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Post by Mango on Mar 9, 2018 3:16:08 GMT -5
Hi, we have recently purchased a Quaker parrot(6 months). He has started a very strange behaviour when out on your hand. He is making a hissing noise, fluffing up his feathers and kind of rotating whilst nibbling your hand ( not biting).
Can anyone tell me what this is??
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Post by biteybird on Mar 9, 2018 4:43:08 GMT -5
It sounds like his hormones are kicking in and he's in a mood for mating! :0 Welcome, by the way.  |
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Post by Mango on Mar 9, 2018 15:30:07 GMT -5
That’s what I thought🙈. Is this male behaviour then? Didn’t know wether he was a boy or a girl!!
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Post by biteybird on Mar 10, 2018 0:55:24 GMT -5
From what I've read the females and males behave the same way. If you don't know if it's a boy or a girl, you might get a clue from the behaviour...boys might try 'humping' a toy in their cage, or girls might lift their tails up, Our QP, Bonnie, was DNA tested and is a girl. She sometimes hisses and does a head bobbing/regurgitating motion with her head when I am holding her and scratching her head. Sometimes she turns around on the spot and hisses whilst lifting her tail. When she does this (either with me or my husband) we straight away place her on the floor or back in her cage for a 'break', about 1-3 minutes, then let her out again for her to prove she's learnt something. "Rinse & Repeat"! It's important that you don't pat/stroke your bird's feathers below the head (i.e., don't pat/stroke along the back, as it's an erogenous/sexual zone). Don't give him/her nest-building materials (e.g., sticks, cable ties). Hope this helps! |
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Post by julianna on Mar 10, 2018 14:57:04 GMT -5
Welcome guest... the advice biteybird has given you is sound advice which I never took to heart when I first came to this site. My Oscar now is a master at building houses and getting me to do anything he wants. I pet him all over his body and would tickle him and play games with my fingers. Now he thinks I am his girlfriend.... lol. He (thank goodness)does not hump me but sometimes he wants to jump on my hand and give it a go. That is when I put the stop sign out and get him distracted.
It is working good for me.. but might not be a good idea for other Quaker parrot owners.
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Post by frugaldiva3 on May 31, 2018 1:24:29 GMT -5
I read that the erogenous/sexual zone is behind the legs. Before reading this book on QP's, I accidentally stroked that area & he responded as expected, though more like a female bird is suppose to - tail up & trying to rub against my hand some more. Ever since, I've avoided that area. No other place on his body, when I pet him has ever elicited that kind of reaction. He loves to be stroked under his beak, on his head, his cheeks, on his back just behind his head & on his throat & upper part of his breast. Sometimes he does that regurgitation motion when stroking his throat. Should I not be stroking his throat area? He seems to really enjoy it & doesn't always to the regurg motion.
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Post by dinucci on May 31, 2018 7:28:48 GMT -5
Hi, we have recently purchased a Quaker parrot(6 months). He has started a very strange behaviour when out on your hand. He is making a hissing noise, fluffing up his feathers and kind of rotating whilst nibbling your hand ( not biting). Can anyone tell me what this is?? Hey mango ! Welcome ! Like you,I bought my little guy when he was just weaned. At 6 months,he exhibited the same behavior. Mostly I thought it was cute. We would lay his fleece blankets on the chair seat,bunch up the edges and he would walk around in circles,make.little whistles grunts ect.while pulling at the edges..but would also nip ay me if i got too close. Take the blanket away and he became docile. Put something in the blanket like a ball,and he would become enraged haha..so yes they can show signs of mating aggression early on..since then,buddy is now 15 months,I have removed everything that could be considered nesting material,right down to the papers on his cage top and the pans too..it has helped to some degree..well a lot actually..as far as the petting thing goes..my girlfriend pets him all over like julianna hahah..whereas i do not..such,he has chosen her as his mate..I'm ok with this really lol..but it's easy to see why when he's lunging at me and screeming at me,that she can come over and pick him up with no problem..I have to diffuse the situation for a bit or get him to a neutral area..a.lot of times I'll just stand there with my arms folded and do something to distract him..good time to get him to do fly exercises from t stand to t stand or some basic training. |
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Post by julianna on Jun 1, 2018 14:12:56 GMT -5
Dinucci is correct and there are many places on a Quaker that should not be petted... but I am a dummy and I pet Oscar everywhere... the look on his face is priceless and other than being extremely close to me... I have not seen any other ill effects. He still loves his white plastic cup to do "his duty" on... lol lol... so that is under control. I will tell you... Oscar rules this house... and me... and he is one very happy little guy.
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Post by biteybird on Jun 2, 2018 2:12:14 GMT -5
OMG Julianna, your house is X-rated!  The mind fairly boggles at what must go on there...that poor white plastic cup. |
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Post by siobhan on Jun 4, 2018 12:12:34 GMT -5
I have both a male and female and Jade pokes her tail in the air to, um, romance her favorite toy, while Clyde drops his tail low to do that.
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Post by dinucci on Jun 5, 2018 5:08:40 GMT -5
I have both a male and female and Jade pokes her tail in the air to, um, romance her favorite toy, while Clyde drops his tail low to do that. That's funny ! I haven't noticed buddy doing anything like that or above,but I haven't looked for it either as maybe it's subtle? But the tail feather direction during this may help others to distinguish the sex of the bird ya think? |
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Post by siobhan on Jun 5, 2018 9:59:55 GMT -5
It's all I have to go on. I know Jade's female. DNA test and she's laid eggs. Clyde has provided, um, physical evidence he's a male during one of his sessions.
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Post by dinucci on Jun 5, 2018 18:21:52 GMT -5
It's all I have to go on. I know Jade's female. DNA test and she's laid eggs. Clyde has provided, um, physical evidence he's a male during one of his sessions. I'll take avian forensics for 500 alex. THE DAILY DOUBLE ! |
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Post by dinucci on Jun 12, 2018 4:10:18 GMT -5
Dinucci is correct and there are many places on a Quaker that should not be petted... but I am a dummy and I pet Oscar everywhere... the look on his face is priceless and other than being extremely close to me... I have not seen any other ill effects. He still loves his white plastic cup to do "his duty" on... lol lol... so that is under control. I will tell you... Oscar rules this house... and me... and he is one very happy little guy. I'm thinking that because you do this to oscar as my girlfriend does to buddy hahha...is the root cause of his aggression to me? Oscar bites your hubby right? I dunno..just a thought. But on the other hand,I just got back from another fishing trip and he hates me for a couple days when I return. Sometimes I think he nips because he feels deprived of attention ! Damn he's spoiled. Cleaning cages today..should be fun for him at least so maybe we can re bond ! |
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Post by biteybird on Jun 12, 2018 4:37:11 GMT -5
Dinucci, I reckon you have a good theory there. Your girlfriend is Buddy's "mate" when you are away...hmm! And then the Payback when you return - this is what happens in our household, too. Little weirdos. |
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The mind fairly boggles at what must go on there...that poor white plastic cup. 