Parrots are little poop dispensers!
How many times have you picked up your parrot or had it on your shoulder when all of a sudden, it pooped on you. Exactly!
Most parrot owners will agree when I say that dealing with your parrot’s pooping schedule is the least fun part. If you aren’t careful, it can put you up for a lot of cleaning.
Parrots usually poop on people because of their frequent pooping urges. This type of behavior is more common in young parrots who have not yet been potty trained. When a parrot does not have a designated spot for pooping, it would not understand the socially accepted behaviors and will likely poop on you and other people.
In this article, I’ll be telling you about the reasons why parrots poop on people and how you can train them not to.
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Reasons Why Your Parrots Poops On You
Parrots generally poop every 15 – 30 minutes depending on the species and size. However, intentional pooping on people can be a cause for concern as it is not something you would want your parrot to do.
And although getting pooped by a parrot is considered to be a good omen in some cultures, it is certainly not a good sign if your parrot is doing it repeatedly. Here are the reasons why your parrot may be pooping on you:
Wrong Timing
In most cases, birds will poop on you because they just have to. Parrots poop quite a lot. They need to empty their stomach about every 30 minutes. Smaller species of parrots poop even more frequently. So it’s hard to blame anyone if you decided to pick your parrot just as it was going to take a dump.
Another thing that you can be mindful of is in what state you pick your parrot up. I have noticed with my parrot that it tends to poop right after a long bout of sitting idle. For example, if it were to perch somewhere just preening or napping, it would most definitely poop when it flies toward me.
Stress Or Nervousness
Parrots can easily feel threatened and be nervous in certain situations. When a parrot is feeling anxious or uncomfortable, it may release its bowels as a way of coping with stress.
For example, if you are introducing your parrot to a new environment or a new person, it may feel overwhelmed and nervous. In this case, it may poop on you as a way of expressing its discomfort.
Territorial Behavior
It is unlikely that a parrot will poop on someone out of anger. Parrots can be territorial, especially when it comes to their cage or nesting area. So they can rarely exhibit such bad behavior if they feel a threat to their environment.
They may defend their food and toys. Also, the level of territorial behavior and aggression can vary among individual parrots and can also be influenced by the environment and how they are socialized.
When a parrot feels threatened or excited, it may release droppings as a way to show its dominance or as a sign of stress. If your parrots are pooping every time they see you, it could be a sign that they are feeling threatened or stressed in your presence.
Why Does My Parrot Poop So Much?
Parrots have a higher metabolic rate compared to mammals because of this they digest food a lot faster. A small-sized parrot species like the Budgie may poop as much as 40-50 times a day whereas an African Grey may go around 20-30 times a day.
This enables them to stay as light as possible which aids in a seamless flight. Parrots naturally have a very active bowel and if they are not properly potty trained they are likely to poop everywhere. While frequent pooping may seem like a hassle for you, it is actually a good sign that your bird is healthy and properly digesting its food.
How To Keep Your Parrot From Pooping On You?
The trick to not having your parrot poop on you is easy. Simply do not hold your parrot when it’s about to poop. It’s really that simple and 100% effective.
You cannot control when your parrot’s going to poop and you shouldn’t anyway. What you need to do is figure out how often your parrot poops so you know when to pick them up.
Unlike other types of parrot training where you reward the bird for performing a particular behavior, potty training does not involve positive reinforcement. Since parrots have a natural tendency to poop very frequently, it is not really practical or ideal to train them when to poop.
Trying to discipline them by giving them treats is also not something you would want to do because this will make the parrot hold the poop inside making it constipated.
Instead, you should focus on teaching your parrot where it can poop. Also, you need to better understand your parrot’s pooping schedule to avoid holding it at an inappropriate time. Follow these steps to keep your parrots from pooping on you:
Know Your Parrot’s Pooping Schedule
In general, the smaller parrot species have a more frequent pooping schedule compared to the large ones. The frequency of your parrot pooping can be anywhere from every 10-30 minutes.
But it is best to find out about your individual parrot’s pooping habits. By knowing how often your parrot goes to the loo, you can know the exact time when you can safely pick it up without it pooping on you.
Pick Up At The Right Moment
Let’s say on average your parrot poops every 15 minutes. So, when you see your parrot relive itself, you would know the right time to pick it up without getting pooped on. And when you know it’s time for your parrot to go again, you can take it back to its cage to let it do its business.
Create A Designated Potty Spot
Once you know about your parrot’s pooping habits, you should establish a designated area for your parrot to go to. Typically, this should be a place near its cage or the area under its perch.
I place a newspaper under my parrot’s perch because it’s convenient to clean that way but you can choose to have it someplace else.
When your parrot is about to take a dump the next time, you can take it to the pooping spot and say “poop” in a gentle tone. At first, your parrot will have no idea what you’re asking it to do.
But as you continue to encourage it, the parrot will start to associate it with actual pooping. So, when your parrot listens to you, respond to it with an affirming “good boy” to reinforce the desired behavior.
Conclusion
Parrots are very much like children. They can pick up bad behaviors pretty easily based on the responses they get when they perform those actions. There are some behaviors you wish you hadn’t taught them and some that you have no idea where they picked up from.
However, pooping around the house is not necessarily a bad behavior so you shouldn’t treat it like one. With consistent effort and proper training, you can teach your parrot the correct social behaviors and improve your bond.
