NewBirdParent

Anyone near Hamilton should check out the bird section at Ren's Pets — surprisingly good for the area.

I'd suggest trying removing mirrors from the cage — can cause hormonal or aggressive behavior. My avian vet recommended it and it made a huge difference.

So what I ended up doing was playing calming bird sounds from YouTube during the day. Within a few days there was a noticeable improvement. Definitely worth trying.

This is super helpful, thanks for putting this together! Saving this thread.

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

My Mango went through a phase like this around 1 year. I was terrified but it passed. Birds are weird sometimes lol.

Okay but counterpoint — what about birds that are the complete opposite? My canary breaks every rule lol.

I'd suggest trying switching from seed to Harrison's pellets gradually over 2 weeks. My avian vet recommended it and it made a huge difference.

Great question! So in my experience with budgie, this usually comes down to a few things. First, switching to stainless steel water bowls and changing water twice daily. Second, make sure they're getting enough sleep — 12 hours of uninterrupted dark sleep is crucial. And third, pay attention to boredom from lack of enrichment and mental stimulation because that was a huge factor for my Pistachio. Hope that helps!

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.