Head scritch before step up?

[Saemma]

I notice that both Emma and Sachi have the habit of bending their heads down for a head scratch before accepting a request to step Up. It's really no big deal to me because once they get what they want they step up quite enthusiastically on to my hand. Just wondering whether anyone else's parrot does similar?

 

[wonderb]

Yep, Olive does. Not always but often.

 

[vmashley03]

Most of the time both Charlie and Bella request a brief head rub before stepping up. It's no biggie to me since they never refuse a step up. Actually whenever I approach them I usually rub their heads or beak first anyways so they are just used to getting rubs as soon as they see me.

 

[Monica]

Casey almost always does! I swear, if all I did was give her head scritches, she'd probably starve to death!


I've used scritches as a means to teach her to come to me and step up. More recently, I even unintentionally trained her to station for a few moments for scritches! Which led to a stepping up issue, because all she figured out was that "If I stand here, she will give me scritches." End of story. If I don't give her scritches within an allotted time, then she'll wander off.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Weeble does this most of the time too

 

[Ankou]

Well, yes... Peanut does something like this.
Only without the stepping up.

Not always, but if she's in a cuddly-yet-insubordinate mood she'll lay her head down on my finger and start rubbing instead of stepping up when I ask. If she's really trying to make her intentions clear she'll lay down on my finger without letting go of her perch/stepping up off a flat surface and even start beak grinding like she's getting ready for a nap.

I know that kind of 'disobedience' is a big deal for some people but it's so damn cute I indulge her. Since she's so small if I ever really need to pick her up for some reason I can just scoop her up at that point (if she were going to be aggressive about it she wouldn't already be trying to cuddle.) Heck, often if I offer her a palm versus a finger when she's like that she'll usually crawl right into it.
Then immediately lay down, retract her feet into her fluff, and refuse to leave.
And does she ever pile on the guilt if I try to persuade her to, it should be illegal for something to look that cute and sad at the same time.

 

[karen256]

If Cheeky doesn't want to step up, she will bow her head down. It looks like she is asking for scritches, but she's really just covering her feet so I can't make her step up. Usually she does this when I have been cuddling her and she is comfy and doesn't want to get up, or when someone she doesn't know well asks her to step up. She is exposing the back of her neck, which is vulnerable, instead of trying to bite, so I do try to respect her wishes when convenient. I think it's good that she knows she has a way to politely decline to step up.

 

[melissasparrots]

Mine usually just step up. However Gremlin doesn't like to step up so instead he offers to have his head scratched. I think I pattered him this way because he can sometimes be aggressive. So to assess his mood, I ask him if he wants a scratch and if he's willing to accept that, then usually he isn't going to bite when I ask him to step up. Now he thinks he can get away with just scritches and skip the step up part.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

The only time Sunny does that is if she thinks I am going to put her in her cage (rarely) or if I tell her it is bedtime and she knows I am going to leave the aviary. I think she asks for a scritch to delay me from leaving the room.

 

[Caza66]

Kiwi (38 days old) has learnt to step up and recognises the words "step up". She has also just discovered head scritches but she hasn't put the 2 together yet.

 

[Parhelion7]

Oh yes. As a baby, Ziya didn't understand the point of headscratches and resisted my attempts to pet her, but the older she gets the more she LOVES headscratches. She knows exactly what "step up" means and what we're asking for when we put a hand up to her, but perhaps 60-70% of the time she'll just beep quietly and turn her head, like she's playing dumb and thinking you were offering a scratch.

Sometimes you don't even have to ask her to step up, though. Sometimes she'll just go find your hand and pose with her head in scratch position in front of it, waiting for you to notice her. And last night, I was sitting with my hand on the back of the couch, and she came RUNNING up to me, stopped, and turned her head for a scratch.

Anyway, back on topic, yes! Ziya does this all the time.

 

[Stormcloud]

They're just making sure you've got your priorities right.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Ziya is a smart birdie and is manipulating you.... Just like they all do!