This blog post shares a real experience from a PEGO staff member.
It is not professional or scientific advice, and it does not reference medical or research based evidence.
This is simply a personal story based on what the staff member actually experienced.
All of my parrots are well socialized and have strong, long standing bonds with their owner. They are not untamed or wild parrots.
Buying a New Stand Perch
I recently purchased a large stand perch for my parrots.
I truly believed they would love it. I was excited, brought it home, and set it up right away.
Below is an example image. It is a stand perch designed for medium to large parrots.
The First Few Days
On the first day, the parrots were slightly cautious, but they stepped onto the perch fairly quickly and adjusted without much trouble.
The next day, a female staff member brought her parrots with her.
They were extremely wary and refused to go anywhere near the perch.
By the third day, all of the PEGO staff’s parrots had adjusted. They clearly liked it and spent their time freely on the perch, relaxed and comfortable.
Day Five: Everything Changed
Then came the fifth day.
All of the PEGO staff’s parrots suddenly became aggressive.
Whenever a human approached, they flew at us together and bit hard, repeatedly drawing blood.
They were constantly in a threat posture. Their beaks were wide open, their bodies held low, wings fully spread, and their eyes filled with anger. Anyone could see that they had become completely aggressive parrots.
It was as if their personalities had changed overnight.
The trust we had built over many years disappeared in an instant.
I was devastated. I cried.
The closest comparison I can make is this.
They looked like adult parrots freshly captured from the wild, parrots that had never known humans at all.
I began to wonder whether they had forgotten all the time and memories we had shared together.
When Contact Became Impossible
I could no longer pet them or ask them to step up onto my hand. I could not touch them at all.
I was unable to return them to their cages (free flight room), and they would not allow me to come anywhere near them.
All of the parrots were in a constant state of extreme agitation.
I felt this was not healthy for them mentally, so we decided to remove the stand perch for the time being. We moved it to another room and kept it completely out of sight.
I want to be very clear. I am not saying that stand perches are bad.
They are actually very beneficial tools for improving a parrot’s quality of life.
A Strange Difference in Behavior
What made the situation even more confusing was this.
There was absolutely no problem with the female staff member.
The parrots behaved normally around her, as they always had. She could pet and handle them without difficulty and return them to their cages (free flight room) without any problems.
For some reason, the aggression was directed only at me and my parents.
Even though they are my parrots...
Over time, the situation escalated further.
Whenever I came within about ten feet of the female staff member, all of the parrots, including my own, would immediately fly toward me and attempt to bite.
It felt as though they were telling me not to come any closer to her.
The Behavior Continued to Escalate
I suspect this behavior may have been hormone related.
I do not have deep expertise in behavioral science, so this is only speculation. However, my personal theory is that the stand perch was recognized by the parrots as a nest or territory.
As a result, the female staff member may have been perceived as the shared mate of all the parrots.
If you compare it to human relationships, you might call her a femme fatale. lol
I Thought I Was Being Careful
Our staff make an effort to regularly learn about avian behavior by attending and watching various seminars.
We have also had the opportunity to receive one on one guidance from professional bird trainers, particularly on how to manage hormonal behavior.
At the end of this article, we will share a few resources we personally refer to. They have been very helpful to us, and we hope you might find them useful as well.
We are not experts, and we certainly are not perfect. Still, we do try to keep our knowledge up to date and care for our parrots thoughtfully and intentionally.
We were careful to avoid interactions that are known to encourage hormonal behavior.
We also did not feed foods commonly associated with triggering hormones, and their diet was appropriate.
Even so, it seems that the stand perch itself became the switch that triggered this behavior.
What This Experience Taught Me
At a seminar not long ago, I heard the following statement.
Change is often thought of as stress. However, helping parrots get used to change can actually reduce stress in the long term. That is why it is important to regularly change cage layouts, move perches, and provide frequent stimulation and variation.
After this experience, I finally understood what that meant. Providing regular changes and new stimuli in daily life truly is important.
What I Am Trying While We Work Through This
Right now, there are two herbal blends I am giving every day.
One is ⑥ Return to Peace Tea, an herbal blend formulated by an avian biologist to help promote a calmer state.
The other is ⑦ Hormone Homeostasis, an herbal blend formulated by an avian biologist to support healthy hormonal balance.
I prepare these as herbal tea and offer them either twice a day, in the morning and evening, or once a day in the morning. They are not medications, so they do not work instantly, but at the moment, this is the only thing I can do right away.
Moving Forward
This became a long story, but thank you very much for reading all the way to the end.
I do not regret buying the stand perch.
I have no intention of getting rid of it, and I still believe it is a wonderful perch.
So that we can live together again the way we used to, and so that they may one day allow me to pet them again, I plan to completely re evaluate their environment.
I will continue trying different approaches and rebuild our relationship from zero.
No matter how well socialized a parrot is, or how strong the bond between a parrot and its owner may be, you never know what might become the trigger that causes that relationship to break down in an instant.
When that happens, I believe the most important thing is how the owner stays close to their parrots. How we try to understand them, support them, and respond appropriately.
I plan to continue sharing updates on our progress, and I would truly appreciate it if you followed along and watched over us.
Note: The parrots kept by PEGO staff are not small parrots. We do not disclose the species or the number of parrots we keep.
We are sharing a few resources we often refer to. They are very helpful, and we highly recommend them!
BirdNerdSophie
TheParrotTeacher
Parrot Stars
The Animal Behavior Center (Lara Joseph)
The Leather Elves
Real Squawk
Poodles and Parrots
