Senegal parrot behaviour - happy/excited?

[Neith]

I thought this might be the good place to put this topic (psychological stuff, right? ).

Kura is a 1 y.o. senegal parrot which has been living with us since June. He is agressive sometimes (when hungry or scared), but generally he seems to like us (phew!).

I observed some bevahiours that in my oppinion might be signs of his happiness or excitement, but I'd like to make sure. So if you could help me, that'd be great

1. In the morning, when the cover goes down from the cage and Kura's morning poop is done (don't want to risk messing up half of the room ), I approach her and start talking to her (some "baby talk", funny talk and normal "hi Kura! how are you? my little baby! you are so pretty! come to mommy!" etc.). Most of the times Kura reacts in lifting his wings a bit, leaning a bit forward and walking back and forth babbling (or wheezing? it sounds as if he's telling me what dreams he had and he was excited about it ). When I reach to him with my hand, he bows his head to be scratched and then starts bobbing the head (like a spring - up/front and down/back) and opens his beek.
It looks so adorable and I tried to film it a couple of times, but whenever I get my camera he starts to act like an adult right away
Also, the head bobbing happens in different situations - like when we play, I start scratching him and scratch his beak a bit (he likes it).

2. When he's been playing with us for a while and sits for a moment to rest (not to nap), he tends to scratch the upper part of his beak with the lower part. Then he shakes the lower part on the sides and pulls the tongue out a bit while doing that. That makes a funny sound. And then back to scratching. He also does it when he's preparing to go to sleep - he fluffs his feathers up, becomes a big, fluffly featherball and starts the scratching.

3. The third thing is like a munching sound. We play, I give him a moment of break and he starts move his beak and tongue like he's eating something. I usually mock him then and he tries to eat my mouth (gently, not attacking), but I feel that I should stop mocking him, right? Is it something that's left in his mind after his baby period?


Thanks in advance for any hints which might help me make Kura the happiest parrot in the world

[Andromeda]

It's kind of hard to tell without seeing it but #1 could be sexual/hormonal. It sounds like the "skirt dance" which is the Senegal mating dance. They hold their wings a bit out and droop them down and then they pace back and forth.

Here is a video of a Meyers doing the "skirt dance":

Meyers mating dance

The head pumping forward and backward with an open beak is also a sexual behavior and is part of courtship (it mimics what they do when they regurgitate).

You don't want to punish your bird for exhibiting mating behavior but by all means you don't want to encourage it because it can lead to the bird perceiving you as its mate, sexual frustration, aggression, and biting (especially as it gets older and sexually matures). If your bird is doing the mating dance or regurgitating the best thing you can do it stop touching it immediately, turn your back, and completely ignore the bird until it stops its mating behavior.

Some birds like to be scratched on the beak and don't associate it with mating but other birds perceive it as sexual and will start regurgitating in which case you want to avoid scratching it on the beak because you don't want to be sending it signals that you're trying to mate with it. It's confusing for the bird and can also lead to behavioral problems as stated above.

#2 is beak grinding and is a normal behavior that usually accompanies nap time or bed time at night. Sometimes they do it when they are not sleepy in which case it just means they're happy.

I don't know about #3, maybe someone else on the boards who has a Senegal will know (I have a Poi but not a Senegal).

Hopefully this helped a bit!

[Neith]

Oh my... the first one is exactly like the video you posted!
The second one looks like this (but he usually does it paster and more like in a straight position):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soSch3Q0DM8

And he only does this with me - probably it's because I was keeping him company for the two whole first days after he arrived (my boyfriend was working on the weekend). I've noticed that he prefers me, but I could have never guessed that he might think of me as a mate!

So probably no beak scratching from now on and no encouraging this dance in the mornings

Oh! Oh! This reminded me that he actually did this once before but not in front of me! He did this when he saw his reflection in a bowl that he has on the top of his cage!

Okay, so I'm attractive to parrots... that's something


Thanks for your help!


[edit]
I found a video of a senegal doing the skirt dance. Exactly my case...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4HWyu341qE

[Andromeda]

Yeah, it sounded like the skirt dance. I think all Pois do that; the video I linked was a Meyer's and I have a brown-headed parrot who does the same dance.

The video you posted is of a bird regurgitating which is also a sexual behavior. Basically if the bird is doing that to you (or is doing the skirt dance) it is courting you as it would a mate. If he only does it with you it's because he's decided that you're his mate and as he sexually matures (he's still young) it could lead to aggression (biting, attacking) against your boyfriend because he thinks he's "defending his mate."

So the good news is that now that you know that your bird is trying to court you with mating behavior you know to stop touching it, ignore it until the bird stops, and try to avoid provoking it.

That being said, once a bird has "decided" someone is its mate it usually retains that idea and when he's more sexually mature he will be super hormonal in the Spring and might start courting you (dancing, regurgitating) without any type of provocation from you. All you can do is ignore it.

Reflections can also trigger this behavior so if you noticed him dancing at his reflection in his food bowl you definitely want to avoid ever getting any type of mirror as a toy for your bird.

Glad I could help. Good luck with your bird!

[Neith]

Yeah, I won't encourage his interracial relationship ideas

One last question - is this a behaviour typical for male parrots only or do female birds do it as well? If it's the first then we wouldn't have to check with the vet in a few years

Thanks!

[Andromeda]

Males and females will both exhibit this behavior. There's no real way to tell the difference between Senegal sexes visually. As a generalization males are a bit bigger and weigh more but that's still not proof that it's a male. You can only know for sure via DNA sexing.

[Neith]

I see... so not only I have a parrot that's interrested in interracial relationshiop, but it could also be a lesbian That's cool, I love him/her anyway

[Andromeda]

I see... so not only I have a parrot that's interrested in interracial relationshiop, but it could also be a lesbian That's cool, I love him/her anyway

Haha Birds don't really seem to care about human gender when they choose a "mate" for whatever reason. My brown-headed parrot is a male and has chosen my husband as a "mate" but the only time of year it's really a problem is in the spring when sometimes even a simple head scratch will lead to him regurgitating and then my husband has to walk away from him. Poor confused little bird.

[Neith]

I understand that they don't care or even distinguish between human genders - it was just a joke, I tend to do them a lot

Yesterday my little monster started dancing when I went to pick him up after I came back from work, so I just took my hand away and went to the kitchen, so he could calm down. Today he didn't dance or "hit on me" in any other way

[Andromeda]

I understand that they don't care or even distinguish between human genders - it was just a joke, I tend to do them a lot

I know you were just joking. LOL

What's interesting is that they can distinguish between genders somehow; there are some birds that love any and all men but will viciously attack any and all women and vice versa. Human gender just doesn't seem to factor into their courtship choices for some reason.

Yesterday my little monster started dancing when I went to pick him up after I came back from work, so I just took my hand away and went to the kitchen, so he could calm down. Today he didn't dance or "hit on me" in any other way

Great news! S/he is still young but once s/he reaches sexual maturity you'll probably see increased attempts at courtship during the spring when the hormones are in full force.

What's your bird's name? I like the picture in your signature, s/he's a very pretty bird. Have you tried doing any clicker training with him/her?