Birdyquest
Checking out the neighborhood
- Joined
- 6/1/23
- Messages
- 1
Hi-
Posting with a bit of a bizzare behavior that myself and my bird have become accustomed to. When I got my red belly (about six years ago), she had really bad beak flaking issues, and constantly had a chipping beak and would get food stuck in it and it seemed to really bother her. (She no longer has this issue now that she is on a proper diet) as a baby, she was really scared of hands but not of people so she loved so cuddle against my face but didn’t like to be touched. Whenever I would hold her and use a nail file to remove jagged beak flakes she would seem so traumatized and in almost a shock and be very stressed for a day or two. Because of this I developed the odd habit with her of using my front teeth to gently let her grind her beak on, or rub my front teeth on her beak. I did it originally because I had always seen my mom bite the fingernails of my younger siblings growing up, I just saw it as the same. It became a bit of a morning ritual of ours and in the mornings when I let her out she would always rub her beak on my teeth, like the bottom edge. I’m a mouth breather so my mouth is usually open. However, even after her beak stopped flaking I continued the behavior with her. She’s not afraid of hands anymore and I can file her beak when I need to, so it’s not really for any purpose anymore but more of a bonding behavior ritual. Like I said we have had this as a part of our routine for about six years now because it just became normal.
she never demonstrates inappropriate feeding, hormonal, or possessive behaviors during it. She really does not have these traits in general at all,except a feeding behavior when she is on perches that are taller than me but it’s not a big issue.
so basically my question is, does anyone else do this? What do you think the bird thinks is going on. I think we both view it as grooming behavior but I’m aware it’s rather bizzare. Any insight?
Posting with a bit of a bizzare behavior that myself and my bird have become accustomed to. When I got my red belly (about six years ago), she had really bad beak flaking issues, and constantly had a chipping beak and would get food stuck in it and it seemed to really bother her. (She no longer has this issue now that she is on a proper diet) as a baby, she was really scared of hands but not of people so she loved so cuddle against my face but didn’t like to be touched. Whenever I would hold her and use a nail file to remove jagged beak flakes she would seem so traumatized and in almost a shock and be very stressed for a day or two. Because of this I developed the odd habit with her of using my front teeth to gently let her grind her beak on, or rub my front teeth on her beak. I did it originally because I had always seen my mom bite the fingernails of my younger siblings growing up, I just saw it as the same. It became a bit of a morning ritual of ours and in the mornings when I let her out she would always rub her beak on my teeth, like the bottom edge. I’m a mouth breather so my mouth is usually open. However, even after her beak stopped flaking I continued the behavior with her. She’s not afraid of hands anymore and I can file her beak when I need to, so it’s not really for any purpose anymore but more of a bonding behavior ritual. Like I said we have had this as a part of our routine for about six years now because it just became normal.
she never demonstrates inappropriate feeding, hormonal, or possessive behaviors during it. She really does not have these traits in general at all,except a feeding behavior when she is on perches that are taller than me but it’s not a big issue.
so basically my question is, does anyone else do this? What do you think the bird thinks is going on. I think we both view it as grooming behavior but I’m aware it’s rather bizzare. Any insight?
