Birdie puberty

[Snowy]

I am now learning that birds go thru puberty when they suddenly become ornery or mean. That it can last a year or two and they settle down again.
Is this true? Are there breeds that aren't as bad as others?
Would it depend on the degree of socialization it has?

[birdlady49]

I think there are two times when a bird will test you. One is the "terrible twos" which can happen at an earlier age. That's after you bring a new bird home and s/he has gotten used to the environment. Then they test you to see how far they can go and how much they can get away with.

The second time is when they come of breeding age.

Both times can generate blood.

The smaller the bird, the less traumatic it will be for its human companion. Lovebirds are probably the exception. Their entire lives are "terrible twos."

[raddaughter]

Originally Posted by birdlady49

The smaller the bird, the less traumatic it will be for its human companion. Lovebirds are probably the exception. Their entire lives are "terrible twos."

OMG, do I know it! I've got more owunds from them than anyother bird :)

Bigger the bird, usually the more bite. However, there are some useful ways to get through it though.

[Snowy]

OK, good to know.
It's a temporary thing, right? How long should I expect such periods to last?

[Kiwi1224]

My parrotlet went through her first stage at 6 months...she was a terror for a couple weeks and we remained very patient with her and it was like a light switch...she was back to her adorable self. Just remain very very patient and ride the wave .. your sweet bird will surface again. One thing I ensured is that she had a solid 12 hours sleep each night to help her disposition and not have a cranky bird on top of the adolescent stage. Good luck.

[Beaks]

the secret is dont change the way you interact with them because you may make things worse.

breeding behavior depends mostly on the bird, how it is treated, attention (1 on 1 time) and your attitude/actions.

most birds go a little nuts because the owners dont handle them during breeding season and they get their way when they act out so they use bad behavior to get what they want.(most agressive breeding behavior is learned by trial and error)

[birdlady49]

Great advice from Kiwi and Beaks, especially the 12 hours of sleep suggestion. Somehow a good night's sleep (for human and avian) makes the world a little more bearable.