Conure head bobbing along with some noise making

[MomBird]

Hi everyone! I need your help! What does this kind of head bobbing mean? Should I be concerned? Or is this hormonal? My bird is 10 months old. It’s like a slow up and down head bobbing and is accompanied with a noise they make similar to whenever I handfeed them when they were still babies

 

[Skarila]

Now I honestly have no idea what are the baby noises as I got mine when he was 8 months

Does your bird puff up it's neck and flatten the top of the head? Is it like a fluid up and down motion, or just head bobbing? (different from regurgitating)

I am curious myself as I am still learning about conure body language, but from what I could pick up, when mine does the "snake/dragon dance", it means territoriality or agression, but I guess for young birds they are just being super excited and trying to learn how to be big birds. Mine never bit out of agression even when he was doing it.
Another one I have seen is a funny head bob with squeaky sounds, but I know it means that ye wants to fly off somewhere. He will lean his body forward, preflight pose.
And there is the happy head bob with all kinds of sounds and screeching, he is just dancing along. Similar to the pre-flight head bobbing, but here he stays in place and is obviously just having a good fun. Often will start marching around when he gets super excited! Very funny behaviour.
If others could share their observations I would be super glad! Maybe i misread my bird's body language, wouldn't that be a bummer.

 

[MomBird]

Yes, my bird’s (head) feathers are fluffed up when head bobbing and making the noise. It doesn’t seem an aggression. My bird usually does it when sitting on my shoulder. It just started a couple of days ago. Not quite sure if it’s a sign of relaxation or satisfaction or I don’t know. Hope someone can help. And thank you for responding Skarila!

 

[Flboy]

Dancing, possibly?

 

[T00tsyd]

Syd constantly bobs his head for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it is a distracted dreamy bob with no particular focus. Sometimes when he is fluffed up and head feathers squared off at the back as if he is trying to raise a punk rockers plume - then watch out because something has got his dander up! Sometimes it is a type of dance which I think is happy and other times he is feeling randy and has to be reminded just what our relationship is. Often he has his beak open his eyes are all soft he chirrups softly and I suspect it's him telling me he loves me. It makes up for the times when he is doing something he knows perfectly well that I don't allow - like right now! The little monster is hoping I am distracted - I'm not!

 

[Scott]

Can you post a video of head bobbing? Easiest format is link from YouTube, Vimeo also possible.

 

[MomBird]

https://vimeo.com/560658683


https://vimeo.com/560660884

Here’s the videos

 

[Shoegoo]

My GCC has never done that.

 

[Scott]

Lovely videos, hope our conure members recognize the bobbing and noise.

What is the relationship between this bird and the other three? Do they engage in such behavior or respond in any way?

 

[MomBird]

One is a sibling the other two aren’t. They don’t respond nor engage to it.

 

[T00tsyd]

Is there anything that he might be mimicking? I make a clicking noise to Syd and used to do it a lot when he was little as it seemed to settle him, that he replicates back to me quite often with a head bob. The bob looks very calm to me almost contented.

 

[Scott]

Is there anything that he might be mimicking? I make a clicking noise to Syd and used to do it a lot when he was little as it seemed to settle him, that he replicates back to me quite often with a head bob. The bob looks very calm to me almost contented.

Agree, the motion and sound don't appear particularly hormonal or sexual imo.