Pixel Throwing Up On His Toys

[Laurie 0]

For the last 3-4 months Pixel has been really inward and a tiny bit anti-social. He spends most of the day eating his seed (bagged from a pet food shop - not Trill) and then throwing up some of that seed on his toys - mainly his favourite toy. We have plenty of toys for him to play with, and if we rotate his toys in his cage he won't play with any other toy. He will move to the part of the cage where his favourite toy has been moved to.

At night times he used to spend a fair bit of his time outside the cage, either talking to the other birds (mirrors around the house), or on his play pen playing with his cat toys (balls with bells in them) or sitting on a bendy perch preening. Lately though he has been flying out, wanting to give me kisses, and some of his seed (ew) and then maybe 10 seconds later fly back to his cage, wait 10-15 minutes rinse and repeat.

We have stuck a seed treat in his cage, I know they aren't great because of all the sugar, though he hasn't touched it!

 

Not sure what else to try, does anyone have any ideas?

Cheers

[robyn 0]

This just sounds like mating behaviour, he's trying to feed his "mate" (read toy) or you. Look out for your mirrors as well as he may decide he likes that bird better l.o.l.

[Laurie 0]

So will it subside, or is it seasonal and come back each year?

[Finnie 0]

They can go through a seasonal hormonal phase in the spring, when they would go into breeding condition. That would be due to the longer days. One thing you can do is to cover the cage for at least 12-14 hours per night to settle the hormones down and the extra rest helps, too.

 

If he is fixated on one toy, I might just well remove that toy permanently. He'll get over it. If a toy (or especially a mirror) causes bad behavior, it could be due to him bonding with it, and then becoming jealous and trying to guard his "mate" from any competitors. I guess it's up to you how bad you think the behavior is or isn't.