Is this considered mating behaviour?

[Klutch]

Olly, the major mitchell often leans forward a bit, puts his wings out about 5cm, and shakes them very slightly. Is this mating/displaying behaviour or something else? Can't say i've ever seen it before!

 

[Captsteve]

Nope, it's his way of saying I want to go there. (he is pointing) often a precursor to flying or begging.

 

[Klutch]

Hmm okay, was just wondering because he seems to do it a lot, even when inside the cage.
Chibi just paces when she wants to go somewhere

 

[MonicaMc]

Would you describe it as quivering????

It's just a way birds beg! My mitred conure does this, but none of my other birds do or ever have really.

If he's on a perch or my hand or shoulder, he'll hunker down, open his wings just a tad and quiver them. If he's hanging off of my shirt, then he just quivers his wings while pointing with his head in the direction he wants to go!

Granted... he's flighted... so if he *really* wanted to go somewhere he could just fly! *rolls eyes*

 

[MikeyTN]

If you can get a video of it I can tell you...is yours a female??? IF it's a mating behavior, sounds like a female to me....

 

[kq_fan]

My GCC does that when she wants to come or eat what im eating.

 

[Klutch]

Would you describe it as quivering????

It's just a way birds beg! My mitred conure does this, but none of my other birds do or ever have really.

If he's on a perch or my hand or shoulder, he'll hunker down, open his wings just a tad and quiver them. If he's hanging off of my shirt, then he just quivers his wings while pointing with his head in the direction he wants to go!

Granted... he's flighted... so if he *really* wanted to go somewhere he could just fly! *rolls eyes*

Yeah, quivering probably describes it a bit better. Never seen this behaviour before thats all, you pretty much described exatly what he does, hes also fully flighted, i initially thought he wanted to fly somewhere but he does it in the cage and out of it, but doesn't go anywhere most of the time.

If you can get a video of it I can tell you...is yours a female??? IF it's a mating behavior, sounds like a female to me....

I will get a video a bit later, and hes a male

Thanks for the advice

 

[jugoya]

My Broto does that..

When he wants out of the cage... when he wants a treat..

When he wants outside.. when he wants his bathing bowl..

When he wants to go to bed...

Its basically begging.. though I don't understand why he can't go himself if the cage is open xP Fully flighted birds and yet they can get so lazy.... little perch potatos.

 

[MikeyTN]

I know what Monica describes is something my conures used to do all the time too. They mainly do it when their excited or agitated. I don't remember if I ever saw Java the U2 ever done so....A video would truly help!

 

[Jayyj]

Alice does it as well, it translates as "I really want to be where you are", "where are you going, take me with you", or "I'm bored of you now, put me back on my cage please". As with everybody else, she fully able to fly and get where she wants to go herself, but no, it's always desperately important that I pick her up.

She doesn't beg for food though: if Alice wants what's on my plate she goes straight for it. Many's the mealtime I've spent holding my plate in the air whilst restraining a frantic parrot with the other!

 

[Klutch]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K49HczTKLqo]VIDEO0038.mp4 - YouTube[/ame]

This is what he does.

 

[Jayyj]

That's more or less exactly what Alice does. I think it means "If you don't pick me up absolutely this second I'm going to explode!!!" If I start leaving the room and look back from the doorway more often than not that's what she'll be doing. It escalates to the point that she looks like she's desperately trying to pluck up the courage to take off, but so far it never gets past the trembling thing.

 

[MikeyTN]

Yea, that's not a mating behavior....Pretty much can be what Jayyj says to pick him up now....Thinking about flying but unsure at the same time....

 

[MonicaMc]

Charlie's behavior is a little different... here's an old video of it!


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yUz6X4R3FY]Charlie in his cage - YouTube[/ame]


My cherry head conure, Noel (RIP) also did this behavior, but it was typically to go outside to his apple tree, or going back inside to his cage. Otherwise, he really didn't display this behavior. He actually couldn't fly though, so had to rely on me... and the sad thing is, he knew he couldn't fly.


Jayde, red throated conure, I can't say that she actually does this behavior... or maybe it's an exaggerated form of it? If I leave her behind, she'll literally flap her wings really hard and you can hear them kind of beat... but she doesn't quiver her wings. She flaps them. And only towards me or someone else. She is very insecure so isn't comfortable being anywhere except for her cage or on a person...


Charlie does this behavior to me, as well as doing it to go somewhere, even if he's on me.... i.e. leaving the bird room!

My only other bird to display any kind of begging behavior is Casey, my tiel... and sometimes Tomi Girl, too! They pace though, and don't use their wings.

 

[Mare Miller]

The Sassy Goffin's does this, also. She'll do this while in her cage if she wants out. I haven't seen it from outside her cage, though.

 

[MissJD]

So effectively I can treat this as a request for interaction? Whether that be playing with him, talking to him, or giving him toys or treats.. He is asking for interaction?
We recently found out that he had actually been hand-raised before being put into an aviary, so this explanation certainly does fit.. =D Thanks!

 

[MikeyTN]

He may be asking for interaction or he's tricking you over if he's not super friendly. Java the U2 tricks people over before he chumps down on them...only I know what he's up to....

 

[MissJD]

Haha, that's cute

Olly has been really good lately, I've taken to allowing him free flight in my bedroom (with all cords/wires/hazards tucked away safely) while I lay on my bed and read or something. I'll also keep talking to him and regularly go and offer him a toy, or see if he'll let me give him scratches. It's good, because I can watch him, but he doesn't feel like I'm just focusing on him and he seems to relax a bit. Twice now, he has voluntarily flown over to the bed and started a slow, cautious walk towards me. But if I (or something in his line of sight) moves, he retreats back to his perch.

I'm viewing this as positive, because he wouldn't approach me if he was scared of me.. And hopefully if I keep this up, he will soon allow me to interact more closely with him. I know it's a very long process and I look forward to a lifetime of getting to know this bird! =D

 

[MikeyTN]

Oh that's definitely a positive move on Olly's part!!!! He's curious about you! He'll be over to you eventually once he feels more comfortable.

 

[Kimmied]

Is it doing it when you hold him? My U2 was doing that at the vets office one day. I have a little girl. She lifts her wings constantly to have me rub or tickle her body underneath. The vet said uhh you better not do that. She is asking you do stimulate her ovaries. Ohhhhh that's why sometimes she pants and makes a weird noise! I said. The vet also for males their gonads are there too. So everyone could be right you could have a beggerhead to be picked up or rubbed lol.