Little finger licker

[Kyoto]

Kyo is going through a weird beaky phase. She is obsessed with preening, nibbling, chewing, licking, and almost sucking on my fingers. It's a very not aggressive thing, not really bad intended but mildly annoying. I haven't found any info on this kind of "biting" where it's not aggressive and more like play/preening to her.

I've been putting her on her window perch, or moving her to my shoulder, and giving her crumpled papers or toys but she obsessively wants to be preening my ugly wings.

Any advice? I prefer this to the aggressive biting problems any day but it's still not good behaviour.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I think it's a sort of mating behavior. My Finley does this right before he decides to hop on and have his way with my hand.

 

[clark_conure]

clark preens me sometimes, it's called allopreening. It isn't necessarily sexual, but it is communal. SO long has he doesn't try to hump then enjoy! I do.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I say... sounds harmless, but stay vigilant for emerging issues.

Ugly wings! That completely cracked me up! Yeah, clearly, you're a plucker!

 

[MonicaMc]

Well, what do you want her to do instead? And how can you reward her for doing those behaviors? Could she be foraging for food? Learning new behaviors or performing them? Such as turn around, high four, wave, big eagle, pick up an object and place it somewhere, etc.?