My cockatiel screams all day long

[Tara81]

Imagine if all you wanted in life was a spouse, someone who understood you and you could be intimate with. And someone kept telling you "well, here's a dog, that's the same thing right?"

It's not.

Pablo was missing something from your life the you couldn't give him.

Interesting, but I tried to be his best friend. ALso , his mate appears to be another male >< LOl! is that common in cockatiels for 2 males to super bond like that? And why do some birds become best friends with people and some dont?

 

[Mizzely]

Interesting, but I tried to be his best friend. ALso , his mate appears to be another male >< LOl! is that common in cockatiels for 2 males to super bond like that? And why do some birds become best friends with people and some dont?

Best friend is not the same as mate. Yes, same sex pairs in captivity are fairly common. Some birds are severely human imprinted and think "they are humans", so they bond very strongly with people. It's actually unhealthy. Some birds are content with just a human friend but most appreciate a same species friend or mate. Some know they are birds, and/or they have had a mate in the past and there is no substitute.

 

[Tara81]

its unhealthy for a bird to bond with people? I see it so often on youtube !

 

[Mizzely]

If a bird has a MATE bond with a human ("thinks it's human" from above), that is metally unhealthy. If you had a mate bond with a dog, same thing. It can cause behavior issues like attacking other people in the home, excessive egg laying, humping the human, screaming from being separated etc.

Birds can be friends with humans, even bonded, without being seeing them as a mate. (Content with humans example from above)

 

[Tara81]

oh how do u prevent the bird from bonding with a person as a mate?

 

[Mizzely]

oh how do u prevent the bird from bonding with a person as a mate?

It starts at handfeeding stage. Not taking the birds completely away from the parents and co-raising them.

Then you need to make sure to not pet the bird in places where only a bird mate would touch.



A good read: Site Name - Articles - Behavioral - Sex And The Psittacine

 

[Tara81]

what about the people who hold the bird lying on their back in their hand for a short time for a trick ?

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

what about the people who hold the bird lying on their back in their hand for a short time for a trick ?

I wondered about this too

 

[Mizzely]

what about the people who hold the bird lying on their back in their hand for a short time for a trick ?

I'm not 100% sure. Maybe because it's not a natural position it's not as bad? Or it still is but we do it anyways?

 

[camelotshadow]

I guess all that confusing touching can create inappropriate desires or otherwise affect the bird.

Birds do bond with same sex but not sure if its a mate thing or friend thing.

Birds overly bonded to humans or think of them as mates can be very frustrating for the bird & lead to screaming or plucking as its not possible for a humans to satisfy the almost constant desire for close contact.

I did think it would eb nice to have a bird who cuddles & hold him on his back. The bird lady did force Rio to do it & he complied but she has to catch him & grab him first.
It was not his will & he probably was scaredor did not like it but he did allow her to do it without biting. I tried the grab him first & sit him on my lap for a short while & feed him safflower seeds & he seemed to warm up to it. Still I realized I was forcing him to do something he did not want to do & decided to stop & see if he would come around.
Anyway he did not & now will try to attack my fingers if they get close.

I am torn whether I do want to try to have more of a physical bond with him but I am also afraid it could lead to other problems is he should decide to bond too closely or as a mate.

I like that he is quiet & non demanding so for the meantime especially as I have health issues right now I am leaving well enough alone.

He's calling now so he wants something...LOL

Ohhh guess it could be dinner time...He lets me know...LOL

Still if he were crabby calling to be with me all day it would not be good for either of us.

He;s independent & it works. If I want a stuffed toy to cuddle I can get one of those but he is a bird.

I see all those birds on there backs but it is sort of rare & alotof them are baby birds & they grow out of that. Still there are a few that think its OK as they are used to it. It certainy is a unnatural dangerous position & not one a bird would like to be in.

 

[Shinobi]

I see all those birds on there backs but it is sort of rare & alotof them are baby birds & they grow out of that. Still there are a few that think its OK as they are used to it. It certainy is a unnatural dangerous position & not one a bird would like to be in.

I work with a bloke who use to breed Eclectus Parrots and also has a B&G macaw. This macaw will climb up onto the recliner with him and roll over onto it's back between his arm and body, then proceed to watch TV with him. I have seen photos and videos of birds hanging upside down, lying down and on their back. Our male Eclectus has been on his back on more than one occasion and he isn't suffering any ill effects from it.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&..._lgStw&usg=AFQjCNHDXMSq_hey8OIqw4ybuv7HZuCzBQ

 

[Mizzely]

I work with a bloke who use to breed Eclectus Parrots and also has a B&G macaw. This macaw will climb up onto the recliner with him and roll over onto it's back between his arm and body, then proceed to watch TV with him. I have seen photos and videos of birds hanging upside down, lying down and on their back. Our male Eclectus has been on his back on more than one occasion and he isn't suffering any ill effects from it.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjz4YPsmo_VAhXGVLwKHbhJDl8QtwIIJDAA&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV4qZ_lgStw&usg=AFQjCNHDXMSq_hey8OIqw4ybuv7HZuCzBQ

I think the question was more about holding them on their back which would be more touchbased than these examples. The back is an erogenous zone

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjz4YPsmo_VAhXGVLwKHbhJDl8QtwIIJDAA&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV4qZ_lgStw&usg=AFQjCNHDXMSq_hey8OIqw4ybuv7HZuCzBQ

Haha! That is so cute! The other magpie was like "Dude! What are you doing?"

 

[camelotshadow]

Sure, some will lay on there backs in your hand & might enjoy the interaction or just do it as they were trained to but I do not think the majority do.

If it does stimulate an errogonous zone it could bring on mixed signals & it really serves no real purpose other than it seems cute to us to see a bird on its back.

Hanging upside down have seen it..Rio has his one foot hang...Still he does that as I have reinforced it by praising him & clapping as its cute. He does it to get my attention.
He will do it to try to get my attention even if I am not in the room as he associates it with me.
Odd how they think we can see them in another room or how they will do things for just interaction without any food associated with it...

Still I come back in the room after his calls & he is hanging by one foot! He only does it when he wants attention. Its his happy thing.

 

[Shinobi]

It was a statement, not a question. The statement was "It certainly is a unnatural dangerous position & not one a bird would like to be in".
I, for one don't believe that it's unnatural or dangerous and would put this statement in the category of myths and fables. My work colleague said he never trained his B & G macaw to lie on it back. One day the B & G macaw just decided to do this.

What I find so concerning about this statement is the word "dangerous", This implies that if a bird is placed on it's back it could suffer injuries or possibly die. The only possible danger is to the owner, for trying to force a bird to do something, because they usually get bitten.

 

[camelotshadow]

I think you misunderstood dangerous as in immediate cause & effect.
The act itself is not dangerous but in the wild it could lead to death or injury by attack.

Birds are wild creatures & they still don;t like to do things that would cause danger in the wild.
In the wild it would be dangerous to lay on ones back as they could be an easier victim of prey...It goes against safety instinct in my opinion.

You can choose to do what you want with your bird or quote what birds you know do
but it may not be comfortable for every bird. Your friends bird did it...still don't think the majority of birds do & I was just trying not set up unrealistic expectations.

 

[Shinobi]

Back peddling

 

[Tara81]

Random question: Can cockatiels hang upside down for fun (as a trick?) Just curious because I've never seen it. Also can cockatiels learn to wave? I know some birds are more flexible then others, and after owning a cockatiel it seemed like cockatiels are not this type of bird?

 

[Mizzely]

They are ground birds so aren't are foot focused as some of the other parrots, but no less able.

 

[Tara81]

that is so cool, is this your bird? Can females do that too or only males?