Hello, I see you are sick. Can I just run over your face?

[KimberlyAnn]

I miss the days where I had cats and they would sleep next to me quietly when I was sick. They knew to stay by me. They cared.

Birds are NOT the same. They DON'T care and apparently husbands are not that observant either when they let birds out. I've had my toes attacked, hair caught in claws, bird feet running across my face.

The last straw was waking up to a bird trying to pry open my mouth to chew on my teeth. Ewww.

Thank god for birds go to sleep early.

[cml]

Sounds like a very quiet and easy rest !

Actually, my birds are not at all like yours. Stitch especially senses when me or my wife are ill or tired, and perches on the sofa behind us when we rest, guarding us. He just sits there one feet up looking solemn until we start to move about again.
It's very heartful to see/experience!

He never does that when we are not ill though, so you cant fake illness to get some quiet time, he's too smart to fall for it .

Get well soon!

[Pajarita]

I miss the days where I had cats and they would sleep next to me quietly when I was sick. They knew to stay by me. They cared.

Birds are NOT the same. They DON'T care and apparently husbands are not that observant either when they let birds out. I've had my toes attacked, hair caught in claws, bird feet running across my face.

The last straw was waking up to a bird trying to pry open my mouth to chew on my teeth. Ewww.

Thank god for birds go to sleep early.

LOL - My female Senegal is always and forever trying to get into my mouth, too. And you are right, most of them don't care that you are sick, they want what they want when they want it.

[Weka]

One can't help but wonder if it's because an ill flock member such as yourself is seen as a liability. In the wild, sick birds tend to go off by themselves, or at the very least out of immediate group contact, as they can attract predators and/or spread disease. In some species, the healthier birds night even go so far as to actively ignore (I.e. quarantine) a weakened member or even drive it away altogether.


Hope you feel better soon,

Weka

[KimberlyAnn]

Yes, Pajarita! What is with the mouth/nose curiosity? It's not like she's trying to feed me. She's trying to pull my teeth out! Lol

Weka, I think this is a forbidden fruit thing. Lots of busy play. I don't let her nibble or kiss around my mouth, she's always been curious about feet, and my hair is her favorite thing to go into/play in...she just always gets stuck. Getting stuck makes her mad so then she throws a Green Cheek fit. Lovely.

Cml, you are lucky. I just become a jungle gym.

I'm feeling much better, but my husband has the flu now. I will be nice and keep Emmi away...maybe.

[Pajarita]

I believe they know that our mouth is the equivalent of their beak but the teeth fascinates them because, in their mind, they shouldn't be there, should they?

And don't be too nice to your husband, give him a taste of their own medicine!

As to birds ignoring or even attacking a sick or wounded bird so it would not give them away to predators, I don't think this happens with social species... or, at least, for what I have read and observed in mine, it doesn't happen with parrots. The main reason why the Carolina Parakeet became extinct in just a few years after America was colonized was that, when the pioneers shot down a few down from the sky, the entire flock would turn around and come to ground to stay near the wounded/dead ones becoming literal sitting ducks to the farmers who kept on shooting until the entire flock was all killed. And I've observed mates staying alongside their handicapped/sick/old mate and even try to 'wake' them up by gently pushing them with their beaks when they died (I saw a male lovebird do this to his old mate and it was the most heartbreaking thing ever!). Sweetpea, my male Senegal, was so upset when his second mate started slowing down (Nicky was a 29 year old Nanday which had come to me at 20 years of age with liver damage from bad diet) that he did not only stayed right by her, not even moving away to eat or fly (and he LOVES to fly just for the fun of it) the entire last week of her life -he also started plucking at this time.

[Scotty]

KimberlyAnn, LOL, no they care...

Winnie if I lay on the floor or at times I've been on my hands and knees kneeling on the floor, she'll come right over to me and stay right next to me and never leave, I can tell she's trying to be with me, like give concern or comfort...

I'm sure some birds are more aware than others...

[KimberlyAnn]

I'm feeling much better, but my husband has the flu now. I will be nice and keep Emmi away...maybe.

He didn't have the flu. He had to have his appendix taken out. So things have been very very very quiet around here. Emmi had chosen to stay on her cage for the bulk of it. Smart move lol And my mother and Erik's father were here so I could work the last two days. Emmi soaked up the attention.

But he's doing much better and she does not do the annoying habits as long as he's giving her his full attention. Or else...I swiftly take her away.

[Pajarita]

Oh, Lordy, please convey our wishes for a speedy recovery!

[KimberlyAnn]

He's good now. Will be back to work in another week, but healing better then expected! That first night though, well I won't soon forget it. They let him out early, two hours after the surgery. I still don't understand why he didn't spend the night like they originally said. I don't think he slept over a half hour so that means I was up too! Lol Emmi was not pleased either. I could hear her from my step son's room complaining about the noise with each trip down the hall.

Phew, glad that's over! I love my husband, but I don't think I would like to be a nurse!