Some bird behaviors can be quite odd to humans but this odd behavior can sometimes be quite normal in your birds, odd behavior like the bird sitting in its food dish.
This article is a look into why your canary may be sitting in his food dish, this article looks into why this happens
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Why is my canary sitting in his food dish?
Canaries can do things that seem very foreign and odd to humans, one of which is the bird sitting in his food dish, there are a variety of reasons why this may happen including:
Molting:
Different birds will exhibit slightly different behaviors when they molt and your canary may be sitting in the food bowl because molting time has finally come around.
Molting is the process where a bird loses its old feathers and readies its body for new feathers to grow in, some birds will change their behavior during this time and canaries will sit in their food bowls during this time.
Molting is not a very pleasant experience for these birds or any other bird for that matter, however, the birds may feel more comfortable sitting in their food dishes as it is very comfortable and they don’t have to balance as they would on their perch.
Sitting in the food bowl is simply a comfortable way to sit during a molt.
What to do:
It’s important to know whether the bird is indeed molting and isn’t sitting in its feed bowl because it is sick.
If the bird is doing this around the summertime then the bird is likely molting.
These birds will molt at the beginning of summer because the increased heat and the increased sunlight hours cause elevated levels of thyroxine in birds, this is a biological trigger that causes molting to happen.
If you realize that the bird is molting then you can let the bird be, this is quite normal and is a necessary part of life for the bird, molting allows new feathers to grow in when needed.
The whole molting process usually lasts for about 1 to 3 months, but it is most common for the molt to take about 2 months.
Make sure that the bird’s nutrition is optimal during this time, giving the bird enough protein will ensure that its next set of feathers grow well and look beautiful.
Protein-rich seeds should make up 35 percent of the bird’s diet at this time and the bird needs nesting food as well during this time. Giving the bird a vitamin complex during this time is also recommended.
Sickness:
Sick birds will exhibit odd behavior like sitting in their food bowls. Birds do not like showing that they are ill, but if your bird starts showing some signs of being ill then the bird is likely quite far along and needs professional help
If your bird is expressing signs of having an illness, or if the bird is showing signs of distress like tucking its head under its wings, isn’t eating, doesn’t move much, is sad, isn’t agile, or if the bird looks as though it is in pain then you can assume that the bird is sick.
What to do:
Canaries can suffer from a variety of ailments and trying to figure out which illness your bird has yourself can take too long.
Taking your bird to the vet as soon as possible is recommended, the vet will be able to quickly and accurately diagnose the bird and give the bird treatment for its illness.
Using the bowl as a nest:
If your canary is a female then the bird may be using the food bowl as a nest.
In the wild, a canary will use whatever materials are available to create nests in, as long as the nests are big enough to keep their brood in and as long as the nest is secure from predators, the birds can make a nest out of it
Domesticated birds will find and choose a nest according to those specifications as well and the perfect place for your bird to nest in may be in the food bowl.
What to do:
The bird may see the food bowl as the perfect place to nest but you can give the bird a bowl specifically for nesting so she isn’t sitting where she eats and doesn’t end up laying eggs in the food.
Take the food bowl away and give the bird a small cup that she can use as a nest.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other budgie related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Cockatiel Beak Peeling, Cockatiel Bruised Beak, Budgie Puberty, Parakeet Laid Eggs In Food Bowl, Budgie Squeaking When Sleeping, Angry Budgie Sounds, Budgie Flapping Wings In Cage