Never fluffs when scritched

Transylvania · Aug 5, 2017

I've handled lots of parrots at work and I'm familiar with their typical behavioral cues. But for some reason, my personal parrot (Senegal, female, 1.5 years old) never does your typical "relaxed" behaviors that other parrots do. I know without a doubt that she loves being scritched (she might need to go to Scritchaholics Anonymous tbh). However, unlike every other parrot I've seen, she never fluffs up her head feathers when she gets enjoyable scritches, and she never closes her eyes either. She just stares at me, unblinkingly, like "O_O..." (kind of creepy, really). I kinda wish she would just relax and lift up those feathers like a normal bird lol. Does anyone else have a quirky, "emotionless" parrot like that too?

clark_conure · Aug 5, 2017

I don't think there is such a thing as emotionless parrots.

You say she eyeballs you...could be her version of showing love, with deep intimate eye contact.

Does she nap on you? Could be she's just excited a lot and not in the mood to wind down even with scratchings. Have you tried right before bed? Is she out all the time; or are her outings after your work and has to compress in a bunch of adventure and lovings in a few hours?

Transylvania · Aug 5, 2017

I recognize that "emotionless" is an anthropomorphic description; I was just joking.

Yeah, perhaps the eyeballing is her own form of bonding. She has only fallen asleep on me once, and that was after a particularly long relationship session (many a scritch, on my knee while I was playing video games). She's normally very active and moves around constantly, even later in the day when I get home from a late shift. I take her out 1-3 times a day, and I have her out for 1-2 hours. She'll sometimes fly around and hang out on furniture, but most of the time she's on me.

She'll sometimes express comfort/bliss with vocals: tiny peeps and grunts, and repeatedly licking and quickly opening/closing her beak. But not much else physically.

clark_conure · Aug 5, 2017

Oh then that's just her way.

Do be honest the little chirpy grunts are the most rewarding. That and when they preen you back.

Transylvania · Aug 5, 2017

Returning preens are the best! There's a golden conure at work that always preens my ears lol. Mine doesn't preen me, but that's okay, I'm not too offended lol.

It really is interesting how different individual animals will express their appreciation in different ways.

Never fluffs when scritched

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