new behaviour?

[momo]

oh wow, sorry for another post..

tonight I went to talk to elmo.
and all of a sudden he started squawking quite loud and opening his wings at me every time he squawked?

my ears are ringing..:omg:

when I left him he stopped?.. but I read that opening wings but not spreading them is mating behaviour?.. any light?

[lmdarling]

When my lovebird (female) does that and squawks, she is usually being terretorial and telling me that this is her cage. HER CAGE!! I just get her out and she calms right down. When she raises her wings and makes gentle noises or no noises it is usually a sexual response to something like an accidental back stroke. At least that is what I take it as...based on other circumstances and behaviors that seem to surround those...

[Buy A Paper Doll]

It almost sounds like it could be a temper tantrum. My Melody used to do this all the time, it was like she was using her wings for emphasis when just plain yelling at me wasn't enough to get her point across.

[cp.lovebird]

Squeaky does that too. Sometimes I think his wings are attached to his beak and help him squawk louder! :rofl: I think Squeaky does it to get attention and to make sure we notice him.

[SammySamantha]

It almost sounds like it could be a temper tantrum. My Melody used to do this all the time, it was like she was using her wings for emphasis when just plain yelling at me wasn't enough to get her point across.

I agree with the idea that it sounds like a tantrum. From what I understand the mating wing show isn't acompanied by the "hey idiot human! I am angry!" chirping. Can you tell that I get that scream a lot? :roll:

Is he doing this each time you approach the cage lately, or does he just want to be left alone for a little while? If it an on/off thing I'd just say give him his space. But if it becomes more frequent I'd be a little concerned about cage aggression. I don't know what you'd do about that, but I am sure someone here can help you out.

[momo]

It was an one off time.. He was yelling the night before when I was in the shower, because he had woken up in his cage and wanted to go to his play pen to eat which is understandable, I let him out and he shut up. He was making the same sound of chirp/temper yelling.. so i assume now that certain yell is.. i am not happy..

But he has never done anything like that to me before last night.. I was so shocked, my mother was pissing herself laughing..

Normally I can always go up to him and talk to him, he just wasn't having any of it last night, maybe my breath stunk HAHAHAHA.. It was soo strange I have never seen him do the wing thing either.. with him he usually flaps or nothing at all.

Elmo has never been territorial about anything beside his ball toys, I can't touch them even if I am getting them out of being stuck between his water bowl and his food bowl.. I am so shocked.. he hasn't done it since to me at all, this morning he kept dropping his toy stick off the side of the play pen and looked at me to pick it up.. about five times.. and the fifth time i said to him.. mummy isn't going to pick it up for you if you drop it off again.. I was as close as i was last night but he didnt seem phased at all.

[BarbieH]

When Sammy does it, he's showing off what a pretty big bird he is! Look at Sammy! He makes himself nice and tall, too. With him, it's a guy thing.

[Dancelady]

Are you sure that Elmo is a male?? It isn't mating behavior because squawking isn't part of that. He sounds more like a female and is yelling to get your attention or telling you that you aren't reacting fast enough. This can be cage aggression or the hormonal problem of getting to puberty and wanting to do nest things. Put some paper in the cage and see what (it) does about that. I say "it" because it's too much trouble to say he/she. But if she starts shredding it or taking it somewhere else in the cage, then I'd say you have a female. Listen to what she's saying and see if you can tell what that is.

[momo]

He has paper all the time.. no shredding what so ever thats why I assume its a boy. he just punches holes in the paper..

He also has a cozy cave and I check constantly for anything that might resemble a nest, I clean his poop out of it every second day and there are no signs of anything female..

maybe it's just elmo is too young. but he's about 6 months at the moment..so Id assume I'd start to see some sort of behaviour..

He did it last night again, He was on my shoulder and I was talking to my mum in the kitchen and my mum went to talk to elmo.

But normally when he's on my shoulder I will take him around the house showing him different things, I hadn't done that yesterday and when I started to show him around the house he'd stop his temper tantrum on my shoulder

What do I do to stop it? Do we just ignored it? I tried ignoring him last night but it just made him do it for longer but once I started to move he shut up.

[thebubbleking]

Lord if i stopped everytime my birds demanded my attention i wouldnt have anything done! Unless he seems hurt or in trouble i say just ignore it and yes i know it's hard to ignore it when it is done loudest highest pitch right into the ear!

[momo]

everytime he squawks I tell him.. you are going to send mummy deaf.. and she wont be able to hear when something is REALLY wrong..

oh it's hard to ignore him.. because he knows how to do the exact pitch that can cause a splitting headache hahahahaha.. but yes I must ignore the temper tantrum.. its really is like having a 2 year old..

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

i lucked out with maka & sunny... they both just pace when they want attention.

but my previous peachfaces both had this call that built in frequency, pitch and LOUDNESS to get our attention... and would cling to their doors & repeat this until let out.

oohhh...the eardrums.

[Dancelady]

Your bird is getting to the age of hormones starting to work. And he knows that he can control you! All of which means you need to ignore him and go away when he starts it and stay away for a few minutes. You should think about him getting into puberty and doing this all the time, if he knows it will work on you. Don't say anything to him, he thinks the squawking is working rather than anything else, because he can't tell what you mean.

[momo]

He did it tonight when I was doing some clicker training with him. I just sat there looking beyond him trying to close my ears.. he shhhed.. I dont want to think that behaviour like that is a good thing because we are on the edge of being tame.. I am afraid if I leave everytime he has a hissy fit, he will do that all the times I want to be near him to show him I am not a bad person..

Oh.. teenagerness.. as long as he doesnt turn into an emo HAHAHA

[thebubbleking]

An emo for momo! There are black parrots you know.....

[michael]

He has paper all the time.. no shredding what so ever thats why I assume its a boy. he just punches holes in the paper..

He also has a cozy cave and I check constantly for anything that might resemble a nest, I clean his poop out of it every second day and there are no signs of anything female..

maybe it's just elmo is too young. but he's about 6 months at the moment..so Id assume I'd start to see some sort of behaviour..

He did it last night again, He was on my shoulder and I was talking to my mum in the kitchen and my mum went to talk to elmo.

But normally when he's on my shoulder I will take him around the house showing him different things, I hadn't done that yesterday and when I started to show him around the house he'd stop his temper tantrum on my shoulder

What do I do to stop it? Do we just ignored it? I tried ignoring him last night but it just made him do it for longer but once I started to move he shut up.

At only 6 months of age, I think some lovebird behavior can be less discernible than if they were already beyond puberty. Add to this so called "coming of age" a gender descrepancy, and you may need to take a bit more time in figuring everything out. With gender issues, I've found there is really no absolute way to determine exact gender by observing various behaviors. For instance, some females are not very adept at shredding or tucking nesting materials, and others will not produce an egg until well beyond their breeding age. As for males on the other hand, some can shred and tuck paper goods just about as well as their counterparts. With these two type individuals, I think the best you can do is increase your chances of a good guess by summing up all the odds. I do know though, there are some poeple experienced enough to predict "most of the time" a lovebirds gender by their stature and/or pelvic features. With the exception of stature (how low they stand to the ground) the later pelvic exam should be left to those with much experience and who are not currently trying to tame their subject. Thankfully, we now have the DNA test!

I would like to add, that with my lovebird it had taken quite some time before he learned his own behavior didn't always govern mine. Needless to say, besides the guilt of ignoring his plea's and tantrums so as not to create a little green monster, the resulting racket wasn't always music to my ears. Really, I kinda knew ahead of time this would happen as its always been difficult for me to ignor birds, let alone keep my hands off them (hands off of course if they displayed a huge nutcracker!)........:omg:

It usually takes a considerable amount of time to redirect or alter parrot behavior thats either destructive, or as I hate to put it "intolerable". Some can be changed, and others will remain undaunted. Best you can do is start early by providing plenty of positive activities both with and without human interaction, totally ignor their undesirable behavior, then assume (at least a little :rolleyes:) that you will most likely finish last....>o....You know, I think this is one reason we love them so much as they can indeed be a most wonderful challenge!...........:)

[momo]

Thank you Michael,

Last night when Elmo had his temper tantrum, I waited til he stopped and then gave him as much positive talk as possible.. I am crossing my fingers this doesn't become a habit.. and turn into a "little green monster" hehehe..

What do you mean by redirect? when he's having his tantrum put some toys infront of him or something? I can't touch him so he's not as though I can pat him or take his attention away from what ever he's having a hissy fit about.

I'm not too fussed on whether Elmo is a boy or a girl, I dont have him for breeding or anything. Im really hoping he's a boy because he doesn't touch his calcium bell or anything and am terrified if he wants to lay eggs..

thebubbleking, there may be black parrots but they dont about how dark their souls are.. hahahaha

[momo]

oh wow!! i have deciphered what the tantrums are about!!

elmo had another hissy fit so I put his favourite rope infront of him and he stepped up, I then placed him on my desk where I was doing my work, and he had another hissy fit on my desk, I was about to place him back in his play pen but he ran up my shoulder and is now sitting there preening my hair and grinding his beak!!!.. this is in full view of his play pen.. normally if he sees it he runs back straight away..

I'm soo excited!!!.. I feel so.. loved!
---
ooh he's falling asleep on me as well.. awwwww.. but im not a very good sleeping spot as I am trying to write and study..
he keeps licking my ears.. they must taste super good hahahha!

[BarbieH]

Mmmm, salty. :lol

Congrats on finding out what he wanted: You!

[momo]

haha barbie i was my ears.. so it should be soapy ;) ahhahahahaha

he would nibble on my ears, but I am so paranoid that he's going to bite them because he used to do that I kept pulling away but he was persistent to lick/nibble my ears.. so i finally have a little trust in him to lick my ears. hahaha.. you can only say that type of thing when your pets are involved..

[michael]

I think Elmo's been properly "redirected" towards your ears!...:rofl:... Now, if you could only get someone to lend you their ears for a short while you may then get a little more work done...............:)

[momo]

It was so hard trying to write while elmo was on me.. because he had tucked his head into his back and decided to sleep on one foot...(so he was having a deep sleep.. or a trusting sleep..he only sleeps like that in his cage, he doesn't even do it in his playpen) I didnt want to break the special time we had.. but i really had accounting work that needed to be done.. so it was hard to write without moving so elmo would fall over! hahahaha.

its a very strange feeling have a beak that normally loves to chew skin off.. gently nibbling at your ears.. i assume he was preening them because he was doing the same to the back of my neck.. man I must be dirty then hahaha.

I wil have him redirect himself to my ears any time.. just as long as he sleeps on my left shoulder not my right. hehehehehe.

[Dancelady]

Something to try out to help Elmo's behavior is Clicking with Melinda Johnson (Bird-Click at yahoo.com), which is a way to show the bird that he can learn to do good things that you want him to do, and not to do things that drive you crazy (like making loud noises). This is obtaining a clicker (or a pen to click), learning how to train the bird to take a treat, and then a target stick to teach him many things to accomplish. It works very fast and can help almost every kind of bird, and can be applied at any age, even though starting right after weaning is considered the best time. But older birds can learn as well, and you will find it is a terrific way to tame the bird, even if he's biting you and won't come out of the cage. The material is available on the website of Bird-Click and the details on how to do this. I have just started, and parrots can be trained in a room with many other birds. Just check it out.

[momo]

Hi Dancelady, I have started that a few days ago... He's definately getting the hang of it.. I could get him to do a circle three times in a row.. but i cant seem to get him to do it any more..

He's super eager to "touch" the end of the stick.. but his attention span only last for a few minutes.. so it all takes time :) I have reduced his fear of hands with it.. my aim is to get him on my hands by "touch".. that he will climb up on my hand too touch to realise my hands arent evil. :)