Why Does My Parrot Do That? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Go somewhere

This is the posture parrots take when they're about to fly. For a wing-clipped parrot, it usually indicates that they want to be taken somewhere in the direction they're stretching out their neck. I call it the "birdie divining rod"!

Answer: It looks like a flower

Lories and lorikeets have specialized "brush-tongues" for extracting nectar and pollen from flowers. In fact, most of their diet in the wild consists of nectar from flowering trees. He probably thinks your ear is a flower, and is trying to get at the nectar!
I actually don't recommend keeping any parrot larger than a budgie on your shoulder. There's something you always notice about pirates: They always have a parrot on their shoulder, and they always have an eyepatch!

Answer: She thinks of it as her nest site

In the spring, female parrots can become hormonal. Longer days mean it's the breeding season, and so they should act accordingly-- by trying to find a mate and a nest site. Any dark and semi-enclosed area can apply.

It's not a good idea to let them take possession of their new "nest." They can be very territorial, and your parrot's attempts to chase you away could escalate into severe bites. Also, the darkness stimulates egg-laying, a health risk you probably don't want your parrot to take unless you want her to breed.

Answer: He wants to spite you

Remember that the great parrot philosopher Descartes once said, "I chew, therefore I am." It's a natural activity for parrots. Chewing keeps jaw muscles in shape, beaks trimmed, and parrots entertained. That's a good thing. Now, given your parrot is not going to stop chewing, you just need to provide it with plenty of toys that it's OK to chew, and limit its access to things it shouldn't be chewing, like furniture and electrical cords.

Answer: Nothing

"Hanging parrots" are called that because they sleep upside down. I'm not sure what advantage that has over the normal one-foot-on-the-perch and head-in-the-back-feathers method, but there you go.

Answer: Nothing

When a parrot molts, the new feathers emerge covered in a protective sheath. These are pin feathers. They are called blood feathers if they still have a blood supply. There is nothing you can do to prevent them; they're a natural part of parrot physiology.

A bath can help, and, if your parrot trusts you enough to let you scratch its head, you can rub the ends of the pinfeathers to get the sheath to come off faster. If you're pulling too much, it will let you know! Broken blood feathers, on the other hand, can be a potentially life-threatening situation for a parrot.

They are small and have a small amount of blood, so they can bleed to death very quickly. Either get the bird to a vet very quickly, or remove the feather yourself. Pull out the broken blood feather in the direction of feather growth with a pair of tweezers or pliers, and apply pressure at the follicle. Styptic powder is also good for stopping the bleeding.

Then get the bird to a vet.

Answer: She interprets it as sexual stimulation

When mating, the male parrot always steps or stands on the female's back. So, if you're applying pressure there, especially during breeding season...

Answer: He's excited

Iris flashing is always a sign of excitement, especially combined with tail fanning, raising the feathers on the head, and vocalizing. It can either mean he's really happy or really angry. You have to tell from context. Either way, it's usually not a good idea to try to pick him up when he does that. You might get bitten!

Answer: No

When Pionus parrots and some species of Amazon parrots are happy, they make a sort of sweet aroma. I actually rather like it...

Answer: He likes you

Regurgitating food is the ultimate parrot love gift. He likes you! This is true for all parrots, but regurgitating food to a favorite human seems to be more common in macaws. If you think it's just too gross, you can always leave the room.
This is not to say that regurgitation is never a sign of illness, but that's usually accompanied by puffed up feathers and general unhappiness. If in doubt, take the bird to a vet.