Mouth obsession…

[Lucifer]

So I know that certain behaviors might be seen as hormonal but what my umbrella cockatoo has been doing lately is very confusing to me. He watches me talk while I’m around other people (he’s super social and loves everybody so he comes to work with me sometimes) and maybe it’s because I’m not paying attention to him while I am talking to my coworkers, but he starts to grab my mouth with his feet, which is adorable actually, because he’s very gentle, but then he starts to try to bite my lip and just generally control me there. It’s not aggressive but it’s not a behavior to encourage and it’s VERY persistent. Is he just trying to tell me to shut up?! I get it bro but like …

 

[Xoetix]

Hello and welcome!

I have no idea about this behavior... @Sarahmoluccan @Icey @Shezbug might be able to help?

 

[macawpower58]

@JLcribber John might be able to explain this.

 

[sunnysmom]

So, is he on your shoulder if he can reach your mouth with his feet and beak? I would not let him be on your shoulder and I also would not let him grab your face. You're putting yourself at risk for a nasty bite. I am fostering an umbrella who is super sweet. And even though I always tell people no shoulders for big birds, he was being sweet and was kind of insecure being a new home so I let him snuggle on my shoulder. Until he then got too excited. Not sure what prompted it. I still don't know if he bit me on purpose or just lost his balance. I tend to think lost his balance- I will give him the benefit of the doubt- but what's the first thing to grab when on a shoulder? An ear. Yes, I seriously thought that he had bitten the whole way through my ear. He did not, luckily but I'm sporting a lovely ear scar. But I know that's not really your question. I think he's grabbing your mouth to get your attention. The problem with that too, is if he doesn't get your attention it's quite possible that the nibbles are going to get harder to actually get your attention.

 

[Shezbug]

Many very tame and interested budgies will rest their faces on their peoples mouths when they are being spoken to, I have seen this more with budgies who are very possibly way too attached to their humans.

My cocky watches my mouth intently and does little weird tongue and beak movements when I talk to him but even more so if I whisper to him, in his case I think he is trying to work out if he can learn what I am saying to him- I am pretty repetitive at certain times when dealing with my birds.

My macaw used to try to force his way into my mouth and my nostrils with his feet and beak - I put a stop to it asap as saliva is germy and young birds are all sweet and mostly gentle but older birds can get very impulsive and cause a lot of damage especially when startled, stressed, hormonal, jealous etc- plus, there simply has to be boundaries with where my bird is allowed to put himself and what he is allowed to do to me. I am so glad I put a stop to his curiosity as he recently went through a serious cranky patch with hormones- I can only imagine how bad that would have got if he was used to having free run with what he touches and does.

My guess would be that he is simply curious at what is in your mouth and how them lips are moving- must look funny to them, a face with these moving lines that open up to a show a huge hole with white rocks and a wiggly thing living in it.

 

[JLcribber]

Definitely a cockatoo thing. I'll bet he uses his left foot also.
He likes/wants it. lol

 

[Xoetix]

"Is this mine?"

"...yes. This is mine."

 

[Xoetix]

I'll bet he uses his left foot also

I just read this morning that most cockatoos are left footed!

 

[JLcribber]

You will learn that his/her majesty demand humble grovelling from their servants.

KissFeet

Tika's feet

www.youtube.com

 

[macawpower58]

Only you John!

 

[Shezbug]

I just read this morning that most cockatoos are left footed!
View attachment 425593

I think you'll find that it is the same for all parrots not just 2's. As with humans there are the odd ones out but it did not seem to be many from the few articles I found on the topic a while back when it was mentioned here.

 

[Xoetix]

I think you'll find that it is the same for all parrots not just 2's. As with humans there are the odd ones out but it did not seem to be many from the few articles I found on the topic a while back when it was mentioned here.

That's nifty. I thought it was cool because I'm a lefty as well

 

[Shezbug]

That's nifty. I thought it was cool because I'm a lefty as well

My son is a lefty as well. He used both originally but he was made to choose a side when he was attending school so they could sit him next to another student without their elbows clashing but before that he would use both hands the equally and was as good at everything in both hands. My Nan was ambidextrous because she was naturally left handed but she would get her hand/fingers smacked with a ruler at school for using the left so she had to learn to use the right which meant she used the right at school and the left all other times, I remember being really little and being absolutely amazed at how she could write perfectly in both hands and even write the same sentence in both hands at the same time.

 

[Xoetix]

My son is a lefty as well. He used both originally but he was made to choose a side when he was attending school so they could sit him next to another student without their elbows clashing but before that he would use both hands the equally and was as good at everything in both hands. My Nan was ambidextrous because she was naturally left handed but she would get her hand/fingers smacked with a ruler at school for using the left so she had to learn to use the right which meant she used the right at school and the left all other times, I remember being really little and being absolutely amazed at how she could write perfectly in both hands and even write the same sentence in both hands at the same time.

Haha my mom got a call from my teacher way back in... I don't know, kindergarten? Whenever I was learning to write. But the teacher told her she needed to tie my left hand down and make me learn to use my right hand because "she's writing everything with her left and I won't have the devil use a child like this." I don't know if that's a thing in Australia, but it's a stupid old superstition, something about left handedness being evil or something. My mom had me moved to another class

 

[Shezbug]

Haha my mom got a call from my teacher way back in... I don't know, kindergarten? Whenever I was learning to write. But the teacher told her she needed to tie my left hand down and make me learn to use my right hand because "she's writing everything with her left and I won't have the devil use a child like this." I don't know if that's a thing in Australia, but it's a stupid old superstition, something about left handedness being evil or something. My mom had me moved to another class

Oh em gee!! What the??

I worked at the preschool when my sons teachers asked me to get him to choose a preferred hand as we had to keep rearranging the other kids table places to suit my sons choice of the day- they always kept the lefties together and the righties together, that way kids weren’t bashing elbows with each other or getting left/right handed scissors mixed up when they had to be seated for activities.
My son practiced at home and decided he found scissor work easier in the left (I had always provided both scissors) so he would use that hand. Oh and also his favourite friend was left handed so they’d be able to stay on the same table

 

[Xoetix]

Oh em gee!! What the??

I worked at the preschool when my sons teachers asked me to get him to choose a preferred hand as we had to keep rearranging the other kids table places to suit my sons choice of the day- they always kept the lefties together and the righties together, that way kids weren’t bashing elbows with each other or getting left/right handed scissors mixed up when they had to be seated for activities.
My son practiced at home and decided he found scissor work easier in the left (I had always provided both scissors) so he would use that hand. Oh and also his favourite friend was left handed so they’d be able to stay on the same table

I'm kind of a weird mix as an adult now - I write and eat with my left hand, and everything else I do right handed. My daughters father is a lefty as well, but she ended up being right handed, and my son looks like he might be left handed. If he is, it's just us in a whole family of righties

 

[Shezbug]

I'm kind of a weird mix as an adult now - I write and eat with my left hand, and everything else I do right handed. My daughters father is a lefty as well, but she ended up being right handed, and my son looks like he might be left handed. If he is, it's just us in a whole family of righties

Lol I used to cop grief as a younger person for being right handed but using my watch, knife, fork and spoon the "wrong way", tennis and guitar were also things I copped grief from teachers for as I apparently chose to hold them in the wrong arm for a right handed person. Like I cared... honestly, I had no interest in either guitar playing or tennis