my wirro tibby has been acting almost naughty you could say she doesnt stay on my shoulder anymore she flicks her seed everywhere and she wont stop chirping i let her out lots and she has a good diet could there be a reason???? or is this normal???
2007-01-19 16:49:05 · 7 answers · asked by kitty kat 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
flicking seeds everywhere is normal bird behavior- they are messy. You should be feeding a mix of seeds and pellets (zupreem is the best, anything but Pretty bird brand is ok) and some fruits veggies, pasta, etc.
You need to clip her wings (or get a vet/experienced person to do it). If you do not have a lot of experience with birds- it is a lot safer and easier on you for training if they are clipped. Note: it doesn't hurt at all to do it (dead feather shafts)and is very safe when clipped correctly.
Right now- you are not the alpha bird. I am assuming you respond to every chirp. If you leave the room and she calls- then answer once and quit. Ignore the rest of the chirps. If you answer her all of the time, even to yell at her, she is getting what she wants.
Any other questions, feel free to message me.
2007-01-19 16:58:46 · answer #1 · answered by D 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Perfectly normal. Some people advise birds not perch on shoulders because it's more difficult to retrieve them if they need to be put in their cage or taken somewhere safe, but her wanting to explore is nothing bad. Just make sure you see everywhere she goes and that all of her activities are supervised.
All birds throw their food around - that's just how they eat. Bird owners should know before getting into anything that they should be getting out a broom or vacuum at least once everyday or every couple of days. :P I agree with the above about the diet. A cockatiel diet should be about 80% pellets (Kaytee is also not a very good brand - the best in my opinion are Harrison's, Roudybush, and Zupreem, preferably without the artificial colours), 10% seed, and 10% fresh foods, pastas, and grains.
Chirping is normal. Seems like you've just got a vocal bird. If she's /screaming/ and clearly looking for attention, ignore it and go praise her after a few seconds of silence. Don't reinforce behaviour you don't want.
2007-01-20 01:00:09 · answer #2 · answered by PinkDagger 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Be careful getting the bird a mirror. although they love it, it can cause them to become aggressive towards you. They see their reflection as another bird - their partner.
Also becareful clipping her wings, she's used to having them and she can badly hurt her self by jumping off of something and falling like a rock. Ask your vet for options before you clip all the important feathers away.
Birds like to chirp. It's because they are happy and want your attention. you know your bird, so you will know if the sounds are sounds of distress.
As for seed flicking... it's a bird thing. they want that one seed at the bottom of the dish and dig their way down. Haha.
If you are unsettled by your birds behaviour, the best thing to do is to talk to an esteemed pet store, or your vet. They will be able to set your mind at ease.
2007-01-21 02:11:59 · answer #3 · answered by Samantha 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, that is normal, you can't really stop a bird from chirping(its a sign of happiness.), but if he chirps at night while your trying to go to sleep, put a blanket over his cage, my bird when ever I go over to his cage while he's kinda sleepy, he gets territorial and that's also normal to, oh by the way if starts to shed a lot of feathers at one time, don't get freaked out because they molt every 6weeks/months, you might want to get it a mirror, they love to look at themselves, I got my bird a swing with a bell, they love noise. Also birds are very messy you need to clean their cage once or twice a week, and clean their water every day, they need gravel so they can digest their food, because they don't have stomachs like we do and they need a cuddle-bone which makes their beak sharper and you need to trim it's toenails every 5 weeks make sure not to cut their vain, if so, cover it with flour. You will need to train your bird to get on your shoulder, hope that helps with basically everything.
2007-01-20 11:53:33 · answer #4 · answered by betty.hansard 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Happens to all birds. It is completely normal.
2007-01-20 16:36:26 · answer #5 · answered by hello 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could ask a vet or a pet store for more info. Sorry, not much help. Good luck!
2007-01-20 14:53:07 · answer #6 · answered by xx 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
shes chirpping probably because shes happy or if you arent int he room she wants your attention.
2007-01-20 13:37:45 · answer #7 · answered by thesunnshynne 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋