Sidestepping

[paandajean]

Hi guys,

It's been a week since I've adopted Alastor. Alastor has one eye, and isn't hand tamed (yet) so he's very very skiddish. On about day 3 he started what I think is called sidestepping? He runs back and forth really quickly on his perch and then he'll jump to his ladder and start swaying back and forth. It's pretty repetitive for him. He'll usually chirp once or twice. Does anyone else's IRN do this? Is he bored? Anxious? Or is it normal? I'm very confused.

Thanks!
Amanda

[rod038]

I would say its normal. Some birds see or hear something and they get excited and behave like this.

[ellieelectrons]

I agree that it's probably normal unless he is doing it all the time and never doing anything else. Some birds can develop obsessive behaviours. I saw a cockatiel once who lived at the back of a furniture shop. He would kiss his mirror, take two steps away, come back and kiss it again and do it over and over again. It had developed an obsession, I think, due to lack of stimulation and boredom. I felt really sorry for this bird as it didn't seem to have much in its life.

Ellie.