Parrots have keen observational skills. They’re highly attuned to the emotions and actions of others, which translates to a wariness of their surroundings.
Curious as they might be, parrots are neophobic. They dislike new situations and unknown people.
It’s normal for parrots to hiss to express dissatisfaction. If a parrot is annoyed, scared, or feels threatened, it’ll hiss to get you or someone else to back away.
If you don’t move away or remove your hand from the cage, it can be a precursor to getting bitten. When a parrot hisses, give it time and space to calm down.
However, parrots also hiss to express themselves, not to show hostility. This means that hissing must be assessed in the context of its frequency of usage and other body language and behavior.
Why Parrots Hiss
A parrot will hiss in response to extreme fear or stress when it fears its life is in peril. This may not be a real danger, but a parrot may see things that way. The problem may be one of the following:
- Surroundings.
- Nearby sounds.
- Another bird or pet.
- Friends and house guests.
As neophobes, parrots are naturally cautious of anything new in their environment. Hissing is a way to warn animals to move away or express their aversion to the situation around them.
If a parrot has started hissing, it may be for one of these reasons:
Anticipation of Danger
A parrot will hiss if it feels threatened or fearful in some way.
A non-bonded parrot in its cage can be considered dangerous. Trust hasn’t been established, so the parrot doesn’t know if the other bird will be friendly or aggressive.
Also, it doesn’t know if it’ll take its territory or if there will be enough food and water for both birds.
New birds should be introduced slowly. Rather than immediately putting them in their cages, integrate them after 30-40 days of quarantine.
New non-avian pets should be introduced slowly, even though they aren’t entering the cage. A dog or cat’s presence may be scary because they’re predatory animals.
Children should be kept at a distance so the parrot can warm to them from afar.
Space Has Been Entered
Parrots are territorial for their size. Even budgies (American parakeets) may get upset about something entering their cage, including your hand, if they’re not yet used to it.
A parrot may hiss at you when you reach in to change food bowls or hang a new perch. Be wary if you hear a hiss at this time because it may not understand your motivations and bite.
Nesting Behavior
Even if a parrot doesn’t get to hatch her eggs or the eggs are unfertilized, it’ll still fiercely protect them. During this time, hormones will make her more defensive than usual.
No matter how strong your bond is, the parrot may hiss if you approach its cage, nest, or eggs. Parrots realize their offspring are vulnerable at this early stage of development.
Someone Near Bonded Human
If a parrot has a favorite person, it may dislike everyone else and be wary of them. Sometimes, it’ll even jealously defend its favorite person by hissing at other people or pets.
For example, if the parrot has bonded with you, it may hiss at family members or friends that approach. It may also get jealous if a cat or dog snuggles with you and ward them off.
Dislikes Person Nearby
Parrots can dislike or distrust certain people due to their unique personalities and temperaments. They have specific likes or dislikes and may decide they detest a particular person.
If this person mistreated the parrot, that might be the cause. In other cases, that person may remind the parrot of an old owner who mistreated them because parrots have excellent memories.
New Toy in Cage
Sometimes, a new toy that mysteriously appears in the cage will seem threatening to a parrot. Parrots are sensitive to recent changes and become stressed out by them.
This is common with stuffed animals, which can be mistaken for predators. Also, the color, reflection, or smell may disturb the parrot, so it may hiss at the toy to defend itself or show discomfort.
Dislikes Its Food
Parrots are picky eaters, so they may hiss at you if they’re disinterested in the pellets, seeds, fruits, or vegetables you’ve put in their food bowl. If a parrot’s spoiled, this is more likely.
It’s hissing to show you its displeasure and that it wants you to make immediate changes.
Wants To Be Alone
Although parrots are social creatures, they also value alone time.
Their territory extends for miles in the wild. When they need privacy, they can seclude themselves from the flock. This is more difficult in the home, especially if you insist on petting and playing.
A parrot may want to be alone if it refuses to leave its cage. The opposite can also be true. Perhaps you’re trying to put it into its cage, but it wants to remain outside.
Proximity To A Favored Item
Sometimes, parrots develop an unhealthy attachment to inanimate objects. This is the case with mirrors, as parrots often confuse their reflection for another bird. Use a distorted mirror if this applies.
Parrots also get attached to stuffed toys, perches, swings, and ladders.
It may hiss if you try to remove an item it’s attached to. This is to ward you off and protect the object. It may also hiss at other pets or birds that get too close to its favorite toy.
Hormonal Behavior
Outside of the mating season, you may find the parrot is hormonal.
This is most common with growing parrots transitioning through puberty, which can result in mood swings (bluffing) if there are abrupt temperament changes.
Stressed Out
Narrowing down the reason for this stress and eliminating the cause will calm the parrot down. If stress continues for too long, it may result in the parrot:
- Refusing to eat.
- Biting and nipping.
- Plucking out feathers.
- Sickness.
Some parrots want to be left alone while eating. If so, let the parrot have space. Some parrots grow territorial over food bowls, especially if they feel other birds encroach on their territory.
Wild parrots have ample space to fly, play, and forage in the wild. You won’t be able to provide 50+ miles of territory in the home, but you should offer a large enough cage to explore.
Despite being loud, parrots dislike excessive noise. They can be set on edge by the following:
- Cars.
- Construction work.
- Overly loud stereos and TVs.
- Vacuum cleaners.
- Shrill laughter, shouting, and arguments.
- Barking dogs.
Kids should always be supervised when interacting with pet parrots, as they may not be as gentle as adults when handling them. If a parrot distrusts a child or has been mishandled in the past, it’ll hiss.
Parrots hiss out of fear, discomfort, and aggression. After the problem is removed, the parrot will no longer hiss.
