Persistent Head Bobbing in Adult Kakariki Parrot - No Other Symptoms, Tests Normal - Video Attached

[Bimbo]

Hello everyone,I'm seeking advice from experienced parrot owners or avian experts about my 4.5-year-old kakariki parrot. He weighs 65-70 grams and has been healthy overall, but since late December 2024, he's been exhibiting intense head bobbing, like nodding, at about 60 nods per minute. This happens frequently throughout the day, but there are no other changes: he's active, curious, responsive to stimuli, and has a normal appetite.As of October 2025, the behavior persists without significant changes. His environment is stable: room temperature 20-25°C (68-77°F), humidity 30-50%, no drafts. He sleeps 9-10 hours at night in a quiet, dark space. He takes baths every three days and flies freely in the room daily. Diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, greens, sprouted grains, Padovan Grandmix Parrocchetti seed mix for medium parrots, fresh water, mineral stone, and toys in the cage.
We had blood tests and X-rays done, which showed no abnormalities, and he completed a course of vitamins, but the head bobbing continues exactly as shown in the attached video. It's rhythmic and seems involuntary, but he's otherwise vibrant and playful. Has anyone seen this in kakarikis or similar small parrots? Could it be stress, a neurological issue, or something environmental? Any suggestions for further tests or management would be greatly appreciated!Thanks in advance for your insights.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Why is he grabbing his mouth with his foot while he appears to be trying to shake something in his mouth loose? At the same time he seems to be "chewing" something.
Did the vet look inside his mouth? I don't think looking inside his mouth is part of most exams.

 

[rheashard2]

When my CAG did something similar. My avian vet said check environment. He thought it was dust, pollen etc irritating sinus and airway. I was to ensure environment was free of obvious. If nothing obvious he recommended an air filter device for room/area. My room air filter was barely functioning due to age. I replaced it. Behavior stopped. I was instructed that if it continued a mouth and sinus culture was recommended.

 

[Bimbo]

Why is he grabbing his mouth with his foot while he appears to be trying to shake something in his mouth loose? At the same time he seems to be "chewing" something.
Did the vet look inside his mouth? I don't think looking inside his mouth is part of most exams.

Thanks for the questions! Just to clarify: he doesn’t always grab his beak with his foot. The head bobbing happens throughout the entire day and almost continuously, and this has been going on for more than a year now, so any other normal activities (preening, eating, playing) are simply accompanied by the bobbing rather than caused by something in his mouth. The behavior looks rhythmic and persistent, not like a brief attempt to dislodge food.Yes, an avian veterinarian examined the beak and oral cavity thoroughly. There was also dental/beak work (including depulpation) performed as part of the assessment, and nothing abnormal was found. Bloodwork and X‑rays were normal as well. The bobbing still persists the same way as in the video

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Good! The video just looked like he had something in his mouth. Did they culture his nasal area?
I looked up "depulpation" and it relates to working on tooth pulp. How does it relate to birds?

 

[Bimbo]

When my CAG did something similar. My avian vet said check environment. He thought it was dust, pollen etc irritating sinus and airway. I was to ensure environment was free of obvious. If nothing obvious he recommended an air filter device for room/area. My room air filter was barely functioning due to age. I replaced it. Behavior stopped. I was instructed that if it continued a mouth and sinus culture was recommended.

Thanks for sharing your experience. In our case, the parrot has changed living locations several times during this period, and the head bobbing persisted in each environment. That’s why it seems unlikely to be tied to a single room’s dust/pollen or a specific air filter issue. We do keep humidity at 30–50%, temperature 20–25°C, and the room is draft-free. If needed, we can still add a HEPA purifier as a trial and consider an oral/sinus culture as you suggested, but the behavior has been present across different homes and setups

 

[Bimbo]

Good! The video just looked like he had something in his mouth. Did they culture his nasal area?
I looked up "depulpation" and it relates to working on tooth pulp. How does it relate to birds?

Thanks for asking. I misspoke earlier — I didn’t mean depulpation. What was done was a careful palpation/exam of the crop during the visit, along with an oral cavity and beak check. As for your question: no, there hasn’t been a nasal/sinus culture yet. I’m attaching a new video recorded just now to better show the ongoing head bobbing pattern.

 

[Bimbo]

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Does the other bird in the adjacent cage do the same thing? It almost looks like they do.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I looked again and he was just eating.

 

[Bimbo]

He also does it very quickly sometimes