Meaning of slow head bobbing?

[Cosmographer]

Precious, my greenwing who just arrived a few days ago tends to nod her head slowly. I'm guessing this is not the typical head bobbing that signals happiness because I imagine that would be faster. She takes a long second to go down and up. And she usually does it when she's on her perch for some alone time (when we're not really looking at her). It's a slow, mellow movement that looks like she's listening to calming music in her head. Anyone know what this behavior means?

 

[noodles123]

DK for your bird, but mine does this sometimes. Generally when she is bored or wants something. That having been said, adult U2 vs baby Macaw may not be the best comparison lol.

 

[Laurasea]

Generally asking fir attention, babies also do asking for food
Is she fully weaned? Even if she is a new move to a new home they can regress and might need comfort feeding, yiu could offer warm oatmeal, or scrambled eggs,
Offering a few things by hands is good to, the parents would still occasionally feed even a ten month old and flock mates share food. Offering a warm food st bed time seems to really boost comfort and stability and confidence. I’ve read it’s a good practice fir life..,
This is a very important time in your birds life, I think in my ornithology thread I hav article on newly weaned and weaning birds and life stages. This age they still need the guidance teaching forage and behavior, extra contact and reassurance as they would stay with parents for a year?? Nit sure with the larger species but I think that’s about right,
Extra care guidance and support at this time sets you up for a confident , outgoing adult ..

 

[Cosmographer]

Great advice, thank you!

 

[Laurasea]

I can tell you have put lots of thought and effort into getting your macaw. I can’t wait to read the story of your lives together, AND find out the name you chose!

I do urge you to read up on just weaned and young parrots,
it is the most critical time for social and learning, and supporting them to be confident well adjusted adults.
you have already had a trainier for flight re call and that’s awesome! So I know you are a great parront and thinking long term. Young adolescents need a little more contact , they would have their parents and hatch mates and flock mates looking out for them and a lot of learning takes place at this time.

“ Opportunities to make successful decisions. In the wild, a bird’s brain is constantly stimulated by decision making. In captivity, a bird may have no opportunity to make even the tiniest choice. Be sure to design elements into the environment that allow the bird to make decisions: “Shall I play on this perch or that one?” or “Shall I play with this toy or the one over there?” From parrot university

Truly setting up your young adolescent chances to make choices and decisions is so important. Keep that in mind and try to create opportunities for him to choose
Like ask him , the perch by the window, or the play stand... walnut or almond?

Setting up complex weave of perches and swings, done that will dip , or sway, or spin when they put their weight on them . They get a lot of enjoyment and mental stimulation from that! Us humans generally seem to want to give them a couple of bland straight perches to hang out on, boring!!!

My rescue Quaker Penny , never got to make choices for most of her life... before I got her her wings were kept trimmed very very short, so she would fall like a rock, she never fledged and learned to fly, she didn’t even have the confidence to jump between perches, and she made no choices for herself.... it took almost two years to get her flying, to get her making choices for herself to get her to interact with her environment. Only in the last couple of months has she started leaping between perches and couch and me or table and me. She seems very pleased , and makes lots of excuses to do a little jump , yiu can tell she feels excited and daring when she does...

For such a large parrot like a macaw it’s probably going to take a whole jungle gym wall lol , I imagine it’s harder to set up leaping and swinging spots.

I would love to hear of your set up? What are teaching and useing fir foraging? And did you post pictures done place else? I would love to see your new macaw!

 

[Laurasea]

Bumping this so I know you read it too

 

[Cosmographer]

Thanks for the info! Yes I posted a bunch of stuff recently in the macaw and cage forums including pics and videos.

She has quite a few choices. She spends about 11 hours a night in a covered cage with several perching options (pics in the cage forum) and about 9 hours outside of her cage during the day.

For her out of cage time, she has a training perch with some toys and a tree perch with lots of toys. And a huge cargo net that divides the lounge (where we hang out with her) from the living room where the dogs are (about 10 feet by 12 feet). She has explored each of those options but they don't hold her attention for long. She always ends up flying to the back of our couch and onto our laps, lol.

Ive read that at this early stage, while nurturing is important, it is also important to teach her independence. When we put her back into her cage a few times a day, she will play on the ropes for awhile, but ends up spending most of that time sitting there and staring at us and making us feel guilty, lol.

Not sure what the proper balance is between alone time and nurturing time.

 

[Laurasea]

“ Not sure what the proper balance is between alone time and nurturing time.”
It’s a balance for sure

I’m home I keep my birds out all day, until one time I was very ill fir a few dats sbd the non stop screaming while you are very il.....
Well now I cage them fir about an hour in the afternoon and sometimes a half hour before lunch.... I had to work at that fir a few weeks but now is part of their routine. I set them up to have a bath before cage time, or to have yummy veggies or treats or new shredder stuff when I cage them. And I praise them fir being good and quiet

I can see your point,,, but young ones like her need lots of social contact and teaching... so maybe a few short cage times , try and time it fir when she naps...
I would do short very positive cage times like 20 minutes or so, as she gets older a few weeks from now maybe make the 40 minute... I guess yiu will have to adjust and decide what works for you two but I’d start short and positive and build on that ,