Pet Senegal Reverting To Wild

[damo353]

Hi,
My first post and its a strange one so I want to see if any expert can help me out on this.
I have a pet Sennie - Bob. According to his closed ring he's a 2000 born bird, which in theory leaves him at the nice age of 12ish. I have owned him for four years and for all that time he has been nothing but the most stable and reliable of birds. He's had the odd trantrum or two but nothing of any significance, more a case of just popping him back into his cage and telling him that he's been naughty. However for the past two months or so something has gone seriously wrong with Bob. The normal procedure for the since I got him was when I'd come home from work he would be out on my shoulder and generally going around with me and then popped back in for bed - same ritual every day. Over a period of say 5 days he seems to be a little freaked and over the 5 days it seemed to get progressively worse, that was two months ago. Now EVERY evening when I come home he flutters wildly in the cage and hangs on to the side - eye pupils constricted and mouth slighly opened - as if out of breath, but not, more a really "freaked" out look. He hangs onto the cage for dear life - I put my hand in and he'll climb onto my finger and then scurries as fast as he can up my arm to my shoulder. From there he may continue his freak out and "fly" off my shoulder to try and hide in a dark corner or under something - HOWEVER if I put my finger down to him, a little away he will walk over - step up and scurry up my shoulder and then holds on for dear life there - almost falling off the back. Now that's only half the story because give him a while out with me on my shoulder - you could be talking an hour or two and he settles right down and becomes "normal" Bob - all loving, looking for cuddles, scratches, taking food from me - the perfect bird, he might even try to do his "frolick" on the back of my hand. If I go out for a few minutes-having maybe left him on the back of the chair (not his cage) he could be back to freaked out Bob but the recovery time will be much quicker. However this might not always be the case - I could come back in and he'd be as he was when I left him - "normal" Bob. I have learned to manage him but I can not figure out what has/is going wrong with him. I've tried all the usual - new locations for cage, new cage, different approaches to getting him in the evening. Having him in the room I live in so there would always be human contact but irrespect, it seems as if a reset button is pressed and he reverts.
Has anyone come across this? Given his age I would expect he'd have a few more good years in him and his diet is very good and he eats very well.
Not sure if there is any more details I can think of or give but if anybody has any thoughts....I am pretty well versed in birds and I think I've tried all the usual. To protect himself from ending up window paste I have had to clip his wings and also in the hope that it might settle him down somewhat but no change - rather than flying he just scurries on the floor....

[Eurycerus]

To protect himself from ending up window paste I have had to clip his wings and also in the hope that it might settle him down somewhat but no change - rather than flying he just scurries on the floor....

That's a sad but accurate description of what I've seen parrots do... he's probably not too happy to have lost his ability to flee. :/

step up and scurry up my shoulder and then holds on for dear life there - almost falling off the back

I don't feel qualified to provide any advice, but reading that sentence makes me think maybe he's having a medical issue, inner ear/balance problem (does that happen?) which undoubtedly would freak out your poor little guy if he feels unstable or sick I'm sure it makes him very scared. Have you had a vet check him out?

Given his age I would expect he'd have a few more good years in him and his diet is very good and he eats very well.

I believe you're right about that. Pet parrots usually live quite a while due to better nutrition and not being eaten! So I would get the bugger checked out pronto.

[marie83]

Agree than any sudden behavioural changes should be checked out. Its pretty clear from what you posted that this is not normal behaviour for you bird. That said is there anything that could of frightened your bird? perhaps when you have been out so you havent noticed, or a change in your own appearence or behaviour?

[damo353]

Hi folks,
Thanks for your replies. I thought it might be a medical condition too - that he may have had a "turn" if you'd call it that but the problem is he's not like that all the time, if he remained wild then I'd accept that.
Today for example - I'm on a day off - took him out of his cage when I got up - so he woke from sleep to me and stepped up for me, as normal, relaxed, delighted to see me - full of the joys that is Bob. Then he's been with me ever since. He's rock solid, stable, full of "lovie dovieness" and normal Bob. Chances are now that I have to go out for a while when I come back he'll be freaked - be it that I leave him along outside his cage on the back of the chair where normally are, or in his cage in the company of my other pet birds.
To me its more like a separation anxiety of some sort but how to break the cycle and hold it - that's the problem. It never happened in the past. Perhaps there is some underlying medical issue but to bring him to a vet they'd just tell me - there's nothing wrong with him - which there doesn't appear to be physically or mentally, today.
So fustrating!!

[Wayne361]

Was there any "defining moment" back a few months ago that might be attibuted to the behaviour? I.e. did you scare the bejesus out of him when coming home, or any other sort of incident that happened out of the ordinary? I know that their behaviour changes during moults and sexual maturity but this seems very odd. Is Bob home with others that might be contributing to this behaviour while you are gone? i.e. young kids tormenting him till you arive....
If you can contribute this behaviour to any of the above then you can start to work it out in time....just my opinion...

Wayne

[damo353]

Hi Wayne,
Thanks for your reply but I'm afraid none of what you've suggested is applicable. But I do have an update, and it is the first time it has come to light.
As I said I had him out all day yesterday until leaving the house. Just before that I had a quick cuppa so Bob was on his chair with his food bowl. He was eating away as normal and all of a sudden stopped and appeared to go into a sort of "trance" - yea I know it sound weird but this is what was happening as I watch. He moved his head in sudden jerky motions but very controlled - as if he was transfixed on on thing on the rooms ceiling. This continued for a minute or two - just continous stare - he still had a piece of food held in his claw half eaten but it was as if he'd forgotten it was there. When I went to pick him up (step up) - he was about a foot away from me he started to freak!! He did step up but wings flapping and out from his body - his appearance was now eye pupils constrained and mouth slightly open
I tried to interact with him but as usual he was now freaking so rather than stressing him any more I popped him back in his cage and cover him over to give him some "quiet" time. By evening he had improved somewhat when I took him out again but again it took the hour or two for him to come around completely.
So what causes this - I can see nothing obvious - there must be some imbalance in something or other - there was nothing I could see of to cause him to enter this stare state. No trigger. I don't think it is fixable and is something I'll have to accept and work around to give him some quality of life. If anybody has any thoughts I would be delighted to hear them.

[liz]

Wing clipping creates fear, anxiety and frustration. It would be like tying your legs together to keep you from doing what your body was intended to do.

It is not natural for a flighted bird to just sit on your shoulder. Yes, Myrtle likes to sit on my shoulder but she loves to fly.

[damo353]

Liz,
As my first post pointed out I had to clip his wings BECAUSE of his "ailment" as he ran a very high risk, because of his developed freaked out nature, of breaking his neck against our windows. His clipped wings have nothing to do with his psychological issue. Up to that point he never had his wings clipped and enjoyed hours of pleasure having the choice to sit on my shoulder/knee or do a circuit or two of the living room - which he rearly chose to do - he was much happier taking the easy route
As I said I think I've exhausted all avenues, having seen what happened yesterday and will adopt his and my life style to take into account his "ailment"

[marie83]

I didnt understand from your post if you had already seen the vet but if not I'm going to repeat what I said before- its a good idea, a second opinion is a good idea if you already have been. Sudden behaviour changes are not usually for no good reason, he could have a nutritional deficiency or internal disorder which hasnt yet been picked up on. It could just as easily be something thats frightened him without you realising but its better to be safe than sorry.

I took my bird to the vet and tbh he did next to nothing, literally the most basic tests and then said he had pychological issues because nothing was showing up. The next vet I went to had a bigger range of tests done but still didnt anywhere near exhaust the number of possible tests that could be done, luckily we didnt need to keep going back because I found the answer, it appeared to be a problem with our water supply making my birds sick. I've since found out that at least one other person in my area had a similar problem but actually lost some birds because of it- as soon as he started filtering his water his birds got better too. Just dont dismiss the idea that a change in behaviour means there is something psychological, for the bigger part of the year my birds were sick for the only symptom they had was the fact they were pulling feathers to start with.