EXPECTATIONS

We expect them to love and appreciate us!

Many behavior issues come about because we have unrealistic expectations. We want our parrot to be loving and appreciative when we go to him. Keeping in mind that parrots have moods, there will be times when perhaps he doesn’t feel like stepping up. There will be times when “for no reason” he will reach over and bite you. A knowledgeable “bird person” will respect these minor transgressions and not take them personally. After all, there is no way to get inside another’s mind! Especially a wild creature like a parrot.

We expect them to listen to reason!

We don’t see the world the way they do. They have complex social relationships. And, they relate to everything! A new pet in the house, a new painting on the wall, a new color nail polish, who knows. They are aware and relate to every little detail of their flock and their environment. Their keen sense of awareness is what keeps them alive in the wild.

We expect them to eat our wonderful food and not waste it!

We do something so sincere as to hand a piece of food to our parrot and we expect it to appreciate it and take it happily. Sometimes he will, but sometimes, he will take it and drop it. Sometimes he will strike at it (and your hand) as if it were going to bite him! Could this be a comment on your offering? Can this be a game made up for his amusement? Could you have startled him? Who knows. But much of the fun of having a parrot in the home is figuring them out. Instincts are very strong. Wild instincts are what make birds so suspicious of new food items. They certainly won’t easily try something that they have never seen before. In the wild, they learn to eat what the others are eating. Trying something else, might be toxic. Can’t get your bird to try something new? Eat it in front of him and then offer him a bite.

We expect them to calm down already!

To figure out a parrot (if this is possible), you have to think like a parrot. You need to be observant in ways that you normally wouldn’t be! A parrot has extraordinary vision! He can see in great detail and in a much wider spectrum than we can. A suddenly screaming parrot might be alarmed at tiny seed moth flying around! You don’t necessarily think this makes sense but, hey, parrots live in a different paradigm. We may not be able to figure out what the root cause of the behavior is, however, we need to make every attempt to read the parrot and understand his motives. If we can’t, we need to reassure him that he will be okay and safe.

We expect them to feel safe in our homes!

Parrots have extraordinary senses with regard to vibrations as well. A minor earthquake that goes totally unfelt by us, may alarm a nervous bird. The vibrations from some construction going on down the street may be signaling an alarm in the parrot’s brain. In the wild, they can feel the vibrations of a snake climbing up a tree towards their roosting spot or nest. You will NOT easily calm a bird that feels his life is in danger.

We expect them to be quiet when we’re on the phone!

There are many that think parrots can pick up both sides of a phone conversation. They certainly know that whenever the phone rings, their human goes to it immediately. Do parrots get jealous of such interactions? Do they want to participate in this behavior? Do they hate sharing you?

We need to keep our expectations real. We need to relish our parrot’s wildness and marvel at their sensitivities. We can’t always be in a good mood, and neither can they. We won’t always love having a parrot around, and they will have their moments as well. Allowing our parrots to be themselves and teaching them to feel safe is one of our most important goals. Another is letting them be parrots and teaching them how to entertain themselves. 

 

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