sensitivity

[iti hoa's mom]

A couple of things...what birds say. I had a male ekkie that was nakid (plucked and died from liver tumor). The CAG and severe macaw did not like Rikki and would chase him off his cage. He, because of instinct, would leap off and try to fly...not a good plan when you are nakid. His cage was surrounded by large dog bed pillows and he had a soft landing. I would always ask him if he was ok. and then I would say yes when he looked at me.

One day I was working in the bird room and caught my foot and down I went. Oh my, the tears came to my eyes as I tried to catch my breath when I heard....."Are you ok" and when I looked at Rik he answered "yes?" Oh my, I lost all thoughts of the fall. I never fell again and Rik never said that again.


Peggy

[iti hoa's mom]

How many know about anting behavior in birds. It is an interesting practice...Use a search engine and look up anting behavior. Then you have the strange behavior of love birds sticking evenly torn strips of paper in the feathers. Or the goffin who must stick things under their wings or roll objects down their back then quickly catch them.

Then there is my large macaw who drapes plastic chain acrosse her back and holds the end in her mouth and naps this way.

Then there is my CAG who swings a toy and holds his head under the swinging toy where it ever so lightly brushes the top of his head.

Maybe they are aliens.

Anon so my birds won't get a complex

[Darryl Jones]

I rehomed a male M2 his name is Gaynor. He was pretty agressive when I got him. He had bitten his previous owner and sent her to the ER for stitches. After I got him he bit me really bad twice. Once in the face (I had to pry him off) and secondly in the hand (boy did that hurt). It was at that point I decided that we must become friends. I was sitting kicked back in my easy chair petting him when he made an attempt to bite me again. This time I got away and I began scolding him. "Gaynor, you bad bad boy. Don't you ever do that again! (over and over) He looked at me turned and walked down my leg. he stopped, turned, and looked at me with those big black eyes with his head cocked to the side and with the inflection of a human voice said "I'M SORRY". The hair stood up on the back of my neck. By the way things are much better now. Although he still needs watching.

[Birdlover]

I love stories like these. Birds are just so incredibly amazing, and certainly caring.

About a year ago, I was at my parents house and thought I'd inspect their CAG, Perri to see if I could take a pic of his preen gland (there were people who didnt know what one looked like). Peri was not thrilled about being toweled (thats no way to treat a dignified individual like him), and so I made it quick (didnt get a good look, oh well). So a few hours later I go to put him back in his cage. Picked him up off his playtop and he says "Im sorry" and then tried to bite me. I guess he wasnt to thrilled about our earlier interaction, but at least he was poilte enough to appologize beforehand The great part is he has never said Im sorry before that. He picked it up from one of my sister's kids (they had been living there for a few months visiting from Iceland). Thankfully I avoided the bite, but he certainly let me know his displeasue with me Greys, you gotta love them!

[too&me]

It seems they often utilize our own language to work with us, it seems we are not as good at theirs. Harry woke up when I uncover his cage this morning and said"Hi there, did you sleep well." then after I greeted him & walked away I hear his sweetest little voice "Are you hungry?" I think he wanted breakfast. Of course he got fed ahead of schedule this morning. >:}

[iti hoa's mom]

Harry is just too cute. Yes, they sure do try to work with us. Wonder how well we would do with the tables turned. I would need a lot of help...not good at other languages. I am sure they would say about me...she's old, can't teach her anything new...I would then blurt out the sounds I felt I could match the best and they would sit there wondering what significance that word had for me. (probably would end up be a swear word with my luck)

Peggy

[Dot]

He looked at me turned and walked down my leg. he stopped, turned, and looked at me with those big black eyes with his head cocked to the side and with the inflection of a human voice said "I'M SORRY".

I'm sorry for posting without first introducing myself, but this post caught my eye. Once I was putting the Scarlet Macaw in jail for something. And in that tone you just mentioned, she said, "I said, 'I'm sorry.'" Hey, I apologized. Why isn't all forgiven?

Dot

[too&me]

Dot -welcome! I just love those situational words of wisdom from them! What a great story.

[birdscomefirst]

How many know about anting behavior in birds. It is an interesting practice...Use a search engine and look up anting behavior. Then you have the strange behavior of love birds sticking evenly torn strips of paper in the feathers. Or the goffin who must stick things under their wings or roll objects down their back then quickly catch them.

Then there is my large macaw who drapes plastic chain acrosse her back and holds the end in her mouth and naps this way.

Then there is my CAG who swings a toy and holds his head under the swinging toy where it ever so lightly brushes the top of his head.

Maybe they are aliens.

Anon so my birds won't get a complex

Hi All,

Each of these behaviors has its roots in nature.

Anting is the coating of feathers with what amounts to "ant juice". Ants produce formic acid and it has an aroma that protects the birds from various parasites. There are many birds that do this:-)

Nesting behaviors as seen by lovebirds and goffins include tucking nesting material under their wings and carrying them back to the nest.

Macaws lying things across their backs and toos rolling objects down their backs (One of my U2s does this too with his large sized Roudybush pellets)
has two or more possible roots. One is simple play and the other is that the back of a bird is a sexual center so to speak. Parrots like the feeling of something touching their backs:-)

This also leads to Greys and other birds like quaker parrots swinging a toy or a bell and then letting it rub them on the neck. They figured out how to get that feeling of a neck scratch on their own. They do it because it feels good.

Whether or not parrots are little aliens , remains to be seen. Maybe they did come down on UFOs:-) They are smart enough, that's for sure:-)

Parrots are incredibly sensitive and they will say the most amazing things at the correct times when they feel our emotions. They are so amazing!

Have Fun,

[bonnie]

My Chicken will say ANYTHING to get out of time out. I used to let it work, but then I caught on to what he was doing. He hardly ever talks unless he doesn't want to go to bed or time out.

[Darryl Jones]

I was cleaning cages out in our bird room today and sneezing like a fool from the cockatoo dust. Jojo my CAG heard me sneeze three times and then vocalized a very human sneeze herself followed by " bless you!" Never heard her do that before! So I have an African Grey

with manners!

Also I may be the only person in he world that has received a blessing from a bird!!!!!

Darryl

[iti hoa's mom]

[QUOTE=Darryl Jones;215]I was cleaning cages out in our bird room today and sneezing like a fool from the cockatoo dust. Jojo my CAG heard me sneeze three times and then vocalized a very human sneeze herself followed by " bless you!" Never heard her do that before! So I have an African Grey

with manners!

I too sneeze from various things. 3 (and 4th learning) will ask "Hows your cold? Then sneeze and say bless you. It has become a contact call thing. Now, if I sneeze I will get a bless you...two smaller birds so it is in a donald duck voice. Oh, you can give me a call and lone of them would do it over the phone for you.

Peggy

[TikiTalks]

I'm waiting for the day when on of my birds gets put to bed and busts out with "want water! Hungry!" just like my 8 year old niece!

[Julie]

Michell,

Dont say you can't wait, because once they start you think its cute, and then they do it FOREVER..... Dont get suckered in like the rest of us!