Is this hormonal behaviour?

[katie_fleming]

So.....Jasper has lately shown quite the interest of wanting to crawl up and sit on my head.

I've never let him sit on my shoulders/head ever. It actually hurts when he uses his beak to grab onto my shirt and work his way up because it digs in (he doesn't know this) and obviously I don't want him on top of my head.

Is this a sign of hormonal behaviour? He'll be 2 end of April. I haven't noticed anything else weird....

 

[chris-md]

Doubt it. Likely he just wants to be up high. I see this in so many YouTube videos up my Parker hasn't shown any interest in this behavior.

 

[Anansi]

Nah. It's just what they do. Like Chris said, wanting to be up high.

Here's Jolly, back during one of his molts, using my wife's head as a play gym.


I've since trained him to aim more for shoulders, but he still does this to us on occasion. Lol!

 

[thekarens]

Zoe was 2 in this pic.

 

[Keatz]

My eclectus, Oscar, would be the same age as Jasper. He's always enjoyed sitting on my head. I figure that in the wild they spend a lot of time in the top canopies of trees and feel safe up high. I know what you mean about the claws digging in. I got a beanie to wear for when he's out of his cage.

 

[obeck]

Funny, my Kiwi just started doing this. He prefers to climb up my face (this does not tickle) to get on top of my head.

 

[Birdman666]

I think Sally was 5 or 6 when these were taken...



But Maggie is 17, and she occasionally does it, just to be goofy.

Sweepea is 12, and she's done it, again, more for an attention thing,

(But then WHAT WON'T a macaw do for attention? I KNOW - LET'S ASK ZOE!)

I BET ZOE SAYS "NOTHING!"

 

[thekarens]

I think Sally was 5 or 6 when these were taken...



But Maggie is 17, and she occasionally does it, just to be goofy.

Sweepea is 12, and she's done it, again, more for an attention thing,

(But then WHAT WON'T a macaw do for attention? I KNOW - LET'S ASK ZOE!)

I BET ZOE SAYS "NOTHING!"

That's the truth. We signed on for a Mac and got a too in teal feathers.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah well, macs run a close second to toos in the attention needs dept.

My two take more time and attention than the other four combined.

 

[katie_fleming]

Hahaha!! I am laughing so hard at all of these pictures LOL

Ok good! Glad he hasn't started his birdie hormones yet

I'm mostly worried about him pooping on me but I don't like him messing up my hair either Last night he had one foot up there and I said no and he let go. I was amazed! I'm sure he'll try again when I'm least expecting it...

I may have to add to this bird-on-head photo album soon enough!!

 

[Taw5106]

Last night Venus raised her booty in the air at me, repeatedly. She is definitely in season, hormonal. First time being with us. I was at a total loss at how to deal with this, lol.

 

[Anansi]

Now THAT would be hormonal behavior! Hahaha!

Tracy, I'd just put her down for a few minutes to give her time to cool off. It's a natural behavior, and you can't punish her for thinking you're a hottie. Lol!

Of course, you might have to pull back on giving her boxes to play with. If she's in full blown courting display mode, that might actually further encourage her nesting instinct.

 

[Taw5106]

Now THAT would be hormonal behavior! Hahaha!

Tracy, I'd just put her down for a few minutes to give her time to cool off. It's a natural behavior, and you can't punish her for thinking you're a hottie. Lol!

Of course, you might have to pull back on giving her boxes to play with. If she's in full blown courting display mode, that might actually further encourage her nesting instinct.

How did you know I took all of her boxes away??? She has turned into a hot terror this week. She's even angrier since I took up her two boxes and make her sleep in her cage.

 

[Jukster56]

So.....Jasper has lately shown quite the interest of wanting to crawl up and sit on my head.

I've never let him sit on my shoulders/head ever. It actually hurts when he uses his beak to grab onto my shirt and work his way up because it digs in (he doesn't know this) and obviously I don't want him on top of my head.

Is this a sign of hormonal behaviour? He'll be 2 end of April. I haven't noticed anything else weird....

I dont think its hormonal behavior. I think its just a thing he likes to do. My parrot he was 3 months old when i bought it and he was doing the same ,but i mtrained him to not do that.When its a hormonal behavior he will start swinging his tail on random objects thats when will want to start mating.I hope this helped

 

[Birdman666]

That's one of those things I've always wondered about "the book" advice, ["DON'T LET THEM DO IT, YOU'LL TURN THEM INTO HORMONAL MONSTERS"] and I deviate slightly from it.

I actually let mine build their little nests, which three of mine do.

WHEN THEY GET PISSY ABOUT DEFENDING IT... THAT'S WHEN IT GOES BYE-BYE... BUT IF YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE A PLACE TO CALL HOME AND HANG OUT IN, THAT'S OKAY.

You can have that, but it isn't necessary to defend it. No one's going to take it away from you UNLESS YOU GET BITEY!

In terms of the butt in the air, clucking stuff, I get that too from time to time. I just ignore it. Think of it like asking a girl out, repeatedly, who makes it clear she doesn't know you're alive, and doesn't want to.

After the first few times you quit asking.

Ignore it.

I don't even want to think about what they're fantasizing about when they're playing with that rope toy...

There's a thought for the day. Do bird's fantasize when they masterbate, and if so, what are they fantasizing about?!

 

[Taw5106]

Thanks Birdman. Venus was looking very sad today and I had a new Mc Cafe coffee box, I gave it to her, she's busy decorating it now. The Mc Caffe box is a box that holds Keurig pods, my treat to myself so no coffee grinds directly in the box. She'd be hell on caffeine.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah, female eckies get "a tad" bossy during breeding season...

 

[Anansi]

That's one of those things I've always wondered about "the book" advice, ["DON'T LET THEM DO IT, YOU'LL TURN THEM INTO HORMONAL MONSTERS"] and I deviate slightly from it.

I actually let mine build their little nests, which three of mine do...

I think this is fine... depending on the individual bird. Some can enjoy this, year after year, to no ill-effect. Others? It kicks their hormones into overdrive and, without the proper outlet, leads to aggression, egg-laying, and even feather plucking.

All depends on the individual bird and his/her response to hormonal triggers.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah. The aggressive stuff I've managed to keep in check by keeping the other birds away from the nest. THAT'S HERS LEAVE IT ALONE.

Frankly, Tusk and Lila are my worst offenders on this one, and they build nests together just for the sake of building them.

It's actually pretty funny to watch Lila ATTEMPT to defend the nest. Cuz she comes charging out acting like this ferocious beast. And gets to you, and has ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE what to do when she gets there.

She just stands there and looks at you.

That little bird is about as passive as a zon can possibly get.

 

[Birdman666]

I've always looked at the nest building stuff, the way I look at being puked on.

It's a natural behavior. You can reduce it, but it's instinctive.

My gut says: It's probably better if they have a healthy outlet for it, and just get it out of their system.