Happy Parrot

[Laurasav]

We moved to our new home six years ago. Our Eclectus parrot was kept in the corner of our living room in the prior house. He was used to being in the center of the action and watching/listening to the TV. Since living here, he and the Quaker parrot are kept in a back bedroom where the computer and exercise bike are. We're in here a lot with them, so they're never neglected. However, since moving here, the Eclectus has been seriously feather plucking. We were afraid that it was going to be a permanent thing since he's gotten so much worse in the last year or so.
Then we started taking him out in the evenings for a little while and letting him sit with us in the living room, watching TV, in the last couple months. It has made a huge difference to him! He is now all lushly green feathered with all of his striking turquoise, red and dark blue accent feathers back! We've been ignoring his "bratty" behavior in the evenings in years past, not wanting to give in to his demands for evening attention, thinking it was just a battle of wills and he needed to learn to behave. Poor little thing! We never realized just how important TV time and cuddle time with the both of us in the evenings was to him! We figured he saw enough of us in the computer/bird room!

 

[dissn_it]

I am glad to hear that he is doing much better now. It is funny how pets get so used to certain routines just like we humans do. If the routine is changed, it really does effect them!

 

[Laurasav]

Thank you, dissn_it. I was surprised that it now seems all his feather plucking was over his unhappiness of not being out watching TV with us at night. So weird! Who'd have thought such a thing would be so important to a BIRD?! Maybe we need to get him a TV in his room to watch. I remember at our last house I'd leave a kid channel on for him during the day. He liked The Wiggles, Sponge Bob Square Pants & Blues Clues. Hubby & I don't watch those shows!
We do watch Wheel of Fortune, a show he learned to say, "Wheel of Fortune" like the announcer & then add a loud "yaaaaay" to! LOL

 

[Waynefire]

I am glad to hear he is doing better! My wife and I used to have a Green Cheek who would squawk like crazy if we did not have the television on for her when we left the house. Even better we had to leave the television on BBC America so she could watch the shows she wanted to.

 

[Laurasav]

That's actually got me chuckling! Birds are so amazing and incredibly smart! Your bird had more intelligent choices for TV than my Eclectus though! He was hooked on those kiddie shows! But I guess that was my fault - maybe I should have left the TV on grown-up channels for him! Maybe something educational! Did your bird talk with an English accent???

 

[Esperahol]

Parrots are sensitive little things and some have been reported as being as smart as a six-year-old child. It may be your bird likes only the different colors and such on the screen, but it may also be that he wants to spend more time with you... and what he considers to be people stuck in the loud box.

 

[Laurasav]

I've also heard parrots have the intelligence level of young children. I know my Quaker is very, very smart. The Eclectus is also smart, but I think the little Quaker is smarter. The ekkie is a goofball though.
I like that "people stuck in the loud box" theory of yours! LOL Yes, I can imagine our birds, our cats, even the raccoons that come to our doorwall & look inside at the big screen TV blaring away just pondering over that... haha

 

[ohiotom76]

is it true that when they flash their eyes they're mad at you?

 

[Esperahol]

I like that "people stuck in the loud box" theory of yours! LOL Yes, I can imagine our birds, our cats, even the raccoons that come to our doorwall & look inside at the big screen TV blaring away just pondering over that... haha

Considering our dog has tried to get the folks on television to play fetch... I really do think he considers them real and I find that both adorable and hilarious. I really need to find a clip of people throwing balls and just like throw one everytime they throw. It sounds mean, but the entertainment value is totally worth it.

 

[Isabellas2007]

I know that my parrot loved television and she would watch any of the shows we had on for her. However, I never thought about them being distracted by this and without it not feeling like they are part of the family.