NewBirdParent

Welcome!! Looking forward to hearing more about your feathered friend. Don't be shy about asking questions!

Been thinking about this thread all week. I've tried a few of the suggestions and playing calming bird sounds from YouTube during the day was the game changer for us.

So I had this exact problem about a year ago. Let me share what I learned. The key thing is adding a full-spectrum Arcadia UV light near the cage. A lot of people also recommend giving warm food (like a warmed mash) on cold Toronto mornings. My avian vet in Oakville also suggested checking for dry winter air from forced-air heating which can sometimes be an underlying factor. Good luck — feel free to DM me if you have questions!

Bird Sitting Toronto has a great blog with articles on this topic actually. Worth checking out!

My zebra finch did this too! Turned out it was because of molting — they get uncomfortable and cranky. Once I addressed that, everything went back to normal.

Did this start suddenly or was it gradual? When my cockatiel did this it turned out to be the cage being in a high-traffic or drafty location.

I respectfully disagree. I think it depends heavily on the individual bird. My Coco is the total opposite.

My budgie's legal name is Coco but their full government name is Basil McFeatherpants the Third, Destroyer of Almonds, Duke of the Living Room. Please share your bird's ridiculously elaborate full name. I know you have one.

I've had birds for 15 years and I've seen this many times. In my experience it usually comes down to insufficient UV light exposure, especially in Canadian winters.

100% this. Wish I'd known this when I first got my bird.

Oh my bird did this for about almost six weeks and I tried everything. Honestly, time was the biggest factor. They just grew out of it.

Totally agree with this! My lovebird is exactly the same way.

Yes!! My Noodle does this too. blue and gold macaw owners can relate.

Same here! Glad it's not just me lol.

I actually disagree with this. In my experience with my African Grey, the opposite was true. But I know every bird is different.

This reminds me of when I first got Mochi. I was so overwhelmed but looking back, those early days were actually really special. The bond building phase is tough but beautiful.

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

Reading this hit home. My Senegal parrot went through the same phase around the same age. What helped us was keeping a super consistent daily routine — birds thrive on predictability. Also just accepting that birds are gonna bird, you know?

My caique 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?

What kind of cage setup do you have? Sometimes the environment is a factor.