Starting to Regurgitate?

[katie_fleming]

A couple times today Jasper made some weird movement with his neck and suddenly some food appeared in his mouth. Then he ate it.

Is this normal? It looked really gross but he seemed to be happy.

 

[chris-md]

Aw poor jasper growing up. Not sure, never seen it in person but he's almost to the age of adolescence, right? ~1.5 years, solomons island?

 

[katie_fleming]

Yes, he's 1.5 years. Isn't that too early??

 

[chris-md]

I'll let others give definitive answers. I just know I've read one the internets (so PLEASE don't listen to me), that it's not at all unheard of for the smaller subspecies to begin sexual maturation as early as 18 months (also seen described as "less than two years").

Larger vos and red sided (like Parker) may not hit until 5-6 years old. Parker is 6.5 and I'm told he started showing signs last year.

Of course in all things biology, there are natural spreads to the data and is individual dependent.

 

[suley]

Yoshi is about 2(solomon island smaller variety) and he started regurgitating when he was around 1.5 years old. Didn't know it was a maturity thing. Interesting.
And yes i agree looks really gross haha.

 

[Anansi]

Perfectly normal, Katie. And not necessarily a sign of sexual maturation. Bixby was regurgitating for me by the time he was 1. Maya was 1.5. And Jolly does it now at 2. So, no worries.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Yup! I second Stephen. Though a different species, my IRN has regurgitated for my feet and my conure since he was about a year old. Just a sign of love! I even got a picture to commemorate the moment he first regurgitated his love onto my toes, but I won't share it. It's a bit gross. I mainly use it to gross out and tease my boyfriend.

 

[katie_fleming]

Thanks guys! Good to know it's normal. Although he's not doing it for me - he was regurgitating only for himself! Apparently Jasper doesn't like to share yet

At first I thought he was choking since it looked like a similar movement. Glad he's ok but it looks gross!

Just in case he does start offering it to me soon, you're supposed to distract them when you see they're about to do it, right? Wouldn't it be too late at that point? (Food already up). I read they get offended if you don't thank them, but if I praise him he'll keep doing it. Please help so I know what to do if Jasper decides I'm worth sharing his food with

 

[Anansi]

I personally just don't make a big production of it. If Jolly or Maya starts up when they're on my hand, I largely just ignore it and keep both my hands and face away from the beak. On the odd occasion when they've really tried pushing their nasty, yet well intended, little gifts on me HARD, I've just put them back on their stands until they calm down.

But it rarely comes to that. Mostly, when I ignore the gestures, they just eat it right back up. As if to say, "Pfft! Your loss, buddy!" Hahaha!

 

[littleredhen77]

My bird regurgitates constantly when i hold him but he never actually spits it out he just chews it a bit and swallows it again. I haven't tried to correct it and I don't put him away when he does it because he's not giving away any food/losing nutrients so I don't see it as a problem. He makes an icky smacking noise when he chews it again and I'm constantly smelling his partially digested dinner but it isn't a problem if he's keeping it in his beak right? Sorry if that's a silly question, if there's another reason that it's a bad habit that needs to be broken then I am unaware. :-\

 

[Anansi]

Nope. It doesn't qualify as a bad habit that needs to be broken at all. Merely a natural sign of affection is all.

 

[katie_fleming]

Ever since Jasper started he's been doing it a couple times a day now. I think it's fun for him or something LOL.

Still not sharing (thankfully) but seems quite content. Ick.