Christas Parrot Information

The topic has been discussed on some of my email groups that our parrots might go wild and turn on us like Travis the chimp did.

I firmly believe that there is not a similarity with the chimp going “crazy” and parrots going “crazy”. The last week or so we have been hearing about Travis the chimp that attacked a lady and nearly killed her.
Click here to watch one of the many stories being shown on television.

Chimps and parrots not domesticated like cats or dogs. As humans we have the preponderance of responsibility to care for these animals. We are the ones that have captured them and used them for scientific study, in zoos, etc. Knowing that a chimp can harm a human because of their size and strength and that parrots also can harm us with their beaks. This is part of what we know and should consider when we decide to care for or own either of these species.

These animals can and are a big part of our lives. But they are not human! We need to remember that.

My experience is not with chimpanzees. What I have learned or seen is with parrots. Parrots do not all of a sudden go crazy or wild. There are signs and symptoms for months leading up to an issue. Since parrots are prey animals they see things a lot differently than we may think and may feel threatened. It is our responsibility to see that there might be an issue or one starting and get help.

The best way to manage behavior with parrots is to use positive reinforcement. What is that?

Positive reinforcement is something good ( according to your bird) that comes right after a behavior. For example: Your bird stretches his wings all the way out and you say “Good Bird! right away and give scratches or a small treat.

That is positive reinforcement. It will increase the behavior of your bird stretching his wings all the way out.

Positive reinforcement can help you to learn to deal with a huge assortment of behaviors.

Are you interested in learning more?

Here is a great article by Dr. Susan Friedman.

Straight Talk About Behavior

Interesting facts about chimps:

Chimps as pets by Jane Goodall