Oscar the Odd?

[Alien J]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if this behavior is normal for Quakers? Or if anyone has seen it in their Quaker? He has done this since I got him. Usually it's easy to distract him from it, even if he goes back to it, it never lasted all that long, if you know what I mean. He can do it for hours but it's always stop and go. Do it a few times. Do something else. Do it again a few times, do something else, etc. etc.

When I started filming him tonight, he had already been doing it for 10 minutes almost straight through. I taped him for over a minute, and he was still going strong. He won't be distracted from it for more than a split second.

What do you guys think?

 

[Xoetix]

It looks like he’s checking for weak spots for his escape

 

[Alien J]

That's what I told George! He must really want out tonight!

 

[WillowQ]

It looks like a combination between head bobbing and beak scooting. I’ve seen this done before, more in my builder Quaker than Willow.

 

[Alien J]

It looks like a combination between head bobbing and beak scooting. I’ve seen this done before, more in my builder Quaker than Willow.

Builder Quaker?

 

[WillowQ]

Quaker parakeets are the only parrots to build nests out of sticks. Many pet Quakers like to weave objects (stolen pens?) through their cage bars. If you have a Quaker who builds or weaves, you can keep them happy and busy by giving coffee stirrers, chopsticks, straws, shishkebab skewers so they can fuss to their hearts content.
These birds seem to need to be busy and weaving or building is one way to keep them happy.

 

[Pixiebeak]

I think he is bored, and somewhere/someplace he came up with this , and now it's like ocd.

Ritualized, stylized, obsessive behavior like this often stims from being kept in too confined a space , with lack of mental stimulation. This type of ritualized ( different expressions of) used to be common in zoo animals back when they were kept in small bare cages forced close to the public so they could observe animals. Was still present when I was a child visting zoos. Thankfully us humans realized we needed to better. And zoos enlarged envious provide enrichments and cover. It's also something you see in domestic horses kept confined in a horse stall fir the majority of time. The horses will weave, crib , head toss or something else repetitive.

Because you have a nice roomy cage , and provide well for him , this is likely from before.

Quakers are really intelligent, on par with African grey and cockatoo, tho they rarely get credit for it. They are also extremely social, and evolved to live in large communities. So they are more prone to behavior issues, plucking, screaming, self mutilation or OCD .

Things that might help, even more toys , lots of different chew texture, things they can easily destroy with a chomp. Foraging, really fun do to do together too! Obstacles course to climb through to reach a reward. Teaching simple tricks , just for the mental stimulation. Increased time out of the cage . More exercise. Spending time outside, always watched in light shade well secured ( I zip tie every moving part of the cage including bottom tray. ) being outside really can have a profound effect on parrots their vision is incredible and outside they look into greater distance, and see more colors and feel sur movement.

When he is in the middle of obsessive behavior, they are in a mental zone , and it's not worthwhile to try and distract , or pay sny attention to it. What works better is to prevent these sessions from getting started , if you know times or triggers , plan positive distraction. A bath, floating plastic bottle caps with a single seed or something to try and get, foraging, or simple training or tricks , out of the cage something.

The more you can head this off, the less it should happen , sometimes will disappear forever as he weand off thst high, and gets those chemicals from exercise, destroying stuff and such. Sometimes the behavior remains but decreased in frequency and duration.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Yes you can see this with a bird that's want out and is frustrated, or random, for attention, or fun , and that's different.

The above is if it's as persistent and obsessive as shared. Can't be easily distracted, returns immediately to doing it again.

 

[Dona]

Gigi, a Linnie, has horizontal bars on her cage. She does this (but across) from time to time for a minute or 2. I think she sees herself in a reflection on the wall. I always call it shadow boxing. It doesn't seem like OCD for her, just another interesting thing she does in the cage.

 

[WillowQ]

I think it’s definitely a stereotypie but I wonder if it’s fed into and reinforced by the head bobbing motion/ cue for parrots and for Quakers in general. Not that it matters, but I have noticed that Quakers definitely get excited if they see a person head-bob at them or if they start that motion themselves. Then it just continues and continues as the bird gets more excited because omg! Head-bobbing!

 

[Alien J]

The Cliff Parakeet, of Bulivia, also builds a stick nest. Not a communal one, like the quakers. Though, depending on which ornithological group you talk to, they are considered their own species (near threatened) or they are a subspecies of the Quaker.

Oscar has an even more constant behavior. It reminds me of an autistic boy I used to babysit for when I was young (before I left home). He would sometimes just rock and rock and rock. Back and forth, back and forth, for hours. Oscar does this in a manner of speaking. It's a very gentle pulling of the little fibers of the rope perch. It's up and down, but very slightly. With a regurgitation simulation thrown in once in awhile. When he's doing that, hardly anything distracts him.

I was able to get him to the more local vet clinic for a nail trim yesterday. I explained to the Dr that I had an appointment with the Avian Vet scheduled for November 3rd and that his nails were extremely overgrown. My thinking was that his quick is probably close to the tip from having gone so long without a trim and that the Avian vet could take off a little more when I go there. However, he still wapped off half his toenail on the first one he did... Blood everywhere. He did the rest more delicately.

When the assistant went to take him out of the travel cage, he got away. He flapped his wings, got a little lift on the first and second flaps, but then went straight to the floor. He's afraid to walk up or down anything with a steeper slope than practically level, i. e., his rope perch can't have any upward/downward slant. TD climbs rope perches that are virtually vertical.

He won't walk on flat surfaces. I have a platform perch in his cage. The other day I put a pumpkin seed on it where he'd have to step on the platform to get it. I thought maybe he didn't realize he could walk on it. Well, that was a mistake because he kind of slid on it due to his nails curling under his feet. I'm sure it's been painful for him.

I have him out of the cage for several hours a day. He doesn't leave the bars of his cage. He won't go down to the floor. He doesn't hop from perch to perch. He doesn't seem to know how to use his wings for balance. When I got him home yesterday and put him back in his cage, I realized I had put his food bowl down farther from his rope perch than it had been and he made an attempt (I think it was an attempt bcuz of what happened at the vet) to fly to it and he just crashed into the cage above the food bowl. After that he just did his head to foot bobbing, that I associate with the rocking of the autistic boy.

He's just so different than TD! He can also be very engaging and I can already tell he's super smart. I'm glad I've got this appointment coming up and can hopefully rule out any medical issues. I've started researching clicker training as I think that may be a good option for Oscar and I to explore.

I appreciate all of your comments, insights and advice. Please keep it coming!

 

[Alien J]

Here's my boy at the vet!

 

[Pixiebeak]

Man Oscar is one bird I would really like to know the whole truth in his back story ! Poor guy! So glad he is with you now!!!!!

Probably he was never fledged and allowed to fly when young. And probably spent most of his life locked in a cage that was to small.

There is hope for improvement tho! Penny also has never learned to fly or hop or have much confidence moving around. It took 2 years for her to learn to fly! While still not great she can fly to anyplace she wants, she just can't do laps or change directions. That led to increase confidence in moving around and climbing.

In the beginning I had to bridge all her perches too. So I really hope Oscar will also improve with time

 

[Emma&pico]

Here's my boy at the vet! View attachment 436088

I am so glad you managed to get his nails cut must have been such a relief for you

 

[Emma&pico]

The Cliff Parakeet, of Bulivia, also builds a stick nest. Not a communal one, like the quakers. Though, depending on which ornithological group you talk to, they are considered their own species (near threatened) or they are a subspecies of the Quaker.

Oscar has an even more constant behavior. It reminds me of an autistic boy I used to babysit for when I was young (before I left home). He would sometimes just rock and rock and rock. Back and forth, back and forth, for hours. Oscar does this in a manner of speaking. It's a very gentle pulling of the little fibers of the rope perch. It's up and down, but very slightly. With a regurgitation simulation thrown in once in awhile. When he's doing that, hardly anything distracts him.

I was able to get him to the more local vet clinic for a nail trim yesterday. I explained to the Dr that I had an appointment with the Avian Vet scheduled for November 3rd and that his nails were extremely overgrown. My thinking was that his quick is probably close to the tip from having gone so long without a trim and that the Avian vet could take off a little more when I go there. However, he still wapped off half his toenail on the first one he did... Blood everywhere. He did the rest more delicately.

When the assistant went to take him out of the travel cage, he got away. He flapped his wings, got a little lift on the first and second flaps, but then went straight to the floor. He's afraid to walk up or down anything with a steeper slope than practically level, i. e., his rope perch can't have any upward/downward slant. TD climbs rope perches that are virtually vertical.

He won't walk on flat surfaces. I have a platform perch in his cage. The other day I put a pumpkin seed on it where he'd have to step on the platform to get it. I thought maybe he didn't realize he could walk on it. Well, that was a mistake because he kind of slid on it due to his nails curling under his feet. I'm sure it's been painful for him.

I have him out of the cage for several hours a day. He doesn't leave the bars of his cage. He won't go down to the floor. He doesn't hop from perch to perch. He doesn't seem to know how to use his wings for balance. When I got him home yesterday and put him back in his cage, I realized I had put his food bowl down farther from his rope perch than it had been and he made an attempt (I think it was an attempt bcuz of what happened at the vet) to fly to it and he just crashed into the cage above the food bowl. After that he just did his head to foot bobbing, that I associate with the rocking of the autistic boy.

He's just so different than TD! He can also be very engaging and I can already tell he's super smart. I'm glad I've got this appointment coming up and can hopefully rule out any medical issues. I've started researching clicker training as I think that may be a good option for Oscar and I to explore.

I appreciate all of your comments, insights and advice. Please keep it coming!

If his behaviour reminds you of autism traits then my guess is @Pixiebeak is correct it’s a learnt behaviour that gives him relief the rocking is called stimming it’s a way to regulate emotions and as a calming effect when there’s a stimulation overload as @Pixiebeak said before it’s probably due to the fact he’s ever had this sort of positive attention/experience before
Also could be as he’s in a bigger space/cage and is calming himself

I see it a lot at work with dementia they will have a pattern of movements behaviours reactions when there’s a stimulation overload

my guess is that as you keep doing what your doing he will slowly find new ways to express him to you

 

[Alien J]

Thanks to all of you. Here's a little clip of him doing the behavior. For once he's not on his rope perch, but it's the same behavior. He's also terrified of sticks. Don't hold a wooden perch up near him. He'll stand on one in his cage, but don't show him one in your hand. And, especially, don't walk by him with a broom or mop! Screaming holy terror! Makes me think someone may have whacked his cage with a broom! Nice.

I agree with you, @Pixiebeak , I wish they could tell us their story. If it was half of what I imagine caused these behaviors, it's amazing he's still feathered! And pretty open to being around humans. He even let George pet him yesterday (then he bit him). I haven't been able to yet. He comes to me with the posture of receiving skritches when I ask him if I can have a kiss, but the minute my hand moves towards him he's lunging at it. He's been calmer lately (until the trip yesterday), since getting out of quarantine. He watches mine and TD's interactions very intensely and already plays the food race game with us!

Oscar the Odd

more of Oscar's odd behavior

youtube.com

 

[WillowQ]

Oscar sounds a lot like Willow. I tried to give to Willow Lucy’s old chopsticks to build with, since I bought 200 pairs for her, but he’s terrified of chopsticks. He’s terrified of shiny spoons, of all but the one ball he’s been given treats to carry, etc. Willow is the bird for whom I had to eat pellets so he would know they were good and eat them. He will try to eat almost anything as long as it’s in his food dish.

Willow really likes to be pet and to sit on his basket on his lap and snuggle with my face. He is a very lovey bird. And I know he wasn’t pet like this in his last homes—this is something he learned recently. So keep your expectations open, because Quakers like to interact with people and Oscar may turn out to be a snuggle bug like Willow (and his predecessor, Lucy).

I think all parrots are scared of long sticklike things and tall things that move up above them. All my birds have been scared of brooms and vacuums, electrical cords, tall lamps, etc. natural predators of parrots include birds of prey (who roost up high) and snakes. Any movement above their head or any snakey thing freaks most birds out. I wouldn’t assume someone hit Oscar’s cage with a broom; I think brooms are just tall things they don’t like.

I believe that Quaker parakeets are very smart little birds and smarter birds are more neurotic. My Quakers have all had their issues. I have had to sell furniture because Lucy hated something and would stare at it and scream. They are really neat birds but jut like little kids, if they decide something is scary then that’s it.

To me, that video looks like Oscar may be regurgitating on his ladder near or on his feet. (This is a happy behavior; he doesn’t have someone else to feed so he feeds his feet. Seeing it means he’s relaxed and content.). Many Quaker parakeets have foot related issues, like feeding the foot, singing to the foot, or getting mad at the foot and then getting upset because someone is biting their foot. Expect foot weirdness.

 

[Alien J]

Great! Two birds with foot fetishes! When TD is out of his cage all he wants to do is sing to my feet! Some say "how sweet", and it is, but after a half an hour or so it can get a little boring! I'm glad to hear he's just trying to feed his feet! That's understandable!

Oddly, he shows no fear of the vacuum cleaner. Just the mop and broom.

TD is my "stare at scary stuff" guy. Could be something he's seen all his life. I've spent quite some time picking things up and asking, "this?" until I find the nasty culprit who is scaring him. He's also afraid of sunbeams on the floor! This from a bird who traveled in an RV looking out the window at 65mph with no issues! Birds, they're whack-a-doodles, gotta love 'em!