ToocanStan

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

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

Just joined! I have a beautiful lineolated parakeet named Bean and we live in Etobicoke. I spend way too much time talking to my bird and taking photos of them. Looking to learn more about bird care, nutrition, and training from people who actually know what they're talking about. Nice to meet you all!

Hey welcome! You'll love this community. Feel free to ask anything, everyone here is super helpful!

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

Yes!! My Skittles does this too. green cheek conure owners can relate.

Welcome! I remember being a new bird owner and this kind of community helped SO much. Excited to have you!

Started target training last week and it snowballed from there. My Eclectus now waves on command, steps up reliably, and is starting to learn spin. Clicker training is absolutely the way to go. Happy to share my process if anyone's interested!

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

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

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

A friend who's had birds for 20 years told me to try playing calming bird sounds from YouTube during the day. I was skeptical but it actually worked.

Yes!! My Buddy does this too. canary owners can relate.

My vet in Liberty Village suggested leaving the radio or TV on when I'm out — background noise helps and I noticed a change within the first week. Highly recommend.

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

Dealt with this for months. What finally worked was changing the cage liner material and just being really patient. They come around eventually.

Does anyone else's bird have a specific room or spot they've claimed? Tiki loses their mind if anyone enters the kitchen during meal prep time. They perch on top of the fridge and supervise like a tiny feathered Gordon Ramsay. It's hilarious but also slightly concerning.

Have you tried target training first, then building up to step-up? That's what solved this issue for us. Game changer honestly.

Second vote for BST. They boarded my canary last summer and I could tell Fig was well cared for when I picked them up. Total peace of mind.

So I had this exact problem about a year ago. Let me share what I learned. The key thing is getting natural java wood perches from a specialty bird store. A lot of people also recommend making sure there are no drafts near the cage. My avian vet in Ajax 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!