(reprinted from "NewsBeak" avian newsletter)

This is a totally ineffective response but it will get any parrot's attention immediately. The bird will probably stop dumbfounded in mid-yell with its beak wide open looking at you as if you had lost your mind. This is one of the greatest drama rewards possible and parrots learn quickly to scream, yell, bite or anything else to get your to scream at them. Most parrots thrive on drama and love it when their owners get excited.

This usually stops the bird from doing what it was doing at the moment but provides only a temporary distraction. If it is done with aggression, squirting a bird can create serious problems in the parrot-human bond. It's also a quick way to make birds hate their showers or baths. It is really important for their feather condition and health for our birds to be misted, showered or bathed. Using a spray bottle or squirt gun to punish them may make this necessary part of grooming more difficult.

This is only a distraction and a terrific drama reward for the excitable bird. The more timid parrot can become terrified by this attack on its territory. It may stop the bird from screaming momentarily but will not teach it anything about not screaming.

This "quick fix" has several problems. First of all, birds beak-wrestle to greet each other, play and even as a sign of affection. Dogs investigate each other by sniffing, parrots will examine each other very carefully and often touch beaks to learn more about one another. The tip of the beak has a bundle of encapsulated nerve endings called a corpuscle that transmits an incredible amount of information to the bird's brain about what it is touching. So if grabbing the beak is done gently, it will not serve as "punishment" because the bird will most likely perceive it as a greeting or affection. Some parrots will actually solicit beak wrestling by biting their owner as a game if they are continually rewarded with this kind of attention. A sexually mature bird will often interpret "beak wrestling" as sexual foreplay--certainly not an effective punishment. If grabbing a beak is done with aggression, the owner can ruin the trust needed for a healthy bond between parrot and owner. Grabbing the beak too hard or hitting a bird on the beak can cause serious injury and even brain damage.

This is UNACCEPTABLE aggression and will ruin the parrot/human bond. There is absolutely no excuse for hitting a parrot. Parrots are highly empathic, matching their energy with ours. A bird that is treated in an aggressive manner will respond with aggression. With extreme aggression, the bird may develop extreme fear of humans and develop "zombie-like" behavior.

Do we really want to turn our parrot's home and place of security into a "jail cell"? If a bird starts to bite, the owner is often told to punish him by putting him in his cage and covering it. Parrots do have a sense of cause and effect but it seems to be immediate. The main problem with the "quick-fix punishment" is that the immediate response to the bite is what the bird will relate to. If the owner yells and screams as they grab the bird to take him across the room to his cage, this drama will be what has a long term effect of the bird. By the time he is put in the cage, he will have no idea why he is there. Another misunderstanding has to do with the amount of time a bird has to spend in its cage when it is being "punished"------"When he bites, I put him in his cage to punish him......." Parrots are intelligent but I doubt if they have the ability to think to themselves, "I bit my human friend's hand and now I am being punished by having to be in my cage. Gee, I don't like being in my cage --- I guess I will never bite anyone again."

The second part of the owner's sentence is often...".....the harder he bites, the longer he has to stay in his cage!" This implies that parrots have the same sense of time that we do. We humans can regret the past and dread the future, but much of parrot comprehension seems to be based more on immediate association. I always imagine a parrot sitting on his perch inside the covered cage looking at his little birdie wristwatch thinking, "Gee, I must have been really baaaddddd......I've been in here a whole hour!"

Some birds do not like being in their cage and will be unhappy there. I doubt that they will think of it as "punishment" and they will probably not relate their previous bad behavior to being put there. On the other hand, if a parrot bites and is given a verbal command such as "NO, BAD" again, the bird may associate the words with bad behavior and being put in the cage. This can add some credibility to this form of discipline. However, there are more effective means of discipline to employ.

Again, it is doubtful that the bird will be aware of why he is in the bathtub and the drama getting him there may actually be a reward.The bathtub may actually be a pretty scary place to be and may be intimidating enough to cause emotional trauma in some parrots. They will most likely behave when they are in the bathtub--what can they do to misbehave in such alien surroundings?

This has the same inherent faults of a "punishment" as the previous one. By the time the owner dramatically runs over to cover the cage, the bird has probably been distracted from screaming anyway. Covering the cage will most likely be associated with the owner's drama rather than with the bird's screaming. The bird will probably remain quiet as long as the cage is covered because of the deprivation of attention, not because it understands the cause and effect of the punishment. Tragically, too many people actually keep their bird's cage covered for long periods of time. This can be seriously damaging to a bird's health--both physical and psychological.

This is similar to covering the cage as "punishment". It is only effective as deprivation of attention and many birds will not scream simply because there is nothing to do. Instead, taking a nap seems to be the best (and most logical) idea under the circumstances. Most parrots will naturally scream as a "call to the flock" when there is a lot of excitement going on in the household. If the owners are planning a party or anticipating a lot of unusual commotion, placing the bird in a quiet room before hand to avoid problems during the event would be a good idea. This is not a punishment but a way to avoid the over excitement that will cause problems. It makes more sense to anticipate situations that may over excite a bird, than it does to try and punish him for doing what comes naturally. Too much time in a dark room can create problems for the bird so he should not be placed there for long periods of time or for everyday common events.

This is another variation of the dark room "quick fix" and involves placing a biting or screaming bird in a dark box. Certainly no parrot can misbehave when he is shut up in a dark container. But again, this will not teach a bird anything about misbehaving.

Exercise is an essential part of any bird's life. Holding them and having them flap their wings can be a positive way for them to improve muscle tone and burn up calories. This can be a positive experience for most birds in the parrot family. Using it as a "punishment" may actually provide a drama reward for a bird that enjoys this form of exercise. For other birds, it may be inappropriately aggressive and cause a fear response that may create problems in its relationship with the owner.

This could be simply a distraction, a drama reward or if it is done too aggressively, an abusive trust-destroying technique that could cause the bird injury. While it is true that many birds are insecure on the floor, others may actually bite because they don't want to be with the person and appreciate the instant freedom. The technique of quickly jerking your hand when a bird bites can be effective as a distraction and may even work as a discipline if done immediately and accompanied by the "evil eye".

This is probably the least effective "quick fix" of all for a variety of reasons. It is usually suggested by someone who wants to sell you a bird or wants your bird for their breeding program. While there is nothing wrong with people having more than one bird, they should buy another bird if they want one and not as a "cure" for their bird's behavioral problems. The owner should work on their first bird's behavioral problems rather than complicating things by the addition of another bird that will probably end up with problems too. This is a "double your trouble" measure that will not make life easier for the bird or its owner. Two birds are harder to care for and keep tame than one. Providing a pet parrot with an avian companion will often create less bonded, less tame birds without extra work to keep them that way.

"Quick fixes" treat the symptoms of unacceptable bird behavior. They have little long-term effect and may actually create more problems that will continue because the underlying cause remains. The foundation of all serious behavioral problems in pet parrots is a bird in control of its own life--and doing a bad job of it. Behavioral problems are much easier to prevent than they are to solve. Establishing "nurturing dominance" at an early age by providing rules and guidance will help to guarantee a well-behaved bird. Parrots do not know how to be good pets. We have to teach them. Without our nurturing guidance, they will spend their lives in confusion. Becoming the "flock leader" will allow you to guide your parrot's behavior. The simple use of the "UP" and "DOWN" commands whenever you pick your bird up and put him down is the best way to start.

Even non-aggressive "quick fix" behavioral methods treat the symptoms and not the underlying cause of the behavior. For example, if a bird starts screaming each time the owner sits down to eat dinner, they need to realize why this behavior is so consistent instead of punishing the bird in some "quick fix" manner. Knowing a little bit about parrot psychology can help owners to understand the underlying cause of this behavioral problem. Parrots are social eaters and need to eat with their flock. If parrot owners (or flock) sit down to a meal without refreshing the food in a bird's bowl first, then their bird is likely to scream because one of its basic needs was not considered. Covering the bird's cage or squirting it with water will not solve the problem. However, if his owners consistently provide him with fresh food before they sit down to dinner, they can prevent the problem from occurring in the first place.

Another classic example of "anticipation of need" is when the owner comes home. Parrots are very social creatures and if they are separated from their flock or mate, they have special, even ritualized, greetings when the human partners return. If the owner comes home from a hard day at work and ignores her parrot as she enters the house, chances are the parrot will scream for attention because one of its basic social needs is not being met. Finally, the tired owner gets frustrated and starts yelling at the bird to shut up. The bird's screaming behavior is rewarded with drama and a "call to the flock" which is what it needed in the first place. This type of negative learning can be avoided if the owner consistently greets the parrot as soon as he or she walks into the door.

Parrots are highly responsive to their owner's energy. If they are strongly bonded, pet birds do react to their owner's approval or disapproval. Parrots are aware of the expression on their owner's face. An immediate disapproving dirty look will have far more effect on a parrot that is misbehaving than any of the "quick fixes". This is known as the "Evil Eye". It may be effective to accompany the evil eye with a sharp, loud, "NO" -- but adding other words will create too much drama. If the bird is with you and is biting, the "evil eye" accompanied by a firm "UP" command requiring the bird to step up on your hand will establish immediate control and work very successfully as discipline.

I do not believe that parrots really understand the concept of punishment because it requires a sense of long-term cause and effect, a sense of the continuation of time and a fairly long attention span. They do, however, react in a positive way to discipline. The difference is the immediacy of discipline and the lack of drama it presents. However, discipline will not work successfully if you are not in control of your parrot's behavior. The bird must follow your guidance for discipline to be successful. The contradictory concept of a "submissive leader" is an oxymoron.

Instead of giving in to the temptation of using "quick fixes" to try and solve your parrot's behavioral problems, try to understand the more complex ways to prevent and solve them. When a parrot bites, understand that most of the time the biting is a confused response to mixed messages from the person handling them. Learn to give your parrot a clear message about what you expect from him. When a parrot screams excessively, it is often because a basic need is not being met or because they have been taught to do so with a drama reward. Try to understand what they need and stop responding in a way that creates more drama. When a parrot plucks for behavioral reasons, it is often because they are insecure about change in their lives. Learn how to gradually introduce them to change so that it is safe and non-threatening.

Individual behavioral problems usually have a complex origin. Trying to understand why a bird behaves in a negative manner will help the owner guide their pet beyond that behavior. Anticipating a parrot's basic needs will often prevent serious behavioral problems from developing. The "quick fixes" may seem easy but they are usually not effective. The more complex understanding of why problem behaviors exist may seem more complicated but will actually make it easier to provide the guidance that will create a long-term positive change in your parrot's life.

Jordan Enterprises/respective authors 1997
Certificate No: 1170
First Registered: 3/1/1997