#parrot tantrum

[henrychikin]

That moment when...

...you just want to watch some Netflix, but the second anything plays, even on headphones, the parrot starts screaming. So we're sitting in the half dark, in silence. He isn't in a "mood" often, but we are having a doozy tonight.

[henrychikin]

Negotiations with a Tyrant

Lately, Henry has been agitated and “bitey”.  He’s 4 now and it’s Spring - hormones are likely a part of it.  Because he’s on edge, we’ve been negotiating a lot to avoid bites. 

I noticed that some of his worst behaviour happened when I re-entered the room after a run to the kitchen or washroom.  He would fly hard to my shoulder, almost hitting my face, and would bite my ear, sometimes making me bleed pretty bad.  I even have a scar-bump now where he bit me once. 

Anyway, over time I came to notice he would fluff and bob when I got up for the kitchen... I wondered... is this about feeling left out?  

The next time, I offered my arm, he flew over, walked up to my shoulder and settled in.  We went to the kitchen for my water, came back to the room and he flew to his boing with no problems. No fluffing, no bobbing, no nipping, no “skrawwwwwk”ing. 

Like with kids, parrots’ “bad behaviour” always has an underlying reason.  They don’t have the capacity to just be “bad”.  They are trying to express their needs and wishes the best they know how and they get frustrated. 

So I’ve learned to offer my arm when I go to leave the room.  If he wants to come, he flies over and, so far, so good.