Why does my bird have night frights and flap wildly in its cage?

Thanks for reaching out about Keke. Birds needs 10-12 hours of dark, quiet time to properly rest. If they hear noises, they probably won't sleep. So, a dark sleeping room or you need to stay up late in a different room, are the basic answers. Good luck.

Poor Tweety! It doesn’t say what kind of bird this is. But birds can have Frights when something scares them that causes them to do this. Calming and quiet and time will fix this. Cover the cage and turn out the lights and talk quietly to the bird. If the bird has pain somewhere...like a stuck feather, hurt foot, egg binding etc that could also cause them to scream. After a Fright it will take time for the bird to calm down, but if the unusual behavior continues, you should have your bird seen by a vet.

Hi there and thanks for your post! Parakeets are creatures of habit and when you switch out their environment, it can be a bit of a mid life crisis for them! If you have mirrors in the cage right now, that actually encourage reproduction / courtship towards his reflection which can keep him up at night. I would remove any and all mirrors from the cage for now until he is used to the new cage. I would also get a new toy that is unique to this new cage you got. It will take some time but I think this will help. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions / concerns you may have.

Thanks for reaching out with all of your questions. The cage that you have listed would be an appropriate size, however one thing that should be ensured is that it needs to be powder coated. This is important as heavy metal toxicity from chewing on the cage is fairly common in parrots. For sleeping, birds need to have complete darkness and quiet. This means that yes, an audiobook would keep your bird awake. As far as flying - this depends on the bird. Many Amazons do not fly a great deal, and need to be strongly encouraged to exercise. It is very effective exercise to have a bird fly, but you will need to ensure that the environment is safe for them. Ensure that doors are closed, there are no ceiling fans turned on, that all toilet lids are closed, and that no cooking is occurring. I hope this gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It could just be Mango is excited and trying to get your attention, or is bored and acting out as a way to entertain himself. Providing some extra enrichment such as puzzle toys to keep him occupied, treats, things to chew on, etc as well as letting him stretch his wings on something such as an outside of the cage playpen may help channel his energy a bit better. If he seems to have night frights at night even when covered, placing a nightlight nearby may help him settle and relax overnight.

I'm sorry to hear about Blue! If moving his cage to a quieter area or covering it for a bit doesn't help him to relax, or he seems to be showing signs of illness in addition to the sudden pacing, seeking veterinary care in person to rule out any health issues is best.

Check his feet and toes for injury, irritation or long nails. Check the perches for condition and cleanliness. Replace or clean them if necessary. If there are toys hanging near the perches, relocate or remove them. Make sure his cage is big enough and consider a cage cover at night to provide security for him.