🌙 Hormonal season
Spring and autumn change the bird. This is what to change with it, and how to tell a harmless version of an alarming behaviour from the one that needs a vet.
A care guide, not veterinary advice. It describes what healthy looks like and what it does not. If your bird is unwell, call an avian vet — do not wait for an answer here. Why this matters more than it sounds.
13 Hormonal season (male)
Pet only head/neck · 12h sleep
Males can become territorial and aggressive during hormonal surges. Sexual maturity at 1–2 years; surges in spring/autumn.
Never the back, wings or belly — these are sexual signals that stimulate hormones. He gets frustrated and bites. Head and neck only.
Sleep — 12 hours of darkness
Cover the cage with an opaque cloth: 12 hours of sleep in total darkness. Reducing light discourages the surge.
No nesting spaces
No plush huts, boxes, or under blankets. They simulate a nest hollow and trigger the territorial instinct.
Don't use hormonal “remedies” from forums. If aggression is severe or red flags appear (lethargy, weight, breathing) → avian vet.
14 Regurgitation or vomiting?
Courtship · differences · stop steps
Regurgitation can be courtship behavior, but it can also occur with digestive disease, poisoning, or an obstruction. Vomiting is a sign of illness. If the episode is unclear, repeats, or appears with other symptoms, contact an avian veterinarian promptly.
How to tell them apart
Courtship regurgitation: rhythmic, relatively controlled head and neck pumping; food is deliberately offered to a person, bird, mirror, or toy. The bird usually remains bright and interested in normal activities afterward.
Vomiting: sudden and uncontrolled; the bird may shake its head from side to side and splatter food or liquid onto the face, feathers, or cage. The bird may look unwell and may have changes in appetite, droppings, or weight.
Do not diagnose from one movement alone. Record a short video, if you can do so without causing stress, to show the veterinarian.
If the bird is bright, eating normally, and the episode is clearly directed at a specific person or object, calmly end the interaction and reduce hormonal triggers:
- Move the bird to a neutral perch and redirect to foraging, play, or a short training exercise.
- Temporarily remove the mirror, toy, or object receiving the food.
- Pet only the head and neck; avoid the back, wings, and belly.
- Remove huts, boxes, and dark spaces that resemble a nest.
- Keep a consistent 12 hours of uninterrupted dark sleep.
What NOT to do
- Do not encourage the episode, give intense attention, or punish the bird.
- Do not withhold food or water, and do not force food or fluids.
- Do not give antibiotics or medicine left over from another episode.
- Do not assume it is “just hormonal” if the frequency increases or behavior changes.
Contact the vet promptly for vomiting, repeated episodes, regurgitation without a clear target, or any uncertainty. Seek emergency care if the bird cannot keep food/water down, has trouble breathing, is very weak, sits on the cage floor, has blood, or a toxin or foreign body is suspected.
While leaving: keep the bird warm, quiet, and partly dark; do not force food or water.
The rest of the care guide
The rest of the reference
The same guide, offline and with your place kept
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