Why is my bird suddenly doing this?

Question

I have a two month old parrotlet, and today he started chirping at me while I'm holding him, or near him, and bobbing his head up and down with his mouth open, like he wants me to feed him or something. What's up with this?

Answer 1

At eight weeks of age the bird isn't probably fully weaned yet? He is begging for food. The bird is hungry and doesn't know how to feed it's self adequately. Sounds like another (sic) greedy breeder selling a baby  before it is properly weaned and socialized.  Unless you have hand feeding experience then you should have waited for the bird to be weaned.

I raise and sell a lot of birds every year. From Amazons to  finches. I never sell a bird  until it is completely abundance weaned, flying and independent of me or who ever is feeding the bird.

You don't say how long you have had the bird but from your question I would say only a day or so. Surely you didn't go purchase a bird and you don't even have a booklet to read up on the species of bird you bought? The book should  be the first thing you purchased. Everyone wants a bird and spend a lot of money on the bird, cage and accessories. Then either through arrogance or stupidity they don't buy a book to read how to take care of their new pet.

There is so much more to bird keeping than to purchase a bird, throw it in the cage and give it seed.

Birds are excellent pets, they are all different and have different nutritional and emotional needs. I wish I had a nickle for every bird that gets abused because the owned doesn't have a clue how to take care of it or what to feed it.

Answer 2

He is begging for food.  It's a natural behavior.

Answer 3

uh... both questions for 1-2 were not entirely answered to the question. she said suddenly which means it was not happening before, here are questions that may give you the answere by thinking about them,

1 was the parrot eating normally, before this? if not then yes it wants food for you to give to her/him in (yes) then something might be happening to the brain function. take to a vet and work it out.

2 has it every bin tame? woul it not bite you? if (yes) it would bite you then the food is not desirable by the bird, if (no) it won't it thinks as you the mom.

3 have you risen it from a baby or bought it from a petstore or breeder? if you have risen it then it still might be wanting you to feed it. if you bought it from a breeder or pet store, ask them for any unusual behavior before you bought it.  

4. do you let it out for a while to fly stretch its wings? if you do then this must be a brain or mind dis function again try the vet. if not then let it out for some air (NOT OUTSIDE!) it might be that it is wrecked and has no being locked up in a cage.

hope i might have been some information on this unusual behaviour of your faetherd friend! <(^.^)>

Answer 4

He might be hungry and not getting enough to eat on his own. Sometimes while it appears that the chick is eating, he's actually dropping a lot of what he is picking up. Try some softer foods like cooked pasta, rice, egg, and fruits and vegetables. If he was handfed, you might need to take him back for a few days. I hope he was fully weaned before they let him go. Dont wait too long to do something.

Answer 5

I breed parrotlets. Your bird is fine, he is just young and still hanging on to his baby behaviors. He may do this for a couple more weeks until he forgets the "begging" that he did to get food from his parents.  This is a normal instinct that babies do and it's nothing that you have done wrong. It is not something that he will continue to do either. And it's not because you're starving him. It's just a learned behavior that takes a little time for them to grow out of!  Parrotlets bond best with their owners between 6 and 10 weeks...that means between 2 or 2 and a half months. You are fine- forget everyone who tells you differently!

Answer 6

he is hungry and wants to be fed all young birds at that age do this it is natural as that's how they get food of there mum and let her know there hungry....if u feed it at the age it is it will become very tame and look to u as its mum

good luck

Answer 7

He his really begging for food. He must be just hungrey. He might be sick, but I'm sure not.

Answer 8

Usually its not normal for this type of behavior to occur especially in a weaned parrotlet. Occasionally a young baby that was recently weaned will beg for food but i would offer fresh veggies and fruits as well as treats(millet) and pellets instead to reduce the risk of the baby reverting back to hand feeding which im not sure if you've had the special training to take on the risks and responsibility involved with hand feeding.