"Sentinel" behavior in male Patagonian

GaleriaGila

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The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
I wonder if others have similar experiences...

Wild Patagonian males are reported to take turns being "sentinels" as flocks feed. They perch in high spots and alert those below to predators.

Wherever we live, I always make sure the Rickeybird has great windows with interesting views. The last two houses we've had... he has had a wonderful second-floor view of our front lawn, driveway, and a busy street with lots of foot traffic. So he has plenty to watch.

When he sees somebody pull into the driveway or walk up our sidewalk, he screams "AWWWWW AWWWWW AWWWWWW" which we (and our dog) recognize as heralding an arrival. And you can hear that anywhere in the house, AND in the backyard!!! The dog goes to investigate, and we get ready for a visitor. There are no false alarms, and rarely does he fail to announce anybody! It makes me happy to think he's able to act on that instinct.

One other funny thing about my little sentinel. When he's looking out his window, he announces (with a loud, indignant-sounding trill) when certain kinds of vehicles are nearby. He doesn't mind cars, trucks, motorcycles or bicycles, but if a golf-cart, or a fire-truck, or worse, a recumbent bicycle goes by, he seems to get extremely upset. Once, the power company had one of their extension-lifted-platform vehicles across the street and down two doors, and I thought he was going to lose his mind. When my husband and I are watching television downstairs, and we hear the TRILLLLLLLL, we look at each other and say "inappropriate vehicle" and just shake our heads.

Do your birds have such behaviors? I do provide sheltered/covered areas in his cage where he could hide from the problematic vehicles if he wanted to, but he doesn't. Am I missing anything, or is this probably just healthy sentinel behavior?
 

BIRDIGIRL

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Rodney Blue Fronted Amazon
RIP Mr Biggles White Fronted Amazon , Elsa and Little Nellow the Lutino Budgies, Lady Primrose a Pied Budgie and English Budgies Houdini Popeye and Olive
My Mr Biggles (WFA) does the same and though Mr Biggles cant see my gate from his window perch he gives the alarm before the dogs when anybody is there be it the mailman delivery guy or a guest...he obviously hears them at the gate for he cant see them from where he is, and yet Mr Biggles is the one to raise the alarm and the dogs follow him...he also knows when I sneak out of the house to go shopping and he has a different call for that which is repeated as soon as I am outside our gate (and he canmot see me from his cage )on my return. I havent heard him react to different vechicles but then Im in a very rural area where there isnt a whole lot of traffic but there are lots of wild birds to keep Mr Biggles entertained when he looks out the window . Mr Biggles I will add id the first parrot Ive had who does this Roger (White Eyed Conure)didnt do it and Peter Pan (Quaker )doesnt do it either.
 
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GaleriaGila

GaleriaGila

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The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
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Thanks for that. Maybe Mr. Biggles is the designated sentinel! Sounds like you have a fun bunch there. I have only the Rickeybird, so he has to be on duty all the time. Maybe I should give him a raise.
 

BIRDIGIRL

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Jan 25, 2016
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Rodney Blue Fronted Amazon
RIP Mr Biggles White Fronted Amazon , Elsa and Little Nellow the Lutino Budgies, Lady Primrose a Pied Budgie and English Budgies Houdini Popeye and Olive
Hee hee I think perhaps you should LoL they are real chsracters arent they :) I have just been reading your confession about your extra marital affair and I cant stop laughing LoL :)
 

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Parkers a character in this respect. Two windows facing the same road 8 ft apart. Put him in one, he screams his fool head off at any pedestrians walking by. Other window, nothing...silence. It's actually a little frustrating I can't really let him near Windows often because, while we can tolerate some screaming (even this overseer screaming), any peep out of him throws our teacup Yorkie into a fit of anxious fear with hours of shaking/drooling/snotting and refusal to eat. We have to be very careful about Windows.
 
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GaleriaGila

GaleriaGila

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The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
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Thanks, Birdigirl! And THAT TIME OF THE YEAR is coming up... geeez. He'll be getting THE LOOK in his beady little eyes.

Chris, isn't that a mystery!? A matter of direction? Light/shadows? Who knows...? About your little Teacup... wow, my darling Patagonian here would have him/her permanently in the Twilight Zone.
 

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Maryland - USA
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Thanks, Birdigirl! And THAT TIME OF THE YEAR is coming up... geeez. He'll be getting THE LOOK in his beady little eyes.

Chris, isn't that a mystery!? A matter of direction? Light/shadows? Who knows...? About your little Teacup... wow, my darling Patagonian here would have him/her permanently in the Twilight Zone.

Lol I know! I had considered a patty (#3 on my list) when I was deciding on a parrot this time last year but had to rule them out when I realized how loud they naturally are. And that was before I found out what the calls would do to my poor little girl!
 
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GaleriaGila

GaleriaGila

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May 14, 2016
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Cleveland area
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The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
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He's impacted every decision I've ever made, residentially. Noise control, management, containment.
He could easily have an angry mob of villagers after us, torches lit.
 

plumsmum2005

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Nov 18, 2015
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England, UK
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Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
I wonder if others have similar experiences...

Wild Patagonian males are reported to take turns being "sentinels" as flocks feed. They perch in high spots and alert those below to predators.

Wherever we live, I always make sure the Rickeybird has great windows with interesting views. The last two houses we've had... he has had a wonderful second-floor view of our front lawn, driveway, and a busy street with lots of foot traffic. So he has plenty to watch.

When he sees somebody pull into the driveway or walk up our sidewalk, he screams "AWWWWW AWWWWW AWWWWWW" which we (and our dog) recognize as heralding an arrival. And you can hear that anywhere in the house, AND in the backyard!!! The dog goes to investigate, and we get ready for a visitor. There are no false alarms, and rarely does he fail to announce anybody! It makes me happy to think he's able to act on that instinct.

One other funny thing about my little sentinel. When he's looking out his window, he announces (with a loud, indignant-sounding trill) when certain kinds of vehicles are nearby. He doesn't mind cars, trucks, motorcycles or bicycles, but if a golf-cart, or a fire-truck, or worse, a recumbent bicycle goes by, he seems to get extremely upset. Once, the power company had one of their extension-lifted-platform vehicles across the street and down two doors, and I thought he was going to lose his mind. When my husband and I are watching television downstairs, and we hear the TRILLLLLLLL, we look at each other and say "inappropriate vehicle" and just shake our heads.

Do your birds have such behaviors? I do provide sheltered/covered areas in his cage where he could hide from the problematic vehicles if he wanted to, but he doesn't. Am I missing anything, or is this probably just healthy sentinel behavior?

My holiday Lesser Patty will do the announcing call when people go by outside or me or hubby come home.

The wild birds do have sentries on the look out, then they all go out to totally annoy a bird of prey into going elsewhere and thus leaving the colony safe. Clever and brave birds IMO.
 
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GaleriaGila

GaleriaGila

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
May 14, 2016
15,045
8,742
Cleveland area
Parrots
The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
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Thanks, PlumsMum!
I guess they're really one-for-all and all-for-one! We could learn from them...
 

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