|
Birds are usually highly social creatures, and like
to be with others, whether it is of their own kind or
with other humans. Birds when raised with humans
tend to see them as their own. They relate as
they would to another bird, to the human counterpart.
When birds regurgitate their food, often times it is
a behavioral gesture, and not a medical condition.
Excessive regurgitation, with weight loss does tend
to suggest a medical problem, and should be dealt with
by your veterinarian. Intermittent regurgitation
whether directed at the owner, or in the cage in front
of a mirror, is commonly done as an "offering"
by the bird to a prospective mate.
The bird presents this offering in hopes of acceptance,
and ultimately to then begin the mating process.
If the owner desires to cease this behavior, and the
bird is regurgitating to a mirror in the cage, removal
of the mirror should suffice.
If the behavior is done while the bird is being held
by the owner (you then are seen as the prospective mate),
begin to minimize contact of this nature, limiting the
handling to a few minutes at a time. This should
deter the behavior, as birds usually "work up"
to the regurgitation process which requires a bit of
time.
Care should be taken if the owner decides to add another
bird into the household of the appropriate sex. The
two may pair very nicely. However, the original
bird's behavior toward the owner in this case, may change
and become aloof, and/or aggressive towards the owner.
This is commonly seen especially if the pair bond is
complete. Essentially the owner traded places
with the new bird and is no longer the object of the
original bird's attention.
|
