Behaviour

Exercise has tremendous beneficial effects in birds, just like with humans!

Physical activity is known to help in the prevention of many common physical and mental health problems.

Pet birds are generally inactive. As the birds are getting older, this worsens and contributes to a variety of health problems. There are many forms of exercise for birds. However, creativity may be required to encourage your bird to exercise without increasing stress. Birds are adapted to flight and it may be the most natural form of exercise for these animals. Therefore, a safe area for flight could be made available. This flight area is usually easier to achieve with smaller and well-trained birds. Flight cages or large aviaries can be very difficult to maintain for most owners in Hong Kong due to having smaller homes. Special bird harnesses are available that can allow controlled outdoor flight in a trained bird. However their use usually needs appropriate training and lots of patience.

Many pet parrots in Hong Kong have trimmed wings and they require another form of exercise. The bird can be easily trained to perform wing flapping exercises. The wing flapping works well to burn calories and the birds usually enjoy it very much.  You may train a bird to flap when sitting on our wrist or on a T – perch or rod. Once the bird is sitting comfortably raise your arm or the perch up and down. The bird should flap!  Do it slowly and gently at first, and speed up as the bird gets used to it.

During a consultation or ‘health check’ please ask our veterinarians for more details.

Behavioural Services

Behavioural problems are very common in pet birds. The most common forms are the following:

• Feather damaging behaviour
• Excessive vocalisation
• Over bonding

If you suspect your pet bird has a behavioural issue, please bring your bird in for a consultation. When you bring your bird in also bring in photographs of your cage set-up at home and also if possible video tape of the behaviour.

Before dealing with a suspected behavioural issue our veterinarians will need to rule out any medical causes of behaviour problems. If your bird if found to clinically healthy then we be able to schedule ‘behavioural’ consultation with you and your bird to help to work with you to modify your birds behaviour.

This can at times be very time consuming.

Ideally please learn as much as you can about bird behaviour and help your pet bird lead as enriched a life as possible, this will help prevent problems developing.

It is generally easier to prevent a behavioural problem from occurring rather than trying to treat them after the bad behaviour has been established.

Recommended Books

L. Shannon-Nunn, C. D’Arezzo – Parrot-toys and play areas: How to put some fun into your parrot’s life?

M.S. Athan: Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior

M.S. Athan: Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot