Mexican Parrotlets, Green Rump Parrotlets, Touring Your Facility, More Than One Pet Parrotlet

Hello, I am extremely interested in acquiring two parrotlets. I have previously owned a yellow napped Amazon, two sulfur crested cockatoos, and many cockatiels over the years. Now all I want are two wee parrotlets. I'm interested in both the Mexican and the Green Rump. I would like to have two so that they can be companions when I am away...though I am retired and at home a goodly amount of the time. My curiosity has to do with the advisability of housing two together. Might it be better to have two females, as I did with my cockatoos (they got along famously), or would it be better to have a mated pair? Two males just seem understandably out of the question...LOL...I have an entire room that would be their room, where they would have no fear of intruding cats or dogs. My cats are ancient and the dogs live outside. I very much miss having birds; they were such a joy in my life. I shall be in Aptos the 5th and 6th of August for some medical care and would love to come to your facility, if it is acceptable to you? I'd love to take two away with me, preferably ones that still require some hand feeding so that they would bond with me, as so many of my previous avian friends did. Might I inquire how much they cost, and have you equipment there for purchase? Or should I prepare, in advance, with purchases made up here (Santa Rosa)? Either way is acceptable to me. Do, please, advise... Its better to reach me at karenhaskamp@gmail.com, as this sonic address is just too jammed with extraneous emails!!! And, I can be reached at 707-888-6064 I'm really quite excited at the prospect of bringing two babies home, but old enough to be separated from their parents! Oh, I'll need your proper address, if it's OK for me to come visit... Thank you for your time, and I do look forward to meeting you. Karen Dear Karen: Thank you for your emails. Sorry for the delay in responding. Mexican parrotlets always were extremely rare and because of that I never sold them as pets but only worked with zoos and members of the International Parrotlet Society’s cooperative breeding program in order to preserve them. Unfortunately, Mexican parrotlets were always the most difficult parrotlets to work with so even before color mutation Pacifics were introduced in the mid—1990’s, they were always rare. Now they are all but non-existent in the United States anymore and are considered ‘genetically extinct’ in this country. Unfortunately, the same fate, people dumping all of their species of parrotlets except for color mutation Pacifics, has resulted in the demise of once common species such as Green Rumps and Spectacles; even wild-type (normal) Pacifics are almost impossible to find these days. I do know two breeders of Green Rumps that I can recommend but both are on the East Coast and you would have to have them shipped. That is no issue for the birds as the airlines take excellent care of them and in 30 years I’ve never had a bird arrive with a feather out of place let alone injured or killed. I never recommend that people purchase two parrotlets to keep each other company. Parrotlets are very aggressive and territorial birds and even if you get two birds at the same time and they grow up together, in all likelihood, one will become dominant over the other and become aggressive it. “Share’ is not a word in the parrotlet vocabulary and they look at the other bird as a rival and a competitor not a companion or friend. Usually the dominant bird will not allow the other bird to eat, perch or play and can injure or sometimes kill the other bird. If you would like two parrotlets as companions for yourself, that’s fine. Just make sure each bird has their own cage and is supervised when it is out with the other bird. Otherwise, pet parrotlets do best as single birds in one household. So long as they have a large cage, lots of toys and daily interaction with their owners, they are just fine. They are not like cockatoos or other birds that need the socialization of others of their kind. They are aggressive, territorial and will defend their cage, home, even person with an intensity that is difficult to comprehend unless you’ve seen it. In 35 years, I have never sold an unweaned bird. Not even to experienced hand-feeders of parrotlets. Parrotlets do not bond with their hand-feeder but bond with the person or birds that they are placed with after weaning. Also, it is very stressful and an unnecessary health risk to the bird to place it with another hand-feeder as even if you use the same formula and keep it in the correct temperature, they often suffer from stress by simply being placed in a new environment before they are physiologically ready. I also do not let people into my breeding aviary. This is to protect my birds from stress and disease. I have worked with USDA to establish biological protocols to protect people’s birds by following the closed-aviary concept and no one goes into my breeding aviary but me. Also, these are breeding birds and it would stress them greatly to have strangers coming into their secured place looking at them so I never allow people into my aviary. Finally, I want to say that I am currently not breeding parrotlets as I have severe arthritis in my thumb from hand-feeding thousands of baby parrotlets over the decades and need surgery on it. I do not know if I will be breeding again but if I do, I will have a waiting list. In the meantime, I would be happy to recommend some breeders to you from out of state if you would like. They are extremely reputable as I only recommend people I would do business with. Best of luck with your procedures and I hope this helped! Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase

Why Does My Parrotlet Bite When I'm Changing Her Food and Water

why does my parrotlet bite whenI change her water and food? Because parrotlets are aggressive and territorial especially when it comes to their cage. You should get water tubes/drinkers as well as food dishes that can be accessed from outside the cage without you needing to stick your hand in the cage. If you do have to put your hand in the cage, you have remove the parrotlet. Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase ________________________________________

CD of Parrotlet Sounds

Hello I was wanting to know if there is a difference in the sounds on the cd's the one for a cd player and the one for the computer? I can see that one is a hour long and the other is two hours. Do they have any sounds of babies on them I would like to use the sounds to try to help my single pair of parrotlets breed. Any suggestions would be helpful... Thank you for your time. Hillary :) Dear Hillary: Thank you for your email. I'm not really sure what you are asking so I will simply explain. I've bred parrotlets for more than 30 years and it has been my experience that they breed better when they can hear one another but not see each other. This is part of their instinctual nature in that they are part of a flock but because of their aggressive and territorial natures, which will result in attacking other parrotlets or even their partners, my CD's offer the best option for breeders of single pairs to promote this breeding instinct. Yes, one CD is an hour and the other is two but they are on continuous loops so they just play over and over. This is the only difference. After all, these are recorded sounds of over 100 pairs of parrotlets - various species, various ages, males, females, pairs and offspring. This is exactly what these birds would be hearing in the wild. As for suggestions on breeding parrotlets, I have written 3 books (the most recent is The Parrotlet Handbook by Barron's and is available on my website at Parrotlet Ranch, I also have a lot of information on my website. I also write a blog, have a FB page for Parrotlet Ranch, give speaking engagements all over the country as well as internationally and am a co-founder of the International Parrotlet Society and their journal editor which has the most up to date information on parrotlets that can be found anywhere particularly with regard to newsgroups and chat rooms. I hope this helps! Sincerely yours, Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S. The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest. Camaroonian Phrase

Appropriate Temperatures & Suggestions for a Picky Eater

Hi Sandee,

I recently inherited a parrotlet that is two years old. I have been reading about them and trying to make sure I’m providing the best care possible. When he first came into my home, he was very sweet and fun. However, he has settled in to a routine and since his wings are not clipped, he is now acting like a total barbarian. We are taking him to the vet to get his wings clipped and I will be following your instructions for curbing his new and terrible biting habit. My main concern is his diet and ambient room temperature. What temperature should he be kept at and does he need a full spectrum light if he’s in a room with a lot of windows? He is being fed the following seeds: spray millet, cockatiel mix and canary mix. I have offered various fruits and veggies but he mainly likes sunflower, safflower and millet. He also likes nuts like walnuts and pecans. Any suggestions for converting him to eating more fresh food?

Thanks so much
Melissa

Dear Melissa:

Thank you for your email and my apologies for the delay in responding. We had a terrible windstorm here last week and I was without power (as well as phone, cell and wifi) for 4 days. It was a mess.

I am sorry to hear that your little one is being, well, a typical parrotlet who is fully flighted and being bratty. I think you will see an immediate difference in his attitude as well as his behavior once you get those wings clipped again. Parrotlets are very territorial so when they are fully-flighted and have run of the house, they simply transfer that aggression to every where they go, not just with their cage. But most parrotlets immediately go back to being sweet the moment they realize they no longer are in control by flying around the house.

As far as room temperature goes, most adult parrotlets (and even youngsters who have been acclimated) are perfectly content in the same temperature as people. Generally speaking 60-80 degrees are ideal; however, most people don’t realize that they can withstand much lower temperatures. Its actually heat that is a problem – anything above 85 degrees can be dangerous. It has been my experience that anything below 60 degrees stops them from breeding but pet birds can easily withstand much lower temperatures. In fact, I know people that keep them outdoors, once they are acclimated, in places where the temperature drops to as low as 40. So long as they have shelter, are protected from strong drafts and have lots of food to keep their energy up, especially foods high in fat, they are just fine. So, a pet parrotlet kept in a home will certainly be safe and happy in the same temperatures that you and your family enjoy.

Getting parrotlets to eat a good diet, if they weren’t introduced to a wide variety of fresh and healthy foods at a young age, can be challenging. In my latest book, The Parrotlet Handbook, I include in the chapter on diet, ideas and strategies for getting picky eaters to accept a wider variety of food. It can be as simple as providing foods that have a lot of seeds (contrary to popular belief, seeds ARE a natural diet of birds – after all, there are no pellet trees in the jungle) such as peppers (both hot and mild), kiwi, strawberries, melon, papaya, squash, zucchini, etc. You can also place a small dish of thawed frozen peas and corn and sprinkle millet or another favorite food on it. Usually they start playing with it and eventually they start eating it. You can get a birdy kabob and string chunks of various kinds of veggies on it (most parrotlets prefer vegetables to fruit). Again, they start playing with it, eat part of it and then eventually decide “Hey, this stuff isn’t bad!”. You can also place pieces of broccoli or leafy greens in the cage clipped to a favorite perching spot. Another easy way to get them to eat is make a ‘bird bread’ with lots of vegetables it in or try some of the cooked diets they now have available. It really is a matter of trying different things as well as being patient and consistent until you figure out what works with your parrotlet.

I hope this helps. Best of luck with your bird and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Hopefully, I will be able to answer in a much more timely manner. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Hi Sandee,
Thanks for the response; I saw the wind-storm damage on the news; that was really shocking for the area!

We got Foghorn’s wings clipped at the vet and he’s already much better. He was acting very angry and biting, so we gave him some floor time and he was acting sheepish in no time once he realized he couldn’t fly to my head in order to bite my ears. Your blog was a life-saver!

I’m relieved to know I don’t have to keep the house at 75 in the winter or hook up a heat bulb; I’m a former iguana keeper so I assumed any semi-tropical critter might have special heat needs.

Wish me luck on the vegetable endeavor; he has already eaten the peas from inside a snow pea pod, so I have at least one victory!

Thanks again,
Melissa

You got the idea Melissa. Foods that are fun i.e., can be ripped, flinged, tossed or otherwise mutilated prior to consumption are great ways to introduce him into eating better. Best of luck and I’m glad I could help!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.

Territorial Parrotlet

He is 10 months old and seems somewhat well adjusted to his home. I got him when he was 3 months old. The breeder said he was very sweet and hand raised. I am very patient with him, but he really does not seem all that tame to me. He has not moulted yet as far as I can tell. He is not talking at all. He chirps a great deal and has his noisy times during the day. He plays with his toys occasionaly but not nearly as much as I expected from all the research I have done. He does not seem to interested in playing.

Well, it took him at least 4 months before I could hold him. He still backs off when I try to have him step up to my hand, but will jump on my shoulder when he wants to. He lets me scratch his neck and head and really enjoys that.

My problem is that in the last 2 weeks he has begun "attacking" my hand when I am near the cage. This is when he is on top of the cage. He will come at me and bite, back off and do it again. I don't know what prompted this. He does it wherever he is and I come near him even when I am filling up his food. He is free to come and go in and out of his cage all day. I keep him on a schedule of uncovering him at 8 am and bed at 10 pm.

Any info or thoughts on why this is happening would be greatly appreciated.


Dear Karen:

Sounds like a completely normal parrotlet to me. He’s just being territorial over ‘his’ stuff. Also, he is getting way too many hours of daylight which is probably interfering with his hormones and/or creating a perpetual molt.I have written tons of blogs, articles and chapters in my book so you can look up that information for details but he needs to be taught to step up, you need to keep control over where he goes including the top of his cage, keep his wings clipped, lower the day light hours to 12 or less and make sure he is not in a position of dominance – which may mean keeping him off the cage top and keeping him off your shoulder. Just takes some patience and training but all parrotlets are aggressive and territorial and he is simply doing what all parrotlets do.

Best of luck!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Unwanted Breeding

Hi Sandee,

Hopefully you can offer some needed advice. I recently adopted a bonded pair of parrotlets from a rescue here in NC. The two birds (5 &6) have had several different homes over the last 5 years and I knew that I could provide a stable place for them. The day after I got them home I had an egg. That was about 10 days ago. Now I have 5. I don’t want to breed the birds and was told by the rescue to “addle” or “shake” the eggs vigorously to keep them from hatching.

Here is my dilemma: Up until yesterday only the female was exhibiting cage/food aggression, now it’s both of them. When the male is out of the cage he is good for a while then will just bite down hard for no reason. I am not reacting, just putting him down. I don’t take him out of the cage, he comes over to me. I’ve been practicing positive reinforcement but he seems to just like to test the waters. Usually it’s my fingers he goes for. He’ll just walk right over and “chomp!”

Question 1: This nesting/hormonal/aggression should end after the hen has gotten bored of sitting on the eggs, right?
Question 2: I don’t want to separate them, they’ve been together for years and sleep next to each other, preen, chat and get along fine. I don’t want to cause other problems. Help?
Question 3: Is there a good chance that this will only happen once a year? Or, even better, stop?

PS: I don’t have a happy hut, nesting box, cuddle toy, anything like it. The hen decided her food dish was a good spot. No, it wasn’t empty.

Thanks for your input,
Kim

Dear Kim:

Thank you for your email. It sounds to me like these birds are acting perfectly normal for two Pacific parrotlets that are a bonded breeding pair. Parrotlets are very territorial and aggressive especially when they are a bonded breeding pair. You have to understand that Nature designed these birds to protect themselves and their offspring from predators. Pacifics come from a very dry, desert-like area and they have to compete for food and nest sites not to mention everything preys on them including other birds. I always say parrotlets have to be tough because they come from region where spiders are bigger than they are. Just because we humans take them into our homes and ‘love’ them like feathered kids doesn’t mean they give up that instinct. They are not domesticated birds like budgies or cockatiels but are still very much wild animals. That is why offspring have to be pulled for handfeeding and imprinted upon. Otherwise they would be just as wild and unhandleable as their untamed cousins in the wild. Even if they are hand-fed and imprinted, unless they are placed in a pet home upon weaning and constantly interacted with by humans they revert to their wild natures. Again, it is how they were designed to help the species survive in very harsh conditions. Even hand-fed socialized pet parrotlets are aggressive and territorial with their cage – that behavior never changes. If these birds were pets, would act this way in defense of their territory.

Parrotlets are either pets or breeders. They are not both. They either imprint and bond with humans or with other parrotlets. These birds are half way finished with their lives and are a bonding breeding pair doing what Nature designed them to do – procreate. While anything can happen, I would be money you will never be able to tame them, never be able to handle them, never make them into pets as we humans define them. They can live perfectly happy lives breeding and producing offspring as God and Nature designed them to do. I never can understand why people think that is such a terrible thing. Had we not interfered with them, that is what they would be doing. I think its appalling a shelter would allow them to keep breeding and then kill the embryos rather than placing these birds in a breeding environment so they can do what they were supposed to do. As for your question about stopping them breeding, short of separating them, that isn’t going to happen until they are physically unable to produce.

Wish I had better news for you but to me, it really is about the birds. They can live the rest of their lives quite happily without any human interaction other than feeding and cleaning going on to produce offspring as Nature intended. The question is can you live with that. If not, I would recommend placing these birds with a breeder who can attend to their needs and make them comfortable until they are no longer able to produce chicks.

Hope this helps and best of luck to you and your birds.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
________________________________________

Biting Parrotlet

I've had a young parrotlet since January (he was hatched in November). He's always bitten if I put my hand in his cage, so I wait til he comes out before approaching him with my finger. Lately, tho, he's started biting when he's out, too. How should I react when he bites, and how can I get him to stop??

Thank you for your help.
Claudia

Dear Claudia:

Thank you for your email. I’m sorry I did not respond sooner. Somehow the message got stuck in my SPAM filter so my apologies.

Parrotlets have a well-deserved reputation for being territorial when it comes to their cage and they can be very aggressive when it comes to defending their home. This is how Nature designed them in order to survive in the wild. Pacific parrotlets originate in a very dry desert-like region where they compete for everything – food, nesting sites, etc., and almost everything preys upon them including other birds. Indeed, spiders are bigger than they are so they must be very bold and aggressive when it comes to protecting their space. This works well in wild, not so well in captivity.

I always recommend that people teach their parrotlets the ‘Step up” command as soon as possible. First, make sure the bird’s wings are clipped. Then, after the bird has been removed from the cage, you place him on your index finger to perch. Place the index finger of your other hand in front of the bird, just above the feet and gently turn the finger the bird is perched on away from the other finger. Repeat the command “UP’ or “STEP UP” and as the bird’s center of gravity shifts, it will automatically step up. As soon as he does, praise him lavishly and excitedly. Repeat this over and over for a few minutes every day when you take the bird out of the cage. Do this over a couch or bed in a room the bird is not familiar with. If he flies away, just pick him up and start again. Do not try to restrain or restrict him from flying or he’ll bite. Usually after a few days, the bird learns the command. Once this is done, when you reach into the cage, immediately place your finger up to him and say very firmly “UP” or “STEP UP” and they will step up. You need to do this as soon as you place your finger in the cage or the bird may go into defense mode and bite your finger.

If the bird is now biting when you take him out, again, make sure his wings are clipped. Unclipped birds are not only a safety-hazard but they also learn very quickly that they can fly and you cannot so a good hard nip is all it takes for you to let go and for them to have ‘freedom’. Once his wings are clipped, you can work on the Step Up command. Making the bird step up over and over is called ‘doing ladders’ or ‘laddering’. You should do this while training the Step Up command but you can also do it to keep the bird occupied and eventually it will tire the bird. This is one way to stop the nipping. Another thing you can do is say “NO!” very loudly when the bird bites and either blow a puff of air into the bird’s face or lightly shake your finger the bird is perched upon to distract him. Do not shake the bird, or shake your finger hard enough for the bird to fall. Never throw the bird. You can also place the bird on the floor (if its safe) for a couple of seconds. This is a very vulnerable position for a parrotlet and they will usually look to you to pick them up and make them safe. As soon as the bird stops biting, praise him lavishly. Over and over. This is what teaches the bird not to bite, the reward and praise. Not the punishment. You always want them to learn through positive reinforcement not punishment.

On another note, I do have to say that your bird’s change in behavior may be because the bird is molting. Most baby parrotlets go through their first molt at 4-6 months of age and it is a long, arduous process that is uncomfortable for the bird and can affect their mood and behavior. If the bird is molting, don’t push him too much with the training and if he is really hard to handle, let him be for a day or two. You can help the molt go faster by feeding a few higher protein foods in the diet like cooked eggs or peanut butter on whole grain bread a few times a week. Spraying him daily with warm water from a plant mister will also help.

I do hope that you can try some of these things that I recommend. It sounds to me like your parrotlet is going through typical parrot-learning behavior and just needs a little training and guidance. You will need to be patient and consistent but I think eventually you will get the sweet little pet you want. I’ve also written three books on parrotlets that you might find helpful. The most recent one, The Parrotlet Handbook by Barrons, is available both on my website at www.parrotletranch.com and at amazon.com

Best of luck and please let me know if any of these things help!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

I hate to ask a stupid question, but what exactly is molt? I'm thinking it's when a bird loses many feathers. I've only owned parakeets & budgies and haven't experienced much in the way of molting. If I'm correct, Pita (my bird) isn't molting.

Pita steps up really well, is curious, has learned to say a few phrases and mimics some melodies I whistle to him. I have toys in his cage and a little "playground" I put on the table while I'm working or eating there. He doesn't like to be sprayed, but if I walk him over to the water faucet, he'll kind of bathe there.

I'll look on Amazon and check out your books. Thank you so much.
And don't worry about my email going astray. I'm just glad you found it at all and responded.
Claudia


There are no stupid questions Claudia. Molting is the process by which feathers are replaced. Each feather falls out and a new one grows in. They are not supposed to fall out all at once or have bald spots otherwise the bird would not be able to fly nor keep itself warm. Generally it should only be a feather or two every day or so. The process takes weeks because it goes so slow.

Most parrotlets do not like to bathe - this is because they come from a dry desert-like area. However, just because they don't like it doesn't mean it isn't good for them. They do get wet when it rains so it isn't going to be a problem for them. The purpose of misting is not really to 'clean' the bird so much as teaching them how to preen correctly and to encourage circulation and the spreading of natural oils to help the molting process along.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Parrotlet or Ringneck Bit A Parrotlet's Beak Off?

Dear Sandee/Robert,

I own several pairs of Parrotlets and have for many years. I recently paired up
2 potential breeders and had them in a split cage for nearly 2 months, monitored
their behavior/interaction and placed them in a single cage. They immediately
took to each other, sitting side by side, giving kisses and seemed like a match.
I had them housed in an outside aviary and on Tuesday the 3rd of May, I noticed
the female had one of her toes missing. However, the two seemed fine together.
The next day when checking on all of my birds, to my horror, the male was
missing his upper beak! I immediately separated the two and called my vet. She
said that if the bird lived, it was possible that the injured male could
possibly learn to eat on his own. I have been hand feeding him, with added baby
food. I have noticed that he does eat on his own. Although. his beak looks much
better, my main question is: could the female have done such damage? I have an
Indian Ringneck that free flies and noticed today that she was on top of the
female's Parrotlet's cage. Have you ever heard of Parrotlet's being this
aggressive or could the Ringneck be the culprit?

I have searched the Internet and have a copy of "The Parrotlet Handbook" and can
find no information regarding this unfortunate incident.

Thank you for your time and professional advice,

Sincerely,

Lee

Dear Lee:

Thank you for your email. I'm terribly sorry to hear about this situation.

In 30 years I have never heard of a parrotlet being able to bite off another parrotlet's beak. I've seen them have fights and injure each other's beak but I would not believe a parrotlet could do that unless I saw it with my own eyes. I am not a betting woman but I would bet the farm it was the Ringneck. Parrotlets just don't have that kind of power in their jaws but the Ringneck certainly does. As I say in all of my writings including my book, The Parrotlet Handbook, over and over, parrotlets are very aggressive and territorial and will defend their cages against much larger animals including other birds. I'm sure the Ringneck landed on the parrotlet's cage, the parrotlet ran up to bite/chase it off and the Ringneck reached down and bit off the beak. Unfortunately, this is a very common occurrence with free-flying birds that are not supervised when out of their cages. Another excellent reason to keep those wings clipped and always supervise a bird when it is out of its cage.

Best of luck to you and your birds. Hope this helps.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Teaching Baby Parrotlets

9 days ago we bought a pair of (sister) 5 week old hand fed Pacific Parrotlets from a breeder. We have them in one 18x24x16 cage. They are now both weaned and they appear very bonded to each other. We are now beginning finger training. One of the birds is taking to it pretty well while the other will have no part of it. Should we separate the two now and have them in individual cages? Would this make training easier? They are 6 weeks old now. Thank you!

Barry

Dear Barry:

Thank you for your email. I think you need to slow down a little bit with these babies. After all, they are truly just a little bit older than ‘infants’. Most people do not sell unweaned birds and your birds need time to adjust and recoup from the stress of a) being sold before they are weaned b) being in a new household and c) new food, new cage, new people, new toys, new everything. The amount of stress these youngsters are going through is tremendous and they are truly just baby babies. Trying to teach these guys anything at this stage, especially something like stepping up is something you have do very slowly and over time. To put this in perspective, its like trying to teach a toddler to ride a bike. While you can certainly handle the birds and start working on doing ladders and step ups, I wouldn’t start formerly trying to train these guys until they are least 8 weeks old and even then its going to take a lot of time, patience and work on your part. I don’t even sell my birds until they are at least 7 weeks of age so you can see these birds are just too young for what you expect.

To get back to your question, the cage you describe is not big enough for two parrotlets. I don’t recommend anything smaller than 18” x 18” x18” for a single bird. Certainly this cage is too small for two and eventually you are going to start having issues with territorialism and aggression. “Share’ is generally not a word in most parrotlet’s vocabulary and as they mature, one will probably become dominant and controlling over the other. The dominant bird will often not allow the other to perch, eat, play or sleep so you will need to watch these birds as they mature to make sure there isn’t going to be problems. Parrotlets can be very combative and aggressive and it is how Nature designed them to survive in very harsh conditions. In the wild, they nest up to 300 yards away from other parrotlets and they will defend their nest (or in this case, cage) almost to the death from other animals including predators that eat them. If they were my birds, I would simply buy another cage of the appropriate size and put the other bird in that. They can still chirp and chatter to one another and interact together on neutral territory under supervision but I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on a bigger cage with the hopes they can live together happily ever after.

I hope this helps and best of luck with your new parrotlets!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Parrotlets Bonding With Other Birds in the Room

Hello, I have a young 3 month old parrotlet and I wondered if you
could answer a question. We also have two parakeets in one cage and
our parrotlet in another within a few feet of each other so they can
all keep each other company. My husband wants to move the parakeets
to another room as he doesn't want "Taz" our parrotlet to bond with
the parakeets. Will this happen if they are not in the same cage? We
felt he was a bit nippy (in a gentle way) when the birds were around.
We could have imagined this though, or he was having an "off" day. I
just worry that he will be lonely if there is no one to watch. I have
ordered your book from Amazon. Thanks Sandee

Dear Jean:

Thank you for your email. I'm not surprised your parrotlet was more nippy with the other birds around - parrotlets are aggressive and territorial with other birds so I'm sure you aren't imagining anything, in fact, I am sure you are quite correct. Just have a misinterpretation of the situation. So, the answer to your question, is no, your parrotlet is not bonding with the parakeets. In fact, he is probably saying 'Stay away! Stay awake! This is my cage, my territory, my place...." He is going into 'battle mode'. You can keep him in the same room but I'd move them across the room from one another. That way everyone can still hear and interact with one another but not be so close so as to trigger that territorial instinct.

Hope this helps and I hope you enjoy the book.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org

A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Aggressive Baby Parrotlet

Hi, Sandee. HELP! I have a beautiful 15 week old female Pacific Blue parrotlet that I am totally in love with! We got her from a reputable breeder where she was hand fed, and we brought her home at 11 weeks. We also have a five month old male parakeet who adores her. He is Elvis, her name is Tiffany. We keep them in separate cages at night and for parts of the day when no one is available to supervise. There are times during the day when they are free to fly around my kitchen/den area; the parrotlet will venture out first and the parakeet will then call her and finally go to her when she ignores him! They do have plenty of supervised play time together as well as apart; they will groom each other, take naps close together, and infrequently get into a squabble which is short-lived. They visit each other's cages and eat each other's food as the mood strikes them. Usually those activities are cooperative, but she is sometimes territorial and " bossy " with him, in either cage. She has plenty of chewy toys and a varied diet including fruits/veggies/grains, and a seed/pellet mix. We aim for twelve hours of darkness at night but it usually ends up being less than that because we keep them in our family room.

Tiffany seems very attached to me as I am a stay-at-home mom and handle her the most. She will fly to the room I am in and then walk on the floor to me, or fly to my shoulder/head. She knows the step-up command and SEEMED to know " no " until very recently.

Up until the last few days, she was nippy at times but not overly so and responded to a puff of air in the face and a stern "no bite". However, she has now started biting our hands/fingers very hard ( even me), frequently, and repeatedly, often 5-6 times in a row despite the negative responses we give her. There is nothing new or different that I can pinpoint which caused this change. I praise her EFFUSIVELY when she doesn't bite and always speak to her very gently and lovingly. She also is INSANELY curious and will try to knaw on collar buttons or jewelry. She reminds me of my teething infants!

We have tried "time- outs" but don't have a separate cage for this, we just put her in her own big cage. Tonight I used a spray bottle 3-4 times to spray her when she bit me, with the result that she flew away from me. I don't want to de-socialize her as she is a very friendly and vivacious little soul, but neither do I want her to continue trying dig holes in my flesh!! Are we wrong to allow the two birds to socialize together, often for an hour or two? Is that somehow causing her escalation in biting ? The parakeet is not as social as she is but doesn't nip either. How do I manage this behavior- handle her more or less, cage her more or less, etc.? I would really appreciate any direction you can give me. I really love this little gal but I don't want beakmarks all over my hands!

Thank you.

Julie

Dear Julie:

Thank you for your email. I am assuming since the bird is flying all over the place, her wings are not clipped. You need to clip them. Letting a baby parrotlet have free-reign over the house with no means of control would be like letting a toddler get behind the wheel of your car. The bird's wings need to be clipped and training needs to start. Parrotlets are very smart and this bird is simply doing what comes naturally - she has the ability to fly and therefore you have no control over her. At this point, all she is learning is that a) her territory consists of the entire house (causes escalating aggression in parrotlets and b) she can do whatever she wants since she can fly and you cannot. She is learning to be aggressive, territorial and bite harder and harder until the people back off and she can do whatever she wants. And just like a spoiled toddler, she will not behave in an acceptable manner - her behavior will continue to escalate.

You need to get her wings clipped and keep them that way and then start with formal training sessions of stepping up, 'no', no bite and all the other 'control' commands she needs to learn in order to be a happy, healthy member of your family.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org

A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Parrotlet Picking Favorites

Hi Sandee,
I have been reading you blogs on facebook lately and I love the information you provide. I have a question that I am hoping you can help with.
My husband bought our pacific parrotlet september of 09 and he took a liking to us both, but recently we have noticed that he is very protective of me. He always choses me over my husband to land on and he attacks my husband if he tries to come close to me. Is there anything we can change to help with this?

Thank you,

Amanda

Dear Amanda:

Thank you for your email. Sorry for the delay in my response but I’ve had a family emergency this week.

This behavior is typical for parrots and of course, since parrotlets are true parrots, this kind of thing can develop. I do note that you say ‘he always chooses me to land on’, so I take it his wings aren’t clipped? I always recommend keeping a parrotlet’s wings clipped for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, safety. Parrotlets can easily fly into a window and be injured or killed. They can also drown in a sink or even cup of water, can be stepped on, sat on, crushed, electrocuted if they chew on wires, poisoned from chewing on plants or other toxic items including metal or painted or lacquered wood, burned on a stove or if there is an open flame or even escape.

The next reason is behavioral. You cannot control a parrotlet whose wings are clipped and negative behavior is often the result. They often learn to bite by simply biting harder and harder until the person lets go. They can also become territorial and aggressive, which is what your parrotlet is doing. Parrotlets are kings of all they survey and if they are free flying around the house, the entire house becomes their territory and they will become territorial with their owners. After all, they can fly and you can’t so obviously they must be in charge!

My suggestion would be to get your bird’s wings clipped and not allow him free rein of the house. He will soon settle down and go back to being manageable.

Best of luck and I hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase

Taming a Parrotlet, Aggressive Behavior

Hi Sandee,I just recently adopted a 3yr old untamed Pacific Parrotlet. I have no experience with these birds and not sure where to start. I know he's a little stressed being in a new environment but he is eating. I plan to get his wings clipped next week and have stocked up on food and toys. The taming is where do I begin? I can't even put my hand in the cage without him having a fit. Should I allow him to adjust to his new surrounding as its only been two days? I just want to make him as comfortable as possible as its stressful for the both of us.

Thank you,

Kaye

What do you mean by ‘untamed’? Was the bird hand-fed and then put in with other birds? Or is this a parent-raised bird that has never been imprinted or socialized?

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Sandee,

I don't know much about his history. I was told when I got him that he was untamed. I do know that he was bonded to a mate that died a couple months ago. The previous owner mentioned trying to work with "Ezra" but had very little patience and gave up on him. The last week or so he seems to be settling in abit. When we're alone I close my bedroom door and allow him to come out of his cage and venture around which he really seems to enjoy. I talk and sing to him but he's still very jumpy, goes into attack mode when I try to change out his food. I have a little cozy corner that he attacks if someone comes near the cage. I'm not sure where to start or if I should just continue with what I'm doing...letting him adjust.

Kaye

All parrotlets are aggressive and territorial of their cages. Its part of their nature and how they were designed to survive in the wild. After all, they come from places where spiders are bigger than they are and they are eaten by almost everything so they must be very aggressive and protective in order to survive. I always tell people to teach your bird the ‘step up’ command and remove them from their cage before cleaning, changing toys, etc.

One of the reasons people like me hand-feed parrotlets is to imprint them. Parrotlets are not domesticated birds like cockatiels or budgies but are still very much wild animals that behave on instinct. If they are not imprinted on humans, they will not be tame. Hand-feeding parrotlets is extremely burdensome, time-consuming and labor intensive. Baby parrotlets need to be fed from the time they are 10 days old until they wean at 6 or 7 weeks of age every 4 hours, every day, all day. I charge $100 for a green Pacific and without counting the cost of food, electricity, vet bills, etc., I get paid less than $1 per bird per feeding. So we are obviously not getting rich doing this – it is because in order for these birds to be the best pets, they must be imprinted. After they are weaned, they bond with the person or bird they spend time with. If this bird was simply placed in a cage and ignored, it did not establish a bond with people so it probably is fearful of people since we are predators and they are prey. Again, its all about instinct and how Nature designed them to survive in the wild.

It is possible to tame a bird that has not been imprinted or handled but it takes a lot of time and patience. When we had wild caught birds, we would wrap them in a small towel and gently hold them talking to them, stroking them and getting them used to people. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it doesn’t.

So, there are no easy answers. I would make sure the bird’s wings are kept clipped, keep chatting and vocalizing to him. You can wrap him in a small towel and work with him while you are watching tv. All of these things may help, they may not. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, he does sound like he is getting more interaction and I’m sure you are taking excellent care of him. Perhaps he will come around enough to step up onto your finger or ride around on your shoulder. That would be a huge step forward for him but again its going to take time, consistency and patience on your part.

Best of luck and I hope this helps.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Parrotlet Aggression & Territorialism, Interaction With Other Birds

Ms. Sandee,

On June 29, 2010, I purchase a blue male parrotlet (now named Jasper) at a Florida bird fair. He was born April 1, 2010. He has shown no signs of aggression. The only exception to this is his cage. Jasper must be out for me to put my hand in his cage to change or add something; otherwise he comes charging. My Green Cheek, Sydney, is also cage possesive.so this is nothing new. The exception to this aggression is coming out of his cage. Jasper then hops right on my hand ready to go. He also lets me rub his head some.
I respect his wishes if he does't want me to.

I also have a very gentle 5 yr old cockateil and a 1 yr old.mischievous but sweet Green Cheek Conure. I have all 3 birds out of their cages all the time and on me with no problems. I have been doing this since the quarantine was over. We do this everyday since I spend a lot of time with my birds.

There have been a few non serious swipes a couple of times among the three but nothing with intent to harm & no harm done. I immediately separate, discourage, scold, and stress not to get in the other's area. If I see one heading toward another's area, I immediately run interference. I might have one bird on one shoulder, another on my collar or neck, and one on the other shoulder or my head. Each is to stay in their own area. They also play on the table, bed or their cage tops with me supervising at all times.

I have recently read a few things that worry me concerning aggression in the parrotlet. My son warned me just today. His friend knew a parrolet that tore the beak off another larger bird. I do not want to be foolish and have someone hurt. Yet, Jasper has shown no aggression toward my establish flock.. I would appreciate it very much if you could please take the time to advise me. Thank you.

Betty

Dear Betty:

Thank you for your email. Your parrotlet’s behavior is very normal for a Pacific parrotlet. Almost all parrotlets are very territorial and aggressive around their cage. That is why it is so important to teach them the “Step Up” command as soon as possible so you can remove them from the cage before you have to service it.

Parrotlets are not domesticated birds like your cockatiel but are still very much wild and are guided by instinct. They are also not ‘flocking’ type birds like your conure. Parrotlets have a well-deserved reputation for not getting along with other birds. This is largely due to the fact that they originate in a very dry, desert-like region in which they have to compete for everything – food, shelter, nesting spots, etc. They are also very tiny and easily preyed upon by everything from reptiles to other birds; even spiders are bigger than they are so nature has designed them to be tough and aggressive in order to survive. These instincts do not change just because they are hatched in captivity and kept as pets.

However, unlike this story of a parrotlet biting off the beak of another larger bird, which, I have to admit after almost 30 years of breeding parrotlets, I find very difficult to believe, it is generally the parrotlet that is injured or killed when they attack another bird. A larger bird such as a conure can easily injure or kill a parrotlet in one bite should the parrotlet exhibit aggressive behavior. Indeed, lovebirds, which are not much bigger than parrotlets, often maim or kill parrotlets so both your cockatiel and your conure are a danger to the parrotlet rather than the other way around. It is because of the danger to themselves that I recommend species’ separation. They should never been kept in the same cage as other birds and should always have their wings kept clipped and only allowed interaction with other birds on a strictly supervised basis. Personally, I would never take the chance and would simply keep the parrotlet in its own space such as a basket or playpen and not allow it to have physical access to birds that exhibit more flocking behavior like conures and cockatiels both of which are much more social birds and do live very harmoniously with mixed collections. Parrotlets are just not built that way and for everyone’s safety should be kept physically separated. It isn’t hard to do – just keep everyone’s wings’ clipped and make sure the parrotlet has his own space to play and be active on.

I hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Free-Flighted Parrotlets, Housing, Keeping Two Pets, Availability

I'm going to buy one or two parrotlets soon. I would like to drive down to pick them up. Is that possible? How long in advance do I need to make an appointment?

I would like to set aside a room in my home for the birds, and I have a couple questions. I'm worried about potentially harmful stuff in the room. I need to screen off an area, and make a screen door for their room. Is there a type of wire I need to avoid? Is there a "best type" of wire to use for this? The room is painted sheet rock with painted baseboards. If I have plenty of other stuff for them to chew on, will they chew on the paint? Anything else you can think of that I would need to know regarding giving them the run of a room?

Also, what are your feelings on one vs. two birds? Are they happier with companionship? Frankly, I don't want to deal with young birds. Would two same-sexed birds fight?

Thanks a bunch
Steve


Dear Steve:

Thank you for your email.

I have known several people that have attempted to keep parrotlets in a free-range, free flying situation and they have not turned out well. First, parrotlets, like all parrots do chew and would chew on everything from sheetrock to the floor coverings, all of which are very toxic. You could keep them in an aviary and there are many manufacturers of quality aviaries made with stainless steel which is the safest wire you can use.

Second, parrotlets are very territorial and aggressive birds. They are not domesticated birds like cockatiels or budgies and are still very much wild animals that respond by instinct. They have been designed by Nature to be aggressive and territorial ‘space’ because where they originate they compete for food, nesting space and safety. Many different animals eat parrotlets including other birds so being protective and defensive of their territory is what they do to survive. Many people report parrotlets being protective of their cages and most have to be removed from the cage in order to clean it and replace toys and perches. I always recommend feeders that can be accessed from outside the cage so owners can easily feed their parrotlets without having to remove them or worry about getting bitten. Having them free flying access to an entire room, they will perceive the entire area as their territory and they will, most likely, defend it with vigor especially if they can fly. In some cases this has resulted in the birds actually attacking their owners in order to drive them out of their territory. I have never recommended keeping parrotlets in this type of environment and do not feel it is either safe for them or their owners. I also do not recommend keeping parrotlets fully flighted for the same reasons. It is really the best way to teach a bird to be aggressive and learn to bite. All they have to do when they want to get away is bite harder and harder until the person let’s go. This reinforces the desire to be both aggressive and to bite.

I generally don’t recommend keeping two parrotlets as companions for one another. Pet parrotlets imprint on humans through the hand-feeding and socialization processes. They lose their instinct to bond with other birds and usually look at another bird as a rival or competitor not a companion or friend to keep them company. Also, as I have stated, they are territorial and aggressive and one often becomes dominant over the other and will not allow the other bird to eat, perch, etc. It doesn’t matter if they are being kept in an appropriate sized cage or a huge flight – they will attempt to drive the intruder out and this can result in injury or even death of one of the birds. Most people eventually have to house them separately and watch them whenever they are out of their cages and have physical access to one another. Most parrotlets that have a large cage, lots of toys and daily interaction with their owners are perfectly contented and healthy and not need nor want the companionship of another bird.

I am currently feeding 3 chicks but I have a waiting list for them; I probably will not have more birds until September or so. I almost always have a waiting list for my birds. I do not take deposits and work on a first-come, first-served basis.

I hope this helps and thank you again for contacting me.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Parrotlet Stress Seeing Wild Birds Out of Doors

Is it ok to put my parrotlet's cage in a place that has views out of
a window, including a view of a bird feeder? I typically get mourning
doves and house finches on my feeder. Part of the cage would be out of
sight of the feeder, but I want to make sure the sights and sounds would
not cause the parrotlet undue stress.

I don't imagine that would be an issue. Parrotlets can be aggressive and territorial with other birds but so long as they can't have physical contact, I don't think it would be an issue.