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Lovebird
Problems
Screaming
Lovebirds can scream and make loud obnoxious noises
for many reasons. The most important thing to do is ignore
screaming, that means eye contact too. Yelling at the bird only
reinforces this negative trait, so take caution how you deal with
the situation.
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Walk out of the room:
If your bird is handfed and is screaming to get your attention,
walk out of the room and wait until it has stopped. Once the bird
is quiet, walk into the room and praise him for being quiet. This
works wonders and you will be surprised at how quickly they start
to minimize screaming. This takes patience and time.
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Cover the cage:
Another way to address this issue is by putting a cover over the
cage when the bird begins to scream continually. Birds do not
like being separated from everything. Covering them calms them
down for the moment.
*Remember, this is a great technique just don’t abuse it.
Keeping your bird covered all day long is unhealthy for him and
can cause further issues. Only apply this technique if absolutely
necessary and make sure you do not keep them covered for too long,
it is mentally unhealthy for the bird to be covered all day long.
A way to apply this is to cover them for up to 5 minutes no more
than 4 times a day. That way the bird gets the idea that he is
being covered because his behavior is not favorable, not because
it’s nap time.
It should be noted that all parrots are vocal by
nature. Birds are most vocal in the early morning, afternoon, and
early evening. You will be able to distinguish intolerable
screaming from normal bird sounds and calls. Pay attention to your
bird, sometimes they scream at you for a reason and not because they
have a screaming problem. If your bird is all of a sudden
screaming, something may be scaring him; he may be hungry or even
too cold or hot. If your bird is screaming a good amount of the
time he is up, then it is generally safe to say that he may have a
screaming problem. Apply the above techniques to help lessen his
screaming.
Chewing
Chewing is very natural for all parrots. Just about
anything they can get their beaks on, they will chew. Just be sure
to remove anything you do not want destroyed. A lovebird’s beak is
very powerful and can do serious damage to wood or decorations. The
key here is to supervise your parrot.
Also, to help minimize the urge to constantly chew,
place chewable toys inside the cage. Add paper sacks or paper into
the cage. Your lovebird will thank you for it and chew less when he
is out with you.
Always make sure that what your bird chews is not
toxic! Be aware of what your bird is playing with. For example,
some household plants can be poisonous and dangerous to lovebirds.
If you know they are going to chew on it, put it in a safe place
where they cannot get to it. Also keep wires and other electrical
devices away from them. A good example would be remote controls or
children’s toys. They can easily do damage to the device or get
shocked.
Plucking
Plucking is a serious problem and can be caused by
many things. These things include psychological problems or
physical problems. Psychological problems include depression,
loneliness, and boredom. Physical problems can range from
parasites, skin irritations, or infections. Whatever your
suspicions are, you need to take the bird to a veterinarian as soon
as possible. Everything and anything needs to be ruled out. Once
the problem can be identified, then an answer can be found. The key
is patience and persistence. There are many reasons why birds
pluck; however, some causes are unknown. Birds are very social
creatures and require a balance of human interaction and
independence.
Parrots are very intelligent animals and require many
types of stimulants. If they lack these, plucking is possible and
most likely will occur. Never get a bird because they look cute or
simply for amusement purposes. A good rule of thumb with birds is,
if you know you do not have enough time to socially interact with
them, get a second one. Having another bird keeps your existing
parrot from being board and allows him social interaction with
another. The downside to this is that training and taming can be
much harder to accomplish. Having another bird will change the
bird’s focus.
Keep in mind that adding another bird might not be
the proper solution if you want your bird to stop plucking. Another
way to occupy your lovebird is by turning on the radio or TV very
low so your bird can hear music and sounds. Never put anything to
loud, as it will scare them. You can spend time with your bird
throughout the day.
Incorporating
your parrot throughout the day is highly advisable. A parrot owner
doesn’t have to sit down for hours with their bird everyday. When
you have 10 minutes here and there you can take him out of his cage
play with him and put him back. This is good for your pet because
he won’t get use to a scheduled playtime and be disappointed when
you cannot play with him for long periods of time. It is up to you
how many times a day and for how long you want to spend with your
bird. However, the more time you put into your bird, the better
results you will have with him. These are just some things a pet
owner can do to help remove loneliness, boredom, and unwanted
behaviors from their lovebird. |
