Why Does My Bird Do That

Julie Rach Mancini

Description

In this updated edition of the popular guide to parrot behavior, you’ll learn why your bird does strange things and discover positive techniques for modifying those behaviors. You'll get information on training and caring for your bird, normal behavior, and species-specific behavior. Don’t let your feathers get ruffled by a headstrong, beakstrong bird. Learn how to develop a mutually rewarding relationship with your parrot.
Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Chapter 1 Flock Behavior in the Wild and How It Applies in the Home.

Chapter 2 Parrot Behavior Examined.

Chapter 3 Normal Parrot Behaviors.

Chapter 4 Behaviors That Indicate Illness.

Chapter 5 Behaviors That Indicate Stress.

Chapter 6 Behaviors That Indicate Boredom.

Chapter 7 Breeding Behaviors.

Chapter 8 Juvenile Behaviors.

Chapter 9 Behaviors Every Bird Should Know.

Chapter 10 Managing Undesirable Behaviors.

Chapter 11 Will My Bird Talk?

Chapter 12 Behaviors Every Bird Owner Should Know.

Appendix A Pet Bird Personalities.

Appendix B Resources.

Index.

Sujets

• Pets
• Birds

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 30 janvier 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470084939
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Why Does My Bird Do That?

A Guide to Parrot Behavior
Second Edition
JULIE RACH MANCINI
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved.
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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The general care and first aid recommendations in this book are not intended to substitute for veterinary advice. Please consult your avian veterinarian at the first sign of illness in your pet bird.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the publisher upon request.
ISBN-10 0-470-03971-X
ISBN-13 978-0-470-03971-7
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Second Edition
Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Composition Services
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 Flock Behavior in the Wild and How It Applies in the Home
CHAPTER 2 Parrot Behavior Examined
CHAPTER 3 Normal Parrot Behaviors
CHAPTER 4 Behaviors That Indicate Illness
CHAPTER 5 Behaviors That Indicate Stress
CHAPTER 6 Behaviors That Indicate Boredom
CHAPTER 7 Breeding Behaviors
CHAPTER 8 Juvenile Behaviors
CHAPTER 9 Behaviors Every Bird Should Know
CHAPTER 10 Managing Undesirable Behaviors
CHAPTER 11 Will My Bird Talk?
CHAPTER 12 Behaviors Every Bird Owner Should Know
APPENDIX A Pet Bird Personalities
APPENDIX B Resources
Index
For my husband, Ron, who is every bit the animal lover I am.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T hank you to some special people who helped make the second edition of this book possible:
First, my stepdaughter, Rhonda Mancini, who has demonstrated to me her talents as a bird trainer and photographer countless times.
Next, to my friends Pamela Higdon and Mary Selby for their insights on owning species of birds I haven t had the opportunity to know well.
Also, to an outstanding avian veterinarian, Gary Gallerstein, and the staff of his clinic, Acacia Animal Hospital, for their wonderful care of my bird over the years.
And finally, to the many bird owners I ve spoken to or corresponded with over the years. Without your stories and questions, this book would not be possible.
INTRODUCTION
W elcome to the second edition of this book! I hope you will find it useful in understanding your bird s normal behaviors and in helping you resolve any behavior problems your bird may have.
Parrot behavior is a subject that has fascinated researchers and frustrated bird owners for years. Researchers have long been intrigued by the natural intelligence of these clever creatures. That same native intelligence and cleverness initially charms an owner and then causes that same owner to throw up his or her hands in frustration when the birds consistently misbehave. Many of these birds end up rehomed, retired, or released into the wild.
Rehoming an adult parrot presents its own set of challenges, but with patient care and gentle nurturing, an adult parrot can become a welcome member of the family. Retirement facilities can provide lifetime care for parrots who cannot be placed in suitable new homes. Owners pay monthly maintenance fees to have their birds cared for, and the birds live out their days surrounded by bird-loving caretakers.
Releasing a bird into the wild is not an option. It is, in fact, cruel beyond belief. What does a domestically raised bird know of life in the wild? How would he find food when he has had food presented to him during his life in captivity? If an owner does not release a problem parrot into the wild, he might choose to euthanize the bird because he became too much of a problem to handle.
Ten years of living with a wild-caught, feather-picked African grey confirmed for me that coping with an adult parrot s behaviors can try an owner s patience, sometimes severely. Over the years, I ve watched friends cope with bites and bruises to their fingers and their egos as their birds matured and demonstrated behavioral changes, and I learned a few things along the way about biting, screaming, sexually motivated behaviors, and other potential perils of parrot ownership.
In the ten years I had my parrot, I had to deal with her biting me and screaming at me out of fear, developing her confidence, improving her health, and distracting her from picking her feathers, which was a long-established habit in her previous home. I also had to find ways to encourage her to eat a wider variety of healthful foods and to play with toys. At times, it would seem that we made tremendous progress, but at other times I seriously doubted I would ever make headway with all her problems.
After a few years of feeling disappointed with her progress, I realized that many of these so-called problems were far bigger issues for me than for her. I dreamed of a talking, whistling, singing, fully feathered, outwardly perfect parrot when an almost fully feathered, content bird in reasonably good health was a more realistic expectation. When I examined my own hopes, then considered the many changes that she had undergone, I readjusted my expectations and we re both much happier-I accepted her for what she was, not what I thought she should be.

THE LIFE SPAN OF PET BIRDS
Ideally, bird ownership should be a lifelong commitment between you and your pet, but many people get into owning birds without considering how long some parrot species can live. Many pet owners are accustomed to the relatively short life spans of other companion animals, such as pocket pets, cats, and dogs, and they are unaware of how long-lived some birds can be.
The following list gives you some idea of expected life spans for many common parrot species: African grey parrots up to 50 years Amazon parrots up to 80 years Cockatiels up to 30 years Cockatoos up to 40 years Conures up to 40 years Lovebirds up to 15 years Macaws up to 50 years Parakeets up to 20 years

The bird world has several stories of particularly long-lived pet birds. While I worked there, Bird Talk magazine reported on a 106-year-old Amazon who lived in Alaska. When I lived in California, I regularly visited the San Diego Zoo, which erected a statue to its longtime greeter, King Tut, a Moluccan cockatoo, near its main entrance. King Tut was a zoo resident for more than 60 years, and many of those were spent meeting people as they entered the zoo grounds.

The San Diego Zoo honored its longtime greeter, a Moluccan cockatoo named King Tut, with a statue near its main entrance. King Tut retired in 1989 after many years as the zoo s greeter. (P HOTO BY J ULIE R ACH M ANCINI )
Because questions concerning parrot behavior were frequently raised in many letters and phone calls I received when I was an editor at Bird Talk magazine, I can attest that understanding behavior is a common concern of pet bird owners. The other editors and I thought behavior was such an important topic, in fact, that we tried to include an article about behavior in each issue of the magazine, as well as providing a monthly question-and-answer column on avian behavior.
Since I ve left the magazine, I ve seen frequent stories in the news and documentaries on public television about research into parrot behavior, and parro