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need help with strange (hormonal?) cockatiel behavior
I have a lutino cockatiel that is about 10 months old, unsexed, that suddenly has shown marked behavioral changes. I understand this is about the age of maturity, and humidity and temperature have been high, but I'm confused about the behavior. Today it began vocalizing constantly, nonstop for hours at a time, not screeching -more of a loud chirp. It sounds like it could be male courting vocalization, but ti doesn't sound like the recordings I looked up of that. It has also been doing a weird little dance where it tilts it's chest down with head and tail up and walks in circles making soft squeaking sounds, which sounds like the descriptions I've read about females, but it has also been beak hammering and seems a little cage territorial, although hasn't hissed or bitten,which seems more like male behavior. It seems to do the dance and song around my boyfriend, but also in the cage. Has been flying erratically, has been flying away when we try to put it in our cage, it won't relax, seems anxious and is preening and beak hammering excessively. It let's us pet it's head but continues loud vocalizations, which I've never seen from this bird. Can anybody clear this up for me? I've read a lot of conflicting things and I'm more confused than ever, also getting a headache from the constant noise. Help! -
Kira
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