Syd's latest gig

[T00tsyd]

I could hear him but not see him so went on a recci to find where he was. I called - he kept singing as before - not a real reply. Eventually I found him.

He was standing tall on the floor, I can only think he was trying to have a conversation, in front of both the washing machine and the dryer which stand side by side and were involved flat out in laundry day. They are both front loaders with glass doors that show what's going round inside.I called him away - no response. I went to pick him up - attack mode!

Eventually the ultimate - a perch plus a seed - was the way forward. Seed went fast enough and he flew straight back. It was only when things stopped going around that he finally lost interest. So my question has to be, was he mesmerised, hypnotised or simply fascinated? Bless him.

 

[Flboy]

OCD at its finest!

 

[EllenD]

It's extremely likely that he actually went either behind or underneath them, or had gotten into some other small, dark place, and what you experienced was what I like to call their "Hormonal-Trance", and that's exactly what it is...They get into some small, dark place, their hormones are immediately kicked into high-gear, and they fall into this kind of "Trance" where they often look right at you but it's like they aren't really looking at you, nor are they listening to you...They also sometimes are continually making this little, soft "chirping" noise to themselves during these "Trances"...And they will continue to sit there staring at you in their "Trance" and totally ignore you until finally you go to touch them, and then they quite literally attack you, usually biting extremely hard and sometimes not letting go. This will continue until their hormones settle-down...

I had this happen with my male Green Cheek only once, but I've seen it in other parrots, usually males but not always; and it is ALWAYS the result of them getting inside of a small, dark place, either inside or underneath something like pieces of furniture, inside of boxes, underneath blankets or towels, or a piece of clothing, behind a pillow, etc. This extremely short time in a small, dark place causes a huge release of sex-hormones all at once, and it puts them into the "Trance" that you described...And it also causes extreme and sudden aggression which is often violent.

About a year ago my male Green Cheek, who was about a year and a half old at the time, went missing in the house. He is recall-trained and we have specific contact-calls, and he and my Quaker had been flying around the house together. When I called for them to come to me, only my Quaker responded and flew back...Then I called to Bowie again and nothing, silence...My Quaker flew back downstairs, so I followed, but no Bowie...I looked everywhere and couldn't find him, and I was sure that he had either gotten outside somehow and was gone, or he had suddenly died because he wasn't responding at all...So I got a flashlight and started looking everywhere for him, calling him the entire time with no response at all...My Quaker was pacing back and forth on the top of the back of the couch, so I got down on the floor and looked under the couch, and there he was...Bowie was under the couch, just laying there kind of talking to himself quietly in this weird chirping language...He was looking right at me but it was like he couldn't see me or hear me at all, even though I was a foot away from him and he was staring at me...

I got a yardstick and swept him out from under the couch, and he immediately charged at me and bit my hand and wouldn't let go...When I got him off of my hand he ran right back under the couch again...So I swept him out from under the couch again, and this time he ran and attached himself to the skin on the top of my foot!!! Eventually I grabbed him and put him inside of his cage and left him in there to calm down for about 20-30 minutes, and then he was totally fine and back to normal...

So these sudden, extreme hormonal "rushes" and the aggression they bring with them are normal and quite common, however it's important that you do everything you can to keep them from happening, which just means not letting your bird out in your house unsupervised and keeping him from going into any small, dark places, both inside of his cage and outside in your house...These sudden hormonal "Trances" are really great examples of why you should never put any types of Beds, Tents, "Huts" like the Happy/Snuggle Huts, Hammocks, Boxes, etc. or any type of nesting-materials inside of your bird's cage, and why they can't be allowed to go underneath or behind furniture, pillows, blankets, towels, clothing, etc.

 

[T00tsyd]

Mmmm that's really interesting. He was standing in the middle of the floor rather than a dark place. I usually know exactly where he is but will keep your post in mind. There is no-where there for him to hide.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Hormonal TRANCE! That's a good one! I know that look well.

 

[T00tsyd]

Next instalment. Today Syd has found the small tv. In similar manner to last time he is riveted in front of it chatting away to some programme about the countryside. The presenter is an attractive blond female and each time there is a closeup he gets very animated nodding his head and jabbering away.

I think I have a rival for his affections! Now where is that off button?

 

[EllenD]

Well even if he didn't get into any small, dark place, you also have to remember that it's springtime, and this is usually when they all have their hormones go nuts anyway. And there are a lot of other things that can trigger them, either way that's what's going on, his hormones are kicked into high-gear right now...Be sure he gets 10-12 hours of solid sleep every night (a Natural-Light Schedule is best, especially during this time of the year, and then also in the early fall) and he never has any access to anything that could be considered "nesting material" or any small, dark places, especially inside of his cage. And when this does happen, if he becomes aggressive because of it, just let him chill-out for a bit inside of his cage (assuming he doesn't have any beds, Huts, Tents, Boxes, etc. in there) for a while...

 

[T00tsyd]

Well even if he didn't get into any small, dark place, you also have to remember that it's springtime, and this is usually when they all have their hormones go nuts anyway. And there are a lot of other things that can trigger them, either way that's what's going on, his hormones are kicked into high-gear right now...Be sure he gets 10-12 hours of solid sleep every night (a Natural-Light Schedule is best, especially during this time of the year, and then also in the early fall) and he never has any access to anything that could be considered "nesting material" or any small, dark places, especially inside of his cage. And when this does happen, if he becomes aggressive because of it, just let him chill-out for a bit inside of his cage (assuming he doesn't have any beds, Huts, Tents, Boxes, etc. in there) for a while...

I'm ahead of you and comply with all your comments. Bless him he'll be fine.

 

[wrench13]

All I can say is put a perch for Syd in front of the TV. I know my Salty loves to watch anything with birds in it. We have to turn the TV off during his training sessions or he just zones right out.