Conflicting information on mirrors

[AlaskaZ]

I took my sweet parakeet to the vet recently because he was over preening. I was worried about a skin condition/mites but the vet said he looks physically ok, so the preening is most likely behavioral. Here’s the issue. She recommended getting my bird mirrors. During years of owning birds, I have seen bird owners say over and over again that mirrors can be really bad for birds. Ive read countless posts about them getting overly attached, not understanding that the mirror can not return affection, unhealthy habits etc. I brought this up with the vet, and she sounded completely and utterly clueless. Like she had never once heard any whisper or suggestion that a mirror could be anything other than completely and wholly positive for a parakeet. I know parakeets are social animals, and that he would be happiest with a companion. But since his brother died, complications in my home life have made it impossible for me to bring another bird safely into the home. The vet thinks a mirror is the next best thing, and this has left me confused.

I want my bird to be as happy as possible. I love him very much and want to do what’s right for him. So it’s really hard to hear advice from a vet and different advice from bird owners. I’d love to hear your thoughts on mirror toys! Are they safe? Should I put mirrors up for my boy?

 

[Shezbug]

I have seen both sides of behaviour with birds and mirrors- for some birds they can be a great source of comfort and help and for others they can be a huge problem.

My little guy Squeak(budgie) has a mirror, he actually has two different mirrors (one is double sided so really he has 3 mirrors)! He is not addicted to the mirrors but sometimes will sit with one of the mirrors for sleep, to chatter, to play with the beads on it etc and other times like the last few weeks he has not been near it and is more interested in his swings.
If he was so interested in them that they made him obsessive or aggressive or stressed then he would not have them.

In my house I have the bathroom doors shut till I can work out an easy way to cover the mirrors fast, I have my awesome wooden framed mirror turned so the mirror is facing the wall because when my Macaw sees a mirror he starts off playing happy but within a few seconds he will be so ramped up he displays some horrid aggression- I am not sure why this started but it is awful to see how crazy he gets. I have not had the time or motivation to spend deliberate time in front of the mirror teaching calm and rewarding it so we just avoid seeing them for the time being.

Some birds wont leave the mirror to eat or sleep, some birds get confused and compete with the mirror, or they fall in love and end up a tad confused. When you watch birds you may find that often when they meet they will display (mirror) each others behaviour if they are interested in each other- I think the problem comes in when the mirror returns all the same signs indicating they are friends (reflection) but then the mirror does not respond with preening feeding snuggling etc and can be a source of mental distress. I personally have only ever really seen a mirror issue with my macaw who seems to find everything he can to test my skills patience and brain with lol

I honestly would not remove the mirrors from my budgie as he uses them the same as any other toy/accessory he has on offer. Maybe you can try and see how your bird responds and monitor then make your decision based on what you see and feel.