Confusing behavior from Cricket - better safe than sorry!

[Hawkmaid]

Hi guys, a few things.

First, Cricket seems to be ticklish/highly sensitive when I pet him sometimes. His right wing "jumps", like how we humans have the knee-jerk reflex. I think it's hilarious, and he "chirups" a bit every time he does it and only occasionally gets annoyed, but I want to make sure that really is okay.

Second, my Mom taught him to "dance", and he does it pretty often. Recently, however, he'll go up on the side of the cage and throw his head back and whip back and forth, kind of like a snake, if that makes sense. He always comes out of it quickly and seems no worse for wear, but I was wondering what that meant? Is he just "dancing" where he is, or is this other conure behavior, or is it much more serious?

Lastly, just today he did something really weird while on my desk. He bobbed his head up and down really quickly, reminiscent of when a cat or dog is about to throw up or regurgitate something.
I've heard that when birds really fall for their owners, they'll regurgitate something to show their affection, or try to feed the owner from their crop. On the other hand, he ate a piece of my pencil eraser today too. The missing piece is smaller than a grain of rice, but I thought I'd mention it. Anybody have any theories?

His behavior hasn't changed much, except he's become a LOT more attached to me and is beginning to hate my family members, which I know is normal. He's also nippy more often, like he knows what he can get away with - actually, I think he DOES know. Anyway, if you guys have any ideas, let me know!
Hawk

 

[CherylCali]

I also wondered a couple of the same things about my GCC.

For one, my husband only writes with pencil, she will tear off an eraser chunk if she gets an opportunity. She hasn't really 'eaten' any. It hasn't harmed her, of course now we try to prevent her from getting the pencils.

She has just recently started the head bobbing and regurgitating in her beak, but rolling it around and swallowing it. I wondered if this is just an admiration regurgitation? In the past I've had regurgitation from a different bird as a slimy glob of food vomited on me. That's why I'm uncertain. So I'm curious to see other feedback. Overall these sound like you're experiencing some normal conure behaviors.

CherylCali

 

[CherylCali]

Also, I got my first nip yesterday, she was on my shoulder and I was walking in the direction of her sleep cage and she gave me a nip on the nose. best I could deduce she didn't want to go in that direction. She got a sharp now and a fast time out!

CherylCali

 

[Flboy]

First, Cricket seems to be ticklish/highly sensitive when I pet him sometimes. His right wing "jumps", like how we humans have the knee-jerk reflex. I think it's hilarious, and he "chirups" a bit every time he does it and only occasionally gets annoyed, but I want to make sure that really is okay.
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My baby does the same
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Second, my Mom taught him to "dance", and he does it pretty often. Recently, however, he'll go up on the side of the cage and throw his head back and whip back and forth, kind of like a snake, if that makes sense.
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Again, same for my JoJo!
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Lastly, just today he did something really weird while on my desk. He bobbed his head up and down really quickly, reminiscent of when a cat or dog is about to throw up or regurgitate something.
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The quick head bob is oh,oh can I? I want that! Please please!
The regurgitate action is fairly obvious, more of a pulling action.

Sounds like you have a good thing going!

 

[LaurenB]

Hi there! Speakking from experience... that is not being ticklish.. those are hormonal displays. Touching the wing/back area is a erogenous zone. Sometimes it can happen even from scratching the head/neck. It's all in how the bird perceives it. Conures that get stimulated like this will flip their wings like that, some times make a chirruping noise, and squat down/lay down on their belly. This is a no no.

Your bird may be starting to identify you as a mate because of the way you are touching him/her. You're sending signals to your conure that you want to mate, and your conure is showing you it is welcomed.

Again, from personal experience, I would not touch your bird in a way that makes it behave like that. Encouraging hormonal behavior could eventually encourage hormonal aggression (which sounds like is already happening with your other family members).

If your bird starts to behave like this, immediately stop touching and try to distract your bird.

Sometimes my GCC Tiki gets the wrong message. I immediately stop touching and either put her on her play stand, or give her a piece of Balsa wood to chew up and take her frustrations out. It will also happen with my male sun Nacho... I usually distract him by practicing his tricks.

Just my two cents on that matter

 

[Notdumasilook]

My lil Sun does the "snake move" too... usually being t erritorial... but sometimes just cuz he likes to do it. Head bobbing can be fixing to puke u up something to eat... which is a "mating" behavior... super quick head bobs.. like a machine gun .. thats "baby" begging food. My lil Booger does the machine gun head bob when giving sugar. No puke.. just the quick lil head bob... I call it "Booger Sugar". I have had him hack up some birdie puke to my hand before, yeah normal behavior for a conure... and my amazon as well..

 

[Flboy]

FYI, laurenb's hormonal/stimulating movements/reactions,, right on! I missed that! And as said, Do Not encourage! May seem cute, but very wrong!

 

[Hawkmaid]

Thanks all! I'll avoid that in the future, then. As a male, I thought he might be more prone to that; plus we have a male dog who might be helping trigger the territorial things. Any ideas for distractions? He doesn't play with toys that much and treats don't interest him yet. He likes eating the scroll wheel on my mouse, though...

 

[Flboy]

Thanks all! I'll avoid that in the future, then. As a male, I thought he might be more prone to that; Any ideas for distractions?...

Distractions? Well, just ask a praying mantis!

 

[wrench13]

Hawkmaid, time for nightly game of Pass the birdie, with all the members of your family. If each has a special little treat for him , even better.

 

[MonicaMc]

What exactly is his diet?


What are you trying to use as treats?

 

[Hawkmaid]

What exactly is his diet?


What are you trying to use as treats?

He has a conure seed-and-stuff mix. Pellets, dried fruits and veggies; and he usually has a few apple or tomato pieces a day. He loves apples and seeds - the rest he could care less about.

For treats, I have millet spray (which he'll nibble on and then move on with his life) and dried fruit and vegetables, which he simply doesn't care about at all.

Come to think of it, I could use apple pieces as treats, couldn't I? :34:

 

[GaleriaGila]

Just in case you want to increase pellets...
I love Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first and current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry. He was eating pellets in a couple of days, and then I could feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic.

 

[Hawkmaid]

Hawkmaid, time for nightly game of Pass the birdie, with all the members of your family. If each has a special little treat for him , even better.

Good idea! My family members try to pet him throughout the day, but giving them treats for him is a great idea.

 

[MonicaMc]

Yup! Apple could be used as a treat!

Remove seeds out of his diet, and seeds in general will be more appealing!


You can also try healthy nuts chopped up, sunflower seeds in quarters and the dried fruits.

 

[Notdumasilook]

No kidding you need to expand on his diet. My youngins don't have an all pellet diet, but that is on purpose. As GG mentioned.. Harrisons is some great stuff,, but don't get a lot at the time. Once opened it needs to be in the frige. The way I got my birds to even try pellets was by putting them in a plate or bowl and eating them myself in front of them. This worked cuz they are always wanting of whatever I eat. For dry foods they get a mix of Sunsations seed/fruit/pellet mix along with Zupreem Natural and Harrisons. Daily they get fruit/veggies.. and bout once a week they get some meats/fish or scrambled eggs. For general treats I can keep in my pocket I got Harrisons power treats, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, and almonds. The main NOTs for the birds is avocado, caffeine, chocolate, or ANYTHING salty. And just a note.. be careful feeding them something like grapes, cherries that are past their prime. Some fruits can start to ferment and may taste fine to us but have enuff alcohol to get a bird drunk as hell.. I accidentally got my BFA drunk once and a drunk Amazon is a handful. Really I was lucky he didn't die... lesson learned I will not repeat again

 

[saracuse]

Hi there! Speakking from experience... that is not being ticklish.. those are hormonal displays. Touching the wing/back area is a erogenous zone. Sometimes it can happen even from scratching the head/neck. It's all in how the bird perceives it. Conures that get stimulated like this will flip their wings like that, some times make a chirruping noise, and squat down/lay down on their belly. This is a no no.

Your bird may be starting to identify you as a mate because of the way you are touching him/her. You're sending signals to your conure that you want to mate, and your conure is showing you it is welcomed.


Just my two cents on that matter

Is it possible that my 9month old YSGCC is doing this already?

Her favorite place to sit is on my chest over my heart. I usually put my hand over her back and she snoozes away there. Doesn't usually make too many noises, maybe that cute little quacking or beak grinding but that's it.

I've noticed that when she's on her corner perch in her cage she will lean down (her tail is usually between the bars of her cage) almost vibrate her wings a little and make a chirping/squawk/soft scream type noise. I absolutely don't encourage it at all, i figured it was probably something that would end badly down the road, but I'm surprised that this is potentially a mating behavior at only 9 months old!

 

[GaleriaGila]

All helpful advice.
Your bird sounds like a sweetheart!

 

[Hawkmaid]

He's learned to eat what's given to him, and I'm so proud of him! Thanks, all!