Your pets aren’t always too predictable, these animals can express behaviors that we humans don’t understand, one of these behaviors is a cockatiel sitting in its water dish.
This article is a look into why your cockatiel is sitting in its water dish.
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Why does my cockatiel sit in his water dish?
As off as it may seem, a cockatiel sitting in its water dish isn’t all that concerning. Here are reasons why your bird may be doing this:
Comfort:
The reason why your bird may be sitting in its water dish may be because this is the most comfortable place for it to sit.
This may be the case if the perches aren’t comfortable on the bird’s feet. The bird’s water bowl is likely smooth and at a reasonable temperature making it quite comfortable on the bird’s feet.
Molting:
Just as with the previous reason, your molting bird may sit in its water bowl or food dish because it is more comfortable there.
Molting is not very comfortable for birds, losing feathers and growing new feathers can be quite taxing on the body and uncomfortable for the bird.
So, they look for ways to make themselves more comfortable, one way that birds get more comfortable is by sitting in their water dishes during the molting time.
They are keeping an eye out:
If your bird’s water bowl is up in a corner of the cage then the bird may simply be sitting high up here because it wants to be able to survey the area.
This water bowl may be high enough for the bird to see all around, if so, then the bird likely thinks that it won’t be disturbed from this high point.
These birds in the wild are intrinsically prey animals and will live in your home with the same behaviors that they will show while living in the wild. This position just makes the bird feel safe.
To maintain humidity:
If the bird is a she, not a he, then the bird may do this as a way to keep its vent moist.
The combination of the bird’s vent being moist, plus the correct body heat, will help her along in the incubating and nesting process.
This is normal behavior and you don’t have to worry about it, it is common for egg-laying birds to do this.
What to do:
None of the reasons listed above as to why your bird may be sitting in its food dish is dangerous for the bird, so you don’t have to worry.
However, if your bird is doing this, and is showing signs of distress or being ill, then you should be worried and you may want to consider taking your bird to the vet.
If the bird is uncomfortable on its perch then you may want to install more perches (of different sizes) for the bird to sit on.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Do Birds Chirp In The Afternoon, Why Does My Bird Put His Food In His Water?, Why Do Birds Chirp While Eating?, Female Budgie Rubbing Vent, Female Budgie Sitting In Food Bowl,
