Some owners consider this activity as a form of entertainment, while others find it distressing. He masturbates on his perch or cage toys and regurgitates food to his reflection. ‘Randy Budgie Syndrome’ is a recognised medical condition where a single, pet, male budgie endeavours to maintain a sexual relationship with his reflection. The sexually frustrated, single pet bird will often try and ‘bond’ with his own reflection in a cage mirror. This is the worst thing that they can do. Well-meaning owners often provide a mirror for company. It is unnatural for pet birds to be isolated from their own kind and restricted to a caged environment. It is natural for a bird to reach puberty and choose a mate. Owners need to be aware of the reasons for these seasonal hormonal changes in their pets. Females become more cuddly and amorous, ‘presenting’ to their owners. Males can become more ‘pushy’ and aggressive. As a result of increased hormone levels in spring, birds may show behavioural changes. Spring time is the mating time for many species of birds. I have received many calls from surprised owners of 20 to 30 year old sulphur crested cockatoos or galahs that have suddenly laid an egg in response to these conditions. The onset of spring rains after the period of drought has stimulated many single pet female cockatoos or galahs to lay eggs. Recently, the prolonged drought has caused unnaturally dry conditions that have mimicked the natural environment of many inland Australian birds. Abundance of food and longer daylight hours signal the appropriate time for breeding. In the wild, heavy rain after a prolonged dry spell will indicate to birds that there will be abundant food supplies to support a clutch of offspring. Seasonal changes also trigger the sexual instincts of pet birds. These types of behaviours are ‘birdy foreplay’ and encourage sexual and mating behaviour in the bird. They should never allow the bird to eat out of their mouths or stroke it on the lower back or abdomen if the bird is presenting. In other words, owners should not touch or handle their pet bird in inappropriate or sexually suggestive ways. Just as there are appropriate and inappropriate ways of handling pet birds. I always tell owners that they should never become a ‘birdophile’ in their relationship with their pet. Therefore, it is very important for the humans associated with the pet bird to always act as a parent or ‘older bird’ to the pet rather than as a lover or a mate. Chronic egg laying can cause uterine prolapse, egg yolk peritonitis, malnutrition from the depletion of the body stores of calcium and other nutrients and many other problems associated with female reproductive organs and ‘secret women’s business’. They masturbate and can become aggressive and dominant towards other family members that they perceive of as a rival.įemale birds that are inappropriately sexually stimulated by their owners (eg on the shoulder, kissing, feeding from the mouth etc.) can become chronic egg layers. In these circumstances birds can be driven by sexual frustration to feather picking or even self-mutilation (where skin and soft tissue is chewed). When pet birds are inappropriately bonded to a human mate, they become frustrated because the human mate cannot fulfil the role of mating or laying or sitting on the eggs. Many behavioural problems induced by sexual frustration occur when a pet bird chooses a human as his/her mate. If there is no ‘feathered’ mate to choose from the bird will choose a mate from the ‘human flock’ (i.e. They choose and court a mate, select or build a nest and have sex for procreation rather than recreation. When birds become sexually mature, their instinct is to find a mate. They correspond with the bird reaching puberty. These behavioural changes in cockatiels usually occur between nine months to one year of age. Their sweet little bird has started to bite and be aggressive and demanding. I commonly get calls from unhappy cockatiel owners. The cute, young, cuddly, baby bird will reach puberty and undergo hormone induced behavioural changes just like their human, adolescent counterpart. Just as a child grows and matures through the various stages of development to reach sexual maturity, so will the pet bird. Most pet bird owners fail to understand that their newly acquired, hand-reared, pet will grow and develop like a young child. However, we don’t routinely desex birds as the procedure is expensive, can be risky and is usually only undertaken in female birds with gynaecological problems Therefore our pet birds will have a sex life whether we want them to or not. When our pet cats and dogs become sexually mature, we can prevent them from mating and breeding by having them castrated or spayed.
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