Training & Behaviour

10 posts

Help! My Parrot Bites!

Biting is communication. Usually it means “No!” or “I’m not comfortable”, but can also be a response to over excitement or even as a way of getting social interaction. Body Language Before the bite a parrot will usually give loads of very obvious (to the parrot) body language to say, […]

Aggression in Parrots

Although parrots rarely bite in the wild, aggressive behaviour is often used to protect resources like a nest site/territory, food, a mate, etc. However, rather than physical contact, body language and vocalisations are usually enough to successfully drive away the intruder. Consider too, the average human caretaker who is often […]

Why Won’t My Parrot Step Up?

If a consequence/outcome to a behaviour (the step up) is reinforcing, the parrot will most likely repeat the behaviour in the future. For some birds, reinforcement for stepping up might be the chance to interact with their caregiver. Others may work better for a treat, a head scratch, access to […]

Target Training For Your Parrot

Target training is teaching a parrot (or any other animal) to touch something (often the end of a chopstick) with a body part (usually the beak or feet) for a reinforcer (a treat works well).    Targeting is a fantastic first behaviour to explore for both the parrot and the […]

Excessive Squawking or Screaming

Ask yourself what purpose the behaviour serves for the parrot? There may be different reasons throughout the day. Commonly there is the screaming first thing in the morning and/or in the evening. This is the normal dawn or dusk chorus which means it’s good to be alive! At other times […]