Comportamentos naturais dos psitacídeos

Abstract

Understanding an animal's natural behavior is fundamental to ensuring better management conditions, well-being, and quality of life in captivity. This is the theme of the fifth episode of the Psitaflix series, a set of videos produced by the extension project "Knowing, respecting and producing birds: didactic and alternative models in the teaching and learning process," developed by undergraduate, graduate, and faculty students from the Laboratory for the Breeding and Incubation of Wild and Exotic Animals (LACRIAS) at the Federal University of Paraná. The video highlights essential aspects of psittacine behavior. These birds are extremely social and establish strong emotional bonds, both with other individuals and with their partners. Many psittacines are considered monogamous, forming pairs that can last a lifetime. Regarding feeding, psittacines spend a large part of their time foraging, that is, actively seeking food such as fruits, seeds, and insects. This natural behavior is important to reproduce in captive management, as it stimulates the physical and mental activity of the birds. Another striking point is the nesting pattern; unlike other birds that build exposed nests, psittacines prefer natural cavities, such as hollow trees.