Jojo making weird gagging motions and scratching a lot? Worried :(

It's currently 12:30 am. I was getting to bed but noticed Jojo preening and scratching himself so I let him out to eat, because he sometimes gets hungry if I turn the light off at night.
While he was eating he was making a really strange motion that he's never done before. It's hard to explain, but he sort of bobbed his head forward every couple seconds. Not the usual head bob happy dance or the gobbling motion he often makes out of love. But just thrusting his head forward with his beak open.

It's been about 10 minutes and he hasn't done it since then. He's on one foot and seems content, but is still scratching and preening.

Does anyone know whats up

I might be completely wrong, since I don't think I've noticed Cairo doing it, but it sounds like crop adjustment?

I don't want you to worry at this hour, and I don't know if others are still awake (it's noontime where I'm at). So don't stress - he might just be adjusting his crop? And based on what little I've read, it's considered somewhat normal.

Apart from that, I think others can step in.

I just saw a video of a parrot cleaning it's crop and it looks exactly the same. I'm still worried and on my toes, but I feel like crying out of relief that the motion is normal.
I'm guessing the scratching and preening is because the air is dry this time of year and Jojo despises baths. It takes a lot out of me to force him to bathe, so he doesn't get one super often.
I'm going to give him a bath in the morning to see if that helps.
He's quieted down now that he ate. I'm thinking my sister gave him a smaller portion size than I do which may explain why he was up.

This is the only terrible aspect of owning parrots in my opinion. The fear you feel when you think something is wrong with them is terrifying.

charmedbyekkie said:

I might be completely wrong, since I don't think I've noticed Cairo doing it, but it sounds like crop adjustment?

I don't want you to worry at this hour, and I don't know if others are still awake (it's noontime where I'm at). So don't stress - he might just be adjusting his crop? And based on what little I've read, it's considered somewhat normal.

Apart from that, I think others can step in.

Click to expand...

Thank you. I think so too. I'm such a worry wart argh- I feel so relieved I could cry !!

Some of my Amazons will stretch their neck in a forward and upwards direction and make large yawns. sometimes over and over.
I have heard this is just a crop adjustment.
I have seen one of my birds gag. it's head was lowered not stretched up and something like a regurgitation motion kind of expanding and contracting its neck while holding head low. it had eaten something that was sort of long and it must have got stuck somehow.

Crop adjustment is normal. Continuing to do this and scratching neck area can be an indication if infection like yeast ect or of something stuck in there like threads, a wood chips. Mine do this from time to time but like you I worried so google gave me the scary stuff to look out for lol. If you can peak in there when mouth is open and reassure yourself that there are no white plaques, or just make sure it is not excessive. One time Neptune did have one of my hairs cought in his beak ..

Just to back-up what others have told you, I'll too tell you that this is simply JoJo adjusting his Crop, and that it is completely normal, and that you have absolutely nothing to worry about at all. I know that this motion is very alarming and downright scary the first time you see your bird do it and you have no idea what it is, as it really does look as if the bird may be choking or have something stuck in their throat and be in-distress. However, that is not the case at all, and you will no-doubt see JoJo do this many, many, many more times throughout his years/decades with you. The only time you need to worry about one of your birds making a motion like this is if they start making wheezing noises, or you see them themselves getting seriously anxious and agitated because they can't breath, OR if they continually make this motion over and over and over again and don't stop, as this may be an indication that they have a piece of food stuck somewhere that it shouldn't be. But when they do this for a few seconds up to even a minute or two and then stop, it's simply a Crop adjustment and they are totally fine.