How to Recognise and Manage Parrot Hormonal Behaviour | Tips and Tricks | BirdNerdSophie

[@dovacatthe_dragonborn6055]

Who else clicked bc they also got a conure

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Conures can be crazy hormonal 😂

[@carolwulff957]

P

[@agak61]

I clicked because I was attacked by my sweetheart 😅

[@Slappysell]

You were sooo helpful and clear. Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Thank you for watching! Glad you found it useful!

[@historyandmusic8646]

Thanks, you're a life saver!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hope the video helps! Hormones are a nightmare!

[@stephaniem.855]

Wow this video was SO helpful!! Just subscribed :) definitely taking out my birds cozy bed and going to give him more dark and quiet sleep time. Cant wait to see if these help

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey Stephanie, thanks for watching and subscribing! I hope you found the tips useful 😊💙🦜

[@charliesflock659]

Sometimes when I pet my dog (never interacts with the bird they are separate) It feels wrong petting their back, and then I realize I can pet my dog their not the birds though

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Haha yes dogs love it! 😍

[@yamunadevi68]

Thank you so much, my girl is just coming up for 2 this spring so I want to be prepared 👍🏽

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad you found it useful! Hormones are tricky to manage but it’s good to be prepared beforehand 😊🦜💙

[@TheCountessBurlesque]

You absolute star, thank you so much!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

You're welcome!

[@EliffOzkan]

Very helpful as usual! Thank you.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad you found it useful!

[@jackkeates5731]

Excellent information! Thank you very much. I will make some changes right away to help my birds with their hormonal behaviours.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad it was helpful! 😊

[@ThwartHorse84]

Great information, thanks

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad it was helpful 😊

[@Lain3695]

great video - I have always struggled with my female cockatiel's hormones :( the only thing left to try is not covering her cage at night - which she will hate me for as she loves her blankie!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

You can phase it out slowly 😊

[@_ash.ilyy8872]

I’m still a new bird mom, yeah I do most of the research for my bird. Yeah, I cover the cage I admit I’m no the perfect bird mom. It’s one of those cage covers. Yeah my father comes really late. And he’s not gonna get that perfect sleep 💀💀 and if he stays in my room it usually get really cold and school takes most of time in the morning Thank you! I’m still making progress !

[@BirdNerdSophie]

You're doing great! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@ornithologydude8649]

Gizmo just puts his face in front of Hedwig's and does heartwings and whistles He's been doing it since june Great video

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Thank you! Yes Chip and Fish do the same thing to each other even though they are brothers! Silly boys! Hope you and the birds are okay! 🦜

[@ornithologydude8649]

@@BirdNerdSophie thanks! I'm enjoying peace and quiet down here... even though my birbs are screaming lol

[@ornithologydude8649]

Question: Do you let your birdies roam around your house ?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

ornithology dude the boys mostly stay in the living room but Pickles comes with us around the house - she likes to shower under the kitchen tap, look at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, then cuddle and play in the bed! What about yours?

[@ornithologydude8649]

I keep them in my living room Mainly because i have cats but also because they can fly about and go somewhere dangerous, i take hedwig out of the living room sometimes when i forget he's on my shoulder

[@KJ-ii1hq]

Thank you very much Sophie! This is very helpful!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad you found it useful 😊

[@inejunta6569]

I heard parrots specifically will not pluck their feathers for nesting. I haven't looked into it but seen it on birdtricks plucking video. I was always told the female I have is plucking her feathers because wild birds do line their nests. But parrots do not do this behaviour. Very helpful video, thanks!!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Parrots can pluck their feathers for nesting, but they can also pluck because being hormonal and frustrating can lead to displeased stress through plucking!

[@inejunta6569]

Everytime I think I know something and roll with it I end up coming straight back to this channel. I have two parrots and one gets riled up (loud and stressed) and triggers the other. They are out of their cage all day with me (in contrast to being caged at my parents never being let out). You would think in contrast everything would be great and they would be happy. I thought some of these managing tips didn't apply to me and feed warm food/ water, keep a kennel by one because she chills out (temporarily). Turns out, nope. I am triggering some hormonal on one and she is just most of the time in explosive bird shaking, screeching mode and is just stressed. And she just needs to be by her (female) mate 24/7. If the other female climbs off of the stand and she can't get down in 2 minutes its immediate panic fire alarm mode. Going to start implementing these. So everyone is happy 😱

[@tabtab9437]

Very informative, thank you 😊

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad it was helpful! 😁💙

[@BuscandoFauna]

Hello Friend how are you?. Really understanding the behavior of our pets is extremely important to be able to give them the best possible care. Thanks for sharing this super important video. A big hug.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hello! I am good thanks and hope you are too! Thank you for your kind words! I hope you are having a great week!

[@candicet5973]

Hehe the good thing about living near the equator is that we don't have seasons (actually kinda sad because I always wanted to try winter and see snow) so we don't have spring seasons! Even tho it is breeding season now my birds don't know because everyday is literally almost the same! 😄

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Haha I would prefer no seasons! It can be really annoying!

[@lareinedubois]

Snow looks pretty , but it sucks! hello from canada !

[@candicet5973]

@@lareinedubois lol I never tried it but it still seems interesting bc it's cold and I am sooo hot

[@ranahanna2134]

Great video . Thanks a lot !!!👍👍👍

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Thank you for watching!

[@jrosehansen]

This is so helpful. Someone told me letting them walk on the floor can trigger hormones. Is that true? Also, I like the perches in your cages. I don't see any rope perches. Mine love the rope ones but would like to put in more wood perches. The cage set ups look awesome. I need to try to vary mine like that. Where do you purchase yours? Thanks!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

No it's not true that walking on the floor makes them hormonal! And this video is 3 years old now so the cages and set ups are very different! We get sisal perches from Northern Parrots!

[@H.C.Q.]

Thanks for the helpful video. I know it's already a couple years old, but the information is always applicable. I have a one year old male cockatiel that I thought was female until her first molt, in which she lost all of his grey striped feathers. They never grew back and he is demonstrating male behaviors. The only female trait he has is a lightly toned peach colored cheek patch. You mentioned a lot of signs to look for, but what about singing or whistling loudly- especially when shown a mirror? What about the use of mirrors in the cage? I've been told these too can make a parrot hormonal. I like to use the mirror to get him to sing and to make him go to beddy-bye. He likes to sleep next to it in the corner of the cage. Thanks again!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Mirrors are not recommended as they can cause frustration and stress as they don’t recognise their reflection as themselves but another bird! They don’t need mirrors to sing - I have a video on encouraging singing without mirrors 😊

[@josuerivas6356]

My brain is geting Biger because of Her.. More info about birds

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad you liked the video and cute dancing Pickles! 🦜

[@kmasthan]

Thank you very much. It was very informative. It is one year since I got my pineapple conures. Can I leave them free fly(I do it occasionally) inside my house or will they fly away?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Thanks for watching! Do you mean fully flighted in your home (not clipped)? If so then yes! Just be really careful when opening doors and windows!

[@tunalovesnan]

Thank you for the tips, our parrot suddenly got very vocal and is screaming, he's usually quiet quite, So we got very worried.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

The screaming can be challenging for sure!

[@kayliegriffin167]

Great vid! thank you :))

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey Kaylie, thanks for your comment! Hope you are having a good week! 😊

[@BartTheBardOfficial]

The excessive screaming part is nothing compared to our 9 months old female. She can screech your ears off at times. Most often when she wants something (food, music, rest).

[@MatthewGorveatte]

Thank you

[@BirdNerdSophie]

😊🦜

[@hereandabout]

. my bird is exactly like that with her behaviour except she is a ringneck dove . very tame . i will follow your advice . thank you .

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Good luck! 😊

[@saabnico]

Great video, i have a gray who is hormonal and is nesting on two places, although there is nothing there

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Glad you found it useful!

[@saabnico]

@@BirdNerdSophie Yeah now i can correct the situation 😀

[@ghostymeow]

Hi there, new subscriber👋🏼 Initially found the channel looking for sprouts how-to! Loving all your content and so glad to have found you 😊 I was wondering where you got the stand w poop catcher? thanks for sharing - peace from Australia ✌🏼

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey! Thank you so much for subscribing and I am so happy you find my videos useful! 🙂 I bought it on Zooplus but I don't think they stock it anymore! I think most places call it Parrot T-Bar Stand! 🦜

[@fmarlize]

Hi, I have a pair of older cockatiels, she is somewhere between 12 - 15 and he is 12 1/2. I placed them together because I thought they were old enough not to have hormonal behaviour but unfortunately they do. A little over a month ago they mated for the first time and she laid 4 eggs. Luckily the eggs were infertile and she abandoned them after sitting on them for 4 weeks . Now she is up to mate again, calling him and her nostril is a little red. I am keeping them in separate cages for now and when she starts calling him I place her in the cage. Normally they are free most of the time to play and fly. I put them to bed around 6 pm until 7 am but I live in a one bedroom apartment and they stay in the living room - so it's not possible to get it completely dark until around 9 pm, we have to walk around and sometimes the TV is on very low volume with all the other lights off. I don't want babies and care for her health, so I am kind of lost now, they are my first birds, I have her for 2 years and him for less than 1 year and she started with this behaviour after he came home. Any other tips in this case? Thanks a lot, love your videos!!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

My partner @theparrotteacher has a whole hormones playlist with even more tips which you might find useful 😊

[@barbeb]

I just adopted a little conure that was meant to be used as a breeding bird but she was struggling- she plucked her feathers so they decided not to stress her out and try and breed her. This has certainly helped me work out how to de-escalate her hormones so she can get back to normal! I do have a question though, she’s bopping up and down with her whole body (rather than just her head etc) and I’m trying to work out if it’s her being a bit silly and fun, or territorial?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey! That's awesome that you have given her a home and I'm glad you've found the video useful! Usually slow bobbing up and down is a precursor to aggression. Sometimes if it's fast, it an be excitement but it can also lead to overstimulation so watch closely! :)

[@barbeb]

@@BirdNerdSophie it’s definitely quick! A little run down to near where I am sitting (I have her cage near the couch while I’m watching tv) and she will run around the cage, do some little peeps, Bob quickly near me and scamper off again. It almost reminds me of a dog showing off it’s toy and enticing someone to chase it haha

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@barbeb if it’s quick then it’s likely excitement or she wants something 😍

[@NoobShooter13]

Hello, I have a Lovebird, got her some years ago, she was cuddly, would climb on us, never bite, we went on vacation, and our neighbors did something that upset her. She was never the same, she attacks, if she grabs our hands, she won't let go, and will make us bleed alot, she jumps to try and attack, she doesn't use all of her cage, she will only be on the floor of the cage, is there some way that she can become friendly again? I've tried to be near her for hours, try to show her my hands from a far, nothing works, she does eat from my fingers, if I hold a seed, without trying to attack me, it's strange, she's very gentle when I give her fruit aswell, other than that, she's out for blood. (sorry for my English)

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hi Bruno, it sounds like her behaviour is down to possible hormones and past trauma. This is normally something we work on through our parrot behaviour business, as there isn't a simple answer to it. However using the tips in the video, my target training video, and my video on trust will help you get staretd!

[@NoobShooter13]

@@BirdNerdSophie alright, thank you! I am kinda hooked on all videos, ups.. haha i'll get started

[@cheriecork6442]

Thank you Sophie for your channel I have a one -year-old male cockatiel, named Ollie. He has now become quite aggressive when around anything. reflective like mirrors, taps, kettles etc. Hes in my large kitchen and there’s no other room I can put him in. He has a great diet, 12 hours sleep etc. I think he’s hormonal and territorial Can you please give me some advice

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey! I’d recommend increasing his sleep to 14 hours and make sure his portion sizes are appropriate too 😊

[@eschwarz1003]

I adopted a conure and am afraid to change up the cage because it may stress him out. Is this unlikely? He also has a mop thing to sleep in and loves to spend time in a complex of drawers; it keeps him occupied and seemingly happy. Is this wrong?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

If the cage is going to be an upgrade then it’s worth doing, but you’ll need to judge their behaviour - all of my birds moved to a bee cage straight away, but some birds will be more nervous! I’d get rid of the mop thing as it’ll be a danger, can’t picture what the drawers are though!

[@eschwarz1003]

@@BirdNerdSophie Thank you, changed some stuff and seemed to help hormonal behavior /and he didnt seem stressed.

[@courtneyclingan9678]

I'm eyeing a conure at a petshop. I had no intention to get a bird but we seem to have bonded. Yesterday it seemed curious of me and today it was clearly excited I returned to say hi. I'm considering where to place it. Will placing it in the living be a bad idea if we are often up late watching movies etc? As in will this disrupt its sleep majorly?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hi there - conures do need 12 hours of uninterrupted opportunity for sleep so it could be disruptive! We combat this by watching tv in our bedroom instead!

[@josuerivas6356]

0:07 ... Can we just talk about How pickles Dances..

[@BirdNerdSophie]

She will do anything for attention!

[@josuerivas6356]

She will.

[@BartTheBardOfficial]

We have our 2 cockatiels in our living room (it's the only place where we have the space since we live in an appartment). We cannot keep the living room unoccupied for 12 hours a day everyday, nor can we make it truly dark as night would be. Does that mean our cockatiels are going to be hormonal all year round? ...

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Not necessarily, but it’s about making adaptations to our lifestyle to minimise the risks 😊

[@sarahviszneki2335]

This was CRAZY helpful. I knew that I wasn't supposed to pet my parrot in certain places, but I didn't realize how few places I should pet her. She has been with me a few weeks and is very agitated, but I recognize that I've probably been leading her on and she is probably extremely frustrated. I see now that I really do need to "reset" her. I have 2 other dogs, a boyfriend, and other family members that come visit. It feels near impossible to provide her with darkness for 14 hours. I am thinking I will need to relocate her to the spare bedroom for this "reset" in a temporary cage outside of the walk in I keep in the dining room. My question is - is every little noise in the house going to disrupt her? If the dog barks downstairs, or if we flush the toilet (the bathroom is next to the spare bedroom). How are you able to keep your house that quiet and dark for 14 hours? Should I put black out curtains on the windows? The amount of daylight here is about 12 hours - not sure how to change that? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey! Glad it was helpful! Ambient noise is good to have - if we train our birds to only rest in silence then they'll find it hard to sleep well (just like with human babies!). As for the 14 hours, she also isn't going to sleep for 14 hours straight - it's about changing the light cycle to mimic non-breeding season. We use a blackout curtain with suction cups that we stick on to the window in the evening which works a treat!

[@CastleMisha]

To me, dive bombing is the very cutest thing. Simply because no other pet on the planet can do this, including the owners♥️🤎🦜🤍 Altho! When we where younger, our nickname for grandma was Dive Bomb. Thats when grandma’s false teeth would “Dive bomb” the cake when she would try to blow out the candles.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Very true! I have been dive bombed by birds of prey before - not fun! LOL did your grandma know that she had that nickname 🎂😂

[@CastleMisha]

@@BirdNerdSophie snort! lol yes she loved it🎂♥️🤍

[@PegMet1007]

Oh boy have I been doing some things wrong. I removed the mirror right now. I also removed the little wooden platform in the corner. I’ve been kissing him on his belly too which I’ll stop. I got a branch to use to get Pete back in his cage. I’ll change his bedtime to 14 hours. How long should i do that? Also he taps my shoulder in anger I think. Is there anything I can do about that? This has been extremely helpful. Thank you. 😊

[@BirdNerdSophie]

You can still do occasional tummy kisses - just not all the time haha! We recommend 14 hours for a week, then down to 12 hours of sleep! With the tapping, it's better to ignore undesirable behaviour and try to redirect him to do something else!

[@tracydavis248]

Hi Sophie, I have a new green cheek conure, Goku, as much as I did research I also rehomed him quite quickly as the opportunity arose. Raised as a boy but not confirmed, He is two+ the previous owner seems to have been very good to him and It is only my mistakes that has made him/her hormonal needy clingy etc. Having read/watched hormonal behavior and triggers I am re training myself BUT food/diet? plays a part. Goku has been fed coloured pellets up until now I am trying to change to chop veggies and grains he's not impressed - as much as green leafy veg no fatty starchy while hormonal etc I don't know what balanced diet for hormonal behaviour and what and when can s/he have sprouting/micro greens, grains i.e. quinoa? I live by myself and do go out to work part time, Goku seems to just sit, no playing, foraging etc. I know I am trying too hard to get everything in place all at once his perches need looking at his toys need a makeover but I wanted to get the feeding/sleeping right. I let him out as soon as I am at home but he will not entertain himself at all making cooking / cleaning a challenge. I want so much to make his life with me great. Any advise on feeding a hormonal bird would be a great help. Thank you

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hi Tracy! Yes he can have sprouts and microgreens but the key for diet is consistent portioning! Have you seen my video on how to get your bird to eat veggies? Sometimes offering the same thing in different ways can tempt them! There was ways to help a bird to be more independent but it’s a little complex so we usually help people via our consultation service with that! Have you ever considered having a second bird as a companion for him?

[@tracydavis248]

@@BirdNerdSophie Thank you so much for the swift response. I am VERY new to KZbin so I'm struggling with "following" the description I get what KZbin says is next up- luckily I did get the opportunity to see the veggies and sprouting videos - as for getting companion - let's get Goku under my belt I've only had him two weeks

[@blitztheparrot7566]

My sun conure of 1 year ald and some month I think is acting hormonal because of biting a lot and dancing weird on my hand trying to roll at times trying to touch his tail or jumping kinda idk if u read this please respond😊usefull video

[@BirdNerdSophie]

It sounds like me might be trying to mate with you do best to discourage it where possible!

[@weshouldsaveourselves6780]

the avian vet couldn't see me so they had the exotic vet see me. She told me my budgie has a crop fungal infection.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Oh no, I hope they feel better soon! Did they advise any treatment?

[@weshouldsaveourselves6780]

@@BirdNerdSophie they prescribed some painkillers and an antibiotic and tomorrow God willing I will get another set of antibiotics and some other medicine. My budgie isnt showing signs of improvement but I guess I have to wait for his other medicines for signs of improvement. It sure is putting a halt to any taming progress poor thing is always sleeping I just pray he gets better. He was always singing and playing. Such a good birdie ☺️

[@PegMet1007]

I didn’t realize my Pete was exhibiting some of these behaviors and that he is hormonal. He is walking backward around his cage at times and he absolutely refuses to go in his cage and we were doing so well with that. He comes up to my face and puts his beak on my lips. Could that be creating some of his hormonal behavior? He’s also hissing at me and biting. I will try the 14 hours of sleep again. His regular sleep pattern is 8:30 to 8:30. These are very frustrating days for both of us. He’s not very interested in training because he isn’t very interested in food these days. I’ve tried the extra perch but he wanted no part of it.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Have you tried training before breakfast? It’s a tricky time of year for hormones!

[@evejaijarabe9633]

Oh fudge my jenday keeps on doing these

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Now you have the tips to try and manage the behaviour :)

[@lunaanimations3581]

Hi so my cockatiel is aggressive. One reason I believe is because he look at his reflection so I didn’t it is a bad thing for bird so I took it away now he flight attack me do you know what I should do rn

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Follow the rest of the tips in this video, and watch my bonding and taming your cockatiel video :)

[@Ash43509]

Thank you for the very informative video. I’ve been having trouble with my cockatiel Kirby lately which I am thinking are hormonal issues. I was wondering if you had any tips on what to do during a parrot attack as he got extremely angry today because one of the budgies was on my shoulder and decided to attack my face and neck, I managed to set him on his perch but he kept leaving it to dive bomb me. Even trying to give him millet didn’t distract him. Is there any tips on how to behave during this sort of episode?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

If a bird bites or attacks, the best thing to do is not react, set them down for five seconds and ignore them, then resume the interaction and give them an opportunity to earn reinforcement. If they are super persistent and nothing is working then it’s worth checking if they’re getting quality sleep and having a look at the diet and daily training!

[@Ash43509]

@@BirdNerdSophie Thanks that helps a lot. He’s usually a very laid back bird but he’s been a bit volatile these days. This is the first time he’s ever gotten that mad at me. I’ve been keeping them in a dark room with a small light and soft music for about 12 hours a day. Maybe I should add a bit more time? Or maybe the music is too stimulating, I might try shutting it off today or playing rain sounds instead. Also because he was molting I’ve been giving him extra protein so I might cut back on that.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@Ash43509 the protein isn’t an issue, it’s more about portion size overall - lots of food = breeding season! We don’t play any noises for their sleep so it depends on your bird! Try to do extra training during the day too to wear him out as a tired bird is less likely to show hormonal behaviour!

[@Ash43509]

@@BirdNerdSophie Thanks for the advice! Where I live some of the neighbors can be a bit noisy at night so I thought that maybe some music or something would help the birds and keep them from getting woken up or spooked by the neighbors. They’re pretty inconsiderate unfortunately :(

[@doomsdaycookie7034]

my cockatiel is hormonal when i got him, i have one male and one female cockatiel and they were 6 months old when i got them, and my question is how long do they stay like that? i see so many videos of cockatiels being happy and bobbing their head but mine dont do that, they get on my hand and are comfortable around me but are hormonal, when does it end?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey! Birds can experience hormonal behaviour throughout their lives as it's biologically normal for them to do so. It's when the start to show undesirable behaviours like aggression or egg laying that it becomes a problem. Hormones are most prominent between early spring and late summer, but they an flare up at any time if there are environmental or dietary triggers!

[@doomsdaycookie7034]

@@BirdNerdSophie thanks

[@tomferrier6143]

A few questions about acceptable touching and behaviour. My one bird loves nestling their back up into a hand that's behind them. Is allowing this encouraging hormonal behaviour? Not stroking or petting, but allowing him to sort of fluff up and back into my cupped hand. Often he will tuck a single foot and just lean against my hand and relax, while nibbling on a finger periodically. Also, are touching legs and feet okay, if they allow it?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hi atom, for feet and leg touching, it is okay for husbandry purposes such as getting them used to their feet being touched so you can trim their nails voluntarily! With the cuddling you describe, my conure Pickles loves doing that, but it’s a balancing act. Sometimes the cuddles plus an external factor trigger hormones, in which case we stop the cuddles for 1-2 weeks and just offer scritches and other interactions until we are happy that she is no longer showing hormonal behaviour, then we can enjoy the cuddles again! We know when it’s hormonal as she flicks her wings constantly, fidgets and makes a weird alien noise when cuddling!

[@tomferrier6143]

@@BirdNerdSophie ah. Yes, no noises come from him while he's cuddling. Thankfully, lol. I do also sometimes kiss them on their back, but it's not an extended thing. I'll try to stick to replying in one place, but I'll try the other changes first and keep these in mind too. Thank you! Super helpful and I hope it helps my flappers have a better relationship with everyone in general.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@tomferrier6143 I am guilty of a back/tummy kiss for my lot too haha - it’s totally fine if it’s a quick peck and the bird doesn’t mind! Ours make kissy noises back which is really cute! Good luck with your babies and let me know if you have any other questions 😊

[@sarahjohnson6698]

Hi I have a cockatiel that's coming up 1. Not sure of sex. She/he has never been aggressive or bit until now. She/He was very tame. But today she/he bit me dive bombed me. Only me! I don't know what to do 😭 I'm now scared to get him/her out.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Sounds like it could be hormones - the tips in this video will help!

[@the._.birdss_6181]

Hello Sophie one of my parakeets thinks she has a mate because there used to be a mirror in there cage but I took it out and I had to cover everything she could see her reflection in. Is there any way I can stop her from trying to find things she can see herself in?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

You can definitely follow all of the tips in this video, plus at least 3 training sessions a day and foraging opportunities as busy birds are less likely to be obsessive!

[@the._.birdss_6181]

@@BirdNerdSophie thanks for the tip I’ll definitely add more foraging toys 🦜🦜

[@tanishkaverma1539]

Hey, you're videos are always great.i have a question that my budgie have black marks on her head, is this is rare?and these are not stripes.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Thanks for your kind words! Do the black marks look like this? If so, they are new feathers growing in! :) www.reddit.com/r/budgies/comments/5xouvl/black_dots_growing_out_of_his_head_whats_wrong/

[@tanishkaverma1539]

No, those black marks is same as on her cheeks and thanks for you're fast reply. you're a great KZbinr.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

k'runchCreations- things to know about thank you! 😀 I have never seen cheek marks on top of a budgies head before so it sounds like it is rare!

[@tanishkaverma1539]

Thanks for you're great info

[@chloeeee9277]

hi! i have a conure who pretty much every time i uncover his cage in the morning does movements like at 2:40. would that be because of the fact that we are covering his cage at night? he does also only get around 9 hours of sleep due to times my family have to get up to go to school/work so we can’t really give him any more time. however i do think he does sleep in the day a little bit because we are out of the house. will this be ok?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

We don't recommend covering cages as it can be stressful for birds which is possibly what you are seeing! If you don't want to stop cover, you could partially cover the cage, like the top third. The 12 hours of sleep is more about darkness than the amount of hours they sleep - they ideally need 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness to mimic the right lighting conditions. Less than that will tell their body its breeding season!

[@chloeeee9277]

@@BirdNerdSophie thank you for your reply! my only question is how do i give him 12 hours dark but not cover his cage?

[@yul6278]

Omg, thank you so much you helped me to figure out what’s going on with my two green check conures… one if them is little crazy, when her hormones fluctuate she is throwing all the 🥣 in the cage and butting like a dog. But I would like to ask you one question if it’s ok, please. One of my bird is 56 g and I can feel her keel, she is eating good, not sick. I checked with vet., for infection and it’s normal but not sure what to include in diet to help her gain muscles… I tried quinoa, cooked mixture of beans, peas she loves it but weight is the same…. Thank you so much 🙏

[@BirdNerdSophie]

You could try some plain scrambled egg too but she might just be smaller in size - does the vet think she is underweight?

[@yul6278]

@@BirdNerdSophie the vet told me try to measure her everyday and if she is falls below 56 g we will do complete blood test, I don’t know why she didn’t do it right away… She is 6 years old and eating, acting normally… I am wondering if it can be also due to stress issue I adopted cat, but trying to separate them in different rooms.

[@yul6278]

@@BirdNerdSophie scramble eggs on 🍳 without any oil? Thank you so much for all your help!!! Is it possible that I can list their food to get your opinion? 🙏❤️

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@yul6278 I scramble in the microwave for 1 minute with nothing added! And of course - better to write me a separate comment as KZbin doesn't always show me replies!

[@yul6278]

@@BirdNerdSophie Thank you so much!!! 🙏🙏🙏Sophie I found you on Instagram can I send you a private message and show the food of my green check conures? ❤️

[@tessasmith8230]

Hi iam getting a cockatiel in a few months and i was wondering will it be lonly when iam gone because I do school only on Mondays Wednesdays and Friday so do you think if Iam able to take it out one day for 2 hours and the next 5 I just really want it not to be lonly when iam gone I think I will play bird sounds for it also iam getting a huge cage and lots of perches and toys

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Think I just replied to your new comment on my short 😊💙

[@stevewoolley4224]

Hi, my parrotlet is 11 years old. He has become obsessive over the TV remote and very aggressive if I go near it. This results in him attacking and biting me. Any advice please would be very appreciated.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Sounds like he could be hormonal so worth following the tips in the video! Also worth training an incompatible behaviour with attacking you when you go near the remote, for example he has to fly to a perch to allow you to pick it up!

[@MysterioFPL]

Does behaviour training work for insessint screaming for my Green Cheek? Tried everything and all the advice given. It's mainly when he's left alone or if I leave the room? It's going to break me but I want to keep him. Any advice appreciated

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Yes absolutely, we offer consultations with our business Best Behaved Birds where we have reduced screaming in many birds including our own rescue green cheeks so do reach out if you are interested 😊

[@MysterioFPL]

@@BirdNerdSophie thanks very much. I will have a look at your website ☺️

[@ameerabedi650]

Hi i have 2 budgies a girl Sky and a boy Coco.Coco isnt really hormonal but Sky is super hormonal when i go near the cage she goes upto the main door and she has been trying to chew my clothes and when i try to take her away she doesnt let go and tries to bite

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey! Have you tried the tips in my video? 😊

[@2Ryled]

I need this. My bare eyed is very hormonal and biting me if I do anything he doesn't like. Like moving just a little bit in a chair. I went to move my arm to put a plate on the side table. He was on the other arm that barely moved. 5th day in a row a bite. Then screaming starts for hrs bc he's mad he's not out of the cage with me. He's 17. Last couple of yrs every spring. Nasty bites where he grabs on and saws back and forth with his beak and doesn't want to let go. Extremely painful.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hormones are really tough sometimes and it’s easy to take it personally! Hopefully the tips in this video help 😊

[@2Ryled]

@@BirdNerdSophie yes they are. I didn't know I was adding to the problem. Another problem I have is he runs up my arm and head butts me. He even tells me no. I was sitting listening to music barely moving my hand, thinking he'll dance. He was sitting on the other arm. He glared at me and told me no, and ran at me butting me in the upper arm. I knew I'm very close to being bitten. A bird telling me I can't move on a chair ridiculous. I barely moved my hand.

[@Jen-tb9te]

my bird keep jumping whenever they hear a bird noises and plus idk their gender

[@brendasassin7533]

So can bird burrowing in your shirt and sleeping be nesting? Mine is a male if that matters. Thanks!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

It depends on the other behaviours he is showing! Some snuggling for parrots is normal, but there is a fine line before it gets hormonal!

[@ornithologydude8649]

Hi sophie ! How much did your birdies cost (including cage and toys) when you got them?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

I think the boys were £80 each, their cage cost about £100, and the toys range from £1.99-£9.99 per toy - I bought so many that I don't know how much I've spent LOL

[@ornithologydude8649]

Hedwig cost 160€ and gizmo cost 164€. The cage was 80€ and each toy cost at least 10€! I just realized that france is VERY expensive 😬

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@ornithologydude8649 Wow that is expensive! 😲

[@ornithologydude8649]

When you got chip and fish, where they hand reared?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@ornithologydude8649 yes they were! We got to meet them before they were ready to come home too! Here are their baby photos! instagram.com/p/B8Do3v0FYYo/

[@irie-fan-geek1624]

My thing is when they fight I break it up. I'm hearing from others you should let them go at it but my boy well sometimes bite at my girl's feet and that's just not cool in my book. This doesn't happen often. I'm not sure if you have a video that covers bird fighting when and when not to step in

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hey! We also recommend letting them ‘have it out’ unless they are going for feet/face/eyes in which case we step in as that’s too aggressive!

[@kawaiipotato2146]

hi I need some advice, my male is being "forcefully" intimate. (forces yk) I've tried separateing them, new diet, etc. I don't know what to do

[@BirdNerdSophie]

What kind of diet are they on? Are they getting enough uninterrupted sleep?

[@AM-xf8mu]

Yesterday for the first time in 5 years my gcc gone so hormonal. 1 second hes trying to feed my hand next second crazily biting me. I cant say anything or he comes to me to try bite. Today I'm going to redo his cage, try changing environment. Then still going to let him play out aswell. I dont even remember the last time I got bit. Any more advice?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

How much sleep is he getting? Is there anything reflective that might be triggering is? Any cosy spaces?

[@AM-xf8mu]

@@BirdNerdSophie he goes to bed at 9pm and is uncovered at 10 to 11 am. Since the day I've got him hes been covered as he lives in a busy part of the house.

[@AM-xf8mu]

@@BirdNerdSophie also today I tried to be normal with him he flew to my shoulder whilst I was picking something up, to bite my ear. So strange the last time he bit me was 5 years ago when I bought him. What do I do????

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@AM-xf8mu follow every step in my video! How old is he? When birds turn 2/3 they hit sexual maturity and this can change their behaviour for a while. Have you tried indoor flight training with him to get some energy out? What’s his diet like?

[@AM-xf8mu]

@@BirdNerdSophie his diets zupreem pellets. Fresh fruit n veg and water. Cage is a liberty drake second edition. I dont know his real age but I have had him for 5 years. Today the aggression has gone down a lot. I think increased hours of sleeped has helped a lot. He's not attacking me like the other day where he flew to me to bite me and is letting me take him in and out of his cage without having a seed as bribery. So I think I should be fine🥳🥳🥳was really worried before

[@kevinthomasjobi4986]

Hello, I have a 5 month old Indian ringneck and he/she(not sure about the gender yet) is acting different lately.Whenever i put my finger inside the cage she start regurgitating and shows other hormonal behaviours.When he/she is outside of the cage he/she flys to me and bites my finger.Please help me out. Thank you

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Definitely follow the tips in this video to reduce the hormonal behaviour - it can take a week or two to see significant changes!

[@kevinthomasjobi4986]

Thanks alot

[@kevinthomasjobi4986]

Do you think i should let he/she outside the cage or keep he/she inside till i see changes.He/she is biting me that is why i am asking.Before this he/she was really friendly and very much tamed

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@kevinthomasjobi4986 I would let them - out - lots of exercise and training will help calm their hormones!

[@kikinotiel685]

My male cockatiel lived with me about 5 months, I decided to buy a partner for him, so 2 days ago we brought a female. And my male just became aggressive, he doesn't let me even change water or food in his cage. They stay in different cages, but they are next to each other. Maybe I should keep their cages distant? I am really confused now and have no idea what to do, maybe my decision of buying a female was wrong 😔

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Yes keep them much further apart. Ideally when you bring a new bird home, you'd ant to quarantine them in another room for 30 days to check on their health before introducing them to your new bird. This is essentially like a bird coming in to his territory that he doesn't know, so they will need much longer to adjust to one another!

[@kikinotiel685]

@@BirdNerdSophie oh thank you so much for your help🤗

[@reginaphalange513]

my bird has always has hormonal tendencies and ive always covered his cage at night. (i got him when he was a few weeks old and i was only 12!) weve always had a night routine of us cuddling for a bit and then he knows its bed time and his cage gets covered, sometimes he even starts barking at me to put him to bed when hes tired. is there a certain way i should go about stopping covering him? im worried it will stress him out. hes always been a very timid quaker.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Just gradually reduce the amount he is covered each night so it's not a shock to the system :)

[@Idk28187]

Can someone tell me if my bird is hormonal? It bites me, mate calls but it’s december and i dont get it

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hormones aren’t just influenced by the seasons, it can be any tone due to other things like less sleep, diet etc !

[@tessasmith8230]

Hi I have a question so iam getting a bird soon and is it okay if I take the bird out 2 hours one day then 4 the next because my work is every other day would that confuse the bird?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

No that would be fine!

[@tessasmith8230]

@@BirdNerdSophie thank you!!

[@seshahmohammadi7046]

thanks for the video :) I just adopted male adult cockatile (still not hand tamed). He's been a bit aggressive in last week. I want to try giving him 12h sleep. How long should I do this and should I keep him in cage during that time? (he is not stepping up, so its difficult to get him back specially now that he seems hormonal..)

[@BirdNerdSophie]

He should have 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night! You can use target training to get him back in the cage, but keep trying to hand feed him treats to build up trust!

[@seshahmohammadi7046]

@@BirdNerdSophie Thanks for the reply :) I try that, but he bites if I go with palm, and sometimes even if I try with 2 fingers :( probably hormones.. should I keep him in few days until he calm down, or it is still better to let him out?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@seshahmohammadi7046 let him out and keep him busy with lots of fun things to do which will help with hormones!

[@nellieroeser6142]

Hello there , I am having issues with my male bird Mango. I’m not sure if you support breeding birds or not as I am new to this Chanel however I have recently put a new box in for mango and another female called Roxy because for a long time mango has been showing breeding behaviours such as making nests in my lap when I sit down and Hormonal behaviours such as screaming. I thought things were going ok because he is in the next box all the time but unfortunately his aggression has become worse and has attacked Roxy and me. I want to be able to breed them because I love having the opportunity however I don’t like this new mango what should I do :((

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hi there, I don’t recommend breeding at home as such - a lot can go wrong with egg laying complications, you need to know how to hand feed in case the parents don’t feed them, and hand feeding can go really wrong, you also need to be able to accommodate another possible 5 birds if the whole clutch survive. And as you have experienced, hormonal and breeding behaviour is very undesirable and you can’t do much about it unless you want to discourage breeding

[@wherelemonade999]

I have a male cockatiel who will not leave my female alone he chases and bites her so I have to separate them most of the day, so he doesn't hurt her. I'm not sure if he is angry with how she cant lay eggs (She is very old so her time for laying eggs has long past) or if he is just extremely hormonal. I cant find any information on the subject really. I was wondering if you had an idea why this was happening and any advice on how to handle it.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

It sounds hormonal, so the tips in the video should help. My partner also made a video on encouraging birds to get along which you might find useful! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnOppIh9mNWjoZo

[@2Ryled]

I'd separate them while hormonal so the poor female gets a break. Maybe where he can hear her but vant see her so he calms down

[@ornithologydude8649]

Hi! I am wanting to turn gizmo's and hedwig's diet to an all pellet and veggie diet, but they seem to want the S E E D even more than the pellets. Any advice on making them like the pellets Also , sorry for any confusion yesterday, i thought i told you :)

[@BirdNerdSophie]

To be honest I don't use pellets much, more of a supplement or treat! Most of the ones available are awful and full of bad ingredients! Also seed is part of their natural diet, it's better to feed veggie and a tiny amount of seed in the morning then a little seed at night (Or sprout seeds so they are even healthier!)

[@ornithologydude8649]

@@BirdNerdSophie thanks ! I am currently sprouting some seeds so i will use them

[@cheekycharlie29]

@@BirdNerdSophie what's the best thing for cleaning bird poop off furniture and perches etc!!

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@cheekycharlie29 I use F10 and Poop Off 😊

[@moofie8273]

I dont think my bird can be hormonal He is only 6 months old So i dont think … Can he still be hormonal ?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

It's a bit too young for him to be hormonal!

[@rashad_ae]

Hi sister. I have some doubts. 1. My male cockatiel always poops inside the cage but for last 5 days he is storing his poop (in cage). When we leave him outside he poops very big. 2. My male cockatiel is raising its tail (trying to mate with me). I searched in internet it shows that a female only do this for mating. But why my male is doing like that 🤔🤔

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hello! Firstly, are you 100% sure your bird is male?!

[@rashad_ae]

Yes sister . I asked many of them they said it is male. And even I searched in Google and it is matching perfectly. But the only thing is it is trying to mate with me.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@rashad_ae in which case follow the tips in this video, give him plenty of toys to shred and increase his sleep to 14 hours a night!

[@rashad_ae]

@@BirdNerdSophie I didn’t bought many toys because I have a toy but he is getting scared . And ya before 2 month, he is not getting enough sleep so I bought a black cloth and covered the cage. Now he is sleeping well.

[@rashad_ae]

@@BirdNerdSophie sister does it need heat ? Because I live in Dubai and usually ac is on most of the time .

[@Shelly372]

The covering of a cage I can't do when I work 5pm Till 1 am

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Do you leave them uncovered?

[@KMELEDEZ]

How long the bird will be hormonal??

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Birds can be hormonal for parts of the year all of their lives, we just have to learn how to manage it!

[@l89i68]

why is my bird always licking my finger when i approach her with my finger?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

It might be tasting so see if there's something tasty on your finger!

[@lareinedubois]

Be happy its not BITING! Lol

[@candicet5973]

But sophie in harness training I saw in elle's video that I need to touch his back and wings. Is that ok? Or should I continue in and if he get hormonal I do these tips?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

For some behaviours we need to be able to touch them quickly which is fine. It’s when people stroke birds in those areas that it’s a problem!

[@candicet5973]

@@BirdNerdSophie oh ok! So I just don't stroke them in the back but I can touch their back for harness training?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@candicet5973 that’s right!

[@Shelly372]

What about male behavior in conures

[@BirdNerdSophie]

The behavioural differences are subtle but wargamingparrot has a video on his channel on conure behaviour

[@barbarabluesparklesky7234]

Hi i thought id better look at this my bird ... a budgie..about.3 yrs old has been showing hormonal.behaviour...over the past few months...I did not know what this was untill now....and is screeching at me to come over to him..he is always going for my hands..not to bite but to play..so when i put my hand in he pecks at my finger nail. As he thinks its a beak..then he would want to sit on my hand...and then to my shock ..rubs himself and ejaculates..then hes calm for a few hours and then he screeches for attention again..i thought i was letting him have some relief but after seeing this I know now just to.ignore it..he does like peckkng at my nails every time I put seed in the cage..but tonight for instance he started screeching at around 9 pm..and I looked this up on the internet..and did not go to him in this state ..it took about an hour but he eventually calmed down and stopped by himself..i will make sure he is getting more sleep.. he has his own dark room..and I put him in there at night if im staying up late watching a film..other than that he is a very happy boy..I do feel for him though.when he is going through this. Thank you . Barbara 😇🐤

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Hi Barbara, it can be a challenging time for us and the birds when they are hormonal! You are doing great though, just keep following the tips and I'm sure they will help! 💙

[@barbarabluesparklesky7234]

@@BirdNerdSophie Thank you so much from me and twee.🐦💕

[@elleryblacker8056]

So, is it not ok to hold your bird on their back?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

If they like to lie down on their back in your hand, you can do it occasionally, but never stroke them on the back!

[@elleryblacker8056]

@@BirdNerdSophie k thanks!

[@Shelly372]

Things breeders should tell new owner's.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Absolutely!

[@kylilili]

Sometimes my parrot would rub its butt on my arm.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

That definitely sounds like hormonal behaviour!

[@karen81986]

Mine is a male budgie

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Awesome!

[@karen81986]

@@BirdNerdSophie my make budgie is 7 months old and very hormonal. Is that normal. Is there something to help him settle down?

[@BirdNerdSophie]

@@karen81986 have you tried the tips in this video? TheParrotTeacher also has a great hormones series!

[@ecchiSupreme]

my lovebird started to bite me recently when I got him new bird they seem to love each other but my bird's changed if I tried to touch his head or wanted him on my finger he just bites so hard it hurts there's no blood but it's tough and I don't know what to do 😔, also he's in a hormonal phase

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Birds bite for a variety of reasons so it’s worth working bout why - did he not want to be touched? Was the treat you were offer (or not offering!) worth stepping up for etc?

[@ecchiSupreme]

@@BirdNerdSophie he didn't want to be touched and I didn't offer him treats 😭