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Quiz about Why Does My Parrot Do That
Quiz about Why Does My Parrot Do That

Why Does My Parrot Do That? Trivia Quiz


Parrots are quite different from dogs and cats, and some of their behavior can be very mystifying. Here are ten things I had to adjust to as a new parrot owner!

A multiple-choice quiz by pu2-ke-qi-ri. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
pu2-ke-qi-ri
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
217,708
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
5382
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: winston1 (7/10), brm50diboll (7/10), andymuenz (4/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Sometimes my parrot crouches down low on his perch, stretches his neck out in one direction, and flutters his wings. What does he want to do? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Whenever I put my lory on my shoulder, he tries to stick his tongue in my ear. Why does he do that? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In the spring and summer, my parrot always takes over one of my cabinets, shoving everything out and spending long hours sitting in it. I don't mind that. But why does she try to chase me away whenever I walk by? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Aaargh! My parrot just chewed up my antique Victorian sofa! Then he went for the wooden baseboards! Why does he have to chew so much? Which of these is *NOT* a reason why? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. I have a problem with my Hanging Parrot. Whenever I go to turn off the light at night, it's hanging upside down from the roof of its cage. I don't want it to go to sleep in such a dangerous position! What's wrong with it? How do I get it to stop? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. My parrot keeps getting pin feathers and blood feathers. They seems to make her really uncomfortable. What do I do to prevent them? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. My parrot acts funny when I pet her on the back. It doesn't happen when I scratch her head or rub her under the wings. What's going on? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Sometimes my parrot flashes his irises, puffs out the feathers on his head, fans his tail, and starts walking up and down his perch. What does that mean? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Sometimes my Pionus parrot has this sort of sweet aroma. Does this mean he's sick?


Question 10 of 10
10. Whenever I cuddle with my macaw, he starts throwing up. Why? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Feb 20 2024 : winston1: 7/10
Feb 20 2024 : brm50diboll: 7/10
Feb 20 2024 : andymuenz: 4/10
Feb 20 2024 : Dagny1: 10/10
Feb 20 2024 : mcdubb: 6/10
Feb 20 2024 : Kabdanis: 7/10
Feb 20 2024 : postcards2go: 9/10
Feb 20 2024 : turtle52: 9/10
Feb 20 2024 : mandy2: 10/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Sometimes my parrot crouches down low on his perch, stretches his neck out in one direction, and flutters his wings. What does he want to do?

Answer: Go somewhere

This is the posture parrots take when they're about to fly. For a wing-clipped parrot, it usually indicates that they want to be taken somewhere in the direction they're stretching out their neck. I call it the "birdie divining rod"!
2. Whenever I put my lory on my shoulder, he tries to stick his tongue in my ear. Why does he do that?

Answer: It looks like a flower

Lories and lorikeets have specialized "brush-tongues" for extracting nectar and pollen from flowers. In fact, most of their diet in the wild consists of nectar from flowering trees. He probably thinks your ear is a flower, and is trying to get at the nectar!
I actually don't recommend keeping any parrot larger than a budgie on your shoulder. There's something you always notice about pirates: They always have a parrot on their shoulder, and they always have an eyepatch!
3. In the spring and summer, my parrot always takes over one of my cabinets, shoving everything out and spending long hours sitting in it. I don't mind that. But why does she try to chase me away whenever I walk by?

Answer: She thinks of it as her nest site

In the spring, female parrots can become hormonal. Longer days mean it's the breeding season, and so they should act accordingly-- by trying to find a mate and a nest site. Any dark and semi-enclosed area can apply.

It's not a good idea to let them take possession of their new "nest." They can be very territorial, and your parrot's attempts to chase you away could escalate into severe bites. Also, the darkness stimulates egg-laying, a health risk you probably don't want your parrot to take unless you want her to breed.
4. Aaargh! My parrot just chewed up my antique Victorian sofa! Then he went for the wooden baseboards! Why does he have to chew so much? Which of these is *NOT* a reason why?

Answer: He wants to spite you

Remember that the great parrot philosopher Descartes once said, "I chew, therefore I am." It's a natural activity for parrots. Chewing keeps jaw muscles in shape, beaks trimmed, and parrots entertained. That's a good thing. Now, given your parrot is not going to stop chewing, you just need to provide it with plenty of toys that it's OK to chew, and limit its access to things it shouldn't be chewing, like furniture and electrical cords.
5. I have a problem with my Hanging Parrot. Whenever I go to turn off the light at night, it's hanging upside down from the roof of its cage. I don't want it to go to sleep in such a dangerous position! What's wrong with it? How do I get it to stop?

Answer: Nothing

"Hanging parrots" are called that because they sleep upside down. I'm not sure what advantage that has over the normal one-foot-on-the-perch and head-in-the-back-feathers method, but there you go.
6. My parrot keeps getting pin feathers and blood feathers. They seems to make her really uncomfortable. What do I do to prevent them?

Answer: Nothing

When a parrot molts, the new feathers emerge covered in a protective sheath. These are pin feathers. They are called blood feathers if they still have a blood supply. There is nothing you can do to prevent them; they're a natural part of parrot physiology.

A bath can help, and, if your parrot trusts you enough to let you scratch its head, you can rub the ends of the pinfeathers to get the sheath to come off faster. If you're pulling too much, it will let you know! Broken blood feathers, on the other hand, can be a potentially life-threatening situation for a parrot.

They are small and have a small amount of blood, so they can bleed to death very quickly. Either get the bird to a vet very quickly, or remove the feather yourself. Pull out the broken blood feather in the direction of feather growth with a pair of tweezers or pliers, and apply pressure at the follicle. Styptic powder is also good for stopping the bleeding.

Then get the bird to a vet.
7. My parrot acts funny when I pet her on the back. It doesn't happen when I scratch her head or rub her under the wings. What's going on?

Answer: She interprets it as sexual stimulation

When mating, the male parrot always steps or stands on the female's back. So, if you're applying pressure there, especially during breeding season...
8. Sometimes my parrot flashes his irises, puffs out the feathers on his head, fans his tail, and starts walking up and down his perch. What does that mean?

Answer: He's excited

Iris flashing is always a sign of excitement, especially combined with tail fanning, raising the feathers on the head, and vocalizing. It can either mean he's really happy or really angry. You have to tell from context. Either way, it's usually not a good idea to try to pick him up when he does that. You might get bitten!
9. Sometimes my Pionus parrot has this sort of sweet aroma. Does this mean he's sick?

Answer: No

When Pionus parrots and some species of Amazon parrots are happy, they make a sort of sweet aroma. I actually rather like it...
10. Whenever I cuddle with my macaw, he starts throwing up. Why?

Answer: He likes you

Regurgitating food is the ultimate parrot love gift. He likes you! This is true for all parrots, but regurgitating food to a favorite human seems to be more common in macaws. If you think it's just too gross, you can always leave the room.
This is not to say that regurgitation is never a sign of illness, but that's usually accompanied by puffed up feathers and general unhappiness. If in doubt, take the bird to a vet.
Source: Author pu2-ke-qi-ri

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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