Cuddles...?

[snakesentwined]

Hi everyone - us again

Isis has been settling down very nicely - and has even started to ask for cuddles. This is really sweet - but I am a little concerned that it might be more than just a bit of flock bonding: and might be early sexual behaviour (very early - since she's only 1 year old!). She attempts to nuzzle down under your arm, then makes clucking and grunting noises whilst fluffing her wings and twitching her tail - a few times she has even tried to raise her tail and back up onto your arm. She also tends to do it more to my partner than me (who she already shows favouritism to, since he is home more than I am).

There are two short bits of her doing the basic cuddling with both of us on this YouTube video - and I'd appreciate any thoughts or advice you might have:

[kaylayuh]

Backing onto your arm is definitely a mating behavior. One problem I see is that you're stroking the birds back. This is sexual stimulation for a bird and could be causing part of this behavior. I'd confine petting to neck or head scritches.

I wouldn't stop cuddling the bird, but that's my personal opinion and I cuddle my GCC. He's hormonal right now and has taken to trying to mate with my hand. I just remove my hand from the bird and place him back in the cage. I don't make a big deal of it and he's free to do his business in his cage if that's what the wants to do. If it were getting excessive, I'd remove whatever the stimulus is.

Birds also mature at different rates, and while 1 year old seems a little young, it's not unheard of. patdbunny did a great blog entry on sexual stimulation in birds that you may want to check out when you have time. Aside from that, if you're noticing a change in behavior or an excess of hormones, you may want to try limiting daylight hours and cooling the temperature in the room she's in.


Also, if a bird can get it's beak around it, it's a toy. I love the way you say "featherduster"!

[Vicki5280]

First of all, I must say Isis is gorgeous!

Moving on... I recently read an excellent article (though unfortunately failed to bookmark it) discussing how people have a tendency to show avians affection the same way they show affection to mammals, mainly by stroking. This is a natural behavior for us because we're mammals! (I know, I was shocked to find that out too! )

However, with our birdie friends, we have to squelch that tendency because in their world it's a "come-on" rather than a friendly "I like you" kind of thing. When I read that and realized I was "coming-on" to my bird, it made it pretty easy to quit!

On a completely different topic, you have a lovely home! I absolutely love your fireplace. I would give every one of my left toes to have one like it!

[Margaret]

I have to say I loved it! Isis is sooo cute. What is with those Amazons that every YT with them I watch, I find out them amazing!

[sidech]

I noticed you pet her on the back and tail a lot. I think she's still young, but that might trigger strong hormonal reactions down the road.

Stick with the head and chest.

I didn't watch the whole thing, but I don't think I saw any mating behaviors.

[Vikki]

Agreed with all of the above. Cuddling is great, but stick to everything above the shoulders.

Love your ink too, BTW

[captwest]

Hey Snakes, I can't remember how old Iris is but i think she's young (1 or so), I'm very impressed with your relationship with her , Great job and carry on.However i think you'll find that hen amazons can tend to become a bit of a harlot.My Jake is rather shameless and so is Josie's hen Stacie, Normally it's a AM thing and you become aware of it quickly, and later in the day it's not such an issue. Just realize that this is part of the bonding thing and breeder birds have sex even when their not breeding , it's a bonding thing and has none of the moral implecations that we want to attach.the writing is on the wall and your going to have to deal with it' Hey your the man in her life. My wife and i have different views on this subject and have had many "debates" In a perfect world under the right conditions this is how i might handle this issue.Your pet dosen't know what real sex is, It's just an insinct with her , make a small ritual of it in the AM when she begs for it.I'm not suggesting you have sex with your bird,She just needs that bonding and then it's on with the rest of a normal day.No matter how unfulfilling it might be , she's fufiled because it's just a ritual to her. Love your Iris ,your a lucky pair, Richard " I'm just an old lump of coal, but i'll be a diamond some day"

[captwest]

PS you should have went with John Prime orginal version of that song.

[snakesentwined]

Thanks guys!

I hadn't realised about the back-stroking being an avian come-on - we'd been doing it as part of the process of bonding, and also to desensitise her for harness training. We've kept it to a minimum since, and it does seem to have made her less demanding for under-arm cuddles. She has also been regurgitating a little on occassions, so I think it is all related.

I'm with you on the morality issue Capt'n - I couldn't care less if she's a harlot, but I just don't want to encourage a situation where she bonds with one of as her mate and then gets territorial against the other. At the moment we're letting her snuggle a little when she insists, but trying to make sure that she takes turns with both of us (and sometimes all of us together); we are also careful not to stroke when she does it - and to then find something nice and distracting to do together after a few minutes.

I would have said that she's bonded more to Geoff in the last couple of months, probably because he works part time and is at home more than I am - but she was devestated when I went away for 5 days last week, and has made such a fuss of me since that I'm sure she loves me just as much

As to the other compliments:

The fireplace was the 1st thing we had added when we moved into the house - it's a solid piece of cast iron which heats up quickly and then releases a fantastically cheery glow throughout the evening, even without adding more coal. Geoff grew up in South Africa, and a real fire is the only way he can cope with our damp winter; it's also a wonderful excuse to roast chestnuts and marshmallows We'd worried a little about fires with a parrot - but it's always securely covered because of the cats, and it has an excellent draw so there's never any smoke; we do run a purifier though, just in case.

The ink on both of us is by the wonderful Jo Harrison from Modern Body Art in Birmingham, UK - we've been seeing her now for nearly 10 years and we're both heading towards being her first complete suits; it's both a work in progress and a labour of love for us both. Our latest addition was a magpie each: '1 for sorrow' when we are appart, and '2 for joy' when together