I know better... but I did it anyway!

[Birdman666]

My bad...

So last night both macaws were wound up and in goofy mode...

Maggie initiated it when I walked by. Put her head upside down, reached out with her foot, and then lunged for my face. (This of course, is "Let's beak wrestle.") So Maggie is really getting into it...

I've got my face in her face, and we are playing. Sweepea of course is at the edge of the big playstand, and really, really wants a part of this game...

So now I'm taking on two macaws at once, with my face. And standing between the two playstands. And we are absolutely having a ball...

My macaws and I do this all the time, and they are both very, very good about never applying any bite pressure. So I am 100% unconcerned and laughing.

Tusk is on top of Sweepea's cage, and is providing a running narrative, trying to get my attention, and behaving the way the macaws do when "they want some." And he looks as though he wants to play too... (and he does!) So I go over to him next, and shake my hair in his face and get my nose close enough to wrestle...

WHAM! Tusk clearly does not understand the rules of the game. "No grabbing noses!" The result is a pinhole in my right nostril that is bleeding like we just struck a gusher... (It really is just a pinhole.)

And THAT is the difference between a MACAW game, and a CAG game.

Now, I wouldn't even consider doing something like that with one of my zons. Why on earth I did that with a CAG... that's a "what did you think was going to happen" kind of thing...

 

[Dopey]

Ok - now I don't feel so bad about the foolish thing I did the other night.
I was eating dinner. Jingle came down to eat my dinner too (the first time I have ever let a parrot eat dinner with me). He got a beak full of mashed potatoes. I went to wipe his beak and he bite me.

I am so glad even though we know the rules...we do stupid things when we are caught up in the moment.

How's your gusher today?

 

[Kiwibird]

They always go of noses, lips and eyebrows don't they lol? Hows your nose today? Is Tusk feeling guilty?

 

[Birdman666]

It's just a pin hole.

By the time I got the blood wiped away it was like, how did all that blood come from that tiny hole? (Like when the tip of your finger gets it. It's a pin prick, and it's making a mess.)

And your severe will learn that you were wiping his beak eventually. You're going to have a few setbacks.

My birds are generally pretty good about controlling their bite pressure. Tusk was just excited cuz he wanted to play too... he had just never played this particular game before. He wasn't allowed to...

That rule is in place for a reason...

Oh, yeah. Now I remember... He doesn't know how to be gentle when he gets this excited. DUH! WHAT WAS I THINKING...

It's like the one bird I have that does not get held when filling food dishes is Sweepea... She watches what you are doing, and "Pinch! Hey, I like that. Pinch! Hey, I want some of that too... Pinch! Can I eat now. Pinch! More of that please... "

By the time you're done filling the dish you have about six bruises. She doesn't break the skin, and is just pinching, but it still friggin' hurts...

 

[Birdman666]

They always go of noses, lips and eyebrows don't they lol? Hows your nose today? Is Tusk feeling guilty?

Tusk generally just goes for noses when he's angry. In fact, one of the warnings he gives you when you are invading 'his space' is the phrase "That's my nose!"

Not the least bit guilty...

It's more like, hey, that wasn't even my best shot, I wasn't even warmed up yet... You're quitting already?!

I had the macaws going for about 15-20 minutes, absolutely wound up goofy as they get. Maggie even had ahold of my nose with her foot and was acting like she was going to rip it off my face with her beak... but not a single scratch.

All I had to do with Tusk was get the nose within range... he hit it the way he hits his toys. Clearly, this was HUMAN ERROR.

Now, this bird kisses me nose to beak all the time. And there are other games I CAN play with him nose to beak. (Eskimo Kisses.)

What I can't do is get him wound up, and get my face anywhere near him.

 

[Dopey]

I think next time I wipe his beak I will use something to wipe it with...like a sponge or a paper towel. At least something to break the bite.

 

[Birdman666]

When I was teaching my birds this one, I did two fingers on the beak to hold it steady, then wiped the beak with the other hand, without letting go... That way I had him under control. And after a couple of times, they just understand that part of being fed messy foods, means your beak gets wiped when you're done. (And they generally want it wiped off anyway.)

Wiping with an object, they just attack the object. And if things go "as usual" the beak goes clean through the object, and into your finger. (But on the bright side, you already have an object in your hands to stop the bleeding. :11

He probably just didn't understand what you were doing.

 

[Kiwibird]

I think next time I wipe his beak I will use something to wipe it with...like a sponge or a paper towel. At least something to break the bite.

Does he not wipe his beak on his own? Kiwi always wipes his messy beak off on his perch and then gives it a few swipes on the pedi perch as soon as he goes back to the cage I cannot see it ending well for my hand to shove a washcloth or sponge in Kiwi's face. Good thing he's a self-cleaning model:54:

 

[Birdman666]

I think next time I wipe his beak I will use something to wipe it with...like a sponge or a paper towel. At least something to break the bite.

Does he not wipe his beak on his own? Kiwi always wipes his messy beak off on his perch and then gives it a few swipes on the pedi perch as soon as he goes back to the cage I cannot see it ending well for my hand to shove a washcloth or sponge in Kiwi's face. Good thing he's a self-cleaning model:54:

Believe it or not, I actually use my fingers for this one.

They use the perch too, but I find it's easier to just wash my hands than to have to go back and clean cages.

(And all you have to do is try to get flung banana or flung mashed potato off drywall once... It's far, far better to wipe than to fling!

 

[Christinenc2000]

Thank you SO MUCH. I really needed a giggle today.

TO bad there are not pictures with the story.

 

[Birdman666]

I wish there was a way to video the two macaws when they are in wound up goofy mode like that...

Nothing short of a spy cam will do it though.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Just curious did they react ? To the quick stop at play time ?

 

[Birdman666]

Tusk sat there with his head cocked waiting for me to put my nose back within range. Looking confused as to why I stopped... this wasn't "intent to hurt" this was "playing too rough/didn't control my bite pressure."

Tusk beak wrestles with fingers, not noses!

The other two were pretty close to played out anyway... but they know the phrase "that's enough." And generally, to calm them down, I get my face out of the way, and scratch heads... that puts them back into "preening and cuddle" mode from "play" mode. Like flicking a switch...

In fact, there has been more than a few times when they just flop over on my lap at that point.

 

[Christinenc2000]

That is to funny. I Love hearing story's about your Fid's. Glad everything is ok

 

[Betrisher]

WAIT! Mark! I have an idea! Years ago, someone gave me a lovely pair of dangly macaw earrings. Of course, I lost one...

YOU COULD HANG THE OTHER ONE IN YOUR NEW NOSE-HOLE!

I think it would be entirely fitting for a macaw man to wear a large, dangly macaw earring in his nose. Whaddya think???

 

[Birdman666]

WAIT! Mark! I have an idea! Years ago, someone gave me a lovely pair of dangly macaw earrings. Of course, I lost one...

YOU COULD HANG THE OTHER ONE IN YOUR NEW NOSE-HOLE!

I think it would be entirely fitting for a macaw man to wear a large, dangly macaw earring in his nose. Whaddya think???

It's JUST a pin prick.

It wouldn't work unless I was foolish enough to keep going...

After the pin prick I got the point (pardon the pun) and thought better of beak wrestling with a CAG...

For all the talk about the massive size of Maggie's beak, she has never once drawn blood...

There is a reason Tusk is the only bird I have ever owned that is not allowed on shoulders...

Which goes back to my original premise - What was I thinking?! IDIOT!!!

 

[Alwese]

I thought I was the only one who likes to macaw wrestle. I'll let Doogie clamp on my right first finger and then rub his head with the left hand. He loves to play peek-a-boo with my shirt over his head for five seconds at a time, yelling WOW to him through the shirt. I genuinely think he is expecting me to do this every night before I kill the lights. Clifford wants to check my mouth for cashews, so I break up little pieces he takes from between my lips. I rarely take a bite from any of them but Clifford the Scarlet's beak is ultra sharp and he occasionally will graze my cheek or use my ear for a handle and get me to bleed. This scares the little kids out in public, but I just tell them he didn't mean it.

 

[RavensGryf]

Leave it up to an African species . I can see that coming more from a tame well socialized Grey than a tame well socialized macaw. Then I know MY Africans (Poi's)!