ParrotPal_YYZ

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

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

So I had this exact problem about a year ago. Let me share what I learned. The key thing is adding foraging opportunities to at least 3 different spots in the cage. A lot of people also recommend joining an online support group for caique owners. My avian vet in Barrie also suggested checking for boredom from lack of enrichment and mental stimulation which can sometimes be an underlying factor. Good luck — feel free to DM me if you have questions!

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

Did this start suddenly or was it gradual? When my Hahn's macaw did this it turned out to be boredom from lack of enrichment and mental stimulation.

After nearly making my budgies sick with a "natural" cleaner, I did a deep dive into what's actually safe. Here's what I found:

SAFE:

• White vinegar + water (50/50 solution) — my go-to for everything
• Baking soda paste — great for cage bars
• F10 Veterinary Disinfectant — used by avian vets (order online in Canada)
• Grapefruit seed extract solution
• Plain hot water + scrub brush (honestly works for most things)
• Nature's Miracle Bird Cage Cleaner (available at PetSmart Canada)

DANGEROUS — NEVER USE AROUND BIRDS:

• Bleach (even diluted, fumes are toxic)
• Windex / glass cleaners
• Febreze / air fresheners
• Lysol / Dettol
• Oven cleaner (DEADLY — the fumes can kill a bird in minutes)
• Scented candles
• Essential oil diffusers
• Non-stick cookware being heated (PTFE/Teflon — this kills birds)

Cleaning routine I follow:

• Daily: wipe food/water dishes with hot water, change cage liner
• Weekly: vinegar spray entire cage, wash all perches
• Monthly: deep clean with F10, rotate and inspect toys
• Quarterly: full cage teardown and scrub

Important: Always clean when birds are in another room with ventilation. Even safe products should be fully dry before birds return.

What do you all use? Any Canadian-specific products I'm missing?

Trying to optimize my bird's health. Currently I give a multivitamin in the water 3x/week and calcium supplement during egg-laying season. What supplements do you give your birds? Curious what avian vets in Toronto are recommending these days.

Your bird is in good hands. The fact that you're researching this shows how much you care.

This happened to us last winter. I think the shorter days and dry heated air were the cause for my bird.

I showed this post to my bird and they looked at me with zero remorse. They know what they're doing.

If you're near Pickering, PetSmart on Hurontario St actually has a decent bird section. Better than most locations.

I joined a bird owners meetup group in the GTA — great way to get in-person advice and let the birds socialize. Check Facebook groups!

Been thinking about adopting a rescue instead of buying from a breeder. Any experiences with rescue birds in Ontario? What should I expect in terms of behavioral challenges? Which rescue organizations do you recommend?

There's a 15-year-old canary available for adoption near downtown Toronto. I've only ever had young birds. What should I expect from a senior bird? Will they bond with me at that age? Any special care needs?

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

Love this question! My macaw Pickle would definitely have something to say about this 😂

Lol my green cheek conure does the exact same thing. I've just accepted that the bird runs the house now. I'm just the food delivery service.

I showed this post to my bird and they looked at me with zero remorse. They know what they're doing.

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

Lol my green cheek conure does the exact same thing. I've just accepted that the bird runs the house now. I'm just the food delivery service.