CanaryChris

I've had birds for 15 years and I've seen this many times. In my experience it usually comes down to a dietary deficiency, especially calcium or vitamin A.

I've done a ton of research on this because my blue and gold macaw had the same issue. Here's what I learned: the most common cause is molting — they get uncomfortable and cranky. What worked for us was leaving the radio or TV on when I'm out — background noise helps. I also started making sure there are no drafts near the cage and noticed improvement within a week. It's a process but it gets better.

Totally normal, don't stress! Birds go through phases just like any other pet.

What does their diet look like? Sometimes these things are diet-related.

My budgie absolutely LOVES my partner but hisses and lunges at me, and I'm the one who feeds and cleans! Anyone else deal with this? How did you build a relationship with a one-person bird?

Absolutely love hearing success stories! This gives me so much hope for me and Skittles. Thank you for sharing!

Nice to meet you! Always great to connect with fellow bird owners. You're going to fit right in here!

Hello! Been lurking on this forum for a bit and finally decided to make an account and participate. I've had my umbrella cockatoo Pistachio for about 8 months now. Always nice to connect with other bird people in the GTA — most people I know think I'm crazy for having a bird lol. Excited to be here!

My Quaker parrot did this too! Turned out it was because of jealousy of a new person, pet, or even object in the home. Once I addressed that, everything went back to normal.

I switched to HARI Prime last year and haven't looked back. My umbrella cockatoo's feathers have never looked better.

I have a similar story. My umbrella cockatoo 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.

Just wanted to give a shoutout to Bird Sitting Toronto. Left my Hahn's macaw with them for 10 days while we visited family and Jasper came home happy and healthy. They sent daily photo updates. Honestly the best experience. Highly recommend for anyone in Etobicoke!

Update: took everyone's advice and things are improving. Tango is slowly coming around. This forum is the best.

Great question! So in my experience with zebra finch, this usually comes down to a few things. First, target training first, then building up to step-up. Second, make sure they're getting enough sleep — 12 hours of uninterrupted dark sleep is crucial. And third, pay attention to stress from loud noises like construction because that was a huge factor for my Zazu. Hope that helps!

If you're near Oshawa, PetSmart on Dixie Rd actually has a decent bird section. Better than most locations.

There's a great bird supply store in Bloor West Village that carries exactly what you need. I go there all the time.

So glad I found this community. Way more helpful than the big generic bird forums.

Welcome to the forum! Great to have another bird lover from the GTA. Your lineolated parakeet sounds adorable — what's their personality like?

My vet in Liberty Village suggested switching to stainless steel water bowls and changing water twice daily and I noticed a change within the first week. Highly recommend.

You're clearly a caring bird owner — the fact you're asking for help shows that. Your bird is lucky to have you.