general bird questions

[FieryPhoenix]

Can parrots have off days when they don't feel well? Can they feel under the weather one day and then feel fine the next? Or is it always serious when a parrot doesn't feel well?

Also, can a Sun Conure molt in December and January? My sun is not losing a lot of feathers but I find couple little ones ever now and then, and she has a couple of pins on her head?

Also, can a bird have mood swings throughout the day? I notice that midday is when my sun conure is the sweetest. She can sometimes be bitey in the morning when getting her up or early evening 4pm. She will just bit all the sudden if you ask her to step up and she does not want to. Thanks be to God, her bites have not been drawing blood like back in the spring when she was laying eggs.

 

[HeatherG]

My Quaker will not step up when it’s dark out. He’s very grumpy in the evenings. I think some people are morning people and some are night people and parrots are similar, I’m sure.

I think a bird can have a bad day, but a few bad days in a row may mean the bird is unhappy or not feeling well.

Birds lose small body feathers all year round.

 

[cnyguy]

Ralph is fairly even tempered but he does have days when he's a bit grumpy. My Amazon George and my Grey Scooter both had what I called "grouchy parrot days" now and then. On those days they mostly wanted to be left alone. Parrots can have mood changes during the day. If the bad mood is persistent then there may be a problem, anything from boredom to illness, and then it would need to be investigated. A vet visit might be helpful in that case.

Because the temperature in our apartment is fairly consistent all year, all three parrots would have slow, gradual molts all through the year. Many parrots molt just once or twice a year. Down feathers are normally molted all year.

 

[FieryPhoenix]

Thank you for the feedback guys.

I feel like my Sun Conure is in her best mood in the middle of the day.

I am more likely to get bit in the early morning and the early evenings.

I am not a morning person OR a night person. Maybe she gets it from me.

Also she is more cooperative if she knows I will give her a food reward.

 

[Beebee0221]

Can parrots have off days when they don't feel well? Can they feel under the weather one day and then feel fine the next? Or is it always serious when a parrot doesn't feel well?

Also, can a Sun Conure molt in December and January? My sun is not losing a lot of feathers but I find couple little ones ever now and then, and she has a couple of pins on her head?

Also, can a bird have mood swings throughout the day? I notice that midday is when my sun conure is the sweetest. She can sometimes be bitey in the morning when getting her up or early evening 4pm. She will just bit all the sudden if you ask her to step up and she does not want to. Thanks be to God, her bites have not been drawing blood like back in the spring when she was laying eggs.

My two birds are moody throughout the day, absolutely! My Linnie’s is a night owl and my BeeBee is a morning bird. They are always more aggressive. When being fed I take their chop out when they are done so they don’t get territorial.

They molt at different times of the year some worse than others. I am always feeling for pinfeathers around their head and neck. when my beebee went through puberty, he lost an incredible amount of feathers and his new ones that came in were just beautiful. But at that time he was very miserable.

Both of my birds have off days. It has a lot to do with sleep the previous night I try not to over analyze until something is alarming. For instance, if they’re not eating or having tremors or sitting at the bottom of their cage fluffed up, you can tell a lot by looking at their eyes as well are they, clear and open or are they slightly closed and glazed over?

🦜😊