Lovebird head shaking and scratching?

[CosmosHuman]

I've had my 6 month old lovebird for about a week now. Today, he started shaking his head (sort of like a sneeze - but nothing came out, I checked) and bobbing his head up and down, as well as scratching, while chirping constantly. To my mom, this sort of appeared to be a mating dance. To me, he looked itchy and annoyed. Could this be because he is molting? He is losing little bits of down a few times a day. He puffs up, shakes, and some flies off. Then he preens for about a minute. Am I paranoid or should I worry?

[thebubbleking]

it sounds like your lovebirds is trying to seduce you so youll scratch its itchy pin feathers!

[love4birds]

Can you get a video? Lovies do have a weird "mating dance" that is similar to what you described. They'll faux-regurgitate (or sometimes actually regurgitate), scratch at their face, and click/chirp. Both of my boys do this.

[Chickobee]

Head scratching, clicky chirps and running (dancing) in circles are part of male mating behavior. It's pretty funny, and some of them get so animated. It sounds like your bird loves your mom.

Some of our birds do head bobs and chirps when they want attention. Sometimes they add in a quick wing flap and either "hello" or "pretty bird" too and it's irresistable.

Quigley stands on his food dish and moves his whole body back and forth as far as he can reach.

They figure out what gets them attention and positive reinforcement so be sure to reward things you like and ignore things you don't like because they can learn to do them pretty much incessantly.

Zoe is a hen who was returned to us after two years. In her other home she learned that she got attention by screaming. :omg: This has toned down a whole lot while we've had her but, unfortunately, some of the other birds picked up that shrill shrieky scream so we still hear it more often than we would like to. It doesn't get them any attention, but it is difficult to ignore. I make a point of ignoring them when they do that.

[CosmosHuman]

He hasn't done it since, so I don't think I'll be able to get a video. Now he seems to be enjoying bathing and then splashing me with the water through the cage. :)

I've been so worried and paranoid about anything being wrong with him, because his previous owners never took him to a vet or even allowed him to get an hour of sunshine. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to get him out of that situation and gladly take him. I'll be taking him to the vet this week though, just to be sure that he isn't trying to hide any illness. He has also never been out of his cage, but he is getting more used to hands. He loves to be by my face, though.

I haven't had a bird in about 5 years so I guess I'll just have to get used to all the little quirky behavior again.

[linda040899]

If your new lovebird is around 6 months old, he's actually just a tad young (possibly) for mating behavior, as he's just now coming into maturity. Could be the molting that's bothering him.

As long as you are taking him to see your avian vet, ask the vet to check his ears for a possible ear infection. That's probably not the cause but ask your vet to check, just in case.