Described by ethologist Konrad Lorenz, imprinting occurs during a critical window shortly after hatching. Chicks, ducklings, and goslings that imprint on humans may follow people, display courtship behaviors toward humans as adults, and fail to recognize their own species as social partners. In pet bird keeping, hand-raising from a very young age creates strong human bonds but can lead to behavioral issues like excessive screaming, feather plucking, and mate aggression if the bird was not also socialized with its own species. Ideally, young birds should be co-raised with siblings and handled by humans to develop balanced social skills with both species. Imprinting is largely irreversible once the window closes.