Past-Bedtime Moodiness?

[LegendClappitao]

Hello, I have an almost 8 month old Sun named Phoebe. I have another question.

I had Phoebe out of her cage at a later time than usual. She’s almost always in bed by this time, but she didn’t get much time in the morning to be out so I wanted to give her some more time.

Not very long after taking her out she started screaming regularly, she became tense and scared looking, with all her feathers slicked.

She started acting standoffish and scared, less confident too. She seemed eager to get back to her cage, so I took her back in the room where her cage is, and I did some training with her in an attempt to calm her down.

She was tense and not as trusting in even the perch, and she slipped and landed on my hand, I gave her a treat and put her back in, because I didn’t want her to get more freaked out.

She practically jumped into her cage and ran to the back corner and she looked scared of me. I gave her a couple more treats to hopefully calm her down but it didn’t work.

Why was she so suddenly freaked out? I’m really worried that tomorrow she’ll be afraid of me or freaked out or something.

I did a surface level google search and one of the results said parrots can get distressed if they’re up past their usual bedtime. Is this true?

I worked a long time to get to where I am in my relationship with Phoebe I’d hate to have a setback.

 

[rheashard2]

How long have you had Phoebe? Birds like routine. Some can become rigid about wake up and sleep times. Personality, season and hormones affects this a lot. A tired, bird can become grouchy and irritable. How later was it? Is Phoeba, a get in cage and sleep personality? Or is she a stay awake and active until the house is quiet type? Look seriously at what was going on around the both of you. Other than time was anything else going on? If not watch her behavior. She may be trying to train you to put her in her cage. Yes, this happens a lot! Her behavior could be for any number of things; adding or changing fingernail polish color, rings, clothing colors and styles, background noises, even eyeware are just to name a few. She could be testing her limits. Easier said than done; observe for but do not anticipate negative behavior. The vast majority of compaion birds can read the members in their flock aka you like a book. If you anticipate you are likely giving a tell. This can inadvertently cause negative behavior. My CAG is cooperative the majority of the times. But occasionally she runs from my hands. Fluffing up and become aggressive, indicating that she will bite. I have had her for nearly 21 years. Is she just her expressing her feelings? Legitimate fear? Nope, in reality she's testing her limits.

 

[LegendClappitao]

How long have you had Phoebe? Birds like routine. Some can become rigid about wake up and sleep times. Personality, season and hormones affects this a lot. A tired, bird can become grouchy and irritable. How later was it? Is Phoeba, a get in cage and sleep personality? Or is she a stay awake and active until the house is quiet type? Look seriously at what was going on around the both of you. Other than time was anything else going on? If not watch her behavior. She may be trying to train you to put her in her cage. Yes, this happens a lot! Her behavior could be for any number of things; adding or changing fingernail polish color, rings, clothing colors and styles, background noises, even eyeware are just to name a few. She could be testing her limits. Easier said than done; observe for but do not anticipate negative behavior. The vast majority of compaion birds can read the members in their flock aka you like a book. If you anticipate you are likely giving a tell. This can inadvertently cause negative behavior. My CAG is cooperative the majority of the times. But occasionally she runs from my hands. Fluffing up and become aggressive, indicating that she will bite. I have had her for nearly 21 years. Is she just her expressing her feelings? Legitimate fear? Nope, in reality she's testing her limits.

I’ve had her since November of last year. She was out at least an hour after her usual time, and she likes to chew her toys in her cage sometimes, but she also sits and relaxes a lot too.

What you said about me having tells that could lead to her being like that makes sense, I can get really bothered if she’s being difficult. I try not to show it but I’m sure some peeks through.

Before she got freaked out she fell a few times from a chair I set her on, that could’ve started it. She didn’t seem too different after she slipped off it though, but I could’ve missed something.

I try not to let her “train” me, I try not to put her in her cage when she screams so she doesn’t use it to get in there. But she very well could have just wanted to go to her cage, and I kept training and interacting. She probably got stressed because I wasn’t bringing her where she wanted.

I think I have to look inwards to see how I’m anticipating her negative behavior, but if she knows I’m anticipating it then she’ll try to push boundaries, hence the crazy attitude from her. I think.

Thank you for all the insight

 

[nkrbkr]

I’ve had her since November of last year. She was out at least an hour after her usual time, and she likes to chew her toys in her cage sometimes, but she also sits and relaxes a lot too.

What you said about me having tells that could lead to her being like that makes sense, I can get really bothered if she’s being difficult. I try not to show it but I’m sure some peeks through.

Before she got freaked out she fell a few times from a chair I set her on, that could’ve started it. She didn’t seem too different after she slipped off it though, but I could’ve missed something.

I try not to let her “train” me, I try not to put her in her cage when she screams so she doesn’t use it to get in there. But she very well could have just wanted to go to her cage, and I kept training and interacting. She probably got stressed because I wasn’t bringing her where she wanted.

I think I have to look inwards to see how I’m anticipating her negative behavior, but if she knows I’m anticipating it then she’ll try to push boundaries, hence the crazy attitude from her. I think.

Thank you for all the insight

It could be any number of things. My lovebird is very particular about bedtime. He’ll nip at me when it’s close to 8pm, until I ask, “Do you want to go to bed?!” Then, he chirps at me emphatically, until he’s tucked in to his sleep cage with a bedtime treat. He very much wants to stick to his bedtime routine. My Amazon doesn’t seem to care so much. She just goes along with whatever is happening.

My lovebird also periodically gets startled at times, and sometimes I can’t figure out what it is that upset him. It can seem random, but keep in mind that birds’ eyesight is very different from ours, and they can see things that we don’t. I’m sure Phoebe will be back to normal tomorrow, but be mindful if there are any patterns that you can notice over time. Next time she’s up past bedtime, make note if she reacts in a similar way.