The concept of territory can include anything in a companion
animal’s life; from a dog’s food bowl or favorite toy, to a
parrot’s cage, playgym, or its favorite person, and the guarding
of such valued turf is expressed as “territorial behavior.” One
can also see manifestations of territorial behaviors in the
individual distances many animals favor, exemplified by pigeons
on a phone wire, spaced out like pearls on a necklace. Birds are
extremely territorial creatures, epitomized by a dangerous
behavior called “mobbing” in which groups of small birds
actively attack and pursue much larger predatory creatures, such
as hawks, crows, dogs, cats and occasionally people. To be
territorial is a natural survival behavior of all animals,
including humans. It is important to recognize a parrot’s claim
to territory, and avoid coming into direct conflict with the
bird. However, aggressive behaviors need to be evaluated
carefully. If, for instance, a human was bitten when
transgressing the bird’s boundaries, perhaps the hu