Non-aggressive Growling?

Comafly

New member
Feb 8, 2015
17
0
Hi everyone. I've had my 5 year old female eclectus for just over 4 years now. We've developed a really strong bond and good routine. She gets regular vet checks and is super healthy, has a variety of food for her meals, does lots of training for treats, flies around the house, always gets new branches and toys, and is very friendly with other people, including my partner who I live with.

However over the last 4-5 months, she's started growling. At anything. There doesn't seem to be any particular stimuli for it. It's not aggressive, and its not accompanied by any other body language like flaring feathers, getting down low, biting, lunging, etc. I can pick her up and play with her like any other time. She literally just growls seemingly randomly, even at things she loves.

I could just be sitting in the loungeroom checking my phone, and she will continuously growl at me. If I'm in the kitchen doing stuff, she will growl at me from her cage. Sometimes she just growls to herself when nothing is happening, and I can hear her from my home office room. It's just a very low, guttural kind of sound; imagine that sound Marge Simpson makes when she gets annoyed lol.

I explained it to the vet and he gave her a methodical check up and a clean bill of health. No irritations, breathing issues, skin issues, feather issues, etc. She's basically a model example of a healthy bird. He said it could likely just be hormones, and that if it wasn't accompanied by any bad behavior to just ignore it for the time being. Make sure she gets "winter hours" of sleep, no warm or mushy foods, limit touching to the head and neck, etc.

I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience like this, where your eclectus was seemingly just growling for no reason?

Cheers!
 
Last edited:

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Ah yes, the world famous eclectus growl.

It’s just a species trait. My boy does it with some regularity. Moreso when hormonal (he’s just getting over a nasty 3 week hormonal bout), but not always.

I just kinda laugh, then tell him “*eff* touch too buddy” whenever he does it.

Nothing to be concerned dabout.
 

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