The Shrink: Understand Your Pet Bird's Behaviour

A pet and the owner relationship does not just evolve around feeding and cleaning the cage, it is companionship and friendship which is based on loyalty and trust. How can you build this kind of relationship, with your pet bird in this case, if your pet keeps on biting you?

The key here is to understand your pet bird's behaviour and body language. Since we cannot understand what their vocalizations mean, we can understand what they want and they are feeling through their movements. Ability to communicate between owners and pets enable the owners to train, tame and care for them adequately.

Here are some bird movements and how we can interpret them:

- Flashing or dilating pupils can either mean aggression or excitement and pleasure. When pupils are dilated pay attention to other movements like tail fanning or raised feathers and some growling, these are aggressive signs. So beware of contact, you may get bitten.

- Purring, on the other hand, along with relaxed and puffed up feathers means that your bird is in a good mood.

- Beak clicking indicates the bird is feeling a threat while beak grinding can be a sign of contentment and good feeling.

- Biting reasons depend on the age. A young bird would most of the time bite anything especially during its "teething age". An older bird biting is a sign of displeasure or aggression.

- Birds sneeze the same reasons human do, like exposure to dust, irritation, small bug and feathers on the nasal cavity. An abnormal sneeze, which typically includes nasal discharge should be consulted immediately to a vet.
- Head shaking is not associated with disbelief in cases of birds. This means excitement or just seeking out attention.

- Quivering wings would should fear or being nervous. Assurance is needed when talking to these kind of birds. They should know that there nothing to be nervous around with you.

- Tail bobbing sometimes can be a sign of sickness or just singing. When the tail bobs while the bird breathes, then that could be a sign of sickness and should be taken to the vet.

There would be instances when pet owners would be exasperated with their pets because of their bad behaviour. There are many reasons why birds would act the way they are. Hormones can be responsible if your bird is displaying negative characteristics.

Birds mature too! Just like people, they would undergo a stage where they would sexually mature. During the stage where they begin to be sexually mature, birds begin to be very sensitive. This stage differs on the bird size. Normally, big birds would have this on their fourth year. While, smaller birds would experience this on their twelfth month.

Also, observe your pet birds if something is bothering them. If there are some items in the house that are starting to bother them then remove it from the space. Birds are sensitive to routine, some changes on it can be stressful for them. Also, paying enough attention to your pet and letting them stretch their wings more through exercise are great ways of improving bird behaviour.

Pet birds are extremely rewarding and wonderful companion, it is important to display or show the understanding and patience. In every relationship, understanding is the key. So does in animal and human relationship.