Hapi did a naughty thing yesterday morning. As I was passing by, he flew to my head and latched on to my hair, and then bit a huge hole in the top of my head. I don't know why he attacks my head -- could be that my hair was wet? Extra curly? The glasses on my head bothered him? It was Wednesday? He felt like it? Either way, my reaction was to bat him to the floor and then put him in his cage, shouting "No bite!" at him. It is not a good idea to yell at a parrot, ever, as the excitement in your voice is a reward for their needy natures and it could serve as a reinforcement for the negative behavior. When one has a gushing bloody wound on the top of the head, though, it is hard to say nothing! So, after the bite, Hapi said "Did you like that?" and then "Shame! No! Bad bird!" a few times. Then, got really quiet. I made sure I talked softly to him before going to work so that he wasn't anxious all day. Still, I worried that he would be upset and I was traumatizing him. Oh, parronthood.
When I got home, he was very, very quiet. He looked at me but said little. I thought he might be unwell, but after a while of seeing him fly around, eat, and mutter a few things under his beaky breath, I concluded he was fine, just showing "parrot-tude." The little bugger. I think his spring hormones are raging and he wants to get out there and breed like his brethren in the wild. Sorry, dude, that ain't gonna happen for either of us!
Last night he suddenly flew off to another part of the house, navigating right angle turns with surprising ease. He landed on a window perch and seemed a bit shocked at his own ability. I asked if he needed help and he said "Are you alright?" in my soft voice, which means a definite yes. He stepped on my hand again saying "Are you all right?" and was happy to get back to his usual haunts.
While I can't always understand parrot behavior, I can respect it and give my feathered fellas the time and space to be the intelligent creatures they are. They make decisions, act on impulse, reflect on their own behavior, and have emotions, just like us. While I live "alone" in terms of human companionship, I never, ever feel truly alone in my home because of my feathered roomies. I am not sure who "owns" who in this situation. We have a great routine together and there is enough bi-directional love to keep us all happy and healthy. Unless Hapi decides to be a brat. Ah, spring.
What will you make today?