Ask Lafeber

parrot behavior

can parrots carry a grudge or react negatively towards an owner
if verbally disaplined?

Hi,

You can’t apply human concepts to birds. Parrots are an exotic species and their behavior is driven by instincts. They are a prey species in the wild, so one must build trust with a pet bird. If you try to grab your bird or you chase it, this triggers his flight instinct because he feels like a predator is trying to catch him. Yelling or any verbal punishment does not register with a parrot. Parrots are loud, so you are just being loud, too. He might see you as establishing dominance, and while you should be the leader, intimidating the bird is not productive. You would lose the bird’s trust, so yes, that is a negative reaction, but losing trust is not the same as carrying a grudge, which is a human concept. I’ll give you the links to our behavior and training pages to help you better understand how to work with a parrot.

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior

Teaching Your Bird

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda