What Is This Behavior? (Video)

[Beilana]

Just wondering what exactly is she doing? She only does this when I go up to her and make the clicking noises (which is probably annoying in the vid so feel free to turn volume off lol) Is she dancing??? Some sort of display?? It is very adorable but I don't want to continue unless its a GOOD behavior so I figured I'd check with you guys and gals. She is not aggressive while this is happening as I have gotten her to step up during on of these "dances". So what do you think??

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2T7900Lfbc]YouTube - Green Cheek Chia[/ame]

I also realize that her toenails need a trim and the bar spacing is a bit wide for her feet. She has many perches available to her but chooses to stand on the cage for whatever reason.

 

[GreenCheek]

Mmm, I'm gonna tell ya... when Cody does that, it means he's about to chomp me!!! That's always his warning to me that he's about to bite. Maybe it means something different with Chia, but that's what it means when Cody does it... It's EXACTLY like that too.

 

[Beilana]

Thats so wierd! Because she will step up in the middle of an episode like this and doesn't bite lol. Even after I finish doing this with her (I was mimicing her dance) She will bounce and chirp for me to come back to her cage and wants to do it again. I really hope I havn't been threatening her by copying her. I am going to stop doing it in case it is agressive.

 

[GreenCheek]

Well, maybe she just dislikes the sound and that is why she's still making those movements, but she doesn't realize it is coming from you so she doesn't take any aggressive action with you? I'm not sure, but with Cody, it definitely means he's going to bite! So just to be safe, I would just not do that around her anymore. At least not until she gets more comfortable.

 

[greycloud]

Well, not to hurt your feelings but that continuous clicking was getting on my nerves! LOL! Maybe she was becoming irritated too. She didn't start the strange behavior till after you continued the noise. She appeared like she was trying to be bigger, which is a defense posture. So I think she did not like this noise and was attempting to get you to stop.

 

[GreenCheek]

You know, I wonder if there is an actual name for this behavior? I honestly thought Cody was the only one that did it until I saw your Chia do it. I also found a video on youtube of someone that thinks the gc is "imitating" him. I really don't believe that but rather believe he just created that in his mind. It seems like the same thing both Cody and Chia are doing. I wonder what, exactly, this behavior is? I just know it precedes a bite with Cody!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxiwrOFoOwg"]YouTube - Funny Green Cheek Conure[/ame]

Cody doesn't only have to mad at me specifically to do it (although he certainly does sometimes!). Sometimes he can do it and not even bite me, but he's mad at something else. I've seen him do it when he glances at a mirror, I show him disfavored objects, as well as just about a week ago when my grandfather came over that he hasn't seen in a long time (so I'm assuming is mad at him? They used to be buds). He started to do that sway and was ready to bite him. Needless to say he went back in his cage, lol. But I have definitely found at least with Cody, he does it to convey that he's really not happy.

 

[Beilana]

Well, not to hurt your feelings but that continuous clicking was getting on my nerves! LOL! Maybe she was becoming irritated too. She didn't start the strange behavior till after you continued the noise. She appeared like she was trying to be bigger, which is a defense posture. So I think she did not like this noise and was attempting to get you to stop.

LOL! That makes sense. I thought it could possibly be an aggressive behavior so I'm glad that I asked you guys. I have stopped doing it and wont do it anymore to her.

On a positive note she snuggled my neck and let me scratch her head for the first time tonight!!!

 

[Beilana]

You know, I wonder if there is an actual name for this behavior? I honestly thought Cody was the only one that did it until I saw your Chia do it. I also found a video on youtube of someone that thinks the gc is "imitating" him. I really don't believe that but rather believe he just created that in his mind. It seems like the same thing both Cody and Chia are doing. I wonder what, exactly, this behavior is? I just know it precedes a bite with Cody!

YouTube - Funny Green Cheek Conure

Cody doesn't only have to mad at me specifically to do it (although he certainly does sometimes!). Sometimes he can do it and not even bite me, but he's mad at something else. I've seen him do it when he glances at a mirror, I show him disfavored objects, as well as just about a week ago when my grandfather came over that he hasn't seen in a long time (so I'm assuming is mad at him? They used to be buds). He started to do that sway and was ready to bite him. Needless to say he went back in his cage, lol. But I have definitely found at least with Cody, he does it to convey that he's really not happy.

I'm really happy I asked because if they are feeling threatened when they do this then its definitely not funny and its not funny to provoke it either. I feel so bad now for the poor little thing....I've just been annoying the hell out of her and thinking "oh how adorable!" I can't imagine if something ten times my size keeping me in a cage kept poking at me and thought "aw how cute". lol oops!:54:

 

[greycloud]

If you notice in the second vid provided, the owner is swaying the camera back and forth. His bird could be imitating this movement or he could be agitated by the behavior. Depending on how the bird reacts to you immediately following this behavior will tell you if he was bothered by what you were doing.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

This may be a conure behavior. I've seen something like this in most conures I know.

It takes a slightly different form in each individual: I suspect there is some instinctual template for the behavior that gets shaped early on and 'stereotyped' into the specific form of the behavior the bird will use through it's life. *Many* behaviors develop in this manner - birds living in flocks in the wild tend to converge on one style of the behavior as they are in similar environments and learning from each other; birds in captivity have more freedom to 'diversify', yet it's still a recognizable behavior.

The core of the behavior seems to be what might be called a possessive/territorial display. This can mean different things though. Obviously is a bird is territorial and possessive and your reach for them some will bite. But other uses for possessive displays are to show affection (think of cats rubbing up against their owner).

Perhaps the best translation of the behavior is "This is mine!". Which, depending on the birds personality and/or the context could mean that they are angry and about to attack, or it could mean that they feel comfortable where they are, or even if it's directed at you "You are mine" which is a sign of affection.

The clicking may trigger it to a degree: when some conures show this behavior they click their beak. Auggie, for example, will stretch his head out, put his beak against me or one of his favorite toys, and make a clicking sound following by pulling his head back and repeating it in a dance much like these videos.

 

[Von1983]

I have nothing to add to this, but I just want to say thanks for sharing both videos because I've never seen Cal do anything like this at all and found it so interesting.

I think in the 2nd vid it was indeed mimicking though because I actually mimic Cal to show I understand.

She does that very common conure movement of flapping her closed wings when you walk into a room to show she's excited to see you. Since I can remember, Dave and I have done it back and she gets so happy about it lol.

I do often wonder what overnight guests will think when they see this morning ritual though.....

 

[GreenCheek]

Very interesting insights! I'm glad to see it seems to be an actual behavior and that our conures aren't odd balls, lol. I agree about the territorial/possessiveness of the behavior, that follows right along with the reasons Cody does it. He just gets bitey over it!

And sorry, I still don't think the gc in the video is "mimicking". That behavior is EXACTLY the behavior that Beilana and I are experiencing with our green cheeks, and they certainly aren't mimicking us when they do it. I think their green cheek just started to do it when they happened to be moving or something, and in there mind said "Oh, they're copying me!" so the owner just started moving back and forth. They thought that's what triggered it, so they kept doing it and it remained true in their mind (that's why they swayed the camera, they thought that was what was making them do the "dance"). I just really don't think that gc was mimicking him. It's exactly the behavior we're discussing.

 

[Von1983]

Maybe so!

Cal doesn't bother will pleasantries or warnings when she is upset....she just makes the "uh uh uh!!" noise she learnt from me when I was teaching her no bite lol.

As a result, a lot of things I see other conures doing are alien to me!!!

 

[Beilana]

I noticed today Chia also does this when she hears water running lol!

 

[Beilana]

This behavior has continued and has become more frequent..... I stopped doing the clicking noise but she does this for basically everything! When she hears the water running, when the kettle goes, when the tv is on, in the morning, when I call her name, anything! I don't know what it is but she has gotten better at stepping up and is now a lot more cuddly and wants to be with me a LOT more. In the middle of these episodes I can get her to step up, pet her, kiss her etc. Have I encouraged this behavior to be a good thing? Is she feeling agressive towards everything?! I was just holding her and getting her to give me kisses and she started doing this again.....Any suggestions how I can get her to stop? I cant stop from having the water run or kettle boil or normal everyday things that go on in my house...Should I just let her be her crazy self? lol

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I'd say let her be her crazy self.

Why do you think it is aggressive?

 

[Beilana]

A few other members said it looks like an agressive behavior from experience with their GCCs so I figured it must be. I'm not too sure now. I am booking an AV visit this week so Maybe I will mention it to them and see what they say. Doesn't seem like too big a deal though

 

[GreenCheek]

I guess it could mean different things depending on the bird. Actually, I think I have concluded that when Cody does it, I think he's just excited. When he gets excited, he bites. I don't think he's being outwardly aggressive. But when he's over stimulated like that, he'll chomp on me. Maybe Chia is just excited! She just doesn't bite like Cody does.