Couple of Behavior Question

[WBCaique]

Hi everyone, so we are going on 3 weeks since we brought Dino home and he has really come out of his shell and it already making great progress on being potty trained! However, I have a few questions maybe you guys can answer.

Sometimes when he gets excited when I approach the cage or take him out he will do this thing where he stretches his neck high, opens his beak wide and bobs his head up and down. What does that mean? Kinda reminds me of a cocktail clearing his crop after preening.

Also, I've been trying to play with him a lot, especially beak wrestling to get him used to being able to use his beak to hold on to skin but not bite and so far he is doing great, I think I've only once or twice put him back when he grabbed a bit too hard. However, I am also wondering whether this sort of play, which is sort of rough play, might actually be teaching him to be aggressive? Keep in mind that I don't force him to play, he enjoys going for my hands and rolling on his back to have him wrestle with his beak lol. I have a few videos of this and it's pretty funny

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Birdman666]

1. That's the happy head bob... sometimes they even regurgitate for you.

2. No. They're feisty and playful by nature. If you don't play with them, they never learn how to control their bite pressure. You don't have to put them back when they are too rough, just stop the game for a minute or two, and tell them "that's too hard" or "no biting." They'll get it. They pick this up fairly quickly.

 

[WBCaique]

Perfect seems like things are on the right track then Thank you!

 

[dskidd]

Birdman666's response says it all.

On the subject of the "head-bob," I just wanted to add my perspective on it. In the wild, many (probably most) birds go to bed hungry. (Eliza and Henry say the same thing, but it's only because they're trying to get sympathy votes.)

Therefore, when they do the "head-bob", they're basically offering the most precious resource they have: food. When E&H do that to me every morning, or when I get home, I think of it as them saying "I've been saving this for you all night/day!" In other words, ultimate bird-love!

 

[punkindave]

Birdman666's response says it all.

On the subject of the "head-bob," I just wanted to add my perspective on it. In the wild, many (probably most) birds go to bed hungry. (Eliza and Henry say the same thing, but it's only because they're trying to get sympathy votes.)

Therefore, when they do the "head-bob", they're basically offering the most precious resource they have: food. When E&H do that to me every morning, or when I get home, I think of it as them saying "I've been saving this for you all night/day!" In other words, ultimate bird-love!

Spot on.. The head bob is awesome and funny as hell!! Only one of my 4 do this for me, it's a true bromance!!

 

[WBCaique]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I'm glad to hear that the head bobbing is a happy Gesture and he keeps doing it so I must be doing something right

 

[dskidd]

Spot on.. The head bob is awesome and funny as hell!! Only one of my 4 do this for me, it's a true bromance!!

The only exception I can think of as it relates to caiques would be Joel's Bunsen and Beaker. In their case, B&B are nodding "Yes, please, we WOULD like more tequila!"

 

[Jowelbg]

Incidentally, they also regurgitate after too much Tequila...

-Joel

 

[punkindave]

Incidentally, they also regurgitate after too much Tequila...

-Joel

Lightweights!! LOL