How common is choking?

[HRH Di]

I have a little Alexandrine who'll be a year old next month. I think I've got a pretty good handle on feeding him - he gets mainly pellets, supplemented with fresh fruits, vegetables and some nuts. We also just started sprouting seeds for him which he loves almost as much as walnuts.

My question is that he loves bread, too and I've been know to give him a bit now and then. But I've noticed that when he swallows the bread he seems to have a hard time getting it down. He bobs his head up and down, not like he nodding, but more like a piston. I've watched and he only pulls of tiny bits of the bread, so I think choking is unlikely, but is this normal? He doesn't do this with any other food that I've noticed.

About a month ago, a coworker lost her bird. He was 32 and she suspects that he choked on something, hence my anxiousness about my Max having trouble swallowing. Am I just being over-anxious?

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Perfectly normal, most likely means he enjoys the bread.

 

[HRH Di]

oooh, he'll be so happy to hear that. He loves bread. Thanks again.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Too much bread or any spongy food could potentially cause a problem. But this pretty much goes with the common sense fact that too much of anything is usually bad.

The head bobbing is a common, though odd looking, parrot behavior. Often it means they are very happy... they regurgitate a nice present. Often times they bob without regurgitating. In this case it may be enjoying the food, or it may be a bit more functional in that he's getting some digestive juices into his crop to break down the bread. But either way it is normal and safe.

 

[antoinette]

I agree with AD much of anything is usually bad.
My AG Mishka bops her head when on her playpen, all the time.
I reckon she is happy and show it by bopping her head.
Take care

 

[linzlee143]

Two nights ago my dusky headed conure was choking on fresh mango. Is this normal since the fruit is fibrous and stringy? I wasn't sure how to help him and the closet Vet hospital was 20 minutes away but there was a snow storm outside. He was throwing up the fruit and was acting lethargic. Everything time he would vomit I would pull the mango out of his mouth. Is that the only thing I could do for him? I am going to be taking a bird CPR course at the red cross just so I can be more prepared. Well, Java, my conure, is doing great now! He has recovered 100% but he sure did scare the bejesus out of me!

 

[SharonC]

Levi does that a lot when eating bread. I think he's adjusting his crop...

 

[yeb90]

Oliver does that when he is REALLY enjoying a food. (If I'm understanding what you're describing. What Ollie does is the same or similar to motion that chicks make when they are being fed.) The thing I find very interesting about this is that Winston, who is generally pretty cautious when he is offered food not from his bowl, becomes very eager to taste anything that Oliver bobs his head about. He doesn't necessarily like it when he tries it, but he tastes it immediately with out any of the "tasting the air"/beak smacking that he usually does (I usually sit there for what feels like forever, waiting for him to decide whether he wants a taste).

 

[bea]

hello about the chocking issue. we had our grey 6 months by now, i dunno exactly what age he is..Today he was singing when I entered the room in the morning, quickly run to the side part of the cage and started the squeaky-baby sounds which he is doing for the past 2 weeks (when he sees me only) and then after i caressed him on the head and body he makes a movement like there is something in his throat, moving his head up and down and a small piece of apple gets out!!! it scared me a lot!! he then quickly ate it again!! I read that it could be sign of affection or ILLNESS!!! P.S last week he got choked of a piece of sweet potato that it may be warmer than it usually is but he was fine after it..something to panic about ??? please help