What is he doing with his foot?

[TortoiseLady17]

Maui only has one foot (his left). He will hold it up and start grabbing at the air. Then when he is on my arm, the couch, anything other than his perches, he starts squeezing and releasing over and over. Is he just checking out the textures of what he is on?

 

[Safira]

No idea.

However, you can teach him to 'wave' when he does that. Just say "wave' whenever he picks his foot up like that, and give him a treat. Eventually he'll click that lifting his foot means wave

 

[_Temptations_]

I'm no expert but maybe he's exercising. Since he only has one foot, I'm sure it has to be extra strong. Maybe he's gripping and releasing to exercise the muscles in his foot. Just a thought As for the holding the foot up in the air, my macaw usually does this when she wants me to pick her up. If I don't reach for her as soon as she lifts her foot, it looks like she is "grabbing" air. Maybe that's what Maui wants?

 

[lene1949]

Maui only has one foot (his left). He will hold it up and start grabbing at the air. Then when he is on my arm, the couch, anything other than his perches, he starts squeezing and releasing over and over. Is he just checking out the textures of what he is on?

Does he stand of his right ?leg, while doing that?

 

[Molcan2]

When he grabs at the air is he doing it toward you or does he do it randomly? Rome will put her foot up when she wants to be picked up. She will also grab at 'air' but really is grabbing at our fingers. If we give her our finger while she is grabbing she will take it and put it where she wants to be pet. If we ignore it she will grab the finger instead of air. He may be squeezing and releasing that foot for balance to. Sometimes they just have weird things that they do to. Rome will hold one of her toenails in her beak and just sit there with it for a while for no apparent reason, just a quirk.

 

[RescueMe]

It sounds like he is stretching, possibly because he cannot easily rest it as a bird with 2 feet does. I think he may also benefit from a plank perch or shelf if he does not already have one.

 

[TortoiseLady17]

He will do it toward us when he wants to step up. He will also do it randomly when we are not near. When he does it he just balances on what is left of his leg, he has great balance on it and will even use the leg to help hold stuff in his mouth! I hadn't thought about it being stretches since that foot does get so much use. I will look into a plank perch, thanks so much!

 

[Mare Miller]

I've heard that 90 or more percent of birds are left handed, (footed). I've watched Amigo, and now Sassy today, do this, with their left foot. They will look down at what they are touching, be it soft blanket, or grass on the ground and kind of squeeze and touch it softly. My guess is that they are just checking it out. I do the same thing when in a fabric store.

The only time I've seen Amigo put his foot up and move his toes like that, is when he wants to be picked up or, (if in his cage and there is a 2yr. old child near), trying to entice someone in for a closer look!

 

[Molcan2]

Strange, Rome is left handed to. She also prefers to be on my left arm. If shes on the right arm she always asks to switch to the left arm.

 

[luvmytooo]

Strange, Rome is left handed to. She also prefers to be on my left arm. If shes on the right arm she always asks to switch to the left arm.

I just took notice that Yoshi is lefty and he prefers to be on my
left arm too . Very interesting

 

[TortoiseLady17]

Maui doesn't seem to care which arm he is on. Though I prefer him on the left because I can stabilize his foot better.

We are working on waving. He will wave his leg at us now, though not on que.

 

[cyrusbrian]

I guess it must be just checking !