What's normal for cuddling a conure?

[Largofan]

I've had Hiccup for almost three weeks now and she loves her cuddle time, and has recently started tipping her head so I'll scrach under her beak and then all over her face, along with down the back of her neck to where her wings start. I asked Helitorian about it, and she said her birds didn't do the under the beak thing. I was wondering if anyone elses birds did this, or if it's just a Hiccup thing.

Hiccup is also young, not even four months now, and I know that since she's an only bird, they can view their owners as mates, and I don't want that. I know not to stroke down her back, but what other no-no's are there? I know that sometimes with conure pairs, that the male will feed the female, could me cleaning food off her beak be mistaken for this? Or when she's getting nippy, I take her beak in my fingers so that she can't get to my skin and hold it for a second to get her to stop.

Finally, I give her 'hugs', which is when I cup my hand and let her cuddle against it while I rub her head with my thumb, could that be considered a mating behavior? She enjoys it because my hands are warm and she's getting attenion.

 

[patch]

My bird LOVES it when someone rubs right under his beak. Anywhere on his throat to his beak is amazing; he sometimes closes his eyes like he's going, "Ahhh..."

 

[KatherineI]

I have video (I'll try and upload it) of Loki going absolutely NUTS with having his underbeak scritched. In fact, that was the first place we were allowed to touch, we weren't able to touch most of him for the first almost 2 months we had him. He loves it so much, he will use a toy to do it for him if our fingers aren't available, lol!

 

[SunnyGirl]

^^ haha so cute

my sun loves it under the beak too, she would turn her head back so much that it loos like it could just fall off any second

 

[mysteryfoxes]

Under the beak is fine. They love it. Conures are just snuggly little things! hehe

 

[lexx510]

Guava lets me know when she's in heat by squatting and twitching her wings. At that point, I stop petting/cuddling with her altogether. I give her plenty of kisses, hugs, and scratches on her head/beak area, which typically doesn't excite her. She loves being held and falling asleep in the palm of my hand. Just avoid petting their backs and underneath the wings/belly - as those areas are known to be their erogenous zones. As far as what could be mistaken for mate behavior, I'm not exactly sure.

 

[Largofan]

Hiccup will twist her head until it's upside down and it looks like it's broken. I don't always pay attention when I'm scratching her, so when I look down and her head is opposite of her body, it freaks me out

 

[lexx510]

Hiccup will twist her head until it's upside down and it looks like it's broken. I don't always pay attention when I'm scratching her, so when I look down and her head is opposite of her body, it freaks me out

That is too funny! Guava is the same way, lol.

 

[cyrusbrian]

its actually very funny !

 

[KatherineI]

Hiccup will twist her head until it's upside down and it looks like it's broken. I don't always pay attention when I'm scratching her, so when I look down and her head is opposite of her body, it freaks me out

The first time I was ever around a parrot and saw them do that, it totally freaked me out too! It's really funny to see people's reactions to it when they aren't expecting it.

 

[lexx510]

It reminds me of the Exorcist!