ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR MATTERS
BIRDS
Common behavioural problems include:
- Feather plucking
- Screaming and inappropriate vocalisations
- Biting
- Social problems with other birds or people
- Fears and phobias
- Destructive behaviour

Animal Behaviour Matters can assist with:
- Behaviour modification
- Environmental enrichment advice
- Handling and flight training
- Diet advice

In case veterinary care is needed in your bird’s life, it is good practice to have established a trusting partnership with your bird so that you are able to transport and handle them for medical treatment.

Some behaviours we can assist with conditioning include:
- Crate training (Getting into a pet pack or transport cage)
- Towel training (Birds should feel safe before being exposed to a towel wrap hold, in the event they must be restrained for medical treatment.)
- Voluntary nail trims (Trimming your birds nails can be stressful, training your bird to accept a pedicure makes life a lot easy for yourself and your pet).

Building a trust account with your parrot means you can enjoy safe interaction with him/her and ensure a healthy relationship with cooperation and positive interactions is maintained. We can provide advice on modifying housing for birds to provide the optimal environment and appropriate stimulation for specific species.

Often bird cages sold in pet stores and recommended for housing are inadequate for your birds comfort and wellbeing. Many cages on the market are small and cramped, providing no room for your bird to exercise and little room to include environmental enrichment.

Birds have active minds and require mental stimulation, exercise, a varied diet and room to stretch their wings. Environmental enrichment keeps your bird busy and stimulates their minds, which reduces boredom and decreases many undesirable behaviours such as screaming and biting.

Some examples of enrichment for your bird include:
Toys – Toys which encourage foraging behaviours keep a mind and a beak occupied for hours and provide a healthy alternative to placing food in a plain old bowl.
Company – Either from interaction with you or other humans, or from another bird. Birds are social beings and they thrive on attention from companions for grooming, affection and play.
Flight – Access to safe environment for your bird to stretch its wings and experience flight is important for wellbeing. Sometimes it may not be ideal or safe for your bird to be outside of its cage as there may be uncovered windows or other animals around in the room.


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