• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Kakariki parrot obsessed with mirrors

mat1004

Moving in
Joined
8/5/22
Messages
7
Hello, I am new here and signed up to try resolve this issue and learn avian behavior. For some background info I own a Kakariki called Rico that is around 2 years old now. I am not sure if it's a male or female yet, but the beak is pink so I assume female. Rico free flies around my room for around half of the day as I don't consider my cage to be big enough for constant comfortable flight however it does have plenty of toys and food. I make sure to give her plenty of attention and she has even learnt to say 'Rico' and 'cookie'. Ever since I brought her/him home I have noticed strange behavior around mirrors. I knew that a mirror in a cage is a bad thing as I had done research before and knew that it is not a good thing for most single birds. Rico spent a lot of time looking at his reflection on the TV when it is off, same with my monitor when I covered the TV up and then onto picture frames and eventually just her shadow. When everything is covered up she tries to escape to another room where there is a mirror. Ever since this started she bites, has random outbursts of aggression where she attacks me and tries to bite, bites my finger when I hold it out for perching, etc. I don't know if this important but she has always been protective of her cage. This strange behavior started around a month after I brought Rico home, up until then we were bonding quick and already on the first week Rico trusted ate from my hand and later stepped onto my finger. Obviously the right thing would be to get a second bird but I don't have the space and I am afraid that they would not get along. There is not many articles about Kakarikis on the internet and I have read most decent ones and none of them said anything about needing multiple birds. When I go see family back in my home country (3 hour flight) she stays with a person that has 2 budgies and they are free flight in the living room all day until its time to sleep. I am certain my bird is happy there as she gets plenty of fruit and veg and free flight all day (like a 5 star hotel for birds :) ) . She coexists with the budgies but doesn't really bond with them and still sits at the mirror. I am really desperate to find help as I don't know if it's too late for her to stop being so obsessed. Today was the peak of this behavior as she hasn't bathed in 5 days and prefers the reflection. I hope that someone can help me reverse this or at least find a way for me to keep her away from mirrors as I really don't know what to do and am extremely worried.

Thank you

I have attached a photo of Rico :)
 

Attachments

Tyrion

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/22/15
Messages
6,797
Location
Oh Canada
Real Name
Annette Thompson
:welcomegroup:
 

Kiwi's Dad

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/21/21
Messages
2,380
Location
Florida
Real Name
Sebastian
Before I answer your question I need to know a little more are there any mirrors (anything she can see her reflection in)in her free flight room or her cage? Because to me it seems like she is sexually frustrated especially since breeding season just ended. To help try to cover every mirror and to help with cage aggression there are videos on YouTube to help and you could look on behavior bypass on the forum. Hope this help you :goodluck::)
 

mat1004

Moving in
Joined
8/5/22
Messages
7
There are no mirrors in the room, however there is a tv and a monitor that she spends most of her time at and occasionally puking her food up at the screen. When I cover these up, she moves onto picture frames and then even her shadow with the same behaviour, and tries to escape into another room where there is a mirror wardrobe. She is very aggressive and attacks for no reason and even more aggressive if I put my hand near the reflection. It’s really worrying as for the last 10 months she’s been getting more and more aggressive
 

Kiwi's Dad

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/21/21
Messages
2,380
Location
Florida
Real Name
Sebastian
Like I said I do believe she is sexually frustrated. she gets mad when you get close to her “mate”. Breeding season just ended so wait to see if she calms down and again try to take all mirrors out ill tag someone @Mizzely
 

Kiwi's Dad

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/21/21
Messages
2,380
Location
Florida
Real Name
Sebastian
At what time does she go to sleep? Is she getting enough sleep? (about 12 hours or a little more) Are there dark spaces or nesting material in the room or in the cage? (Hidey huts count!)
 

mat1004

Moving in
Joined
8/5/22
Messages
7
Hmm. She doesn’t sleep that long, usually from around when it gets dark (9 or 10pm) and wakes up at 6 am and 7am even is she is covered she starts talking. There are no dark spaces or hiding spots in the cage. By the way, do you have any recommendations what to cover a cage with? I have been covering the cage with a bed robe (only half, the part where it will be brightest). Could not enough sleep really be causing this?
 

Kiwi's Dad

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/21/21
Messages
2,380
Location
Florida
Real Name
Sebastian
Hmm. She doesn’t sleep that long, usually from around when it gets dark (9 or 10pm) and wakes up at 6 am and 7am even is she is covered she starts talking. There are no dark spaces or hiding spots in the cage. By the way, do you have any recommendations what to cover a cage with? I have been covering the cage with a bed robe (only half, the part where it will be brightest). Could not enough sleep really be causing this?
Try covering the the whole cape with a bed sheet or if your fancy a custom made cover. Where do you pet her? You should only pet on the head. Is there any nesting material in the cage. To them nesting material could be anything such as paper. Not having enough sleep could contribute to this. She should have 12 hours of sleep.
This article may help you Handling Hormonal Birds
 

mat1004

Moving in
Joined
8/5/22
Messages
7
She never really let me pet her. Only on the head when she is sleepy, no nesting material other than paper towels at the bottom. Would a bed sheet block the light?
Thanks :birdance::birdance:
 

Kiwi's Dad

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/21/21
Messages
2,380
Location
Florida
Real Name
Sebastian
A thick enough bed sheet should do it
 

Kiwi's Dad

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/21/21
Messages
2,380
Location
Florida
Real Name
Sebastian
Please keep me updated! I want hope she gets better :goodluck:
 

Kiwi's Dad

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/21/21
Messages
2,380
Location
Florida
Real Name
Sebastian
Hi, I came back to this thread to see if she has improved. Anything yet?
 

mat1004

Moving in
Joined
8/5/22
Messages
7
Hey, sorry for the late reply, didn’t have access to my email for a while, Rico’s behaviour is good other than being cage aggressive and randomly attacking me sometimes. With the reflection stuff there’s not been much improvement, she’s stayed with two budgies for a month free flight all day and actually played with them a good bit, but still sat around the places with her reflection sometimes regurgitating food. When she’s flying she goes into every room and greets every reflection, it’s adorable to say but it’s very worrying. Even if I cover all screens she’ll just move onto her shadow or escape the room into a room with more reflective stuff. At this point I’m very lost and have no clue what to do, thank you
 

Tony Irela

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
2/27/24
Messages
3
Real Name
Tony O Brien
Hello, I am new here and signed up to try resolve this issue and learn avian behavior. For some background info I own a Kakariki called Rico that is around 2 years old now. I am not sure if it's a male or female yet, but the beak is pink so I assume female. Rico free flies around my room for around half of the day as I don't consider my cage to be big enough for constant comfortable flight however it does have plenty of toys and food. I make sure to give her plenty of attention and she has even learnt to say 'Rico' and 'cookie'. Ever since I brought her/him home I have noticed strange behavior around mirrors. I knew that a mirror in a cage is a bad thing as I had done research before and knew that it is not a good thing for most single birds. Rico spent a lot of time looking at his reflection on the TV when it is off, same with my monitor when I covered the TV up and then onto picture frames and eventually just her shadow. When everything is covered up she tries to escape to another room where there is a mirror. Ever since this started she bites, has random outbursts of aggression where she attacks me and tries to bite, bites my finger when I hold it out for perching, etc. I don't know if this important but she has always been protective of her cage. This strange behavior started around a month after I brought Rico home, up until then we were bonding quick and already on the first week Rico trusted ate from my hand and later stepped onto my finger. Obviously the right thing would be to get a second bird but I don't have the space and I am afraid that they would not get along. There is not many articles about Kakarikis on the internet and I have read most decent ones and none of them said anything about needing multiple birds. When I go see family back in my home country (3 hour flight) she stays with a person that has 2 budgies and they are free flight in the living room all day until its time to sleep. I am certain my bird is happy there as she gets plenty of fruit and veg and free flight all day (like a 5 star hotel for birds :) ) . She coexists with the budgies but doesn't really bond with them and still sits at the mirror. I am really desperate to find help as I don't know if it's too late for her to stop being so obsessed. Today was the peak of this behavior as she hasn't bathed in 5 days and prefers the reflection. I hope that someone can help me reverse this or at least find a way for me to keep her away from mirrors as I really don't know what to do and am extremely worried.

Thank you

I have attached a photo of Rico :)
Hello, I am new here and signed up to try resolve this issue and learn avian behavior. For some background info I own a Kakariki called Rico that is around 2 years old now. I am not sure if it's a male or female yet, but the beak is pink so I assume female. Rico free flies around my room for around half of the day as I don't consider my cage to be big enough for constant comfortable flight however it does have plenty of toys and food. I make sure to give her plenty of attention and she has even learnt to say 'Rico' and 'cookie'. Ever since I brought her/him home I have noticed strange behavior around mirrors. I knew that a mirror in a cage is a bad thing as I had done research before and knew that it is not a good thing for most single birds. Rico spent a lot of time looking at his reflection on the TV when it is off, same with my monitor when I covered the TV up and then onto picture frames and eventually just her shadow. When everything is covered up she tries to escape to another room where there is a mirror. Ever since this started she bites, has random outbursts of aggression where she attacks me and tries to bite, bites my finger when I hold it out for perching, etc. I don't know if this important but she has always been protective of her cage. This strange behavior started around a month after I brought Rico home, up until then we were bonding quick and already on the first week Rico trusted ate from my hand and later stepped onto my finger. Obviously the right thing would be to get a second bird but I don't have the space and I am afraid that they would not get along. There is not many articles about Kakarikis on the internet and I have read most decent ones and none of them said anything about needing multiple birds. When I go see family back in my home country (3 hour flight) she stays with a person that has 2 budgies and they are free flight in the living room all day until its time to sleep. I am certain my bird is happy there as she gets plenty of fruit and veg and free flight all day (like a 5 star hotel for birds :) ) . She coexists with the budgies but doesn't really bond with them and still sits at the mirror. I am really desperate to find help as I don't know if it's too late for her to stop being so obsessed. Today was the peak of this behavior as she hasn't bathed in 5 days and prefers the reflection. I hope that someone can help me reverse this or at least find a way for me to keep her away from mirrors as I really don't know what to do and am extremely worried.

Thank you

I have attached a photo of Rico :)
Hi there did you resolve the issue with Rico and the mirrors? My bird is acting the same
 
Top