New Conure, learning behaviour

[Conurewings]

Hey,

I have been searching the internet for some specific behaviour but not finding any particular answers.

So I recently adopted a conure from a loving family. They didn’t have it sexed and believed it a female, but my partner believe it a male. Mainly going by no eggs were laid over 6 years.

He has instantly bonded to me and follows me round the house, he’s really sweet and a little bit cheeky!

When I sit down for the evening he likes to come up to my neck, and he sort of scratches/digs into me. He will gently flap his wings once or twice every now and then. And all the while he will be quacking or making little purring noises. He will be preening my hair and my neck.

Now I want to believe this is cuddles, but my partner says it should stop as it’s nesting behaviour. He doesn’t seem to cuddle any other way. He’s content just being on my shoulder or near me and has spent a little time with my partner but it’s clear he is bonded to me stronger.

Should I stop him from snuggling into my neck like this?

 

[ScottinSoCal]

When I sit down for the evening he likes to come up to my neck, and he sort of scratches/digs into me. He will gently flap his wings once or twice every now and then. And all the while he will be quacking or making little purring noises. He will be preening my hair and my neck.

It's foreplay - so a type of cuddles, anyway.

Whether you stop it or not is up to you, since he's a male it's not going to result in eggs being laid. Boo was male, and he did something very like that, with lots of tail flipping thrown in, and I had no idea what it was till the day he finished off and I had a wet spot on my shirt. I'd just been fertilized.
Yeah, it felt a little weird knowing that my parrot had just got freaky with me, but I put myself in his position - in a strange environment, no mate prospects, and he was trying to bond with me, and satisfy a really basic drive. I could short-circuit it, and leave him looking for someone he could bond with, or I could go with it. I decided to go with it. Boo was happier, and closer to me than ever.

Downside was that he protected me (his mate) from everyone else. He'd get truly worked up if friends came over and they greeted me with a hug.