Teeth cleaning and head bobbing

[Kay]

Skip has some very strange behavior. When I'm laying down (actually, right now) he likes to sit on my chest by my mouth and "pick" at my lips. Then, if I open my mouth, he sticks his ENTIRE head in my mouth and "picks" at my teeth! It's almost like he's "munching". He just moves his beak up and down, making it look like he's talking or something. It's never painful, just little beak munches. Then, he'll step back and puff up and bob his head in spasms and do little shakes. Sometime's he'll just look at me and chirp REALLY loud when I talk. What the heck does this mean!?!?! He'll do it forever! He also does beak clicks and sometimes it sounds like he's cracking something open. He'll also squeak like a squeaky toy (especially in the morning and at night when he's being covered up). He's so sweet, I just wish I knew what the heck he was thinking when he does all this!

[Elle]

I'm not sure what the behavior is all about but I've always perceived it as a mark of affection.

Now, that said, please remember that your mouth is full of dangerous bacterias including the pasteurella bacteria that is deadly to birds. As much as your lovebird likes doing it, you should not allowe him to for his own good.

Best regards,

[bellarains]

Kay,

As Elle said, the inside of our mouths are off limits, but a little lip nibbling is definitely a sign of affection. The bobbing up and down, and the clicking sounds are also signs of affection, but more so on the " You are my mate" side of affection;)

All in all, it soiunds like your little one really loves his human:D

[Pips mom]

Pip makes certain chirps and sounds for certain situations. He doesn't like to be held or touched by hands, so my boyfriend chases him sometimes and will pick him and hold him-----when he does this, Pip will make this loud "chirp!" like he is yelling at him! so cute! Also when I call Pip and try to get him to come over to me, he always responds with this cute quiet little chirp. He also bobs his head and makes this cute little grunting noise, and I love it and immitate it back to him, whenever I do this he usually does it right back and I am not sure what it means, but I know it's a happy thing!

[carrier]

Pip makes certain chirps and sounds for certain situations.

Fenway does too! Every time he gets sassy with me, I tell him "no" and he makes a little raspberry sound...like a very muted duck quack. He is such a smarty-pants talking back to his momma!:rofl: :rofl:

The two of us definitely understand one another and communicate quite well. :nyah:

[thebubbleking]

Both my birds definately have certain sounds for certain needs or wants.
Sunshine now growls at me when i hold him a deep dog type growl the nerve!
Ever since hes become fully flighted hes got such an attitude lol

[wilkiecoco]

definitely - kiwi was always mildly clipped till last summer, and then they grew out, and in came his "tude". he flies around yelling, or doing the growling thing if he is unhappy with something his human flock has done. the best though is when he lands on someone, looks right at you, raises his neck as high as it goes, and growls or chirps loudly - how dare we stand in the very spot he wants, needs or desires to be in!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: i just love that little tyrant!!! ;) :D

[michael]

Most of Goofy lovebirds mating behavior I've always tried to avoid. I never minded he did this towards me but figured he really didn't need the extra stimulation. Now that I know him pretty well, along with him being accustomed to his surroundings mating activity is more reserved for T.V., stereo remote controls, and the cell phones so often I'll move them out of sight. Sometimes he takes a fancy for the buttons on shirts or jackets and gosh forbid you have any monetary change in your hand, especially quarters :nyah:. What I really enjoy are his tiny little low key chirps :). I know he's interested in what I'm doing and is trying to communicate with me in a very calm way. He also blinks his eye's often when we're together and I always blink mine back. This helps reassure him that the coast is clear so we can both do as we please >o.

You know everyone, I'm not sure where this teeth cleaning business came about but I find it absolutely disgusting! :x

[Kay]

Yeah, it's really weird! He was climbing on my boyfriend when he was laying down one night. He was just sitting there talking to me, and Skip was sitting on his chest for quite a long time, then he just all of a sudden Skip decided he wanted to dive into his mouth! Skip does this to me now, too. It's rather unpleasant when my boyfriend and I are just trying to have simple conversation and the bird is trying to dive into my mouth!

His little squeaks are so cute too. If I'm on the computer or watching TV in the same room as his cage, he'll do little squeaks that sound like a squeaky toy. Sometimes he does it in the morning too if I sleep too late or he hears me stirring around before I uncover him.

[thebubbleking]

Wait till your laying down watching tv and he hops down and gacks into your mouth to feed you and show how much he loves you..talk about gross.....

[Kay]

Right now he just keeps it to nibbles and rubs his beak, but EW!!!! I've never even heard of them doing that to humans! I hope he loves me, haha! I'm not an experienced lovebird owner :-) But Skip is my first one and I absolutely ADORE him. He's like a my first child :-)

[Christian]

Estrella often gives kissies on the mouth..little nibbles on my bottom lip...
However, sometimes if I'm on the phone he will lean over and try to stick his head in my mouth, which is really scary because I've always been concerned about the bacteria. If he wants a kiss, he just leans over and takes it!

[Pips mom]

So cute how they try to commicate! They don't make it too hard either to figure what they mean! Very good at getting their point across! smart little buggers! yesterday I was trying to put Pip back in his cage and he wouldn't go and just sat there and I put my hand near him, because he hates hands coming at him! to try to coax him in and little stinker bit me! Not really being much of a biter, I know he was just trying to tell me that he didn't want to go back in his cage! right now he is beak grinding while on my head! guess he's wanting to take a snooze up there! He's all of a sudden taken quite a liking to being on my head. Such funny little characters they are!

[Kay]

THey really are, but now I'm really confused! I adopted Skip from someone else. For the first week he was very eager to come out of his cage. He'd hop right on my finger, no questions asked. Now, for the last week or so, he's been moving away from me when I go to get him! He hasn't had any bad experiences, and once he's out of the cage he won't go back in! It's just getting him out that's the problem. I don't want to force him or just grab him, but he won't come out! Is it his change in routine? I don't know what the heck is going on with him. He doesn't look sick or anything. I think he may just be aggrevated that his normal routine is messed up. What do you guys think?

[thebubbleking]

kay are you sure it's skip and not skipper you may have a hen acting nesty...
Just wondering...................................

[Kay]

I have no idea if Skip is a he/she.. could that be it?