Ask Lafeber

Male Cockatiel Changes in Behavior

Hello,
A male cockatiel came to live with me about 8 years ago. We have a very predictable routine and his behavior is generally well-adjusted and attached to me with some fear of hands, although he steps up and comes to me for head and neck scratches.

He has recently become enamored of a sock ball, with which he has bonded intimately, up to several sessions a day. It’s a bit like having a teenager in the house, but he seems so much more contented with sock ball and less needy, more independent. He’s a little more macho, and while he does not shriek for attention as much, he can be a little agitated at night. He seeks sock ball out first thing in the morning and throughout the day. But he still comes to me for head rubs.

He has also become more exploratory in the house, going behind cushions and into hidden spaces. My mom suggested that he was looking to nest, and then I realized that his normal nibbling on paper had turned into a pretty focused shredding activity, as if for nesting material.

My question is, am I encouraging him to be hormonal and is that harmful? He seems pretty happy. Especially with sock ball. 🙂

Hi Lauren,

Yes, you are getting him in a hormonal state with the sock ball and allowing him to roam, shred paper and search for nesting sites. While this seems harmless, the problem is he will remain in this hormonal state because of the perfect environment we tend to provide. He will start getting more and more aggressive, and also get more obsessive with trying to nest or mating with the sock. This can result in a prolapse, which can be very serious, and generally can never be fully cured. Once they suffer a prolapse in the cloaca, even if it is repaired surgically, it almost always recurs. This leaves him open to infections. I would get rid of the sock ball and anything else he becomes amorous with. Unfortunately you need to stop letting him shred paper. I would also stop allowing free roam. He can be out and interact with you or someone else, but then he needs to go back in his cage. Make sure he has plenty of toys to keep him busy, but definitely avoid mirrors. You might try some foraging activities with him. Hormones are such a problem with pet birds, we have webinars on the topic every spring. I’ll give you the link to that playlist. In particular, Parrots & Hormones – Is it time for “The Talk”, as this one covers the question you asked here. The Vet does a great job of explaining hormone triggers and how to divert your bird’s attention to something else.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda