Baby GCC behaviour?

[Aliddaw]

I just got my first green cheek 4 days ago and he is about 8 weeks old. He is very cuddly and attached to me already, he comes out of his cage and runs up to my shoulder and cuddles into my neck. He's eating normally and his droppings look fine, etc. But he does this little wing-twitch thing thats concerning me a little. He doesn't do it all the time, in the cage he's fine. But when he's on me or cuddling with me, if I pet him or anything his wings twitch a bit and he lets out a little "cheep" repeatedly. I have been googling it like crazy and I have read that it could be normal baby behaviour that they do when they want to be fed. However, I read on some other threads that not a lot of people have heard of this behaviour. Please let me know what you think. I hope my baby is ok.

Note: There isn't an avian vet within close proximity to me, I'll have to drive a little while to get to one so I don't want to overreact and drive all the way there if he is fine...

I'm also new to this thread so please excuse my ignorance because I'm not entirely sure how to use it yet. Sorry for the lengthy description. Thanks in advance, guys!

 

[cdog]

Does he bob his head while doing it?
It is normal behavior, it could either be feeding responce or he is just playing because one of the babies I am handfeeding just does it when he is playing, I knicknamed him spaz because of it.

 

[jaynava]

Mines around the smae age n does the same tying but squawks non stop too if I give hin attention he does that a lot so Wen it becomes to much I out him back in his cage

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

The only thing that comes to mind is that he may still have a feather coming in and it may be sensitive. You mention that it is only when you pet him or cuddle him so maybe it hurts him a little?

 

[Aliddaw]

Hey, thanks guys. Sorry for the confusion, it's not ONLY when I pet him, and when I pet him it's more of a response to my movement before I even touch him, so I don't think it could be the new feathers. Thanks for the suggestion, though.. I'll keep it in mind.

He doesn't really bob his head while doing it, but he seems healthy otherwise so it's nice to know that other babies do it too, calms me down a little.

Thanks again!
If anyone has anything else to add, please let me know.

 

[lexx510]

It sounds exactly like what Guava does when she's "turned on." She chirps, twitches her wings, squats and bobs her head a little. I do suspect that it's a hormonal thing and a reaction to being petted in certain places. Do you pet his back or sides by any chance?

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

Hey, thanks guys. Sorry for the confusion, it's not ONLY when I pet him, and when I pet him it's more of a response to my movement before I even touch him,

Thanks for the clarification. Sounds like he is still just a bit nervous or even being startled a little. Whatever it is it does not sound like too big an issue.

 

[KatherineI]

It sounds exactly like what Guava does when she's "turned on." She chirps, twitches her wings, squats and bobs her head a little. I do suspect that it's a hormonal thing and a reaction to being petted in certain places. Do you pet his back or sides by any chance?

If this baby is only 8 weeks, there is no way it's hormonal related. This little guy isn't even close to sexual maturity yet.

I've seen babies that have recently been weaned do this; I have usually associated it to a wean behavior because as "infants" they perform certain behaviors to get attention in the form of food. So they do it more as a "pay attention to me" because they're still used to associating attention with food which they get when they perform begging behaviors. Our CAG used to do it until she got a little older.

 

[lexx510]

It sounds exactly like what Guava does when she's "turned on." She chirps, twitches her wings, squats and bobs her head a little. I do suspect that it's a hormonal thing and a reaction to being petted in certain places. Do you pet his back or sides by any chance?

If this baby is only 8 weeks, there is no way it's hormonal related. This little guy isn't even close to sexual maturity yet.

I've seen babies that have recently been weaned do this; I have usually associated it to a wean behavior because as "infants" they perform certain behaviors to get attention in the form of food. So they do it more as a "pay attention to me" because they're still used to associating attention with food which they get when they perform begging behaviors. Our CAG used to do it until she got a little older.

I completely overlooked the age. Thanks for correcting.

 

[Aliddaw]

Awesome. Thank you.

 

[jaynava]

It sounds exactly like what Guava does when she's "turned on." She chirps, twitches her wings, squats and bobs her head a little. I do suspect that it's a hormonal thing and a reaction to being petted in certain places. Do you pet his back or sides by any chance?

If this baby is only 8 weeks, there is no way it's hormonal related. This little guy isn't even close to sexual maturity yet.

I've seen babies that have recently been weaned do this; I have usually associated it to a wean behavior because as "infants" they perform certain behaviors to get attention in the form of food. So they do it more as a "pay attention to me" because they're still used to associating attention with food which they get when they perform begging behaviors. Our CAG used to do it until she got a little older.

My 9 week gcc does the same thing ill agree they do that for attention n or Wen hungry

 

[VictoriaVague]

Bump

My 3 month old MBC is doing something similar and it is worrying me. He's started making a frequent little squeaking sound, not like any of his usual noises and twitching one wing, sometimes his head moves slightly and he open and shuts his beak. He'll just be sitting on your shoulder, knee or head and make the sound repeatedly, often twitching the one wing. I'm worried that it's a pain reaction.

 

[Echo]

All these are usually common in hand fed babies. When the breeder feeds, one hand goes behind the neck and rest on the back. The babies associates this with being fed. Even after being weaned, the young birds can still display this behavior of head bobbing, wing fluttering and/or baby begging sounds when a human's hand is on their back.

Not all babies will do it. My hand fed baby Crimson did it until she was a good 10 months.

 

[Echo]

Bump

My 3 month old MBC is doing something similar and it is worrying me. He's started making a frequent little squeaking sound, not like any of his usual noises and twitching one wing, sometimes his head moves slightly and he open and shuts his beak. He'll just be sitting on your shoulder, knee or head and make the sound repeatedly, often twitching the one wing. I'm worried that it's a pain reaction.

Sounds very much like a begging behavior.

 

[VictoriaVague]

Took him the the vet. His bruised his wing and is feeling quite sorry for himself. He has some painkillers to ease the discomfort and should be feeling more himself in a few days.

 

[BreannPearlLang]

from what i understand your baby is doing a wing twitch, baby birds do this to get attention from a parent. its a rewarding act and responding to it creates a better bond and a higher self esteem for your baby.
a wing twitch is any kind of jerky movement followed by a gentle little sound.

as for the bruising, he could have been trying to get your attention towards the hurt spot.

 

[Mudkips]

I've had Birdy for about 9 months (I think he's about 1 year old now) and he's done that wing twitch his whole life.
He only does it when he's relaxing or getting comfortable: e.g, after preening or if he's been lying on his back for a while.
I've never worried about it.

I'm guessing that it's something that will stay with him for life.