cockatielbehaviour

Question
Our male cockatiel, Gizmo, has been in our family for about 8 months. We took him in as a favor to our neighbors since they were moving and couldn't take him with them. When we got him we were told that he was between 12-18 months old. He's been very shy. He started out with a "weet-woo" call, and lots of miscellaneous songs (which he improvises!) and we just love him to death. We let him fly freely around our kitchen-living room area, and his cage is also in this area. His food and water are in the cage and he goes in and out of it at will. We sometimes try to lock him in his cage at night, since we believed it provided him with more restful sleep,  but he prefers to roost on higher, more private spaces.

He's been pretty respectful and non-aggressive,
(albeit quite shy,)and doesn't sing to the point of overpowering our conversations. We talk to him all the time. Sometimes he flies down to the table and nibbles at whatever we're eating. He's always been much more interactive with my boyfriend,Mike. He recently (within last 4 months)started to land on his shoulder and plays with his necklace, and sometimes just sits there contentedly as Mike watches TV, up to this point.

Yesterday, Mike went out for a few hours, and the whole time he was gone, Gizmo sang the same song in an agitated way and seemed to be stressing out. I couldn't seem to reach him as I talked to him and sang to him. Usually he responds. He seemed upset that Mike was gone !

Then when Mike came back, Gizmo dove at him and
acted aggressive! To me it almost seemed like he was being chastised for being gone! However, today
Gizmo seems to dislike Mike altogether, and keeps flying down at him from atop the kitchen cabinets where he was hanging out all day yesterday.  

This is completely uncharacteristic of Gizmo, and we are wondering whether other factors are at work here, such as the changing of the seasons and possibly the onset of molting. We haven't seen any obvious signs of molting otherwise, except this behavioural stuff. He seems to want to be more protective of his private space in the last two days, and cranky. He acts about the same as he always has to me, except a bit more cranky.
But his attack on Mike was totally unexpected!

Answer
Hi, Laura.  Thanks for posting your question/situation.  All the details you provided certainly help!

It seems to me that Gizmo (I have a Gizmo, too!) is upset with Mike for leaving.  Gizmo is very definitely Mike's bird!  I'm sure Mike has left in the past for probably longer than 4 hours, but for some reason, Gizmo must have got the impression he wasn't coming back this time.  Four hours to a bird can seem like a lifetime and after Gizmo's experience of being moved from his first family to your home had an affect on him.  Maybe this time when Mike left it was a time of day when Gizmo and Mike usually spend time together and/or may have been a time when Mike usually isn't absent.  Birds love routine and anything that upsets this routine can affect them.  Therefore, I think Gizmo is trying to tell Mike that he didn't appreciate him leaving at this particular time (or any time actually) for whatever reason, and Gizmo is trying to give Mike a message that he didn't appreciate his departure at all.  Also, Gizmo is getting older, continuously getting closer to Mike and you, his daily routine becoming more concrete, etc., and interruptions to any of these can be stressful for him.  

As an example, I have to travel in my job, so I have to be away from my parrots sometimes for a week, sometimes 2 weeks.  My parrots know that I'm leaving when they see my suitcases, see my harried routine as I'm preparing to leave for a period of time, etc.  Parrots are smart and pick up on these things!  Then, when the birdsitter arrives, well, it's all over then!  They become very affectionate just before I leave thinking their behavior will stop me from going.  When I return, some act exactly like Gizmo did with Mike, some scold me severely, some won't have anything to do with me for days, some greet me as though I've been gone for months.  Sometimes this behavior lasts for days/a week, depending on how close a relationship I have to the particular bird and how intelligent the bird is.  This is especially true for my Amazon parrots, more so than my smaller parrots.  

Parrots are very similar to human children.  They become very close/attached to their humans and they know when their humans are not home, some get angry with them, etc., etc.  Their humans are missed!  This is what I believe is going on with Gizmo.

You are right, this is the time of year when parrots moult, which is a very stressful time for them.  Their bodies are gradually replacing every feather on their body (which often isn't noticeable), which takes all their energy.  I believe that the combination of the moult, coupled with the fact that Mike must have left at just the wrong time in Gizmo's day on this particular occasion, is what is triggering Gizmo's behavior.  Gizmo's cage is his safety zone where he feels most secure and safe.  Gizmo is probably staying close to it because he fears that Mike may leave again and/or he might be moved to a new home, etc., and his cage is providing security for Gizmo.  Be aware, too, that this time of year is prime time for birds getting sick due to changes in temperature, etc.  Some days, they just might not feel very good and have a bad attitude.  Give Gizmo some time and he'll come around again.  Make sure Gizmo knows you still love him and try to reassure him.  When birds are stressed, their immune system is not functioning properly, so be sure Gizmo eats well, is not exposed to cold drafts, doesn't get stressed more, etc.  Stress can open the door to opportunistic illness/disease.  

It's always a good idea to keep a parrot on a daily schedule/routine if this is possible.  In other words, if you must be gone during the day, try to make it the same time every day.  My schedule constantly changes, so my parrots are used to a changing routine often daily.  They don't necessarily like it, but they are used to it, and I hear about it!  Some days, I might be an hour or 2 late in feeding them their fresh food, and as soon as I pull in the driveway, they scold me until they get fed.  We have to do what we have to do, but realize that our parrots may not appreciate it and may act differently toward us as a result.  It's just the way they are.  

If you have additional questions or need clarification, please come back.  Thanks.

Chrys