Parrot Body Language

["Douglas Delgado" <Dougandmona@m...>]

Jeni wrote:

"So, if this were my bird, the first thing I would try to do is find
out what the bird is doing **before** he attacks. If birds are
anything like dogs, you should be able to see something that clues
you in, although if the bird has a hair trigger, it's going to be
much more difficult to see these things.

Maybe if more list members post about their birds' body language in
this situation, we could get a bunch of real info on what to look for
in more parrots, and can help people in the future."

You know that is a really good topic, along with another very important 
topic if you have multiple flighted birds..."Flock Dynamics". I'm not sure 
how you clicker train for flock dynamics, Chris?

As far as parrot body language goes, You know Jeni, I just have a feeling 
that this is easier with different species. It isn't always easy to read a 
timneh's body language. You can get pinned eyes and slicked down 
feathers....but when my birds go after each other...their body language is 
very seldom aggressive. Usually, they appear more curious. If the 
cockatiel is on Phinney's cage, Phinney stalks her. She moves slowly and 
deliberately. I have no idea if she would eat the cockatiel, but she sure 
looks like a panther on the prowl. I think she might. I speculate as to 
whether these greys eat meat naturally...whether they have a very subtle, 
predatory nature...and I kindof think they might.

I am having a problem with my Senegal...who Phinney sees in a completely 
different light from the cockatiel. The cockatiel is Rodney Dangerfield in 
our home...she gets no respect. The timneh and Senegal (who is the same 
size as the tiel) have a relationship but I don't know how far go with it. 
They are curious and interested in each other. If they are on the same play 
stand, they beak spar. It does not look aggressive, in fact, it looks 
quite playful....but since one bird is twice the size of the other, it makes 
me nervous.

My problem is that the Senegal won't leave the Timneh alone. She is the 
little Napoleon in our house. Last night, I had to remove her from the top 
of Phinney's cage eight or nine times. Each time I did it I said, "Off" and 
tossed her back to her cage. The last several times, she boomeranged back 
to me. When I caught her, I said "Good girl" and praised the heck out of 
her...but she was more interested in Phinney than me last night and I was 
not getting any down time. This is work! The Senegal has also buzzed 
Phinney...a few times to the point where Phinney was knocked off her cage. 
Phinney is flighted so this usually results in a very interesting and 
disruptive event. Phinney often ends up hanging from some object in the 
house (last week it was the Christmas tree).

I'm assuming that at some point, the Senegal will get over her obsession 
with Phinney - won't she? I am very, very fortunate that Phinney is a 
wonderfully sweet little grey who's attitude towards the world is basically 
"everybody loves me". She seems to view the Senegal with more of an eye to 
play than an eye to eat....but I don't know how accurate my perceptions are 
or really, how far to trust her.

Don't you think we have to view all of this in the context of "risk-reward"? 
Risk is part of it and we can't escape it. We can only control for it.

Mona in Seattle
Phinneus Fowl (aka Phinney) TAG
Pretty Rita Cockatiel
Babylon (Senegal Poicephalus)
Doug (spousal unit)