What is she doing

[JohnH]

Nearly every day my little noise maker plucks or breaks off a piece of feather then grinds it to dust between her beak and the cage bars. I have a thought as to why she does this but I'd like to hear other peoples thoughts too.

[ame="https://youtu.be/RYIsFIhuZFM"]Like fingernails on a chauk board - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Scott]

Some kind of ritualized behavior?

 

[Betrisher]

Ritualised or repetitive behaviours like this are usually the product of stress of some kind. Since birdie can't tell you what's upsetting her, you can either figure it out by close observation or try changing her life around a bit. Maybe try feeding, cleaning, playing at different times. Don't keep to a schedule, but be a bit more random so birdie doesn't get stuck in a rut. Changing the positions of toys and perches inside the cage might help, as might the addition of new and different ones.

The most important thing for cockies is the provision of chewing material. Since she's an Aussie, it would be great if you could get hold of eucalyptus, callistemon, melaleuca, banksia or grevillea timbers (all plentiful in the US, I'm told). Cockies *love* chomping gumnuts (the fruits of the eucalyptus tree) and if you can get big ones (red ironbark, bushy yate), you can use those to hide food morsels in for foraging.

In the absence of natural timber, see if you can get hold of a raw-wood pallet which has been untreated and unpainted. I use a hole saw to cut 'biscuits' out of the timber, drilling a hole in their middles and stringing them on a leather thong. The remaining piece of holey timber can be put in or on the cage for cocky to chomp on.

Vegetable tanned leather is fun for birds to chew and I have a feeling *this* bird would enjoy the texture as she crushed it in her bill. Craft shops, Tandy leather outlets and ebay are good places to look. My cousin makes prosthetic limbs and supplies me nicely with heavy leather offcuts.

Other options include all kinds of cardboard, egg cartons, fabric bolts and whole root vegetables (check our safe foods section) as well as finer materials like millet sprays and grass seed heads. Don't dismiss the idea of making your bird work for her food by hiding it in foraging toys, either purchased or home made.

Finally, you might consider target and/or trick training your bird. Cockies are mightily intelligent and they really relish being given mind-stretching tasks to do. My Rosetta learned targetting in minutes and it gave me an instant way of getting her where I needed her to be. My Alexes really took to doing little tricks for me and would actually search out the trick toys, virtually asking me to play with them!

The thing is, ritual behaviours are not the healthiest thing to observe in a bird because they usually point to loneliness or lack of sufficient intellectual stimulation. I'm not suggesting for a moment that this is the case with your bird, just that the behaviour needs attention *before* it deepens into something worse.

Do keep us updated with your progress! I hope you see some good results very soon!

 

[noodles123]

My cockatoo enjoys repeating the same sorts of motions with something in her mouth----she makes tools out of her wooden toys and then attempts to swivel open her food cups. She also has these plastic things on a chain that she moves back and forth all the time (but only with a bit of wood in her mouth). When mine is upset (due to big routine changes or decreased interaction, she will chew her chest feathers the way a child sucks his thumb). Although she has improved some, I can always tell when she is upset, as I will start to find little feathers around when I go to wake her up in the morning.

I am sure it is a combination of boredom, cockatoo-ness, stress, habit and possible OCD.
You might consider an anti-anxiety or OCD medication to see if that could help (in conjunction with a solid sleep schedule and lots of interaction time).
Once plucking becomes a habit, it is very hard to break (even when the initial stresser is gone). It is almost like someone getting addicted to a substance--the trigger that caused them to start can go away, but the urge to continue to behavior remains.

My "Too" also really likes plastic C-links and certain wooden toys. How does yours do with toys?
Have you had a vitamin panel run to make sure there is no nutritional deficiency?

 

[JohnH]

Sorry for the extremely late reply. Thanks to all for your input.

 

[Laurasea]

It's a frustrating and complex problem when you have a feather picker. Thanks for sharing your journey. Cockatoo can something benifit from behavior modify medications. As decided by you and your avain vet.

This article is just a great all around article. Maybe something in it will help you.
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

 

[JohnH]

I know this post is over a year old but the question in my head has come up again. My initial question wasn't a good one. I'm going to try again. Here goes.

Why does my bird use a plucked feather when grinding her beak on the cage? She traps the feather between the bars and starts grinding. When the feather is gone she takes another and does it again. My thought is that she is using the powder in the feather as a grinding compound to assist in grinding and shaping of her beak. She does a remarkable job at re shaping her beak. She also trims her own claws. Ive been hit in the cheek by claw shrapnel from 10ft away.

So what do you think? Is she using the feather to assist in beak maintenance?

 

[plumsmum2005]

Hi hun I have a G2 who pulls and shreds her feathers, she's done it 20 years potentially not gonna stop now. I have given all my birds a good nail trim perch which isn't in their favoured position to sit in as this gives them something good and strong to give their beak a good rub on. Am wondering if she has any dietary deficiency and therefore is trying to gain something from her feathers? There could be a need for a diet change or a supplement but I don't like recommending supplements willy nilly as over supplementation can be as harmful as a deficiency, so with a avian vets approval if at all possible. Have you had a blood test from a qualified avian vet lately? It would be something to consider IMHO. You could ask them to look at nails in case they need a trim but would never recommend beak trimming in normal instances. As recommended above by Betrisher these birds need plenty of toys or safe wood to keep them busy, happy and occupied. It helps curb odd behaviours too! Give her a job to do! My RB2 slides her beak up and down on her cage bars periodically.


Can you describe what constitutes a normal daily diet for her please?

 

[JohnH]

The feather plucking started when her first owner past away. He had her for 13 years and then he was gone. I have had her for close to 3 years. I initially had her checked by an avian vet. The vet did some tests and said she was healthy. A year later i became ill and spent 21 days in the hospital. That didn't help her mental state. She has started letting her feathers grow out since my original post. But every so often i see her doing the beak grind with a feather. I'm really curious why she uses the feather.
Her diet consists of 6 different foods.
1- nut and seed mix
2- veggie pellets
3- fruit pellets
4- daily pellets
5- fresh green beans
6- treats= dried fruit and spray millet.
She seems to eat close to equal amounts of each. Slightly less of the fruit pellets recently.

She gets plenty of activity with me. I bring her with me often when i leave the house. She enjoys trips to the local farms. I also adopted two parakeets that keep her company when I'm not home. Believe it or not they all get along. The parakeets play in and around her cage all day. It's quite entertaining to watch them interact.

 

[plumsmum2005]

The feather plucking started when her first owner past away. He had her for 13 years and then he was gone. I have had her for close to 3 years. I initially had her checked by an avian vet. The vet did some tests and said she was healthy. A year later i became ill and spent 21 days in the hospital. That didn't help her mental state. She has started letting her feathers grow out since my original post. But every so often i see her doing the beak grind with a feather. I'm really curious why she uses the feather.
Her diet consists of 6 different foods.
1- nut and seed mix
2- veggie pellets
3- fruit pellets
4- daily pellets
5- fresh green beans
6- treats= dried fruit and spray millet.
She seems to eat close to equal amounts of each. Slightly less of the fruit pellets recently.

She gets plenty of activity with me. I bring her with me often when i leave the house. She enjoys trips to the local farms. I also adopted two parakeets that keep her company when I'm not home. Believe it or not they all get along. The parakeets play in and around her cage all day. It's quite entertaining to watch them interact.

Thanks for coming back hun. Gosh that's a lot of pellets and am wondering if there are any artificial colours/ingredients in there? Sugars, artificial ingredients etc will promote unhealthy behaviours such as this and possibly extend hormonal periods. It could be that your girl is trying to reabsorb the nutrients in the feather?

I feed my G2 Harrison's, it's one of two organic pellets, the other is TOPs. Can you increase her fresh intake to include lots of different veggies which should be the major portion of her daily diet? I make a chop which can be produced to an agreeable coarseness, I realise that not every bird likes this consistency though. As with us it is important to feed the rainbow in terms of food choices. My girls get a very small proportion of seed and nuts. Our birds in homes do not expend the amount of energy that a wild bird does and therefore it is necessary to closely monitor the amount of 'fatty' foods they consume.



I would ask you to make changes to her diet and see how things are in a few months down the line. I have suspicions of dietary weaknesses but am not a vet so would ask you to please go take her for a health check/bloods. I lost my boy Plum a couple of years ago which was mainly down to poor diet in his early years so feel very strongly about trying to feed them correctly.

 

[JohnH]

Sorry about plum. You are probably right about the diet. I tried to feed more veggies early on but i gave up because the bird wasn't interested in anything soft. She seems to enjoy anything crunchy. Funny thing, i gave her packaged green beans from the grocery store and she hardly touched them. Then i picked some up from the local farm and she loves them. I'll get some other things from the farm this week. Thank you for the suggestions.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Sorry about plum. You are probably right about the diet. I tried to feed more veggies early on but i gave up because the bird wasn't interested in anything soft. She seems to enjoy anything crunchy. Funny thing, i gave her packaged green beans from the grocery store and she hardly touched them. Then i picked some up from the local farm and she loves them. I'll get some other things from the farm this week. Thank you for the suggestions.

Hi hun and thanks, Plum's loss has been a hard thing to bear. I would suggest she may be interested in more 'foot' food and if you can lightly steam chunks of sweet potato for her, give big chunks of sweet peppers, chilli's, pomegranate, they love to rip into those, dandelion leaves are a power house of nutrition, they should be washed (like all produce) and given but make sure they don't grow near any traffic or on a dog walking route. Good luck hun

 

[Scott]

Have you tried the "flock eating" technique? Prepare two identical bowls of fresh veggies/fruits aka "chop" and offer one to your bird. Begin to eat from yours, making "mmmmm" sounds of enjoyment and bob your head in delight. You are part of the 'flock!"

I've learned to be consistent and offer foods that are ignored or tossed. One of my Goffins ignored pear literally for decades, but decided to try one day and loved it. Some helpful threads from our Parrot Foods, Recipes, and Diet forum:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html
Baked "birdie bread" another method to provide nutrition: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/65841-poppy-s-jolly-jungle-bread.html

 

[Scott]

Thanks for coming back hun. Gosh that's a lot of pellets and am wondering if there are any artificial colours/ingredients in there? Sugars, artificial ingredients etc will promote unhealthy behaviours such as this and possibly extend hormonal periods. It could be that your girl is trying to reabsorb the nutrients in the feather?

I feed my G2 Harrison's, it's one of two organic pellets, the other is TOPs. Can you increase her fresh intake to include lots of different veggies which should be the major portion of her daily diet? I make a chop which can be produced to an agreeable coarseness, I realise that not every bird likes this consistency though. As with us it is important to feed the rainbow in terms of food choices. My girls get a very small proportion of seed and nuts. Our birds in homes do not expend the amount of energy that a wild bird does and therefore it is necessary to closely monitor the amount of 'fatty' foods they consume.



I would ask you to make changes to her diet and see how things are in a few months down the line. I have suspicions of dietary weaknesses but am not a vet so would ask you to please go take her for a health check/bloods. I lost my boy Plum a couple of years ago which was mainly down to poor diet in his early years so feel very strongly about trying to feed them correctly.

Absolutely agree on all counts! I converted entire flock to Harrison's a year ago and am very pleased with their vitality and well being. (in conjunction with fresh veggies/fruits)

Coincidental or not, one of my Goffins has stopped feather barbering and another has ceased plucking a small portion of his chest.

 

[JohnH]

Thanks Scott. Your post made me laugh because i have been trying the flock feeding thing lately. I thought if anyone saw me doing it they would have me committed to a loony bin. I was able to get my her to eat a piece of lettuce yesterday. That's a first. My budgies had no hesitation eating the lettuce. They eat anything including the toos food. I'll keep working on her diet. BTW, I was feeding Harrison's also. I switched over to mostly zupreem earlier this year. I will give it a try again beginning 2021.

Thanks again for everyones help.

 

[Scott]

Happy to help, this is a collective effort and we all learn from one another!

 

[WhiteFlight]

"What is she doing?"

John, she is engaging in a modified natural activity of recreational destruction. Her movements are fluid, direct, intentional with confidence, reflecting a feeling of satisfaction. The feather is an added catalyst, a modification in attempts to achieve the recreation action. The powder and feather shards are discarded debris. The indestructible cage is the flawed target.

Seeking a natural example, I contacted a business neighbor who resides in West Pennant Hills Australia, a suburb of Sydney. Asked about the domestic birds in his area and the damage they cause. He reflected on parrots, kookaburras and owls indicating the cockatoos strip the small branches and leaves from the gum trees for fun and enjoy hanging upside down on branches in the rain. He provided images of the stripped gum trees.

Since she was a youngster, Meisha has engaged in a similar activity by shredding the inside layers of corrugated boxes. She has reduced them to a paper shell, peppered with holes. She is as content and deliberate as your sulfur, reflecting intent and enjoyment. She uses plastic lids and caps as a catalyst. Paper fiber will protrude through punctures in the plastic lids. Small plastic caps become filled with compressed paper fiber. She will toss out items such as lids and wood when the area gets too busy. However, she does not clear or organize the paper debris. The activity is recreation, not a nesting prep.

Reflecting on your comments about your noisemaker performing manicures, Meisha also engages in the infrequent habit, shaping them into sharp spikes. Dremel is my cure.

Another one of Meisha’s recreational favorites, is stripping down pinecones. My source is in a remote area, not exposed to vehicle exhaust.

 

[Betrisher]

Yep! That's about it in a nutshell, WhiteFlight!

We lay big sheets of cardboard on our cage floors and the two females, Madge and Rosetta, go to town, turning it all into doileys and/or confetti. The male, Barney, is above such menial labour, so he just watches and will occasionally descend and pick up a piece of shred, which he will sit and chew on meditatively for a while before dropping it on Madge's head.

I can't get near my lot with a Dremel, but found it easy enough to stick my finger out for the bird to hang onto. While they hold my finger through the cage bars, I just snip off the very tips of their nails with a nail-clipper. No drama and it gets the job done.

The local cockatoos are not terribly popular because they cause so very much destruction. They'll strip a whole street's trees bare in an afternoon, leaving tonnes of frass all over the road surface - skidding accidents - and people's yards. They'll alight on someone's roof and attack the coaxial cable that connects their TV aerial and chomp it into little pieces (no TV for weeks and a big repair bill). In rare cases, they'll alight on a parked car and relieve it of everything that sticks out: the antenna, windscreen wipers, side mirror and all rubber glass fixtures. Of course, when they come in numbers (upward of two hundred or even more in a dry year), they poo. Frequently and copiously. Cocky poo is big and green and slimy and is not your desired finish for the side lane or the front footpath. I know this is nasty, but I have seen people slip over on copious cocky crap and it can be... amusing. I know! I know! I shouldn't laugh! But just sometimes, it's good to see the birds get the upper... claw. Y'know?

A few years ago, some b*stard laid poison baits for the cockies living around Lake Macquarie (north of Sydney). About a hundred corellas were found dead and dying on the lake shore and far too many of the local people were not entirely sorry about that. They seemed to think the damage done by the birds warranted the poisoning.

It's been a pretty wet year this year, so there haven't been the megaflox of cockies that we got used to seeing during the Big Dry. I posted photos of about two hundred SC2s on my roof and more of a hundred or so corellas yahooing on the power cables. Since then, the numbers have dwindled and now we only see the odd dozen or so cockies tootling around the skies. When it's wet, the birds are able to stay more within their normal range, which is 'out west' in the grain-growing areas. They live almost entirely on cereal grain and native grass with a spot of shrubbery and grubbery thrown in.

The black cockies are entirely different. They live mostly in closed forest (ie. ones where the trees' canopies meet and form an 'umbrella' against the sun), feeding on fruits and grubs and some grass seed, which they occasionally descend from the trees to enjoy. In their usual range, they form tribes of up to fifty or so birds, but our local lot seems to fluctuate between six and twenty, depending on whether they're feeding fledgelings. We get regular visitations and they seem to come from a local closed-forest association called 'Nannygoat Hill' ('bout a mile away from where I live).

Whenever anyone in the house hears the black cockies' cry, they'll shout out and all four of us rush out to see. There might be one or two, or there might be twelve or more, but however many there might be, we want to see them! The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo is a magnificently large bird, longer than an SC2 but much lighter and longer of tail. They fly with slow, deliberate wing-beats and call plaintively to one another while doing so, presumably keeping in touch 'just in case'. They'll alight in a tall tree (won't go down into anything less than three metres high - wisely!) and begin to chomp. They might stay for ten minutes, or they might stay for a couple of hours. While they're there, they moan and groan and wheeze with a raspy sort of cry which, to my mind, shows pleasure.

Once, we were lucky to have a Mum'n'Dad and their baby in our big lemon gum (nine metres). The flock had come to enjoy the spring blossoms which are loaded with nectar. Honestly, the sound of a baby YTBC begging for food is not something you'd want to hear for very long! It's *so* insistent and the poor parents nearly went spare, taking turns to vom for their importunate child. Of course, my family and I were in fits of joy, watching all this from the back deck. They were close enough that I could easily make out the yellow scalloped edges of their breast feathers! Then, as one, the whole flock simply rose into the sky and wheeled off to land in a pine tree about a hundred yards away. I LOVE them!

We get other visitors to our yard as well: Eastern and Crimson Rosellas, various Grass Parrots (Neophema) and very occasionally a couple of King Parrots. Oh and the Lorikeets of course. The Rainbows are a fixture and come every day in hordes to strip the gum blossoms and new shoots off the trees. This year, we also had Musk and Little Lorikeets visiting in good numbers (over a hundred), so that was exciting as well.

It's the cockies, though, that have my heart. There's just something about them, isn't there?

 

[JohnH]

Thank you WhiteFlight. I'm glad you responded. Your words put me at ease. Well done.

I haven't forgot about you Betrisher. I will be reading your post tonight.

 

[JohnH]

I read your post Betrisher. Thank you for the fantastic information.
I often wondered if wild cockatoo ate insects. I recently watched a video about sulfer crested cockatoo that showed how they go about capturing grubs from trees. The narrator of the video explained that the toos stand on a tree limb waiting for a vibration. When they feel it, they start digging in to the limb to retrieve the grub of a particular moth species. I had my answer.
I also watched a video a couple years ago that highlighted the destructive behavior of wild cockatoo. There was a segment in the video that showed a flock of sulfur crested toos destroying a deck on someone's house. It was incredible. I'm going to try to find that video again and post it.

Thanks again to everyone that reached out to get to the bottom of my toos obsession. As i type this post, my winged puppy is dismantling my vertical blinds. Gotta go. See you later.