Not showing signs of... swishy dance

[momo]

I just realised elmo is coming near his 10 month of age mark ..but I have not seen any swishy dance from her... or elmo taking interest in anything to mate with. no regurgitation, no taking to humping a favourite toy... nothing:confused:

She will shred paper, stuff it in her back and forget all about it.. it generally falls out a minute later..

Is this normal? We are coming near to the end of his molt, it's just his flight feathers to go.. all of the small little fluffy ones have fallen out.

maybe I have an asexual bird, who just likes to roll around balls.

[Flapjack]

Consider yourself lucky! :rofl: Maybe if it's a girl, she'll put off egg laying for awhile.

[maya_exquisite]

I noticed in your post that you referred to Elmo as both "him" and "her"... is that on purpose because you're not sure of Elmo's sex?

This is obviously by no means definite but... isn't the tucking a natural behavior of a female and not the male?

The only time I've seen any of the males in my previous aviary tuck is when they've tried to copy their mates - and were usually unsuccessful. It was fun to watch, though. :rotfl

[momo]

yeah maya, I dont have any idea what sex elmo is. she shreds paper like a girl but i've been told boys can do that too. she/he is very cage protective.. so that makes me think more that its a girl.I thought elmo was a boy in the beginning so got used to typing he... but I am trying to start to type She,
Im not to phased about the sex, because elmo is my only bird. I am not going to breed her so it doesn't really matter all that much. If there was any other way beside pulling a feather or making a toe bleed to get the dna I would.. but the feather and the blood makes me squeezy.:x

I am sort of happy there is no swishy dance.. cause itd be kind of embarrassing when family comes over.. "whats ur bird doing...?"

elmo seems too interested in his toys.. it's as though she/he is still a child at heart.. although the peaceface part has come through. maybe she's a late developer.

when did everyone elses birdys show signs of swishy?

[maya_exquisite]

Yes, males will shred also, but it's usually the female that TUCKS. Mika is VERY territorial yet he's a boy. He's my little tranny because he behaves like such a girl!! :blush:

Neither of my boys do the "swishy" dance, that I know of, but Kano used to masturbate aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the time on his old Happy Hut (but not his current). I've never witnessed Mika masturbate.

And I hear you about the nail clipping and feather pluck... I don't think I could do it!! I feel bad enough when I clip their flights or give them meds!!

[thebubbleking]

My male has boo for his swishy and any visiting lovie hens but he perfers the real deal lol my hen does not and looks like she allows sunshine begrudgeingly.

[Flapjack]

Jack began masturbating on paper towels at 4 months, jingle balls and my hair at 10 months, my hand (eww) at a year.

Today she tried to masturbate on a nutriberry. She's still laying eggs, so I took it away so she wouldn't cut herself on the rough surface.

I have a total nympho egg layer :happy:

[Pips mom]

I am sort of happy there is no swishy dance.. cause itd be kind of embarrassing when family comes over.. "whats ur bird doing...?"


when did everyone elses birdys show signs of swishy?

Ohhhhh, that happens here with Pip......one time my parents came over and me and my mom were sitting on the couch and she starts tapping my arm and pointing at Pip and says.....what is he doing?? Yeah, it was embarassing, but not anymore.....I guess I'm just used to it now! He did it for our company that came for dinner last Sunday too....they thought it was the funniest thing they ever saw and that they never saw a bird do that before! I got Pip at nine months of age and it wasn't long after we got him before he was humping! He humps, my cockatiels mate all the time.....this is why they call it "the birds and the bees" I guess bees must be the same way, huh??

[momo]

lol pips mom.. ive seen bee movie, i saw nothing that resembles any swishy dance! but birds.. yes definitely!

so if pip started it at 10 months.. hmm.. ok so the next few months i will keep an eye out.

a while go i thought elmo was doing the swishy swishy, but i think she was just wiping her bottom after a poop... cause i haven't seen it since.

[michael]

............She will shred paper, stuff it in her back and forget all about it.. it generally falls out a minute later..

maybe I have an asexual bird, who just likes to roll around balls.

Surely, you can cherish the fact that Elmo is special either way you look at him....or her :confused:. Perhaps you may do just as well to leave said indentity unscathed by the lore of mitigation. Besides, I think there are a few who while enjoying the suspense of not knowing a lovebirds true gender, can then cast their vote based on asexual behavior. I think Elmo's a boy (quick huh :rolleyes:) because he forgets about the paper tucked in behind. Problem is, were there ever any females around to show him how to do this?....Hmmmmm

Speaking of asexual, isn't it nice that our lovies keep their private parts well hidden. Imagine what company would think then!.............:omg:

[momo]

oh michael, dont get me wrong, i totally love that I dont need to deal with the swishy swishy dance. elmo is just in love with cat ball toys. just obsessed with them.. will chase them around the floor for HOURS.. I was just a bit worried because it seems on the forums i read alot of peoples birds do the swishy dance and I thought maybe something was wrong with elmo.

I to am glad that their private parts are hidden.. they are such beautiful creatures for it to be.. "ruined" by seeing dangly parts! hahahaha!!! imagine a pretty lovebird and then some dangly bits.. it would look so odd.

When I got elmo there was another bird in the cage but they were both babies.. so I am not sure where he would have gotten it from. Initially he would just be a hole-punch and put holes in paper and then all of a sudden he became to turn it into tiny strips of paper no bigger than 3cms. He will do half the newspaper and just leave it all there. Once it's stripped he doesn't care at all about it.

here is a picture of his paper stripping.
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/2645/dsc00253nc9.jpg

[michael]

Hmmm. Very interesting......I've noticed a some females seem to make the paper cuts more even whereas the males were more like a paper punch. Lets see now......Elmira, Elma, Elmerissa, El............:)

[momo]

maybe elmo is a he AND a she.. hahahahahaha