Happy or mating dance?

[Duel]

I've been catching my bird dancing by nodding his head up and down really fast a lot recently and one thing I noticed is that he likes to do it around the cups he can find. He tends to fly to the kitchen (I let him in there when it's safe) since he's learned he can find cups there and if I leave him there long enough I can come back later and see that he's nodding his head up and down while walking around the cup as if he's listening to music. I find it funny and like to watch him whenever I see him do it now. I looked up online and got responses saying he's just happy and others saying its a mating dance.

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

Are you sure he is not trying to regurgitate?

 

[Entoptic]

You find it pretty much interesting right doing it that way.

 

[AkasyaEllric]

I would love to see a video of that. It honestly could be one or the other, it's hard to determine without seeing it, at least from me. @Zara might know though!

 

[Zara]

See if you can look closely next time and see if Snick is bringing up food in his beak and then eating it. That is a sign of affection.

If you see him slightly or fully open his wings, walk backwards (even if just briefly), go in circles, scratch his ear with his foot, make a quick clicking sound, pacing, fluff up on and off then it is mating behaviour and best try to discourage because he can´t actually mate a cup (If he can, I´d be impressed). It is not bad that he is trying to mate something, but he needs to be able to do that (completely - if you know what I mean) or he could get very frustrated.

 

[DoubleTake]

Sounds like regurgitating to me with an obsession with cups lol. If you do see food, I would discourage this behavior if he is doing it too much. If he is doing it too much then you need to keep an watchful eye on his body weight. A video would help though.

 

[Zara]

If you do see food

*deposited on the cup (or anywhere else)

Good point Brian

 

[Duel]

@Zara @DoubleTake He hasn't tried bringing food to the cup then again he's never taken food out of his cage. He's made some clicking sounds, walked in circles around it, puffed himself up, itched with his foot, and sometimes even knocks on the floor he's standing on with his beak. He hasn't walked backwards or opened his wings around it though. He also does this around different cups let it be size or color he'll look for one and do that stuff around it.

 

[DoubleTake]

@Zara @DoubleTake He hasn't tried bringing food to the cup then again he's never taken food out of his cage. He's made some clicking sounds, walked in circles around it, puffed himself up, itched with his foot, and sometimes even knocks on the floor he's standing on with his beak. He hasn't walked backwards or opened his wings around it though. He also does this around different cups let it be size or color he'll look for one and do that stuff around it.

I wouldnt expect him to bring food to the cup. Is he throwing up on the cups at all? Depending on the clicking, it may be hormonal, usually kind of sounds like a sprinkler. A video really would help but it sounds like he has a cup fetish.

 

[Zara]

He hasn't tried bringing food to the cup then again he's never taken food out of his cage.

I wouldnt expect him to bring food to the cup.

Yes, when I said ¨bringing food up¨ I meant literally, bringing food up from his crop (regurgitating, as Brian said) Sorry, I wasn´t very clear. Sometimes you don´t quite notice.

He's made some clicking sounds,

Depending on the clicking, it may be hormonal, usually kind of sounds like a sprinkler.

Males don´t sound like females. The click is more clear and it´s louder. The hens have almost a hiss or airyness to them where the males do not.
I can hear my boys from a lot further away than my females.
Also, the female will carry on her clicking noise during intercourse yet the males don´t. So while Snick is clicking, he´s getting worked up and worked up but not actually mating and achieving the release.

and sometimes even knocks on the floor he's standing on with his beak

This is also considered mating/hormonal behaviour but if your bird does only this, it can just be a sign of excitement.

He hasn't walked backwards or opened his wings around it though

These are quite subtle. The walking backwards is just a step or two and the wings is sometimes the most subtle flick at the top.

Either way this sounds like mating/hormonal behaviour.
Does Snick have something else in his cage maybe that he can ¨play¨ with? My boy loves a boing, I have another like a cotton perch, and a hen that liked a teddy bear. I caught another hen using a cardboard tube once also, and I heard another member say their bird liked a cardboard tube also.

it sounds like he has a cup fetish.

100%

 

[DoubleTake]

Are we still 100% sure he is a male? Did the breeder provide proof?

 

[Duel]

@Zara @DoubleTake here's the video. And as for asking the breeder about the proof, apparently he sold his physical location and went full online so now I can't get in touch with him unless if I were to pay a deposit for buying a bird from him online. I tried calling my vet to see what would it cost to sex him and they said $115 while I remember you saying it's under 50 for you. Do you know of any other cheaper types of places I can search for to sex him?

 

[DoubleTake]

What happy little cutie. Looks like he is having fun, flirting and maybe regurgitating. The first video, it does look like he is regurgitating at 10 and 33 seconds. Definately confused birdie who likes cups.

No DNA tests are done on site, the samples are normally sent to a lab regardless where you do it. DNA testing is $10-12 at IQ bird testing but I use animal genetics which is $19.50. Note these tests you have to do yourself. The bird store I go too charges $45 for birds not bought from the store.

My female will do that to her girlfriend and sometimes the girlfriend will do it back. I did say regurgitating in the video but she wasnt.

 

[DoubleTake]

@Duel if you have the experience to do it yourself, you just have to go online to one of the sites above. Print the dna card, make the payment online and send them the sample.

 

[Duel]

Definitely confused birdie who likes cups.

So should I discourage the behavior by removing cups when he does that?

 

[DoubleTake]

So should I discourage the behavior by removing cups when he does that?

It's a tough call. I would remove it if he is obsessing over it, gets agressive/territorial or starts feeding it(food/throw up on cup) excessively. If he is just having fun with it and spending time/bonding with you I personally wouldnt worry to much about it.

If he turns out to be a she I personally would probably discourage it as it may lead to hormones and potentially eggs.

 

[Beasley]

I tried calling my vet to see what would it cost to sex him and they said $115

I had this exact same problem, my local bird store charges $25, I went with them. Snick is adorable I love his little cup dance! I definitely saw some regurgitation head wiggles from him.

*edit he gets carried away at :16 on the first video and smacks his beak into the cup!

@DoubleTake Loki and Penelope are so cute!

 

[Duel]

I think I'm gonna first look up videos to see how to properly get a sample to send for the dna test and if I think it's too dangerous for me to do then I'm better off looking for a bird store that's experienced that I can at least pay to get the sample out of him for me without injuring him. Snick here is my first bird (and pet) so I'm not sure if I can do it myself but will still see first.

 

[Zara]

I lean towards your bird is just having fun. The bouncing is like the video of Loki, it is just a fun thing and not mating related.

I also did see some movements that looked like regurgitation (more of a draw and the feathers will stand up) however he wasn´t doing them long enough to bring up food... soo yea, I think Snick just really likes cups

I would remove it if he is obsessing over it, gets agressive/territorial or starts feeding it(food/throw up on cup) excessively. If he is just having fun with it and spending time/bonding with you I personally wouldnt worry to much about it.

I concur

 

[Leih]

Loki and Penelope

I actually just saw Aoife doing this same thing.