B&G and reflection??

[ade.dave]

I believe I have the solution for this but I'm curious if other macaws do the same. Whem your birds are allowed to see and interact with their reflection in a mirror or similar do they get aggressive toward the reflection and/or you. If Max is allowed to interact that way he gets aggressive with and postures to the reflection and if I ask him to step up at that time he is likely to try and bite. I believe I can and will keep him from interacting with his reflection, unless that is the wrong thing to do.
What do you think and is it typical behavior?

[Monica]

It's ONE reason why I don't suggest giving mirrors to birds.... they can act aggressively towards the mirror, or towards you... or they could become so bonded to their mirror that they loose their social skills and may want nothing to do with humans and/or other birds.

Too many people don't think mirrors are a problem until they remove the mirror and the bird becomes depressed, stops eating, stops preening, and just sits there...

It's not the only time I've heard of birds acting in this way... and not the only B&G either.

[ade.dave]

Yes, I had read about that. This happened this evening. Max was on my leg and noticed the lamp on the coffee table. He walked over and then saw his reflection in the glass base. He began bobbing his head and ending the bobing with a sharp jerk, he did the bobbing a couple of times with his pupils pinning. I ask him to step-up at first he bit my finger a quick sharp bite, I told him NO in a sharpish voice and told him to step-up. Fortunately he did as I said. Lesson learned on my part.

[twoparrots]

Neither my B&G and Greenwing (pics at Macaws are Wonderful) pays too much attention to mirrors. they don't have one specifically for them, but they're scattered around the house and pass by them several times a day. If I stop in front of one, they *are* aware of the 'other bird' but after an initial check, they more or less ignore them. Although there was a lot more interest the first time (trying to look around the frame for instance) I believe that they recognize that it's fake and not a threat or something they can interact with.