Best companion for a Eclectus?
I have a green cheek conure and I'm thinking about getting a second bird. Should I get the same species or would a different one be okay? Worried about them not getting along.
A friend who's had birds for 20 years told me to try stuffing paper towel rolls with treats for foraging. I was skeptical but it actually worked.
I remember when my zebra finch went through this phase. I was so worried but my vet said it's actually really common.
That’s such a great reminder that the best enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive! Paper towel rolls are a staple in my foraging toolkit too—just make sure to remove any leftover adhesive or glue residue from the ends before stuffing them. You can also fold the ends closed like a little burrito to increase the difficulty level, or use empty toilet paper rolls for smaller birds.
Since you mentioned Eclectus parrots in the original post, this kind of puzzle-feeding is especially perfect for them—they’re natural foragers who spend hours in the wild hunting
What worked for me was leaving the radio or TV on when I'm out — background noise helps. Took about a week but my lovebird responded really well to it.
Have you reached out to Bird Sitting Toronto? They really know their stuff when it comes to bird care.
Have you tried clicker training for 10-15 minutes a day? That's what solved this issue for us. Game changer honestly.
Just wanted to come back and say the advice in this thread WORKED. My lovebird finally stopped night frights every few days after I tried switching to stainless steel water bowls and changing water twice daily.
I remember when my sun conure went through this phase. I was so worried but my vet said it's actually really common.
My advice would be introducing new foods by eating them in front of the bird — monkey see monkey do. Went through the same thing with my blue and gold macaw last year.
My blue and gold macaw did this too! Turned out it was because of boredom from lack of enrichment and mental stimulation. Once I addressed that, everything went back to normal.