parrotlets are always mating but hen never lays eggs

Question
Hi , I have a pair of parrotlets that are constantly mating but never produce eggs.  I have a nesting box for them and they both go in and out of it and are very defensive  of the box.  I keep on thinking there must be an egg in there but nothing!! This has been going on for  a year now .  What could be causing them not to lay egg?

Answer
Hi, Holly,

Are you sure you have a male and female and not 2 of the same sex?  Are these birds pair-bonded (pair-bonding is when the male feeds the female beak-to-beak)?  Did you put any type of substrate in the nesting box (most parrots do not like any substrate in their nest)?  Could these birds be too young (they need to be at least a year old)?  Are they being disturbed by another animal (either in the same room or if they are near a window, something outside...birds have no conception of window glass)?  What about health issues...are these birds healthy and on a good diet?  Are you sure eggs aren't being laid and the birds are destroying them?  Are these birds housed with other birds?  Perhaps they don't like the location of their cage.  Sometimes a bird won't lay eggs if they believe their eggs/offspring could be in danger.  Is the nesting box the right size and is it mounted properly?    

As you can see, there can be many reasons why a pair of birds mate, but don't lay eggs.  Sometimes it's a process of elimination before you can get to the bottom of the problem.  Ensure these birds are healthy first by perhaps having a certified avian veterinarian check them over.  Then check into some of the other areas I mention above.

Chrys