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Do birds have facial expressions?

CrazyBirdChick

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Today I was just thinking to myself that one of the cutest things about birds is that their faces don't change very much.

They would certainly never need botox or facelifts. They even age so gracefully that most 60-80 year old parrots still look young.

But then I thought a little deeper into it and came to the conclusion that even though their faces don't change that much I'm still able to read Blu pretty well just from his face. So they have to have some sort of micro expressions or something?

I know macaws blush and also some birds get fluffy cheeks but I'm not referring to that as facial expressions. I'm just referring to the look in their eyes. Or the way their beak sits, I guess.

It got me curious to start Googling and I found this Exploration of whether or not birds have facial expressions

Does your bird have facial expressions? Pictures of examples of moods would also be fun, if you feel like posting some.
 
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Zara

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I think the eyes are the main thing used to read our birds expressions (in a face only sense) :)
 

Zara

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Is that really all that it is?
There´s a lot to a birds ¨expression¨ but they are not like you or I.

They have their eyes, they have their feathers that lay flat or ruffle slightly, or ruffle a lot. Then their crest. Also the feathers on their body, their stance...

I feel like the bird equivalent of a facial expression is their whole expression ie whole body, not just face.
 

CrazyBirdChick

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There´s a lot to a birds ¨expression¨ but they are not like you or I.

They have their eyes, they have their feathers that lay flat or ruffle slightly, or ruffle a lot. Then their crest. Also the feathers on their body, their stance...

I feel like the bird equivalent of a facial expression is their whole expression ie whole body, not just face.
Yeah, that totally makes sense! Thanks Zara!
 

KiwiandLemony

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As much as I’m aware it’s physically impossible for them to move their faces into expressions, they don’t have facial muscles. When I found that out I was taken by shock, how am I able to read them without expressions? (This was before I got birds but my first few days researching) I think that @Zara said it perfectly-
There´s a lot to a birds ¨expression¨ but they are not like you or I.

They have their eyes, they have their feathers that lay flat or ruffle slightly, or ruffle a lot. Then their crest. Also the feathers on their body, their stance...

I feel like the bird equivalent of a facial expression is their whole expression ie whole body, not just face.
 

CrazyBirdChick

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As much as I’m aware it’s physically impossible for them to move their faces into expressions, they don’t have facial muscles. When I found that out I was taken by shock, how am I able to read them without expressions? (This was before I got birds but my first few days researching) I think that @Zara said it perfectly-
Wow! They don't have facial muscles? That's so interesting and I can't believe I never really realized that! I guess that would explain why they'd never need botox or a facelift. (Not that anyone needs those things but I hope you all get what I mean) They're not like human who scowl too much or raise their eyebrows too much, and since they don't have facial muscles the muscles can't sag with age. This explains alot!
 

JLcribber

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This is happy
65D50798-228D-4935-A24E-80D9C362F43E.jpeg

This is mad
FA9B9CBB-A347-4A25-B0C9-F302C0E200EE.jpeg

The expression seems clear to me. :D
 

CrazyBirdChick

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CrazyBirdChick

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JLcribber

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:highfive:

Even the mad looks adorable! Though I wouldn't get too close :joyful:

But that's mostly cheek fluff, a crest and a beak. So yeah, I think Zara was right that the only real expression is the whole bird and the eyes.

Yup. It's all in the eyes. Windows to the soul. Dead giveaway. :D
 

AkasyaEllric

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I think with any pets you have, since most animals don't show emotion like us anyways, you end up with a link of sorts. I'm sure it's just learning to read their body language but, at least for me, I can actually "feel" how they are the majority of the time, especially the ones I'm really close to.
 

ZoeyFredrik

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I always say to my IRN, "Joey, I can see what your thinking". Between her eyes and feathers on her head I can just look at her and know what it's going on in that little head. Most of the time it's mischief. :sneaky:
 

CrazyBirdChick

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I think with any pets you have, since most animals don't show emotion like us anyways, you end up with a link of sorts. I'm sure it's just learning to read their body language but, at least for me, I can actually "feel" how they are the majority of the time, especially the ones I'm really close to.
I can totally relate to that. I've been feeling how animals feel since I was a kid.

What's so fascinating to me is that, in the article I linked up in the first post, it says that - "horses have17 distinct facial expressions, humans can make 27 discrete movements, chimpanzees 13, cats 21, and dogs 16" (side note- I never realized cats have more facial expressions than dogs) So atleast with those animals people who can't 'feel' what the animal is thinking atleast they will most likely have more of a clue as to what the animal is thinking by reading facial expressions, since most humans are naturally adept at reading facial expressions.

I just thought about more animals with no facial expressions- fish, lizards, dinosaurs... Are there any I'm missing? Lizards and dinosaurs are related to birds so that's also interesting.

I always say to my IRN, "Joey, I can see what your thinking". Between her eyes and feathers on her head I can just look at her and know what it's going on in that little head. Most of the time it's mischief. :sneaky:
I can so relate to this too! As I'm sure most of us probably can :)
 

CrazyBirdChick

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Of course birds have facial expressions! :lolsign: Ollie smiles quite a lot. :D
Awww, can you find a pic of that? I believe you, ofcourse! Just trying to find a reason to get you to post more pics of your adorable birds! ;)

I thought of hys and their smile when I started this thread but do they ever look like they're not smiling?
 

Mizzely

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It's definitely a subtle thing, but I agree its eyes plus feather positioning and posture. Stuff that looks minute to us screams volumes to other birds!
 

CrazyBirdChick

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It's definitely a subtle thing, but I agree its eyes plus feather positioning and posture. Stuff that looks minute to us screams volumes to other birds!
I wish I could speak subtle bird to Blu sometimes :lol:

Sorry for all my rambling tonight and for some of my posts not being worded that well. I am spewing my thoughts as they come :wacky:
 
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