Playfulness?

LegendClappitao

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Parrots
Conure & Cockatiel
Hello! I’m a new bird owner and I’ve recently got my first bird! A Green Cheek I named Fern, she’s 3 months old. I’ve had her for about a month now, and I’ve learned a ton, but there’s something I still don’t quite understand fully.

Whenever I ask to pet her, she kinda like, goes crazy at my fingers. Nibbling/biting at my fingers and flapping her wings a few times while making noises, although none of it looks malicious. I’m not pointing them straight at her and they’re slightly bent, and my nails are trimmed. When she doesn’t do that she’ll just move her head away or step away, and I retract my fingers from her because clearly she doesn’t want pets.

She will also kinda “freak out” in the same way in other situations. Like if I’m brushing crumbs off a surface near her (even if I go slow and gently), and while she’s walking around on the couch cushions. Sometimes she even randomly do it while sitting on my fingers, while I’m completely still. She would also bite around and rub her beak all over the finger she’s perched on as well as the rest of what she can reach, as if she’s looking for something(?).

My questions are these;

1. Is the behavior I described when I try to pet her and in those other situations playful or something else? (People have told me it’s playful, like how a dog growls when you play with it, but I’m unsure because I don’t know what playful behavior looks like)

2. I understand that she just might not like pets, but is there anything I can do or a way I can act that will make her more warm to the idea? (I reallllyyy want to pet her)

3. Is all of what I described because she’s still very young? Will she chill out and be more open to pets as she ages?

4. If it’s playful or something else, how should I approach or deal with it? Especially the “freaking out”.

Here’s a short clip of an example of her “freaking out”. Before anyone comments, I want to make it known that I understand that she just might not like the position of my hand or the fact that I’m swiping away food crumbs, and that she acts like this in other situations where these factors aren’t present.

She also flies to me and chirps for me if I walk away or out of the room, so I believe the main issue might not be a matter of comfort, unless I’m wrong.



Another thing I’d like some feedback on.

She’s gotten less cuddly. When I first met her at the bird shop and for about the first week after I took her home, she’d lean up against my neck and refuse to go anywhere else. She’d sleep on my shoulder and generally just be really cuddly.

But that stopped after the first week, of course she still enjoys being on me, but she won’t sleep on my shoulder anymore, and she’ll sit further from my neck and shoulder.

Is this for any reason? Maybe it’s because she’s young and growing up? Or getting more comfortable? I don’t know why, so if you know I’d love to hear!


I’d really appreciate some insight!!
 
We'd love to see the video :)
The forum software isn't well suited to loading videos directly into posts. Best method is to upload it to YouTube and then just copy and paste the link to it in your post. It'll come right up. An extra step, but super easy.
Hope that helps.
 
We'd love to see the video :)
The forum software isn't well suited to loading videos directly into posts. Best method is to upload it to YouTube and then just copy and paste the link to it in your post. It'll come right up. An extra step, but super easy.
Hope that helps.
Okay! Ill send the clip as a youtube link.
 
My CAG, does similar. I am supposed to play w her. She grabs fingers, pulls them (99% of time very gently). I use bird safe hand toys, forging paper tubes, chew sticks, balls, kong, birdsafe rawhide or leather and we play tug or chase. She will eventually grab one and 'run off' giving the item a good chew. You'll need to observe your birds personality to be sure.
 
is she stepping up?

it looks like she is waiting on an invite to step up.

I would have slid my hand under.

let her play at her pace?
 
My CAG, does similar. I am supposed to play w her. She grabs fingers, pulls them (99% of time very gently). I use bird safe hand toys, forging paper tubes, chew sticks, balls, kong, birdsafe rawhide or leather and we play tug or chase. She will eventually grab one and 'run off' giving the item a good chew. You'll need to observe your birds personality to be sure.
Alright, so this is probably her playing and I should invest in some good hand toys?
 
is she stepping up?

it looks like she is waiting on an invite to step up.

I would have slid my hand under.

let her play at her pace?
After mentioning that it looks like it to me as well, but she’ll also do this while on my finger so I’m not sure that she’s doing this from a want or need to step up.
 
Alright, so this is probably her playing and I should invest in some good hand toys?
Try a strip of newspaper and proceed from there. It'll be fun for both of you. Invest in a few variety of bird safe toys. Some parrots love interactive and mental stimulating toys, activities. Some love chew, forging types toys. Some love a combination. You can also use this as training; step up on hand, wrist, stick (CAG is nearly 15 oz so no fingers). Give lots of praise as well as treats.
 
OH, THE CUTENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I see play and maybe a bit of leftover baby-food-begging...

I think you're on your way to a wonderful relationship. Every bird is soooooooooo different, so many quirks and eccentricities.

Stick with us.
 

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