What does this sound mean?

[Gburchett]

LILO has started making this sound. I was wondering if anyone has heard this before or if this means anything.

Thanks. Hope the link works.

[ame=http://youtu.be/6uZbmLIa4CY]LILO - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Spinx]

My blue and gold is doing the same exact sound. She's always done the sound. I think it's a natural sound they make.

 

[Gburchett]

My blue and gold is doing the same exact sound. She's always done the sound. I think it's a natural sound they make.

Thanks, I wasn't sure if it was just her.

 

[chasroth]

How old is Lilo. It sounds like a baby begging sound.

 

[Gburchett]

How old is Lilo. It sounds like a baby begging sound.

I was told she is 13 months.

 

[chasroth]

See the wing flipping. Thats a baby thing. I would give her something warm to eat. It will help comfort her. Even if they are weaned they will still do this. They are still babies. You can also pick her up and cuddle her.

 

[Merlee]

I think it's baby sounds for food as well. My 12 year old doesn't sound like that any more.

 

[noblemacaw]

I recognize the sound and wing flipping as baby begging for food. Valentino my RFM does this and he is almost 10 months old. Granted I feed him a warm meal before bed every night he will still beg for food from me. Now that he is older he will make the baby sound and flip his wing when he wants affection more than food. I can say that when the time for him to go to bed is nearing he will flip the wing and squeak for me to feed him his comfort feeding. Sometimes he will take my finger into his beak and pump it like he is hand feeding from my finger. I tell him my finger is not going to magically squirt formula into his mouth. LOL

Here is a video of Valentino's nightly comfort feeding. Notice how he squeaks and flips the wing for the food.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W52PfEZqWBs"]Valentino's nightly hand feeding - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Johnny]

May I ask you, what do you give Valentino for dinner?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hmm....my Niko is 3.5 and he STILL makes that sound along with the wing thing. He does it when he wants to be with me - I call it the begging sound to come to Mama.

 

[noblemacaw]

I think Lilo might want some reassurance to help feel more secure AND probably is asking for a hand feed. LOL I would hand feed her some warm foods like some birdie bread or warmed up yams or squash. That would help her feel more secure and help with bonding. The yams and squash will help with feather growth too...the veggies help with feathers to look nice shiny and healthy.

Johnny - Valentino is totally eating on his own during the day. He gets for pellets Harrisons and Tropican and Tops mix and his fresh foods include those small sweet peppers, hot peppers, carrot, broccoli, cubed cooked yams, spinach, sprouted seed mix and the parrot spice. There are days he has to be fed the fresh mix twice! This is when I have him flying a lot and he seems to consume the fresh mix way within the 4 hour limit of it. By dinnertime he is looking for more and will watch me eat my dinner intently.

The nightly "comfort" feeding by syringe consists of the Tropican pellet pulverized using a coffee grinder. I get it ground to a powder consistency and will add the hot water to form it like baby formula. He will eat usually less than the syringe of 30 cc's but there are nights when it seems like he is starving and will eat as much as 40 cc's. I have not fed Valentino baby hand rearing formula for almost 6 months now.

The comfort night feeding is for two reasons. First I was having trouble keeping his weight stable. He would fluctuate so vastly that I was concerned and second if I ever have to medicate him it will be easy to mix in with the "formula" and have him eat it.

Now that Valentino has started moulting his tail and wing feathers he is always hungry again. I predict he will go though another growth spurt and gain a little bit more weight. Probably not as drastic as during the body feather moult though.

 

[Gburchett]

Thanks, noble. I'll try that. I will have to get some supplies. What type of 30 cc syringe. Is a lure lock (the type a needle would strew onto) or is it a a catheter type (has a long tip, not able to take a needle)?

 

[noblemacaw]

I use the sure lock ones. the parrot locks onto the little nub as you squirt the formula into the mouth..but if you NEVER hand fed before please don't try it first hand. Instead feed from your hand some warm soft foods like birdy bread or cooked yams/squash. The parrot will gently lick it from your fingers and the warm soft foods will remind them of momma. LOL.

If you are not experienced with hand feeding is it easy to aspirate the parrot. I know I have read that the parrot closes off the air while gulping down the formula but if you are not use to how this "feels like" then so many things can go wrong. When I got Valentino even though I have not hand fed since 2002 I was nervous and it took me at least two hand feedings for us to learn each other. Macaws have a very strong feeding response and that can be rather daunting if you have never done this before. Please...if you do not have experience don't do it.