Play with a Large Parrot
Parrots are sensitive, intelligent birds who need a lot of stimulation. They are "flock creatures" who enjoy doing things with you. Here are some ways to play with them and keep them active and entertained.
Contents
Steps
- Rotate a selection of several different toys through their cages each week. Macaws and cockatoos need two types of toys: durable puzzle-type ones to occupy their bright minds and to (mostly) withstand their chewing; and safe materials such as untreated wood and cardboard that they can rip up and destroy each day.
- Take your parrot in the bathroom when you perform your "grooming activities" each morning. Parrots find tooth-brushing hilarious and fascinating. They will understand that your hair-combing is a form of preening. And most parrots will love showering with you, which must remind them of the ancestral rain forest. Expect much exuberant screaming and other parrot silliness to result.
- Play "The Towel Game." Sit at a table with your parrot on the table top. Fold your arms on the table, put your head down on your arms, and drape a big fluffy bath towel over your head. Your parrot will not be able to resist running up to the edge of the towel and lifting it up with his beak so he can slip underneath to be with you.
- Play "The Box Game." First, present your parrot with a medium-sized box with something fun inside to chew up like a big wad of newspapers. Once he's busily chewing, get an interesting-looking kitchen implement like a big, shiny ladle and gently tap with it on the side of the box. This will grab his attention. Gently tap the ladle closer and closer until you dip it briefly into view. This should get a huge reaction - possibly a full puff-out if you have a cockatoo. Repeat with different cooking utensils for maximum fun and stimulation.
- Exercise your parrot with the "Flapping Game." Place your parrot on the back of your hand and gently move your hand up and down or swoop your hand in figure-eights. Your parrot will flap his wings as you move him through the air. Stop and give the poor guy a break once he starts breathing hard.
Tips
- Parrots are "cavity nesters" and it's coded into their DNA to carve out burrows for themselves in hollow trees in the wild. When you catch your parrot chewing, shredding, and destroying something, always remember that he's not misbehaving. He's just being a parrot.
- Always be sensitive to your parrot's mood. If your parrot is going through a molt and doesn't feel like playing, just sit quietly with him and talk to him.
- Introduce new things cautiously. Birds see in UV color and are very affected by visual stimuli. It's not unusual for your bird to react fearfully to a new toy. Try putting the new toy or object on the floor (parrots are not as intimidated by things that are "shorter" than they are) across the room, and inch it closer day by day.
- You'll know your parrot is enjoying himself when he bobs his head up and down, makes a lot of eye contact, and clacks his beak repeatedly!
Warnings
- If you give your parrot wood, branches, or cardboard to rip up, make sure that these materials are not treated with chemicals. Wood should be restricted to manzanita branches, pine or fruit tree woods untreated with pesticides. Consult your vet if in doubt.
- Parrots can be very possessive of their people, so don't try the towel game if you're not the primary bond; he may run under to bite you!
- To avoid risk of poisoning, always make sure that the toys your parrot will be chewing on are specifically made for birds.
- Letting parrots sit on your shoulder, or allowing their perches to be above your eye level can cause them to feel dominant and territorial. In general, allowing a bird to occasionally sit on your shoulder is harmless fun as long as the majority of the time they show no doubt of YOUR dominance. With a very shy bird it can be a great game to show them how short or tall you can be!
- Be careful when playing with large birds, as they can bite hard and draw blood. Also, do be careful when playing the box game with scared birds. They might fly away and into things that will break their feathers. If it does break use styptic powder. If bleeds hard or a lot, bring to a veterinarian. COST OF NO CAREFULNESS:lots of vet bills. ( only new feathers will bleed.)
