Behavior question

[DustyDusky]

Okay so I'm sure there are topics in regard to what I am going to type but I have looked through just about all I could find and still dont have a complete answer.

Dusty, my Dusky Conure has taken up a new habit of screaming besically all the time. When I take him out of his cage he immediately starts head bobbing and reguritating. I understand this is a sign of affection? He also rubs his beak on my hand. I try to discurage these behaviors as best I can. Especially now that he will lower himself so his cloaca touches my hand and then the muscles around his cloaca start to spasm.

Can someone give me some advice on how to better discurage this? I did read to adjust his day/night schedule. That definately needs to be adjusted. I know he's not getting proper sleep. I hope to adjust that tonight. I'll have to find a new place in the house to keep his cage being that it is in the main room of the house and my family stays up late watching tv and making noise. The problem is that my house is rather drafty with the exception on the main room...

Again, i am sorry if this topic is repeated. I just couldnt find anything that completely ralated to everything that I have mentioned.

 

[DustyDusky]

oh I forgot to mention he also throws all of his food out of his dish when i give him food. These behaviors are all fairly new and started at the same time.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

When I take him out of his cage he immediately starts head bobbing and reguritating. I understand this is a sign of affection? He also rubs his beak on my hand. I try to discurage these behaviors as best I can.

Why?

...Especially now that he will lower himself so his cloaca touches my hand and then the muscles around his cloaca start to spasm.

Ah, it's (almost) springtime and love is in the air. Okay, this one you may want to curb. But you have to realize that birds are not raised with the maniacal, oppressive, and disturbing taboos toward sexuality that we humans seem to dwell on. You are not going to teach a parrot sexual modesty, so either you:

A) get him to not like you (terrible solution)
B) get him something else to "like" (not the best solution)
C) control his hormones by controlling day length, temperature, and humidity (good solution)
D) keep him occupied with other activities... idle hands... or cloacas. (best solution)

I'd recommend a combination of C and D, and maybe B - there's no harm in it. But A should be off the table.

You're his mate ... and birds don't wait for marriage.

 

[DustyDusky]

Thanks. i'm working on the day length and i've been controlling the humidity and temperature as best I can. Is it normal for them to choose two mates? He does it to my mom aswell....

Thank you for the suggestions!Greatly appreciated.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Is it normal for them to choose two mates? He does it to my mom aswell....

Well, there are Quaker parakeets, perhaps he's a Mormon conure!

They often choose one target of their affection, but having more than one is not uncommon, in a way it's good - it means he's comfortable with her also and his 'urges' will not likely lead to a mate-guarding aggression issue. He's just a very happy bird.

 

[DustyDusky]

Very happy as long as my dad isn't around. I always say Dusty is a good judge of character. My dad is a very angry person. Dusty flips out when my dad comes to close to my mom or I when we are holding him ^.^

You are very knowledgeable about different birds and behaviors! Its great having someone who can help you understand certain things. Thank you.

 

[Riley's mom]

AD has said it all! When Riley hit sexual maturity, we started having the same problems. We tried everything. Nothing seemed to work for him. He solved the problem himself with his acrylic rings. Kinda gross, I know, but he's not trying to get "friendly" with us, or bitey, but we still have the food throwing, which we always had, and at times we have to get on to him for "courting" louder than the tv. Good Luck!

 

[TexDot33]

Very happy as long as my dad isn't around. I always say Dusty is a good judge of character. My dad is a very angry person. Dusty flips out when my dad comes to close to my mom or I when we are holding him.

It's not so much of a judge of character, but rather, I think it's more of a "HEY, get your lousy hands of my mate punk!" Its more of a defensive posture than anything else ... at least that's what it sounds like to me ... but my specialty is more identification and general care of parrots, I always leave (and ask my questions about) behavior to AD .... I only "dabble" in behavior theory ...

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Certainly could be defensive, and that's undoubtedly part of it. However the fact that he's good with mom too suggests that his is not indiscriminately 'defensive' but rather than he has picked a few people to like and others not to like.

Parrots are not very politically correct - you'll know when they don't like someone. If he goes after your dad to attack him then this is something to fix quickly; but if he just defensively attacks your dad when your dad approaches him, well then it's something to work on, but not to worry about.

 

[DustyDusky]

Oh he blatantly attacks my dad whenever my dad gets to close to the cage ( i dont have to be near) or when he's out of the cage. Its something that i would like to fix but in all honestly in order to fix it my dad needs to change his attitude about Dusty... Hate to say it but my dad brings it upon himself. He will purposely poke stuff into Dusty's cage to get him mad or when we (my mom or i) hold Dusty my dad will creep closer until he bites one of us. I'm been trying to get my dad to stop but...as i mentioned before my dad is an angry old man who is stuck in his ways and thinks that being mean back to Dusty is going to fix things. I really hate it.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Ah yes, a real man's man, a tough guy... who like's to taunt caged defenseless creatures less that 1% of his size.

 

[DustyDusky]

yep, Thats my dad... Again i say If I could get Dusty out of my house i would... Its less than ideal for him.. with my dad and all...

Again I say, "Dusty has a good judge of character" I know you guys say its defensive, but with my dad's attitude and all...i still like to joke and say hes a good judge ^.-