Depressed bird ??

Zeytin

New member
Apr 13, 2020
22
6
Hello everyone!

I’m looking for advice please because I think my yellow lovebird Sunny is depressed... I know he’s physically healthy because we took him to the vet and they did a blood test and everything and it all came back good.

I also think I know the cause of this depression. In the beginning of October, we took him for his first check up (we had him over a year) and we asked information about wing clipping. We always let our birds (2) fly around freely, so we didn’t want to entrap him. But our girl was with us from the beginning and is used to our hands, letting us pick her up and pet her. But Sunny never did that. He wasn’t used to us. But he always wanted to be pet when we pet her, but then he’d fly away all skittish. We also didn’t take him out of the cage as often as her because it was next to impossible to put him back because we could never touch him. So we decided to try a minor clipping. In hindsight we feel so selfish and awful because he’s so sad! For the first two weeks, he flew and acted himself, like nothing happened and then he stopped. We took him to the same vet and that’s when he did blood tests and everything and said he was physically healthy. But we know our bird and we know he’s not OK. He’s even plucking more than usual - maybe out of boredom or anxiety. He shakes too. I think his wings hurt. He also used to be super horny and since stopped showing those symptoms.

We will never do this to him again, but I was hoping someone had some advice on what we could do for him now to ease his anxiety and discomfort. He still gets out of cage time on our shoulders and runs around, but it’s the not same for him.
Also, any idea of when his wings will grow out completely?
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Hi,
It takes 6 months to 2 years , as they molt out. Took Penny close to years to change our alk the cut feathers.

A bird that is used to flying, will often crash after a clip, as they still think they can fly. And they can injure themselves. But it can be that he has lost confidence, he us more fearful because he knows he can't get away..and yes can lead to more plucking.

Provide more perches on the outside of cage. And bridge to connect to a play stand. I bought a 30 buck metal bird stand that you can attach a swing ir rope spiral to. Provide him ways to get around and retreat when he wants to.

https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress...ot-companions/
 

Littleredbeak

Well-known member
May 27, 2020
622
870
My 2 lovebirds love listening to other birds sing. I play YouTube videos of other lovebirds singing- maybe this will help him out. I also have a depression light for people that I shine in their cage for light. Hope your bird feels better! I know when I go to the vets office the vet always offers to clip their wings every visit. . . :/

I have two lovebirds. Luvy is very interactive and affectionate and Pearl is more reserved and very curious.. Pearl came to me from a man who was rehoming her after her mate died- he didn’t want her to be alone. Luvy is used to flying around everywhere and Pearl initially wasn’t use to this. In the beginning she had difficulty landing and controlling her speed. I only let her out in my bedroom for a while- II put lots of branches everywhere to give give more options to land. She preferred landing on the curtains the most. Pearl was not use to human contact either... although she likes playing follow the leader with Luvy and would sometimes land on me when he did. To get her back in the cage I would put millet in her And Luvy’s cage (luvy’s favorite treat !) and she’d follow Luvy in the cage to munch on millet. This is the only time I would give them millet was to get them back in the cage. Now Pearl is feels confident around me and doesn’t fly off when I come near - she’ll actually land on me and eat out of my hand! I no longer need treats to get her in the cage- normally as soon as I put Luvy back in she’ll come shortly l behind him. They (aka Luvy) prefers the treat way.

Side note. Pearl is probably a boy

Pearl reminds me of your boy. When he does grow his feathers back try to using treats to get him back in his cage.

Best of luck!!
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Target training!! Bird tricks you tube they hsve great stuff, even covers on how to get hands off birds back to cages
 

Inger

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Mar 20, 2017
3,395
826
Everett, WA
Parrots
Bumble - Pacific (or Celestial) Parrotlet hatched 02/19/17
I’ll second target training. And FlockTalk is a good YouTube channel too. She has parrotlets but her training videos are solid and lovies aren’t that much bigger than p’lets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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