Most parrots can he devoted human companions because they are capable of forming such a strong bond with people. However, occasionally this very aspect which allows parrots to be good pets can create serious problems for hoth the owners and the parrot. Some parrots may become overly dependent or over bonded to their owners while others may develop such a strong protective sexual bond to one person they become aggressive to anyone else entering their perceived territory.
The parrots potential to hond to people could be termed a displacement behavior. If an animals natural behavior is blocked and that animal substitutes another behavior for what would be normal, it is called a displacement behavior. Certainly it is not natural for a parrot to bond to a human being. However, if another bird is not available and a care-giving human being is a constant in the parrots life, the bird will most likely form a bond with that person. With nurturing guidance, proper care and adequate attention, a human bonded parrot can be content to be a lifelong companion.
Of course, it is a generalization to assume that all parrots form the same types of bonds within their groups or flocks. Some parrots naturally form stronger bonds with each other than others and their “style” of bonding may be reflected in the way certain species bond to their human friends. For example, Amazons and macaws, if allowed to, may form a strong ~xclusive bond with one person while an Alexandrine Parakeet or Eclectus may
Some parrots who spend a great deal of time with other parrots may not form a strong bond with humans. Other parrots will still be tame with their owners even if they live with another parrot. It may depend on the amount of early and/or current interaction the parrot has with the people in its life. The species and gender of the parrots may also play an important part in maintaining an additional bond with its caregivers. There are always parrots who do not fit the stereotypical generalizations which seem to be so prevalent with companion parrots.
Knowing something about the basic concepts of bonding is important in understanding a parrots relationship with its owner. One of the myths of parrot behavior is that a chick will not make a good human companion if it spends time with its natural parents, siblings, or other parrots, particularly after it opens its eyes. This is one of the justifications for raising babies in isolettes-totally isolated from other parrots. This concept is based on the erroneous belief that the first bond a parrot chick forms will be its lifelong bond. Parrots generally do not imprint in this manner but form social bonds which may change throughout their lives.
Parrots are “altricial” which means they are hatched blind, naked, and totally dependent on their parents for their physical and “educational” needs until they have fledged, learned their social and survival skills, and become totally food independent. Ducks,
chickens, and quail are “precocial.” They come out of the egg almost ready to go. Within a few hours, they are capable of a limited degree of self-care and are dependent on their parents for much less time than altricial birds. Some precocial birds imprint almost immediately on the first living creature they encounter- for these birds it is essential to their survival in the wild that they imprint on a parent or at least their own species.
While imprinting may be reversible in some cases, the lessons the young precocial chick first learns are most likely to influence his lifelong behavior. Imprinting usually occurs during a “window of time.” In other words, if a young bird does not learn his important life lessons during a specific period, he may not be able to learn them at a later time.
While imprinting may play a significant part in some aspects of a young parrots life (i.e. food preferences), in most species their social bonding does
not appear to “engraved in stone.” In other words, most parrots have a sense of their “parrotness” regardless of whether or not they were raised by people. A possible exception often mentioned may be cockatoos who have bonded strongly to people and may not accept a cockatoo mate if put in a breeding program. However, I do know of some former pet cockatoos who have later become successful parents.
Because parrots are “altricial,” they are born blind, naked, and completely reliant on their parents for both their physical and “educational” needs. This dependency continues until the birds have flown, developed social and survival skills, and are completely self-sufficient in terms of food. Ducks,.
chickens, and quail are “precocial. They emerge from the egg nearly prepared for action. They become somewhat independent of their parents in a matter of hours and can take care of themselves to a lesser extent than aristocratic birds. For certain precocial birds, imprinting on a parent or at least a member of their own species is crucial to their survival in the wild. They can imprint almost instantly on the first living thing they come into contact with.
One could refer to the parrot’s capacity to bond with humans as a displacement behavior. When an animal’s natural behavior is inhibited and it adopts a different behavior in its place, it is referred to as a displacement behavior. It is undoubtedly not typical for a parrot to form a relationship with a human. But if a human caregiver is a constant in the parrot’s life and no other bird is available, the bird will probably develop a bond with that person. When given the right guidance, care, and attention, a human-bonded parrot can make a happy lifetime companion.
Of course, assuming that all parrots form the same kinds of bonds within their flocks or groups is a generalization. Certain parrot species have a tendency to form stronger bonds with one another than others, and this tendency can be seen in the way these species bond with their human friends. For instance, if given the chance, macaws and amazons may develop a close, exclusive bond with a single person, but an Alexandrine parakeet or lectus may
Because most parrots can develop such a strong bond with people, they make loyal human companions. But sometimes, this very quality that makes parrots wonderful pets can lead to major issues for both the parrot and its owners. Certain parrots may exhibit excessive dependence or bonding to their owners, whereas others may form an intensely protective sexual bond with a single individual, making them hostile towards anyone else who ventures into their perceived territory.
There is no denying that bird populations are in danger all over the world. According to Price, at least 800 million of them pass away annually as a result of misfiring windows. The same number die from attacks by house cats. Price believes that if people realize that birds have feelings just like humans do, then they will be more concerned for the birds’ survival. He remarks, “You see a lot of things in your backyard that look like love.” Keeping your cats indoors will contribute to the continuation of that love.
Humans aren’t the only animals that fall in love. Indeed, up to 70% of birds have the potential to form lifelong pair bonds. That is, they stay together year after year. Alternatively, in certain situations, they separate and reunite during the breeding season. Additionally, the two, or just the male, performs an elaborate mating dance each year. University of Chicago biologist Trevor Price has long questioned why they do it.
He thinks he may have found an answer. Approximately one million years ago, a male grebe required vivid colors and devious maneuvers. He developed them in order to persuade a woman that he was Mr. Right. His colors and dances raised her hormone levels. This caused her to lay extra eggs. It might have also caused her to work even harder and until she was exhausted to care for their children.
However, male grebes began to lose their striking appearance over several generations. They didn’t have to work too hard because their partners figured out how many eggs to lay. But the flashy mating behavior stayed the same. Price explains, “A guy might [upset] his wife if] he brings home 12 roses every day and doesn’t on the tenth day.” Thus, the birds are eternally ensnared in their mating behaviors.
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