TwoGreenFids
Meeting neighbors
- Joined
- 1/5/19
- Messages
- 40
- Real Name
- Jewels
Looking for some clarification!
I don't want to encourage mating behaviour in my 3 yr old female IRN (Popsicle), but I also don't want to rebuff affection. It's pretty clear when she wants to get jiggy with our male because she flattens her back, cranes her neck, pins, and props her butt up, while making clicking sounds. Clear messaging!!
She doesn't like to be handled (she's a ferral rescue) but seems to lavish in the attention when we coo and talk to her. She makes a similar kind of clicking sound as above but with a whistle thrown in, and she does none of the other actions. Instead, she just bats her eyes and seems very pleased with herself. She might poof her head, step side to side, lean forward, or bob slightly, but nothing else. The slight shift in vocalization and total shift in body language leads me to believe that this is affection rather than mating behaviour, but I want to be sure. Talking to her this way seems to be one of the few means of expressing my affection that she responds to, and it feels as though we are bonding through it.
Should I continue?
A note regarding the photo before I get comments berating me for letting her be on my head. I don't do this with my other IRN and realize that it is generally not a good idea to encourage birds being on your head because of dominance issues and bite risk. As I mentioned, Pop is a ferral rescue, and so we've learned how to make her feel safe around us. Hands are still scary, but heads, shoulders, knees (and toes lol) have become safe perches for her. She often preens me while atop my head, and has never displayed signs of dominance. When she gets startled, that's where she flies. Apparently my head is her safe space haha But please feel free to lecture me on the above question! I'm happy to learn
I don't want to encourage mating behaviour in my 3 yr old female IRN (Popsicle), but I also don't want to rebuff affection. It's pretty clear when she wants to get jiggy with our male because she flattens her back, cranes her neck, pins, and props her butt up, while making clicking sounds. Clear messaging!!
She doesn't like to be handled (she's a ferral rescue) but seems to lavish in the attention when we coo and talk to her. She makes a similar kind of clicking sound as above but with a whistle thrown in, and she does none of the other actions. Instead, she just bats her eyes and seems very pleased with herself. She might poof her head, step side to side, lean forward, or bob slightly, but nothing else. The slight shift in vocalization and total shift in body language leads me to believe that this is affection rather than mating behaviour, but I want to be sure. Talking to her this way seems to be one of the few means of expressing my affection that she responds to, and it feels as though we are bonding through it.
Should I continue?
A note regarding the photo before I get comments berating me for letting her be on my head. I don't do this with my other IRN and realize that it is generally not a good idea to encourage birds being on your head because of dominance issues and bite risk. As I mentioned, Pop is a ferral rescue, and so we've learned how to make her feel safe around us. Hands are still scary, but heads, shoulders, knees (and toes lol) have become safe perches for her. She often preens me while atop my head, and has never displayed signs of dominance. When she gets startled, that's where she flies. Apparently my head is her safe space haha But please feel free to lecture me on the above question! I'm happy to learn
Attachments
-
118.5 KB Views: 3