Compared to all interactive pet birds, Parakeets have a unique style of communication with humans and other birds.
However, their communication styles and tactics can be pretty confusing, especially if you do not have much experience in handling Parakeets.
In this article, we highlight several interactive behaviors and languages to help you understand your Parakeet better.
This will assist you in being more interactive with your pet Parakeet and understanding what they might be trying to tell you.
Different Parakeet Behaviors You Need to Know About
Let’s take a look at their styles of communication:
Singing or Talking
Like most birds, singing, talking, mimicking, or tweeting is general signs of happiness.
This means that your Parakeet feels happy and wants to interact with you more.
Also read: Can Parakeets Talk? It’s Sounds and Vocalizations
Screaming or Shrieking
When it comes to pain or fear, a Parakeet will express these emotions through screaming or screeching.
Similarly, biting and trembling can be a sign of feeling threatened or fear.
They may be afraid of a new person in the house, a loud sound, or even a predator lurking by such as a dog or a cat.
Feather Plucking
If you find your Parakeet plucking its feathers, then it may be a sign of an allergy or a skin condition.
You should definitely get it checked by a vet as soon as possible.
Other than this, plucking feathers can also be a sign of boredom. This means your pet bird does not have anything to do, or someone to interact with.
Try giving your Parakeet some attention and some love!
Also read: Should You Clip Your Parakeet’s Wings?
Wing Flapping
Speaking of boredom, a Parakeet might also flap its wings to seek attention. Now, this attention could be yours, or any other bird your Parakeet is living with.
Since they are social and interactive birds, they need some form of affection and attention from their owners to thrive.
Try taking out a chunk of time after every few hours to give your Parakeet some attention.
Food Regurgitation
If a Parakeet wants to show you some affection, it might regurgitate its food.
Even though this may seem alarming, but rest assured it is a method of affection in bird language.
The only way they know how to make you feel special is to regurgitate some food for you to share with them, very similar to how we treat our friends to their favorite food to make them feel special.
Also read: Parakeet Kicking Food Out of Bowl — What to Do?
Head Bobbing
Head bobbing is another special gesture by a Parakeet that highlights hunger or the need to mate and socialize.
If your Parakeet is mature enough to mate, they might express their need through head bobbing.
It could mean other things too, but reading this expression really depends on the situation your Parakeet is in.
If your pet bird is already fed but still continues to bob its head, then its most likely an expression of a need to mate or socialize with other birds.
Parakeets Communicating With Their Owners
How can Parakeets communicate with you?
Head Bob Greetings
Your Parakeets will start using head bobbing as a method of communication with you if you return with interest and appreciation.
This encourages them to put their head back and forth to get your attention.
Usually, a head-bobbing motion towards an owner could be a greeting expression or a simple hello.
However, if the head bobbing is accompanied by some chirping it could possibly mean that they are trying to grab your attention.
Longing For Attention
The reason behind needing attention could simply be their longing for your affection, or it could actually be something that they need.
You should pay attention to them and perhaps run a little check to see if they are in some sort of pain or distress.
Just Telling You How Happy They Are
The most commonly used method of communication between Parakeets and their owners is singing and chirping.
These are their natural voices which they also make use of in their natural habitat.
Tweeting, chirping, and singing are all sounds of a happy Parakeet. You can also judge exactly how happy they are with their pitch and tone!
What Should You Do As A Parakeet Owner?
Perhaps the best thing you can do for your Parakeet is to communicate back. Your pet bird will appreciate the attention you give.
This will allow them to form a bond of trust with you which is why do we communication is very important.
You can sing to your bird, talk to your bird, or even simply watch your bird have fun to show you are interested in them.
Learning their communication styles and tactics helps you communicate with them better through the same methods.
Teach Your Parakeet How To Talk & Whistle!
Other than this, you can also teach your Parakeet to talk and listen.
Since they are one of the most talkative, it is actually pretty easy for them to learn how to mimic, listen, and even talk in short phrases.
You can teach them easy words and tiny sentences which can both be entertaining as well as a way of improving communication with your Parakeet.
If you do want to take out the time to teach your Parakeet how to speak or whistle, it is suggested to focus on talking before whistling.
For Parakeets, whistling is way easier to learn which is why they won’t be motivated to learn how to talk after they’ve mastered whistling.
Parakeets Communicating With Other Parakeets
Parakeets openly communicate with other birds around them using the same methods and tactics as they do with their owners.
When it comes to other birds and Parakeets, you can see them interacting physically as much as they do locally.
However, certain communication styles and methods may have a different meaning with other Parakeets than they do with human owners.
For example, head-bobbing could be an expression of hunger or need for attention. However, it is used as an expression for mating when it comes to other Parakeets.
Male Parakeets often bob their head while joyfully chirping to gain attention from female Parakeets. This can lead to them feeding together and eventually mating.
Can A Parakeet Communicate Stress & Sickness?
It is very important to pay attention to all the signs your Parakeet may be displayed because you never know when they’ll fall sick.
Sometimes when Parakeets are in pain or are feeling sick, they can show some signs. If caught in time can help them recover quickly.
However, if these signs are ignored, your Parakeet could get incredibly sick or even die.
If a Parakeet is sick, one common behavior you might find is that it may start plucking its feathers.
No matter which situation your Parakeet might be in, this is never a good sign.
In some cases, a Parakeet can also pluck out feathers out of boredom, but you should always look out for these additional behaviors to analyze whether your Parakeet is sick or just bored.
In case of sickness, your Parakeet will most definitely be lethargic and stay in one corner of the cage.
Generally, you will find Parakeets to be incredibly active, so a change in energy is definitely something alarming.
A Parakeet also might lose their appetite or eat in very small quantities. In worst-case scenarios, a Parakeet might stop eating. This is definitely a major behavior to look out for.
Just like any other animal, a Parakeet needs proper nutrients and energy to survive. If they stop eating or do not take in a regular amount of nutrients you should not hesitate in taking them to a vet.
In some cases, you may find your Parakeet to be more irritable than usual. If you are in a habit of interacting with your bird, you can easily understand attitude changes.
This will enable you to determine if they are distressed or sick.
Sometimes a Parakeet tries to increase its body heat by ruffling up its feathers and puffing out its beak.
If your Parakeet does engage in this particular behavior, it may seem bigger in size than usual.
It is important to know that majority of Parakeet sicknesses stem from cold temperatures.
Since Parakeets are used to the tropical climate, any atmospheric temperature less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit can be harmful to them.
What Should You Do?
If you notice any of the behaviors mentioned above, you should immediately take your Parakeet to the vet.
It is always best to treat these sicknesses on time as most of these diseases can lead to death.
The Bottom Line
With a Parakeet, or any other interactive pet for that matter, it is crucial for you to learn how to read their behavior.
Their body language, voice pitch, and any other behavior are always indicative of what they feel.
Learning how to read their behaviors can help you be a more responsible owner and ensure the health of your Parakeet!
Also, a singing and talking Parakeet can be an everyday source of entertainment for you!
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