Night Frights

It's the middle of the night and the house is silent. Suddenly the peaceful atmosphere is shattered by a terrible commotion erupting from the bird room. You rush in to discover your bird in a state of panic, thrashing wildly around inside the cage. Broken feathers (maybe even blood splatters on the walls if a blood feather is ruptured) and a trembling, screeching bird greet your horrified eyes.

If you share your life with a parrot-type bird, you've probably had to deal with this problem at least a time or two. Cockatiels are notorious for this behavior -- they will sometimes have several episodes a week -- but almost any species of companion bird may experience night frights. These episodes are nerve wracking and unpleasant, but not usually harmful.

While no exact cause can be pinpointed, there are several things that might result in night-time thrashing. Here are a few common reasons:

• Vibrations from earthquakes (birds are very sensitive to tremors).
• Storms.
• Intruders in the cage, such as mice or insects.
• Unexpected movements in the bird's room.
• Sudden noises.
• Bad dreams.
• Unexplained 'bird vibes.'
• Falling off the perch in its sleep (usually due to un-trimmed toenails).
• Other family pets prowling around the cage in the dark.
• Shadows.

If you have more than one bird, you've probably realized that if a single bird thrashes, the entire group will join in. It can be really scary to step into a room full of screaming, flapping, terrified birds! But while you can't expect to prevent, totally, night-time thrashing, there are things that can be done to minimize the problem.

To cut down on the chances that your bird will have an episode of thrashing, you might try these things:

• Install a night-light in the bird's room.
• Blanket the bird's cage with a safe cover.
• If a cover disturbs the bird, drape only the back half of the cage.
• Close the door to the bird's room to lessen the chance that a family pet may disturb it.
• Make sure all windows are covered with blinds or curtains.
• Keep the bird's toenails groomed.
• Eradicate any rodent or insect problem that may exist.

What should you do if your bird suddenly starts thrashing in the middle of the night? First, remain calm. Then turn on a light, uncover the cage, check to make sure there is nothing there to harm the bird and do your best to comfort your frightened friend. A bird that has just experienced an episode of thrashing may be shaking all over and clinging to the cage bars or hanging upside down from the top of the cage. It might take several minutes for it to settle down. Sometimes after things appear normal and you go back to bed, your bird may start to thrash again. In that case, you might want to leave a light on in the bird room or sit near it until it returns to a perch to rest.