trust issues ?

[maryseblunt]

my green cheek will not let me lay him on his back or scratch under his wing. would this be a sign that hes not fully trusting me? when hes out he always want to be with me & i can tell he knows im his caretaker even when i tried to leave him on his cage top & play gym he got off to get to me! just seeking some advice for those who have ever recived mix signals from their parrot.

 

[maryseblunt]

ive read quite a bit & seem quite a few videos of green cheeks on their backs as well as loving a good scratch so i just wanted to confirm to make sure it wasnt a trust issue & make he just doesnt like it lol

 

[BillsBirds]

If you had read quite a lot, and seem (seen) quite a few videos, you wouldn't have asked those questions.

 

[legal_eagle]

ive read quite a bit & seem quite a few videos of green cheeks on their backs as well as loving a good scratch so i just wanted to confirm to make sure it wasnt a trust issue & make he just doesnt like it lol

As Dr. Dean Edell used to say, "When you hear hoof-beats, think horses, not zebras." Your GCC sounds "issue" free to me.

 

[getwozzy]

ive read quite a bit & seem quite a few videos of green cheeks on their backs as well as loving a good scratch so i just wanted to confirm to make sure it wasnt a trust issue & make he just doesnt like it lol

Not every bird is the same. Just because you see countless videos of parrots doing various tricks and things, doesn't mean you can expect the same from yours. It takes a lot of work and trust to get to the point of doing certain things with a parrot. It's taken quite a lot of patience, work, and trust just for Jackie to let me scratch his head and neck...laying him on his back? Yeah right lol even touching his wings is asking to be bit!!

 

[Mayden]

Touching wings, backs, can all be sexually stimulating for a bird. Some birds simply do not like being touched there (especially if you're not his mate!).

As someone mentioned before - a bird being on it's back is so very vulnerable and not many actually enjoy it. Green cheeks are well known for 'playing' on their backs, but that usually means playing on their backs in their cage, on their own terms away from anyone else that could be threatening.

Merlin will lay on his back at times, but it's usually only on his own terms and he's fussy about where he's touched too. Give it times and don't push it, you might never get there - or he might suddenly just roll over one day and demand scritches. Different birds, different personalities, appreciate the type you got and just enjoy your time bonding with your birdy.

 

[Mayden]

If you had read quite a lot, and seem (seen) quite a few videos, you wouldn't have asked those questions.

A lot of people rant and rave about how Green Cheeks are constantly playing on their backs and it's all they ever do. Not many people are going to post videos of their green cheek "not playing on their back" because that's uninteresting.

Asking questions is how people learn, getting anecdotal information and reassurance from your peers and fellow parrot owners is what makes this forum so useful.

I knew a lot about splayed legs before I came here asking for assistant with Merlin and his leg. I was double checking information from people, making sure what I was doing for him was right - despite reading countless information about it already.