John has an adolescent
parrot that he loves dearly, but a problem has been developing recently
that he doesn't understand at all. When his bird is away from its cage
it's a sweetheart, but near its cage, it turns into a monster -- lunging
and biting when John or his wife reach for it. At first it only did this
when it was on top of the cage, but now the behavior has expanded to the
point that neither John or his wife can safely reach into the cage to
feed and clean. The bird is also starting to get aggressive when it is
playing on its jungle gym. John hasn't the foggiest idea why this is
happening.
Guarding One's Turf
This behavior is called cage
territoriality or cage dominance, and like many (most?) of the behaviors
we see in captive parrots, it has a foundation in instinct. In the wild,
a parrot must protect its territory from invasion not only by predators
but also other parrots. Dr. Charles Munn, in his National Geographic
article on macaws in the Peruvian Amazon ("Macaws: Winged Rainbows",
Jan. 94), comments that "a contributing factor in the macaws' low
reproduction rate [in the wild] is an acute housing shortage." An
unprotected nest is often subject to a hostile takeover by another pair
of parrots eager to start a family. So guarding one's territory is
necessary to successfully raise a family and therefore fulfill the Prime
Directive of propagating one's own species. John's parrot didn't exhibit
this behavior before, because it was just a baby.
In working with clients, I like to use as an example the behavior of
a pair of mockingbirds who made it on the news several times a couple of
years ago. (It must have been a slow news week.) These birds had built a
nest in a parking garage and they were dive bombing any humans who dared
try to retrieve their cars. After describing the situation, I then point
out just how small a mockingbird actually is [about 10" from beak to
tail] compared to the size of a human. To say the least, this is a
formidable instinctive drive!
Aberrant Behavior
In captivity we often see
territorial behaviors that have become excessive, with the bird driving
off not just strangers but other members of the household (other flock
members) and even the person with whom the parrot is most bonded -- the
equivalent of the bird driving its own mate away from the nest.
Obviously, this is a serious behavior problem, which will seriously
threaten the animal’s pet potential if allowed to go unchecked. It is
also extremely common.
Some people feel that a pet parrot should be allowed
this territorial behavior -- that its cage is its very own special place
and it should be allowed to do as it pleases within that area. I
emphatically do not agree.
Just as a human child should be allowed privacy in
their own room, I feel a parrot should be allowed to have its moods --
and sometimes it will simply not be in the mood to interact with its
human – it is playing happily by itself, it for example, or pondering a
particularly tough concept of astral physics. An experienced parrot
owner knows when their bird is not in the mood by simply watching
its body language, and he/ she respects the bird's privacy and does not
approach during these times.
However, privacy notwithstanding, I don't feel it is
acceptable for a small child to be allowed to ban parents from his/her
room -- nor do I think a pet parrot should be allowed to refuse their
human flock entry into its "room" -- which is what John's parrot is
doing.
If a person has a pair of breeding birds, that is a
different story -- I would liken that to having a grown child visiting
his parents with his wife -- at which point the rules change. In that
case, I think the young adult's room should be private with the parents
entering by invitation only.
Establishing Nurturing Dominance
A pet parrot
that is excessively territorial is a bird who has been allowed to
believe it outranks the humans in its flock, and is therefore, ordering
these humans around. To get this little tyrant under control, the humans
must establish a relationship of nurturing dominance or guidance (a la
Sally Blanchard) by teaching the bird the commands of "up" and "down" to
put controls on the bird's behavior. This simple and incredibly
effective training technique was explained in detail in a separate
article ("Nurturing Dominance: What It Is and How To Establish
It").
As I explained in that article, the bird is removed
from its cage and control is taught in daily training sessions that take
place on a neutral perch in a neutral territory -- a perch
(i.e. the back of a kitchen chair) and room (i.e. a guest room or bath)
that the bird does not consider to be its own turf. (Trying to establish
controls over a headstrong parrot while it is in, on or even within
sight of its cage is an exercise in futility and a great way to get
bitten.)
Once the bird is responding to the human's order by
stepping onto his/her hand every time the person says Up
and off the hand onto the perch every time with a Down,
then the human can start moving the training perch out of the neutral
area and into the area of the bird's cage. He/she needs to move the
perch slowly -- maybe only a few inches at a time -- and then work again
on the commands, making sure the bird follows them to the letter. To
maintain consistency from then on, the person will ALWAYS use these
commands whenever and wherever he/she is handling the bird.
Back on the Bird's Turf.....
Once in sight of
the bird's cage, the training sessions often become more difficult, but
the person should not lose heart.
With patience and consistency
(and a little time), the bird will again respond to the commands that it
followed beautifully when out of sight of its territory. Under NO
circumstance should the human lose his/her temper (tempting though it
may be at times), since that usually provides the drama that parrots
love -- few things tickle them more than making their pet person mad
enough to yell. After all, what a wonderful game! (I discussed the Drama
Reward in another article.)
When the teacher and the pupil have at last worked
their way back to the cage, the human should put the bird onto his perch
in the cage with the Down command, then immediately pick him up again
with the Up command. Doing this several times in a row will teach the
bird that these commands work just as well inside the cage as out. This
process should also be repeated on the cage top, as well as on and
around any other place where the parrot hangs out.
New Patterns For In and Out of the Cage
From
that point on, whenever the bird wants to be let out of its cage, it
must step onto the person's hand when the human says Up. If it
refuses, then it is not allowed out of the cage until it changes its
mind and follows the command. Under no circumstance should the person
simply open the cage door and walk away -- this will convince the parrot
it is again in control of its life and the humans in its flock.
Once the bird has come out of the cage with the proper
commands, if the human wishes, the parrot can be placed on top with the
Down so it can go in and out at will. At the end of the day, the bird
should be returned to his cage with a Down.
Altitude vs. Attitude
Always keep in mind that
height is correlated directly with dominance in the mind of the
companion parrot -- so a bird above eye level generally considers itself
higher on the pecking order. This height significance must be considered
when choosing the training perch, as well as with perch placement in a
parrot’s cage. Aggressive birds should not be allowed to perch higher
than the person’s chest level. The top of the bird's cage may not be a
good place for the parrot to play if it starts getting delusions of
superiority. A separate play area set on a low table usually solves this
problem.
Even after the parrot is behaving itself around the
cage (and everywhere else), the human should keep up training sessions
every week or so, just to remind the bird that the rules are still in
force. It is also critical that any other humans handling the bird
should use the same commands in exactly the same manner -- ALWAYS using
the Up to get the bird on his/her hand, and off the hand with a Down.
Otherwise, the bird will become confused -- just as a human child does
when two parents enforce different rules.
Also keep in mind that nothing is permanent in the mind
of a parrot -- in the wild, there appears to be a constant push-pull
going on within the flock, with challenges happening constantly. So the
human should not be surprised when a previously well behaved parrot
suddenly refuses a command -- it is just checking to see if the human is
really in control. By insisting the command be followed, the human
simply reaffirms that.
So by following these easy training techniques and
handling their parrot in a firm, loving and consistent manner, John and
his wife can get control of their headstrong bundle of feathers --
therefore regaining the loving relationship they used to enjoy.