Kicking all the food out the food bowl

Frumpydumple

New member
Apr 21, 2013
572
2
Durham, UK.
Parrots
My birds: Skyler/Sky, violet Indian Ringneck. Mother's birds: Norman, African Grey and Mildred, Blue Crowned Conure.
Another question.

Nova sometimes kicks the food out the food bowl and I don't know why.

One minute he is sitting quietly, the next minute he runs to the bowl, jumps in and starts kicking all the food out. I thought maybe he doesn't like what's in it, but he does eat sometimes. He has seed and pellets in the bowl.

It's really funny to watch, but why does he do this?
 

RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
Usually when I've seen that it's because they're looking for a certain something in there like a certain kind of seed. Especially when there is no more of the wanted item left, they're really digging and searching for it and getting the other junk they're not interested in out of the way.
 
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Frumpydumple

Frumpydumple

New member
Apr 21, 2013
572
2
Durham, UK.
Parrots
My birds: Skyler/Sky, violet Indian Ringneck. Mother's birds: Norman, African Grey and Mildred, Blue Crowned Conure.
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Usually when I've seen that it's because they're looking for a certain something in there like a certain kind of seed. Especially when there is no more of the wanted item left, they're really digging and searching for it and getting the other junk they're not interested in out of the way.

I don't know what he's looking for then. He was fed mostly sunflower seeds at his old home, but he does have some sunflower seeds in his bowl.

He actually seems to like the pellets more than the seed, but he kicks the pellets out too...:confused:
 
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Frumpydumple

Frumpydumple

New member
Apr 21, 2013
572
2
Durham, UK.
Parrots
My birds: Skyler/Sky, violet Indian Ringneck. Mother's birds: Norman, African Grey and Mildred, Blue Crowned Conure.
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Hm, I don't know then. Maybe just playing?

Maybe, I don't know. He just stops whatever he is doing and runs to the bowl to kick the food out. It's hilarious. I might get a video of it. :)
 

henpecked

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Dec 12, 2010
4,858
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NC/FLA
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Jake YNA 1970,Kia Panama amazon1975, both i removed from nest and left siblings, Forever Home to,Stacie (YN hen),Mickie (RLA male),Blinkie (YNA hen),Kong (Panama hen),Rescue Zons;Nitro,Echo,Rocky,Rub
Try putting less in the dish or using a shallow tray with the food spread out more. See what he eats first. My zons will often throw out nonfavorite stuff in their fresh food dish. After the 'good" stuff is gone, they'll go back and pick up other things that were just"ok". I now use a very shallow tray where they can see everything being offered and don't have to "dig". Only stuff littering the cage now is stuff they drop. Alot less messy.
 
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Frumpydumple

Frumpydumple

New member
Apr 21, 2013
572
2
Durham, UK.
Parrots
My birds: Skyler/Sky, violet Indian Ringneck. Mother's birds: Norman, African Grey and Mildred, Blue Crowned Conure.
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I found out why he was doing this. He doesn't like having his food mixed. I was putting pellets, seed and almonds in together and he didn't like that. I gave him just seed and he didn't kick it out. Although, when he ate all the seed and there was only husks left I came back to the bowl tipped on its side with nothing left in it. :rolleyes:
 

Lo_Liv

New member
Oct 17, 2017
20
0
Missouri
Parrots
Pineapple Green Cheeked Conure (Pancake)
If my Pancake is throwing food out of the bowl because the favorite seed is gone, should I change the food to include more of it? It looks like 75% of his food is going into the floor. Picky thing ::gcc:: :p
 

LordTriggs

New member
May 11, 2017
3,427
24
Surrey, UK
Parrots
Rio (Yellow sided conure) sadly no longer with us
I would include none of his favorite and have that become his treat food

much easier to get them to do what you want when a favorite thing is on offer :p
 

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