Just like us and other animals, some birds react strongly to seasonal changes.

• Often you may experience your bird(s) become a little more a little less active.
• Your bird may want to sleep more during seasonal change.
• Your bird may exhibit a little anxiety.
• You may witness more breeding/mating/nesting behavior during seasonal changes.
• Your bird may eat more or less during seasonal change.
• Your bird may not want to spend as much time with you, and it may even become more aggressive.
• If your bird engages in feather destruction you may witness more plucking during seasonal changes.

How can you support your bird during seasonal changes?

• If your bird becomes more active, you might want to increase healthy dietary fat to support the additional expended energy.
• If your bird becomes more sedate, you might want to support your bird’s rest by offering fewer Omega 6 foods such as grains, legumes, and seeds and all highly processed foods and snacks.
• If your bird desires to sleep more, make sure you send it to roost earlier in the evening and allow long naps during the day.
• Be sure you provide a quiet and dark place for total rest.
• Feed foods higher in Magnesium and B12 like mealworms and steamed mussels to relieve anxiety. Feed foods low in alkaloids like teas and cruciferous, botanically classified vegetables. Doing this along with feed foods high in B12 will help calm your bird.
• If your bird exhibits more breeding/mating/nesting behavior be sure to support their system by offering quality proteins such as mealworms, egg food, and plant matter high in protein like wheatgrass and barley grass. You might want to supply less dietary fats, especially Omega 6s.
• If your bird’s appetite changes, change the diet accordingly and don’t try to force feed if its appetite lessens, or don’t  reduce the intake of food if you bird seems extra hungry. Instead provide high-quality, dense nutrition for hungry birds.
• Oblige, if you bird wants more “alone time” give it. Don’t ever force your bird to spend time with you or others during a seasonal change or change in overall demeanor.
• Finally, understand seasonal changes can induce feather destruction. Relax, your bird senses your emotions and anxiety surrounding this. Provide a calm, stress-free environment to help your bird cope.

Most of all, remember birds are no different from other living creatures when it comes to changes in behavior, attitudes, moods, appetite, and need for rest. Caring for a bird “holistically” means mind, body, and soul. recognize your feathered friend’s total needs and desires just like you would like others to recognize yours.

Happy, healthy foraging!

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Featured Image: Spring Summer Fall Winter by Shelley Bain