that parrots are stimulated to express normal foraging behavior.

Within the Clinic for Birds one of the most important parts of enrichment is creating an environment and circumstances allowing social interactions with other birds, other animals and humans. Taking a bird outside for a walk , a bike ride , a picnic or a family visit will prevent unwanted behavior.  Preventing unwanted behavior is to ensure that birds benefit from sunlight and fresh air as vital for their health and welfare.

It is always striking to see that unwanted behavior is very much determined by the (unnatural) circumstances.  For instance, territorial behavior is determined by the circumstances in which pair bonding, defending a nesting site are predominant factors. The same birds do not show any aggressive behavior towards other birds within a flock of birds that are gathering at a site with plenty of food or a drinking site. 

It is important to understand that the cage of a bird can be considered by the birds as their nesting site making the bird feel insecure expressing the need to defend that position and show territorial behavior.  It explains the defensive behavior of birds that are approached while sitting in or on top of their cage.

The same bird can show very different behavior sitting on a play gym.

The same bird sitting on the shoulder is showing insecure behavior  while  sitting on the hand of the owner the bird is showing to feel confident.

Putting a parrot on a table in the examination room in between the owner and the veterinarian is creating defensive behavior.  Having a bird on the hand next to our body or having the bird on the hand in front of our body makes a difference.

Prevention is about preventing the parrot to sit on the shoulder. Observing the behavior of parrots sitting on the shoulder and listening to the experiences of owners having parrots on their shoulder, it is obvious that parrots that are sitting on the shoulder are showing insecure/defensive behavior resulting in biting behavior to other people and even towards the one they like. Prevention is about understanding the consequences of unwanted behavior and to determine what is rewarding the behavior.

Within the Clinic for Birds we advice to create a more natural day-night routine in which the bird get’s 10-12 hours of sleep in a special small sleeping cage that is located in another room of the house,  away from the location the birds are during daytime. The background is that birds in nature do not sleep at night where they are spending their time during the day at foraging areas or drinking places. In nature birds are only spending their time during the day and during the night at the same location when they are breeding or upbringing their youngsters. Understanding the social behavior of parrots is helpful to prevent behavior problems.

Redirecting unwanted behavior

We have to consider that every response to unwanted behavior can  be perceived as a reward.. 

Instead of responding to the behavior of the parrot and instead of ignoring the behavior,  the advice is to act in a way that shows not to have a problem.  Niko Tinbergen , one of the founding ethologist in the past century did research about aggressive interactions between herring gulls in their breeding colony. Tinbergen described the concept of replacement behavior. Replacement behavior prevents aggressive behavior to escalate in a conflict situation with territorial aggression.  In the middle of a situation of  a territorial dispute herring gulls starts to pick at grass or start grooming themselves. Part of the replacement behavior is “looking away”. The outcome of that interaction is that the aggression and the fear disappears.  Over the years the author has observed this behavior as birdwatcher in nature and as avian veterinarian dealing with parrots organizing outdoor events with companion parrots.

Within the Clinic for Bird a 5-step behavior protocol has been developed that is used as general protocol dealing with parrots but also serves as technique to prevent and to solve unwanted behavior. 

Step one is showing to have no problem with the situation and doing whatever that has nothing to do with the unwanted behavior as if the bird is not even present. In fact, what we do is showing replacement behavior in a situation of “aggression/fear”.  By doing so the parrot is observing our behavior, which is the wanted behavior that we are creating.

Step two is that when the parrot is watching us and find it interesting what we are doing, it is vital to reward the parrot immediately in a positive way by telling the bird that he/she is beautiful in a non intimidating way.

Step three is to describe the body parts of the parrot and describe whatever object, colour material with a non intimidating attitude. By doing so we are rewarding and acknowledging the intelligence of the parrot and we behave as a nursery school teacher working with children of 3-5 years old. 

Step four is allowing the parrot to touch, feel or bite an object. Part of step 4 can also be allowing the parrot to step up the hand  and allowing the parrot to step up a playgym.  

Step five is creating a situation in which the parrot is accepting unpleasant situations and be rewarded for doing so. Towelling , a physical examination, grooming, wing clipping  taking a blood sample are all  part of step 5..

Using this protocol in this order,  unwanted behavior is not rewarded.  Watching us when we are not looking at the bird, acknowledging and rewarding their intelligence and rewarding the behavior like touching, feeling and even biting in a specific object can all be done within 30 seconds. 

Using this protocol, unwanted behavior is redirected into wanted behavior using positive reinforcement by rewarding a chain of wanted behaviors , including rewarding and acknowledging their intelligence and their social skills, always considering the fact that parrots are prey animals.

Within the Clinic for Bird we are having a list of over thousand families that are using this protocol as part of the daily care of the bird. Those families are invited for outdoor events and are  organising their own hiking events. 

Learning more about the cognitive abilities of parrots we can conclude that parrots do understand our meaning , posture and attitude.  Parrots learn by observing other birds , other animals, humans as part of their environment, draw their conclusions, behave accordingly. Dealing with parrots is like dealing with children that are eager to show and demonstrate  what they have learned. The Model/Rival technique, described by  Pepperberg is acknowledging the intelligence and learning skills of parrots.

Dealing with and understanding behavior it is important to distinguish the difference between :  - normal behavior

   - wanted behavior

   - unwanted behavior 

Rewarding wanted behavior using positive reinforcement will reduce unwanted behavior.

Handling parrots that shows unwanted behavior.

The first impression makes all the difference in approaching a parrot. Considering a parrot as a prey animal we do not walk towards the parrot and we do not look at the bird, face to face. Approaching the bird as a predator is intimidating and not showing respect for the parrot as a prey animal. 

Approaching a parrot like this will create insecure and even “aggressive/defensive” behavior.  Expecting the bird  to step up the hand does not makes sense. Saying step up as a command is not the way to achieve the ultimate goal that it becomes the free choice of the parrot to step up the hand or perch or rope, at the right moment.

When a parrot is approached, showing fear to get bitten and showing  lack of trust towards the parrot, the behavior of the bird will be predictable defensive.  Approaching the parrot without walking towards the bird and by turning our back towards the parrot is showing the opposite of intimidating behavior.  Watching the bird and talking to the bird from aside makes a huge difference.

Using the simple 5 step procedure, as mentioned above, taking less then a minute makes it possible to create wanted behavior and is reason to reward the bird for that.  Allowing the bird to bite in an object and reward the bird for doing so is replacing unwanted biting behavior into wanted behavior.  Step 5 allows us to towel the parrot for a physical examination, for taking a blood sample or grooming the beak or nails without creating a traumatic experience for the parrot. It is amazing for owners to experience that parrots, after handling,  feel more comfortable then before handling.18

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