Parrot Sensitivity to Emotion

by Marilu Anderson, Bird Nutrition and Behavior Consultant
Phone: (503) 771-BIRD

Parrots are highly empathic - simply put, they feel our emotions. Some might call this statement a classic case of anthropomorphism, but I guarantee you, they're people who don't live with birds, as all of us who do have no doubts about our companions capacity for empathy! This is an important factor in dealing with all aspects of sharing your home with a parrot, as it directly affects behavior and is a common undercurrent in behavioral problems. If you feel anger towards a bird, he's going to pick up on it.

In many cases where I'm called in to do a behavioral consultation, I find the underlying problems usually begin with that's going on with the humans in the household. I often tell people they need to lower their energy before picking up a high strung or agitated bird. It's also why some people are "macaw people, " some "Amazon people" and some "Cockatoo people" - some human personalities just mix better with certain bird personalities - all because of the bird's ability to pick up on and reflect our moods. I often find feather pluckers are living in high stress homes and like small children, the constant yelling and emotional outbursts cause the bird to self-mutilate, just as it can cause a young child to withdraw inside himself.

I remember the first time I watched "Paulie" - although it's meant to be an amusing family film, I found parts of it so incredibly sad that I openly wept as I watched it. Amber, my Blue and Gold Macaw, climbed down off her playstand, waddled over and climbed up my chair, into my lap. She touched the tears rolling down my face with her tongue, then gently rubbed her cheek up and down my cheek. I know she was trying to comfort me. Another time, in Arizona, I was laying on my bed deeply depressed, when a cockatiel I'd hand-fed "Peaches," came over, turned his head sideways to look at me, then laid his little head on the pillow right next to mine. I was so touched.

It's ironic that this topic was on my writing schedule at this time, as I've been dealing with some bad news the past two weeks about my Dad in Arizona. He fell and became paralyzed and was taken to the hospital, where it turned out he has cancer that's spread from his spine throughout his body. So the past two weeks, I've been very tense, and worried and upset - and very short tempered. Amber has been a complete brat during these same two weeks - screaming, being nippy, and not wanting to step up off her playstand. Outwardly, it would be easy to get agitated and wonder why Amber is picking NOW to be so out of sorts, but I know she's simply reacting to my own roller coaster emotions. Clients often tell me their bird started biting "for no reason" - I always look more closely at what's going on with the humans at these times and I usually find the answer. I used to be a psychotherapist and I'll tell you, those skills come in handy as a bird behaviorist!

So, if your bird suddenly starts behaving differently, look at your own emotions and consider what problems may be going on in the household. Then, take a deep breath, have some patience and understanding, and sit down for a nice calming cuddle session with your buddy!