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

 

[rheashard2]

I am wondering. Does he do this when eating? Sometimes this movement is used to aid food movement. Food can be regurgitated. I've seen my CAG do this bring up a bit of food and swallow it. If I'm close she'll offer it to me.

 

[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?

I called a doctor As per your recommendation, I'll have my throat checked and a swab collected. His initial conclusion is: Kakariki “Schnaps,” 4.5 years old, weight 63 g, temperature 40.7°C. Eyes and eyelids clean, nares clear, hard palate clean, beak clean. The parrot makes swallowing motions and regurgitates seed. There is feed in the bottom of the crop; the crop wall is thin. Body condition is moderate; abdomen is sunken. Cloaca is dry, with a small area of feather loss. Tail normal; uropygial (preen) gland unchanged; wings unchanged; legs and feet unchanged, grip is strong. Auscultation of the chest, abdomen, and dorsum reveals clear respiration.Swabs and washes were collected from the beak, nasal passages, oropharynx, and esophagus for bacterial culture and fungal testing (submitted to the microbiology laboratory).

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I wonder what "sunken abdomen" means. I'd ask him what the significance is of any of the findings on the exam.
You're having your own throat cultured? What are you concerned with?

 

[Bimbo]

i have done the tests, the results will be ready in about 10 days.The parrot is still a little scared and sluggish after the examination by the vet, and moves his head less often, so this is probably not related to the nerves?It seems we can rule out a gastrointestinal cause, because six months ago he completed a course of antibiotics, and now the fecal test is clear—just as we can rule out neurology, bones, and joints, judging by his current condition. In my opinion, at the moment it most closely resembles stereotypy connected with regurgitation and a possible respiratory infection. What do you think?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I hope you get some answers. None of us are avian health experts even though many of us have had birds most of our lives. Parrot health isn't as well studied as I wish it was. We all rely on avian vets or at least wish we had access to them. Many of us live in areas that have none so you're lucky in this regard.

I'm not convinced it's not neurological and there aren't any tests that can rule it out. Not that it would be life threatening. People live with "tics". Your bird doesn't seem ill.

 

[Bimbo]

I wonder what "sunken abdomen" means. I'd ask him what the significance is of any of the findings on the exam.
You're having your own throat cultured? What are you concerned with?

thanks for your questions! First, sorry for the confusion in my last post—it was a translation error from Google Translate. I meant "I'll have the parrot's throat checked and a swab collected," not my own. No concerns about my health; it's all about Schnaps (the kakariki).
We took swabs from his beak, nasal passages, oropharynx, and esophagus for bacterial and fungal testing, as the vet recommended based on your idea about culturing the nasal area. Results will be ready in about 10 days.

About "sunken abdomen": The vet explained that for kakarikis like Schnaps, a slightly sunken or hollow belly is actually normal and a good sign—it's part of their natural anatomy in healthy birds with moderate body condition, not indicating any weight loss or issues. No worries there!

You're right—I should clarify the significance of other exam findings with the vet. For example, the dry cloaca with a small bald spot: the vet noticed it and asked if I've seen droppings sticking to the feathers around the vent, but didn't think it was serious—probably just mild dryness, no sticking noticed. The regurgitation of seeds might be related to digestion, but the vet confirmed the crop is normal overall (just some seeds at the bottom, which is typical), and the "thin crop wall" was just a descriptive note about its natural elasticity, not a concern.

 

[Bimbo]

I am wondering. Does he do this when eating? Sometimes this movement is used to aid food movement. Food can be regurgitated. I've seen my CAG do this bring up a bit of food and swallow it. If I'm close she'll offer it to me.

He does the head movement both while eating and at many other times during the day. Sometimes he brings up a tiny bit of seed and swallows it again, but often the head bobbing happens without active feeding. Based on long-term observation and normal tests so far, I’m starting to think this might be a regurgitation-related stereotypy (a repetitive, non-functional behavior), rather than just a food‑movement aid. I’m waiting for culture results (oral/nasal/esophageal) to rule out infection, and I’m also monitoring weight and behavior. If you have tips for reducing stereotypic patterns (enrichment, training routines, ignoring instead of reinforcing), I’d really appreciate them

 

[Bimbo]

Could a wood shaving in the nostril cause this behavior for more than a year? He occasionally opens his beak, apparently to breathe, tries to remove something with his foot, sneezes, and bobs his head because of a foreign body. There are essentially no other symptoms.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

That's what it looks like to me but I'm no expert.