Parrot - Overbonded

What is meant by the term 'overbonded parrot'?

Parrots form long-term pair-bonds, often lifelong. Once they reach puberty they therefore start to look for a mate.

While this is fine in the aviary situation where parent-reared parrots can be given mates, it can cause huge problems in the pet situation where hand-reared birds only have humans for company and, indeed, have only ever learned to associate with humans.

This can result in the bird attempting to form a pair-bond with one of its owners.

What are the problems if my parrot forms a bond with me?

There are many:

• Screaming. Parrot pairs are rarely out of sight of each other and even more rarely out of earshot. The pair-bonded parrot will therefore constantly try to communicate with its 'mate' – this frequently ends up as a screaming problem.
• Anxiety. The pair-bonded parrot whose 'mate' goes to work each day will be lonely and anxious. This can manifest in many ways, but is certainly a major cause of feather damaging behaviours.
• Persistent egg laying. The presence of the 'mate' is a cue for some female birds (e.g. cockatiels) to lay eggs. If this is the human owner, then persistent laying may result.
• Aggression – this can take the form of possessive aggression where the bird attacks either its 'mate' or the family of its 'mate' if they approach too close to its 'mate'. It can also take the form of territorial aggression where the bird selects a nest site that it defends from all bar its 'mate'.

Once the bond has formed it is difficult to break in a way that leaves the bonded owner with an amiable pet bird without causing excessive anxiety to the bird. In essence it is like conducting a divorce from someone with whom you continue to live and continue to be friends with! This process certainly requires full commitment from all the family to allow the bird to leave its pair and become part of a wider family flock.

How can bonding be avoided?

It is far better to avoid the pair situation and this can be done by avoiding pair-related behaviours.

Do not cuddle the parrot. Stroke the head and feet, but avoid the body – only the bonded pair would groom each other in this way.

Do not offer the bird food from your mouth and never accept food from the bird’s beak.
Interact with the bird in a less close manner – play games and do training exercises. These will allow you to have fun with your parrot and maintain a bond like a parent bird and semi-dependent juvenile.

Encourage foraging behaviours in your bird – feeding enrichment devices and good use of foraging toys will give your bird confidence in its own abilities to 'find things to do'.

Inappropriate pair bonding is the biggest single behavioural problem in pet parrots and probably the main reason for so many birds being rehomed.

It must be remembered that the bird has a drive to bond so the onus is on the owner not to allow this to happen. Good advice when the bird is young can help to avoid this unhappy situation developing.