Sexual maturity is adulthood all parrot types will eventually reach in their lives where they experience new hormones, and increased nesting behaviors at certain times of the year. It happens at different ages for each species - typically sooner for smaller parrots and a little later for larger parrots. This is due to their life span differences.
Although companion parrots develop different behaviors at sexual maturity, many owners confuse sexual maturity issues with feather plucking, aggression, overbonding, screaming, and other behavioral issues. In our personal opinion, those problems are not necessarily (and normally not at all) stemmed from sexual maturity. Parrots who possess the above problems are generally lacking other important things in their lives - whether they are young, or mature adults. Take a look at our "checklist for a happy, healthy parrot" page. Many owners do not give all their parrots the necessary things they need to be healthy, happy and calm; and most do not take the time to train their birds to be sociable with many humans, understand commands, enjoy trick training and exercise. A companion parrot that is overbonded to one human will be dangerous at sexual maturity; as they have learnt to defend one person and have not learnt to enjoy the company of others. This is not the fault of the bird, but rather its humans. Defending a human can be as bad as attacking everyone but it's favorite person, or sometimes it will attack the favorite person out of anger and jealousy. These behaviors do not exist in well socialized birds, even when they are sexually mature. Feather plucking is normally due to stress, lack of healthy foods, sunshine, exercise, or stimulation. And very commonly because of inhaling smoke & having tobacco stains on their bodies, from living with smokers. Aggression and other behavioral issues are all tied in to the above.
We currently have three birds - two are sexually mature, and Zachary, our Amazon - started showing signs of sexual maturity early this year. Keeping each one of them stimulated with toys, training, good foods, sunshine, daily exercise, discipline, understanding of human commands and socialized with many humans, have kept them all wonderful, beautiful and loving companions, even at sexual maturity. We also know several other bird owners with parrots in their 20s and 30s that have successfully helped their parrots transition from young birds to adulthood; and have kept them happy, fully feathered, entertaining and loving.
Parrots will have natural nesting/breeding instincts that do not necessarily mean that parrots want to have a bird mate, breed, and be in a breeding program. There will always be a constant argument in the bird community about which is better - a companion parrot in a household situation, or birds in a breeding program. The way we see it, unless parrots are free in their natural habitat and breeding happily in their natural environment with a mate of their choice - they are not naturally happy. Happiness in a companion parrot (one that was handfed & raised amongst humans) lies in their health, quality of life, quality of human interaction, mental stimulation, and cleanliness of their living areas. A bird that is used to humans are not going to be happy when they are paired up with mates and put into an aviary expecting to breed for the rest of their lives. Do not mistake nesting behaviors in your pet birds as a sign for you to run and find a mate for him/her.
Common nesting behaviors in pet birds include: Wanting to rub their vents on your hand or bodies, running to hide and protecting small areas that look like nests, make clucking noises when you touch their backs, tail or vent, and regurgitating food, to name a few. Birds that do these are just showing you that they are interested in you and have reached sexual maturity. When you see them in those ways, do not encourage those behaviors, nor should you make a big deal out of it. Distract them by doing something else that they like, or stop whatever it is that's promoting those behaviors and allow your bird to calm down. In the meantime continue the "checklist for a happy bird", and give them all that they need to continue being happy and healthy in their lives. Those expressions of sexual behaviors will only happen at certain times of the year, and can be managed successfully as long as you continue giving them stimulating, quality lives.
The choice of keeping your bird as a lifelong companion, or putting them into a breeding program is a personal choice. However it should not be based on a bird showing sexual maturity signs alone, nor behavioral problems alone. If you have sincerely done everything possible to give your bird a quality life, he or she will still be a loving, happy bird - even when it finds itself a new mate (for eg. another parrot in your home). If and when your bird makes its own choice and "falls in love"; there is nothing wrong in you trying to set them up for breeding, in a well equipped & managed, as well as clean breeding situation. But if that's what you choose to do, then educate yourself as a high quality breeder and give your birds the necessary added nutrients, space, stimulation (birds that breed also need mental stimulation) and all things that will continue to keep them happy and healthy - whether they are breeders or pets.
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