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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

935.0. "I have a nutty cockatiel..." by CHEFS::NASHD () Mon Feb 03 1997 08:16

    One of my two Cockatiels is a real character. For starters he has lost
    a lot of his feathers. But the reason for this note is that he has
    recently developed some strange habits. I'ld like to know if it's
    normal behaviour or the result of some illness, character defect,
    emotional disturbance or attention seeking! This bird has begun banging 
    his beak on which ever perch he is standing on.  He's also started tearing
     up the newspaper I put at the bottom of their cage, I have two birds 
    living together. As I wrote, the nutty one is the male whereas the
    other bird, the bossy one, is female.
    
    Any one know why Bertine should suddenly become a beak-banger?
    
    Dave
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
935.1CHEFS::NASHDMon Feb 03 1997 08:176
    Spelling mistake in -1.
    
    His name is Bertie, my daughter named him. The other one is Phyllis (
    it's a long story!)
    
    Dave
935.2NEWVAX::WHITMANgun control = 5% gun + 95% controlMon Feb 03 1997 18:3913
   Tearing up the newspaper is definitely normal, the beak banging may or may
not be normal, depending on how often and for how long he does it.  A little
is not uncommon, but if he does it for hours on end, then you might have an
odd-duck...  We have about 80 cockatiels right now, most are breeder birds, but
we have a few in the livingroom with the larger birds.

    Many of ouur birds are into paper-mache' and most bang at the perch on
occaision...  Unless bertie is hurting himself, I wouldn't worry about it too
much, but might try rotating his toys (i.e. take out the ones he has and put
in different ones for a while.) Each bird is different and into his/her own
thing.

Al
935.3CHEFS::NASHDTue Feb 04 1997 02:5412
    Al,
    
    I've never watched him banging his beak for more than a few minutes as
    I usually begin to wonder who really is the nutty one, the bird or the
    person watching, and wonder off. Seriously, it's not for more than a few
    minutes so I guess I'll not worry.
    
    I'll take up your idea of rotating the toys though, who knows the
    novelty of a "new" toy every few days may stop Bertie banging his beak.
    
    Thanks,
    Dave
935.4Mine too...BIGQ::ADAVISThu Feb 06 1997 14:2315
    
    I have 8 birds: 3 Cockatoos, African Grey, 2 Amazons, a Conure and a
    Dusky Lory.  2 Cockatoos, 1 Amazon, the Conure and the Lory all bang
    their beaks.  It strongly appears that they do this for attention,
    especially the Lory.  Most of the birds only do it for a few minutes
    but the Lory can go on for 20-30 minutes if you do not let it be known
    that you see him.  If you don't pay attention right away, it changes 
    from a little tap-tap to a tap-tap-slide, then maybe adding a laugh,
    a kiss or some other modification.  Only the Lory did it at first, but
    then the other birds learned it.  I wouldn't worry about it unless it
    was causing some damage...
    
       Alan