Self-control?

[veimar]

I dunno why, but my IRN hates my lovebird Coco, who is the sweetest creature ever. When he (I assume, maybe she) sees Coco near him (and she won't leave!), he fluffs up, pins his eyes, opens his beak to attack, hears my "Riko, NO!!!"... and lowers his head, closes his eyes for a while, and just stands like that in front of her, still fluffed up. He opens and closes his eyes, still pinned, but doesn't move or raise his head. It looks like he is counting to 10 or more! I'm still so surprised at his so human-like behavior. He would never touch her if I say No even though he obviously is struggling with himself wanting to kill her (he actually cannot do any harm to her because she flies off before he can bite her). I've never seen my other birds do that - when I say No (fighting is strictly prohibited!) they just give me a pissed off look and turn around to do something else.
Do your IRNs behave like that? I should try to take a video of that - it looks so bizarre.

 

[sharkbait]

Hahah Mine does something similar! "no" (Or "OI!" as he knows it) was actually the first concept/word he learnt to do. He gives me the fluffed up lowered head and pinning eyes then waddles off after a few seconds to find something else.

 

[Allee]

I don't have an IRN, but my female quaker does the exact same thing when I tell her no or tell her to stay where she is. It looks like she's hoping for enough patience to deal with the riff-raff she's surrounded by. I took this photo after I told her to stay, she had been threatening the cockatiel.

 

[lindi_s]

That is one contrite looking quaker, Allee! hahaha

 

[Dinosrawr]

Ohhh yes... the, "how dare you tell me what to do?!" stink-eye, and then the placated fluff. Shiko used to do that to me ALL the time when he hated Avery, who is now the apple of his eye. We actually have a terribly awkward love triangle going on, where Avery loves me, he loves her, and I love both of them... poor guy.

I'll never get over how intelligent IRN's are. The just know what they should or shouldn't be doing. I have a home-made orbital for Avery, and we also have a terrible tile roof opposed to dry-wall, so it's hanging by using the metal roofing to keep the tiles in their spots. He'll look at me to see if I'm watching, then sloooowly climb up the rope to try and pick at the tiles. I'll stand up, give him a dirty look and say, "Shiko...." and he'll look all, "but moooooooooom!" Then I take a step forward, say his name again, and he'll climb down a notch... and the game continues until I'm standing right in front of him and he looks ashen and guilty. I can't wait to buy a shield so I don't have to worry about it anymore, haha! That'll throw a wrench in his devious little plans.

But he ALWAYS checks to see if I'm looking, just like a child. And, of course, I am always watching... but it's always entertaining to catch him red handed

 

[veimar]

I don't have an IRN, but my female quaker does the exact same thing when I tell her no or tell her to stay where she is. It looks like she's hoping for enough patience to deal with the riff-raff she's surrounded by. I took this photo after I told her to stay, she had been threatening the cockatiel.

Wow, he looked EXACTLY like this when he did it!
I had to rehome him to a better family (he didn't get along with my fids and just wasn't a right fit for us), but anyway, I was so amazed that a little bird can control his/her emotions. He was doing a better job than me with it!

 

[chippy]

I have to laugh at the "counting to ten".. Pippin doesn't do that, but as SOON as I tell him that what he's doing is "bad" he leans in for a kiss, like, "Please forgive me and love my even if I AM a rotter!"