Birds are active animals that love to be occupied and entertained most of the time. In captivity, the birds are provided for and don’t have to look for food. This creates a lot of free time, which can lead to boredom if a bird is not engaged in any enriching activities. Over time, it can lead to a bird developing self-destructive behaviors such as screaming and feather plucking.
Yes, birds play fight with each other. It’s a reciprocate activity that involves both birds. During the turn-taking at fighting, the birds do not dominate each other, and some rules must be followed.
The mock fighting helps the birds keep fit and ready to fend off predators. It also helps the young birds learn to:
1. Interact with the other flock mates.
2. Experiment with and expand their physical limits.
3. It helps to develop coordination and dexterity, thus ensuring that the bird flies efficiently.
4. Playtime helps young birds identify texture, color, and shapes as they play with a variety of materials.
5. Exposure to various objects helps create a more confident and less fearful bird.
Play fighting involves:
1. Beak fencing, where the birds pretend to attack each other by grabbing each other’s beaks. No aggression is involved, and there is less wing flapping and squawking.
2. Pushing with the feet; The birds take turns pushing each other with their feet.
3. Nipping and biting at the feathers and feet of their play partners without being bitten.
4. Chasing each other around with no aggression exhibited.
How Do Birds Play With Each Other
Play is a natural activity for birds. It is essential to birds as it helps with brain development and a longer lifespan. Research also shows that birds that play are smarter than those that do not play at all.
Both the birds in captivity and those in the wild value playtime. For the ones in the wild, although most of their time is consumed by foraging for food and being on the lookout for predators, they always have an opportunity to play and enrich themselves.
Play behavior is usually divided into various categories, namely:
1. Solo Play
Solo play involves a single bird. The play entails activities such as; running, skipping, jumping, ducking, rolling, hanging, swinging, dancing, and sliding. This is the most common form of play among birds.
2. Object Play
Birds can play with objects using their beaks. Object players use toys, sticks, stones, and small household items to play.
The play involves carrying an object around, running with it, or dropping and picking objects.
In the wild, since the birds have no access to toys like those in captivity, they do play with readily available materials. Hence, they will engage in stripping bark off trees as well as biting off and flinging leaves and twigs.
3. Social Play
It involves two or more individuals. One bird can hold an object in its beak while others chase it.
This type of play often involves scenarios such as “chase me”, “I want what you are playing with”, and “let’s pretend to fight”.
4. Locomotory Play
This type of play is mostly observed in ducks. They float through fast-moving sections of the river, and once they reach the end, the ducks return to the beginning point to start over again.
5. Balancing Games
Involves birds swinging from and climbing onto vines, swings, perches, and ladders.
How Do You Tell If Birds Are Fighting or Playing?
Birds use their beaks when fighting and during normal play, which makes it hard to differentiate the two. Sometimes the birds can be play fighting which you can misinterpret as a fight.
To differentiate between fighting and playing, you have to consider the level of aggression displayed by the involved birds.
When Playing;
1. The birds are calm, and their singing isn’t loud.
2. The birds screech and beak peck each other.
3. The screeching and chatter last for a short time.
4. The birds go back to their regular interactions.
When Fighting;
1. The birds flap their wings and hiss at each other.
2. Loud squawks can be heard.
3. One bird can be seen forcing the other one to the ground.
4. The birds aggressively chase each other around.
5. The beak pecking can last a long time, and the fighting can be fatal if not stopped.
Birds Fighting or Mating
Mating is different from fighting. Mating birds exhibit quiet behavior compared to fighting as the male calmly mounts the female and then perches beside her.
The following are the main differences between mating and fighting:
Mating
1. Before mating, the birds engage in courtship behaviors.
2. Mating happens between a male and a female bird.
3. Birds don’t make much noise when they mate. They only emit soft cooing and chirping sounds.
4. The female doesn’t try to escape from the male.
5. It usually occurs in the morning for the female to have enough time to lay her eggs.
However, in the case of fighting:
1. No mating behavior can be seen between the two birds. Instead, the birds aggressively flap their wings as they peck and bite each other.
2. Most of the time, the birds are the same gender.
3. A lot of screaming and squawking can be heard from the birds.
4. There is a lot of movement as the birds chase each other around.
5. Fighting occurs at any time of the day.
6. The fighting birds will puff up their feathers to appear large and intimidating to their counterparts.
Do Birds Play in the Wind
Yes, some of the larger birds do play in the wind. Ravens and crows often rise on air currents and then swoop down towards Earth.
It’s not advisable to let your pet bird play outside when it’s windy, as it can be carried away and get lost if the wind is strong due to its small body size.
Do Parrots Like Rough Play?
Yes, parrots love rough play. However, care should be taken not to hurt the bird due to its small size.
Rough play is good for your parrot, as it:
1. It lets the parrot know you are fun to be around. This strengthens the bond between you and the bird.
2. It makes it easy to handle your parrot, as it’s used to rough handling during play.
3. Your parrot is less likely to get upset if someone accidentally bumps it.
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