Hiding his food...

[StarryEyedGirl]

So, harley has recently began to hide his food in a corner of his play stand. Any crumbs or left overs he will pile up in a corner. Which is weird because when he's not with me (which is just about 24/7) he's eating, preening, napping or talking to the outside birds. So my question is, is this normal behavior? It just started and he'd very well fed. He gets a pellet diet and gets seed as a treat. As well as some apples, pears and other goodies he likes. Just find it weird he's hiding his food. He is also going through his first hard molt.

 

[JamesC]

I have not observed any of my birds hiding food. But I have seen them moving it around to different food cups. Especially from my blue crown Rosco. For some reason, he likes to move his fresh veggies into his pellet cup. And, like a lot of birds, he moves his pellets into his water cup to make "soup". About half of the pellets I give him in the morning are in his water when I come home. Tootsie and Rosco will frequently fly over to the play pen with food but they consume it there. No hiding going on.

 

[BoomBoom]

That's interesting behavior! I was always under the impression that parrots didn't hoard food because they can store stuff in their crop. But I don't know anything haha. I think it's awesome your bird is doing this, definitely interesting.

 

[Kyoto]

Kyo likes to hide her fresh food... well, she likes to throw it on the floor, look at it, and then fly down to retrieve it. SHe makes such a mess, but I just can't be mad at that adorable face :3

She also likes to try to hide food in my hair. I've gone to work and had coworkers be like "is that broccoli in your hair?"

 

[StarryEyedGirl]

James C - harley does that with his pellet. He dunks EVERYTHING in his eater to make a mush/soup. I guess it's not really hiding, but he's piling everything up in a corner. All he does is eat! So I know he's not hungry.

BoomBoom - it just started yesterday! I cleaned it up but I'll have to get a picture next time. It's a pretty decent pile. Haha, he's so weird.

Kyoto - harley hasn't hidden anything in my hair yet. That's so funny that Kyo does that! Anything that harley doesn't want goes on the floor. But when he's desperate for seed(because he gets it as a treat only) he runs along the bottom of his cage trying to pick up scraps. And that's adorable that she tries hiding it your hair. She wants a part of her to go with you when you go to work!