My Indian ringneck is displaying nesting behavior. The problem is she is under the sofa and attacking us when we sit down. I have tried to block it off but isn’t working and I have tried giving her a box with paper but she isn’t interested.
Hi,
This is a situation where you need to remember that you are in charge, not the bird. You are choosing to give in to her. If you continue to allow this behavior, not only will the aggression get worse, but egg laying will follow and you will have an aggressive bird and a nasty, smelly mess under your sofa. Do not allow her to roam. This is a rule for any pet bird, because there are too many things in a home that can harm or kill them. It’s your responsibility to supervise her when she is out of the cage, and put her in her cage when you can’t watch her. Allowing a bird to roam through the house is like letting a baby or toddler roam unattended. The reason she is roaming and claiming the sofa is because this mimics searching for a nesting site. You definitely should not give her a box. Instead you need to be discouraging this type behavior before you end up with a chronic egg layer, which can lead to expensive Vet bills. She should not have any type of nest, box, bird hut, tent, coconut – nothing that she can get inside of or sit in to use as a nest. In the wild they only nest once a year. But in captivity, because indoor conditions are perfect, a pet bird will end up in an endless state of being hormonal and this is miserable for her. You have to use some tough love to do what is best for her. Get her a playstand and teach her to stay on it. We have some behavior webinars that will help, and in the most recent, the speaker explains how to target train your bird.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
