New here! Just got my first Pionus
Hey everyone! I'm from Milton and I just brought home my first bird ever — a umbrella cockatoo named Rio. I'm equal parts excited and terrified. Been reading everything I can find online but there's so much conflicting info. Any beginner tips from experienced owners would be amazing! Looking forward to being part of this community.
Nice to meet you! Always great to connect with fellow bird owners. You're going to fit right in here!
Hey welcome! You'll love this community. Feel free to ask anything, everyone here is super helpful!
I've done a ton of research on this because my green cheek conure had the same issue. Here's what I learned: the most common cause is jealousy of a new person, pet, or even object in the home. What worked for us was getting natural java wood perches from a specialty bird store. I also started reading "The Parrot Problem Solver" by Barbara Heidenreich and noticed improvement within a week. It's a process but it gets better.
Can we start a support group for this? Because SAME.
YES! This is exactly what I needed to read today. My umbrella cockatoo and I have been going through the same thing!
So I had this exact problem about a year ago. Let me share what I learned. The key thing is stuffing paper towel rolls with treats for foraging. A lot of people also recommend reading "The Parrot Problem Solver" by Barbara Heidenreich. My avian vet in Whitby also suggested checking for not enough quality sleep — they need 10-12 hours uninterrupted which can sometimes be an underlying factor. Good luck — feel free to DM me if you have questions!
Revisiting this thread because I have more info now. After talking to my vet, they confirmed exactly what people here said. This community knows their stuff.
Interesting take! I see your point but I've had a completely different experience. My budgie actually...
This is one of those topics where I think there genuinely is no right answer. Both sides have valid points.
Oh my bird did this for about about 10 days and I tried everything. Honestly, time was the biggest factor. They just grew out of it.
I've tried a bunch of brands and Zupreem is hands down the best value. My Basil devours it.
I have a similar story. My Pionus used to do the exact same thing. I remember being SO frustrated until one day it just clicked. Patience is truly the key with birds.