By Samantha Khela
Despite the popular belief that birds are “easy” pets, birds are actually beautiful pets that can form a truly beautiful bond with their owners, and even live several years! However, trust in a bird is most commonly not instant. A bond with a bird is something you’ll need to gain over time and on the bird’s terms. Birds are extremely intelligent and they are prey animals in the wild, so the process may take some time. However, when you form a successful bond with your parrot, the amount of happiness associated with that is impeccable. With a successful bond, you’ll receive unconditional love, entertainment, and sometimes even communication (some parrots can talk!) It really is worth it for bird owners to invest the time in bonding with their animals, so they can establish that incredible relationship with them.
Why bond with your bird?
Parrots are generally flock animals and are social creatures. Unfortunately, some domesticated birds are typically on their own and caged for most of the day. They’re only given a certain time out with their owners, and don’t have the same type of interaction they would have in the wild, where they would have prolonged social interaction all day long. As a result, forming a bond with your bird will create an enriching life for your pet bird and provide them with great health and well-being. The timing to bond with a bird could vary, it really depends on the bird you get and what kind of temperament they have. The process could take days, weeks, or even years to do, and even when you do form a bond with your bird, you must always maintain it. One moment of mistrust could sever the bond you made, and you’ll have to go back to square one!
How can I bond with my bird?
When you’re starting to make a bond with your bird, you should consider the following questions:
- What can I do that my bird will be interested in?
- What can I do so that my bird will want to spend time with me?
- What would be a fun and entertaining thing to do for myself and my bird?
Anything with food or meals will surely win your bird over! After all, we humans always bond over meals. Eating is definitely regarded as a social activity, and the same can be said for birds (both domestic and wild). As a result, sharing a meal with your bird is a great way to bond. Whether that’s having an actual meal with your bird and sitting with them/sharing pieces of your meal in their own bowl, or during their meal time and you’re having a snack beside them – the bonding over meal time is a sure way of developing a relationship with your pet bird.
Of course, you want to make sure that the food you give your bird is actually bird-safe. This could be something like a little bit of your pasta, eggs, meat (in moderation) and fruits/vegetables.
What if my bird is not reciprocating?
We have to remember that birds don’t always want to be with us – they want space as well! Understand cues from your bird to learn when they want to be social and hang out with you, and when they don’t. Usually when a bird doesn’t want to interact, you can pick up ques such as:
- Your bird is opening its beak at you in a way that they are going to bite if you don’t back off
- Backing up in the cage away from your hand
- Being submissive to touch
Why is developing a bond with your bird important for the bird?
Developing a bond with your bird is not only a gratifying thing for us as bird owners, but it’s paramount for your bird’s well-being and health. Investing time in establishing a relationship with your bird allows them to understand that you’ll be there for them no matter what. Giving your bird a sense of security will allow the bird to be much more adaptable and will develop resilience to any changes in his or her life. Your bird will inevitably look forward to and depend on spending time with their favorite human. Birds in general are truly social animals that deserve and want social interaction. Having a relationship with your bird is crucial to their socialization, psychological state and ultimately long-term happiness.
