Is preening a face normal?

Mjhandy · Nov 19, 2018

When Thor is on my wife's shoulder, he's obsessed with her face. She has light freckles, and I think he's preening. ON my shoulder he goes for my beard.

I know bird preen, but are there steps we can follow to stop this?

Laurasea · Nov 19, 2018

This species is an allopreener, it's hardwired into them. It's a sign he accepted you as his family. If my birds are preening me to much I just start preening them they can't resist. This guy has been denied this for a while, and in a new place he wants the comfort and to be accepted. Let him do a little then just redirect him to something else, or start head scritchs to him. It sounds like he is setting in and being part of the flock so wonderful to hear.

ChristaNL · Nov 19, 2018

Redirecting is the key I think- "I love you too when you preen, but plze do it somewhere else".

(I have one freckle on my eyelid and the parrots are obsessed with removing it -- so glad I wear glasses! If a macaw decides it has to go...it will be gone I am afraid.

and she is a clutz!)

noodles123 · Nov 19, 2018

My Too is a face-preener...one of these days, I am sure I will lose an eye. She is gentle, but she sometimes tries to do it to other people and then she gets annoyed when they don't let her. I have allowed her to do it to me from time-to-time, so I know it is partly my fault that she continues. For me, it was one of those "pick your battles" things, but there are safety concerns for sure. In response to your question: yes, it is normal.

EllenD · Nov 19, 2018

I just read the title of your thread and I laughed out loud when I saw it was in the "Quaker" forum, lol...Yeah, they love to just "pick" at everything, don't they...Lita can't sit on me without that beak starting-up. She will sit on my shoulder and preen my hair for hours if I let her, and occasionally she tries to preen my ear, which actually tickles more than hurts, but she also loves to preen my eyebrows..All I can tell you is don't ever let them do this, because she'll be preening away, all nice and gentle, and then suddenly "BAM!" she plucks a bunch of eyebrow hairs out! And not from where I would like her to pluck, lol..she could save me the trouble of doing it, but instead she gives me little bald spots...

Mjhandy · Nov 19, 2018

EllenD said:
I just read the title of your thread and I laughed out loud when I saw it was in the "Quaker" forum, lol...Yeah, they love to just "pick" at everything, don't they...Lita can't sit on me without that beak starting-up. She will sit on my shoulder and preen my hair for hours if I let her, and occasionally she tries to preen my ear, which actually tickles more than hurts, but she also loves to preen my eyebrows..All I can tell you is don't ever let them do this, because she'll be preening away, all nice and gentle, and then suddenly "BAM!" she plucks a bunch of eyebrow hairs out! And not from where I would like her to pluck, lol..she could save me the trouble of doing it, but instead she gives me little bald spots...

He's caught my earring a few times and somehow managed to get my silver necklace undone.

bill_e · Nov 19, 2018

What I do once a year to Nike is to have the vet touch the tip of her beak with the Dremel when she's gaiting her nails done. The very slight flattening of that point makes a world of difference when she's preening my face and neck and reduces accidental bloodletting.

Timely topic because she needs to go to the vet and just the other day while gently picking at my ear she did draw a little blood with her now needle sharp beak. Of course now that there's a little scab there it gets picked off at least once a day

Laurasea · Nov 19, 2018

Ha jewelry , I Used to wear that!

cnyguy · Nov 19, 2018

Our QPs definitely like to make sure we're looking our best. Anything they think shouldn't be there has to go-- freckles, scabs, hair where (in the parrot's view) hair doesn't belong, etc. all have to be taken care of. Ralph is especially good at removing hangnails.

QPs are notorious jewel thieves too; it's best to remove any jewelry if there's a Quaker around. I even remove my watch, since Ralph figured out how to reset the time.

clark_conure · Nov 20, 2018

Not a quaker but clark is an allopreener. It's a symbiotic relationship. Only I get none of his foods and he gets all of my foods. :gcc:

ChristaNL · Nov 20, 2018

clark_conure said:
Not a quaker but clark is an allopreener. It's a symbiotic relationship. Only I get none of his foods and he gets all of my foods.

Trust me: secondhand parrotfood (no matter how lovingly presented) is not all that great

LOL I just loooove those stories about the little jewelthieves etc.

AmyMyBlueFront · Nov 20, 2018

Amy will preen me when on my shoulder and riding in the car. I've come to the conclusion it is his way of saying "thanks dad for taking out for an adventure today" Ever so gently with my beard and nibbles on my ear. I get goosebumps when he does it cause I know he is very happy and content :07:

Jim

Is preening a face normal?

Mjhandy

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