Mirrors?

[lesleyanne11]

I have a question about mirrors! My husband and I bought my cockatiel Domino a bunch of new toys Saturday. One of them was a little mirror with beads on it. I woke up this morning to Domino screeching and pecking at the little mirror. All the beads had been ripped off aswell. She was so upset! And pacing around the cage. So I immediately took the mirror out and she continued pacing around the cage and crying (in what I've now come to understand is the noise she makes when she's upset). She's calmed down now and is hanging out with me on my shoulder. I've never had a problem with mirrors before, (in the bathroom when I take her for her shower) or the mirror in my bedroom. Should I just keep mirrors out of the cage? I feel terrible that she is so upset.

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

If she has not had another bird or mirror in her cage she may not like having another "bird" in her space.

I've never been one to put mirrors in a birds cage anyways, since if they do like the "bird" in the mirror they will tend to bond with it instead of you.

Hope this helps.

 

[weco]

Birds don't understand the concept of mirrors.....some will even form an attachment with their image in the mirror & even try to feed it, while others, like Domino, will get upset with the image, thinking it has come to take its place or take over its cage.....I've never bought any of my birds a mirror, but I guess there are plenty of people who buy them because they hang in the bird department, the package has a bird pic on it & like many birds, they're impulse buys until they join a bird forum or group.....really, it's a toss up, because the toys will be the same way.....some will get played with while others will become dust collectors, but don't feel bad, we've all been there, picking things for our birds based on our likes, which are often contrary to those of our feathered friends.....

Welcome to the forums,,,hope you enjoy your stay.....

 

[lesleyanne11]

She's only 13 weeks. It's my first bird so I'm still learning what works and what doesn't. Thanks for the input.

 

[weco]

Sorry, did not mean to sound curt.....we all started at the same place, but often with different species.....

Good luck.....

 

[veimar]

You might wanna remove that toy. My gcc wouldn't leave the mirror toy alone - he would attack it for hours! When I took it out of his cage and put on the table he flew over, found it and kept attacking it. I had to remove it completely. I dunno why they sometimes are so obnoxious with the mirror toys. My other birds don't care at all. My tiel used to hiss at his reflection in the mirror, but then he probably figured it wasn't another bird, and not he doesn't care.

 

[LoryLover]

A friend of mine had a cockatiel for many years, named Harley. Harley loved his mirror that was in his cage! He would talk to it, and spend much time with it. Another friend had a parakeet that also loved it's mirror and would even regurgitate to the mirror.

Sweet Pea (my Lory) has never been interested in a mirror in her cage. I've tried two or three over the years and she acts like they aren't even there.

But she goes up to the mirror around the house and joyfully pecks on them. But she doesn't seem to think the bird she sees in the mirror is another bird... it's like she actually knows she's looking at herself. She must not be vain, lol ... because she doesn't spend more than a second at the mirrored closet doors when she's running around on the floor playing with her hacky sacks.