Body Language Confusion-What do you think?

Puck

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Mar 8, 2015
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Man I feel like I am starting way too many threads asking questions, LOL, but it has been a few years since I have had birds, and I find myself coming across so many questions!

So I have been thinking that when I move my hand to Sammy's head like I am going to give him scratches and he raises his head and opens his beak that he was about to bite so I would stop moving my hand forward and just hover so as not to enter his personal space against his will. However, he has learned to say "step up!" when he wants my attention or wants to play (because obviously those words mean "play time" rather than "climb on my hand," LOL!). So I was just trying to hover my hand in the air to get him used to it near his head (he has been letting me cup his body with my hands for treats, something he wouldn't let me do at all before) and he grabs my finger lightly in his beaks and holds it--lightly--then begins to tongue it. I lightly pull and he releases, and as I start to take my hand away he says "step up!!!" like he was playing a game. So I am wondering... am I confusing his body language? Mistaking him wanting to play with my hand for aggression? It just seemed really strange to me. I saw him get REALLY aggressive when some idiot working at the Petsmart decided to shove his hand in Sammy's face without warning when he was already freaked out about his first ever trip to the store, and it didn't look like he looks when I put my hand near his head. So now I am wondering if what I was thinking of as the "about to bite" look was really the "about to beak you like the big baby I am" look. I am reading everything I can about bird body language and just ordered Barbara Heindreich's DVD on it, and I usually feel like I get what he's trying to tell me, but sometimes it's just so difficult to read!!!
 

Hawk

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Man I feel like I am starting way too many threads asking questions, LOL, but it has been a few years since I have had birds, and I find myself coming across so many questions!

So I have been thinking that when I move my hand to Sammy's head like I am going to give him scratches and he raises his head and opens his beak that he was about to bite so I would stop moving my hand forward and just hover so as not to enter his personal space against his will. However, he has learned to say "step up!" when he wants my attention or wants to play (because obviously those words mean "play time" rather than "climb on my hand," LOL!). So I was just trying to hover my hand in the air to get him used to it near his head (he has been letting me cup his body with my hands for treats, something he wouldn't let me do at all before) and he grabs my finger lightly in his beaks and holds it--lightly--then begins to tongue it. I lightly pull and he releases, and as I start to take my hand away he says "step up!!!" like he was playing a game. So I am wondering... am I confusing his body language? Mistaking him wanting to play with my hand for aggression? It just seemed really strange to me. I saw him get REALLY aggressive when some idiot working at the Petsmart decided to shove his hand in Sammy's face without warning when he was already freaked out about his first ever trip to the store, and it didn't look like he looks when I put my hand near his head. So now I am wondering if what I was thinking of as the "about to bite" look was really the "about to beak you like the big baby I am" look. I am reading everything I can about bird body language and just ordered Barbara Heindreich's DVD on it, and I usually feel like I get what he's trying to tell me, but sometimes it's just so difficult to read!!!

If I may add some advice here.....You've heard that parrots have a natural instinct to recognize prey or even hawks, yet never seen one and when they do they instantly go into alert mode....No keep this in mind as I explain this....I've raised Hawks and Falcons so I have studied their behavior and watched other birds react.

Parrots, as well as most all other species of birds that are not birds of prey, have an instinct to "react" when approached from behind or above, such as your hand moving toward them.

Parrots are far smarter than we give them credit for....ask your parrot first in your voice if you can pet them or approach them...trust me, they soon understand this. My Grey, my Senegal, my Amazons and my Red Hates being approached from behind without warning or trying to touch their head without warning....however you ask first and they will all abide.

Patience and training is the key....spend the day being the Parrot and let them be the human...take notes...they will actually teach you a lot.

With my grey I first practiced names....pointing to myself and saying my name, then pointing to him and saying his name. It's not long and they all can call out your name. And know theirs.

Next spend time teaching the parrot body parts theirs and yours. I point to my nose and say " beaky" then point to his beak and say beaky. Now I can ask him if I can touch his beaky and he'll let me with out biting finger. Same with my head and his head....can I pet your head? and he'll drop his head down now.

Watch things with the bird, when he see something out side, share the enthusiasm and ask if he saw it...it's not long before they bob their heads yes...when scratching head, ask if he/she likes it...bob your head to indicate yes and say the word...soon they understand that head rubs feel good and will say or bob head for yes. Practice my friend, practice....parrots pick up things very well if your persistent in your training.

It's good your reading and watching the video's on bird body language, but can I say something here....None of that is guaranteed. Why? what works in video for some bird may not work with another of same species. Why again? because parrots are in a sense like people, they all have their OWN personalities, they have similar traits of course, but each has it's own personality, just like people.

To understand a parrots body language, be the parrot, how would you react or respond. Remember that they want to be like you, so they are quite observant. They are studying your body language and understanding it better than you understand theirs. That's a fact.
 
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Puck

Puck

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Yes I do tell him before I bring a hand over his head or behind me, and I do talk to him and watch his body language. I realize that every bird is an individual but just like humans they have certain things that are similar amongst them that usually mean similar things. I was just wondering if anyone else has mistaken playfulness for aggression. I haven't seem Sammy be flat out aggressive toward anyone but the Petsmart guy, so I am wondering if I am misreading him and he wants to tongue and chew my finger rather than protectively bite. Not that I would encourage chewing either, but it would constitute a different approach in dealing with it than fear biting.
 

Hawk

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Yes I do tell him before I bring a hand over his head or behind me, and I do talk to him and watch his body language. I realize that every bird is an individual but just like humans they have certain things that are similar amongst them that usually mean similar things. I was just wondering if anyone else has mistaken playfulness for aggression. I haven't seem Sammy be flat out aggressive toward anyone but the Petsmart guy, so I am wondering if I am misreading him and he wants to tongue and chew my finger rather than protectively bite. Not that I would encourage chewing either, but it would constitute a different approach in dealing with it than fear biting.

That's good, .....Yeah I think birds can confuse playfulness for aggression... Or perhaps they are not understanding fully what you may be asking of them and they get frustrated then bite,,not knowing what's being asked of them...

I often wonder if a rehomed or rescue bird that was treated poorly would remember certain things where an action or movement would trigger aggression? I Have a Zon that is a rescue and sometimes certain things like clapping hands when happy triggers nasty aggression in this particular Zon...So I'm seeing the bigger picture now how she must have been treated before I took her in...She's a beautiful bird, but I have to take notes on certain things that tip her off, and that's one of them....the other birds love clapping, not her, it's a sign of anger I gather. Must have been used toward her in an angry way.....

That's why I mentioned what works for one bird, might not for another.
 

henpecked

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I didn't read the whole thread. Most of my pet zons love to have their tongue scraped, scratched. Also the beak. Him holding your finger gently is quite common and i as a good sign. They use their tongue much like we use our fingers to feel an object. Usually they're looking for a weak spot in something. Like a crack in a nut or a weak spot on a toy to chew.
 

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