Mixed Signals

Hey, All! Figured I would share this embarrassing d'uh moment. Several times lately,while petting Bixby, he would grab my finger in his beak (gently) and start wrestling playfully with my hand. This usually turns into an amusing game of "finger boxing" where the goal is for me to touch his forehead with my finger. (Much harder than it sounds! My lean green fighting machine is nimble as Muhammad Ali ever was!)

All good fun, right? Well, the interesting twist came up when he would start doing this funky head movement that looked like he was dancing, albeit to a beat only he could hear, but dancing nonetheless.

I was delighted! Many of you reading this know that sometimes your bird will pick up unusual movements for mysterious reasons that, if you seize upon the moment, you can train them to perform on cue. So every time he did his little dance, I would excitedly say, "dancing" and show my approval in no uncertain terms. And, as you might imagine, he started doing his dance with more frequency... and usually after a bout of beak wrestling or finger boxing.

Well, here comes the d'uh part. (I know, I know. Some of you have probably already guessed where this is going. :54 Last night he got particularly into his dancing, and then pulled again on my finger. Once my hand was close enough, he "danced" again and regurgitated a soft ball of mush onto my finger for my eating pleasure.

AN exact quote of my thoughts: "Huh? Wha? Uhm? HUH?!?" Soon enough, it FINALLY filtered in that his "dance" wasn't a dance at all. He was engaging in courtship behavior... courtship behavior that I have been actively ENCOURAGING for the past week and a half or so! Smh.

I felt strangely violated. Lol! And guilty for leading poor Bixby on. Mixed signals, indeed. Obviously, my previous parrot (my sweet cockatiel, Suzie) never attempted to mate with me, even though we were bonded. Guess now I know what to look for. Wow.

Uh-oh, maybe my galah's cute dance isn't after all, either......

Lol! At least I'm not alone!

Oh no, poor Bixby! He must have been in heaven for the last week, thinking that he had found his soul mate. I bet he feels like he has gone through a break up

If it makes you feel better, I would have done the same thing if Ekko had done that..lolol.

Anansi said:

He was engaging in courtship behavior... courtship behavior that I have been actively ENCOURAGING for the past week and a half or so! Smh.

I felt strangely violated. Lol! And guilty for leading poor Bixby on. Mixed signals, indeed. Obviously, my previous parrot (my sweet cockatiel, Suzie) never attempted to mate with me, even though we were bonded. Guess now I know what to look for. Wow.

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Well, just because he is regurging doesn't mean he is courting you.

Regurging is just another way of expressing love... it may not be a way we are anxious for them to express, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything blatently sexual either. (Is he even old enough? If he hasn't reached sexual maturity yet, then it's simply I love you - bubbling over- BLAH!)

MACAWS PUKE ON YOU, OR ATTEMPT TO, PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY... So I get this one in stereo.

Don't feel violated. Feel flattered.

Hahaha! I hope you were polite and ate it! The dance does sound very cute though

Terry57 said:

If it makes you feel better, I would have done the same thing if Ekko had done that..lolol.

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Well, considering that you own enough birds to truly qualify as a flock, and every one of them happy and well-adjusted... yeah, it actually does make me feel better! Lol!

Birdman666 said:

Well, just because he is regurging doesn't mean he is courting you.

Regurging is just another way of expressing love... it may not be a way we are anxious for them to express, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything blatently sexual either. (Is he even old enough? If he hasn't reached sexual maturity yet, then it's simply I love you - bubbling over- BLAH!)

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This makes me feel better, too. VERY good to know. Thanks, Birdman. And no, Bixby is definitely nowhere near sexual maturity. He's just about 6 months.

Birdman666 said:

MACAWS PUKE ON YOU, OR ATTEMPT TO, PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY... So I get this one in stereo.

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My mind operates very visually, and often in the most ridiculous possible way. So the image that sentence put into my mind's eye, of you surrounded by a gang of projectile vomiting macaws, had me doubled over laughing. Sorry, had to share.

Mine regurg for me every day, in fact, usually multiple times a day. But they have been trained to keep it to themselves.

In fact Maggie often bobs her head and asks me if I "Want some? ... Good?" (Just like she asks me when I am eating something she wants.) I politely tell her that I don't want some, thank you. She tries to share anyway.

At 6 months, your little buddy was just being nice and feeding his playmate.
He loves you and is bonded to you. And he really enjoys your little playtime.

I personally would not take that away from him. I would continue to do it, just stop the game when he starts to regurg, and don't resume until he eats it himself. Might as well train him to do this while he's young, before the hormones kick in!

And, really, what a fun way to do it...

Just my opinion.

Freespin said:

Hahaha! I hope you were polite and ate it! The dance does sound very cute though

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Ha! I'll remind you if this convo once Nelson or Barry start getting all... expressive with you, lady! Lol!

And yes, the dance was very cute... right up until his little presentation. Lol

Birdman666 said:

Mine regurg for me every day, in fact, usually multiple times a day. But they have been trained to keep it to themselves.

In fact Maggie often bobs her head and asks me if I "Want some? ... Good?" (Just like she asks me when I am eating something she wants.) I politely tell her that I don't want some, thank you. She tries to share anyway.

At 6 months, your little buddy was just being nice and feeding his playmate.
He loves you and is bonded to you. And he really enjoys your little playtime.

I personally would not take that away from him. I would continue to do it, just stop the game when he starts to regurg, and don't resume until he eats it himself. Might as well train him to do this while he's young, before the hormones kick in!

And, really, what a fun way to do it...

Just my opinion.

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Much appreciated, Birdman. That's pretty much exactly what I've begun doing, but it's always good to get an affirmation when in uncharted territory.

The extent to which you've trained your birds is amazing to me. Every time I hear one of your accounts I find the little boy in me saying, "Cool!" You've got the whole Bird Whisperer thing going on. Lol!

Haha and for the grand finale...!

I can't see Barry ever doing it although he did try to get... errr... Intimate with me one day. Poor little guy! How do you let them down gently? It's not you, it's me.