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Break out!

Its Springtime and once again in the hearts of our birdies this means warming up to their mate.    And to our birdies we are their mate!   At least in their mind.

Some parrots, in the wild, choose their mate for life.  Cockatoos are one of these species.  Fluffy, our goffin cockatoo, feels pretty much the same. She chose me as her mate from the very beginning.   I think this was for two reasons. 

Fluffy's  breeder was a woman, which meant Fluffy was familiar with a woman's voice as her caregiver. 

I am a stay at home mom so I was not only taking care of her,  I was also with her the majority of the time. 

Although,  these two features sway towards the bonding of a parrot with their
owner, it isn't necessarily carved in stone.   Our son spent a great deal of time with Fluffy and there isn't anything she wouldn't do for him within her means, but if given a choice she would still come to me.  I would say she is bonded to both of us on any given day.

Parrots will also bond with someone who only shares minor time with them, but it is quality time.   Holding and snuggling them while watching TV, scratching their neck, chatting, singing, or playing together one on one.   These are all ways to sway your parrot in your favor, but remember these beautiful creatures have what I call a built in mate gauge. 

Your mannerism, the secure way you hold them, your voice,  your confidence along with lack of fear will help in bonding with a parrot.  Or at least becoming good friends.

Bonding with a parrot doesn't always mean they will be a one person bird.  But chances are much greater they will be.     This is why it is very important to socialize your baby parrots with other members in your household.  Then, as they mature, even though they might bond to a particular family member they may still socialize with other members (on their terms). 

So now we have this beautiful parrot, its springtime, and she is reaching maturity.  The extended daylight hours of spring brings the natural feelings of mating or more importantly having babies. 

I can always tell when Fluffy starts playing in her water dish more often.  Digging at her veggies as if knowing her body may need the extra energy.  Along with wanting more attention than usual.  These are all pretty good signs her hormones are kicking up into high gear. 

In Fluffy's case she won't be having babies or even a birdie mate for that matter.  She thinks she is human and refuses to accept another cockatoo as her mate.  Breeding cockatoos under the best of circumstances can sometimes be extremely dangerous.  Or for that matter breeding other parrots as well.

I know of a breeder who bred goffin cockatoos on a regular basis of twice a year, never experiencing any problems, until one day the male attacked the female almost killing her.   If the breeder was not standing in ear shot the female would most certainly have been killed. 

Fluffy is our pet and although I've been told she will stay sweet if we let her have a clutch, I tend to disagree.   I've seen many cases where the female not only rejected the male, but also became nippy with her human flock. 

So how do we handle spring hormones? 

• We leave her covered a little later in the morning. Putting her to bed earlier at night  is impossible because that is when we spend quality time.
• We give her a little extra attention, too much will spoil her or  make the matters worse.
• We buy her new colorful - chew toys
• We give her new foods in different colors and textures to try
• We change her play area.   Unless she totally hates it.  But she usually enjoys the new adventure
• We talk to her every time we walk into or leave the kitchen (her play area)
• And most importantly we watch for her to show signs of illness,  a special vet check may be required during this time

Some might say all these changes could only frustrate her more, but so far after (11 years) this has worked best. 

One day Fluffy may want to mate with another cockatoo, but at this point I put in the ear plugs, talk to her and watch for signs of distress or depression, like pulling feathers (aggressively), not eating, sleeping more than normal, or sulking in her cage. 

Having parrots for pets is a wonderful experience, rather they talk or not, they are filled with energy, personality and love.  They do require special needs and it is up to their human family to make sure they receive them.