Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!mitel!sce!warpdrive!stewartw
From: stewartw@warpdrive.UUCP (Stewart Winter)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: pet birds that have the fly of the house
Message-ID: <7279@warpdrive.UUCP>
Date: 20 Oct 89 16:01:28 GMT
References: <2294@cbnewsd.ATT.COM> <17800010@hpfibsp.HP.COM> <1002@dinorah.wustl.edu>
Reply-To: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 22

In article <1002@dinorah.wustl.edu> mary@dinorah.wustl.edu (Mary E. Leibach) writes:

>Have you figured out what it means when a conure bobs his head and
>jumps up and down at you?  Or what spreading the tail, fluffing the
>head feathers, and struting up and down a perch means?  Or putting his
>tail up, and shoving his rear against your hand, or anything else?  I
>would like to know.

   Finally, an easy question to answer.  The bobbing of the head is a
prelude to regurgitation (a true sign of affection).  The strutting, etc. 
is showing off to get your attention.  This is all geared to lead to ...
   mating with your hand ... that's what happening.  This means that
your bird has pair-bonded to you.  There can be some downsides to this
behaviour (jealousy, etc.), but it means your bird is in love with you ...
what more could someone ever ask for.

  Stewart
-- 
Stewart Winter                Cognos Incorporated   S-mail: P.O. Box 9707
VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830   FAX: (613) 738-0002           3755 Riverside Drive
UUCP: uunet!cognos!stewartw                                 Ottawa, Ontario
"The bird for the day is .... parrotlet."                   CANADA  K1G 3Z4