Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bbn!rochester!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!bmg1
From: bmg1@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Brett)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Methods of feeding pet birds
Message-ID: <203@ur-cc.UUCP>
Date: 19 Oct 88 22:49:27 GMT
References: <11065@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Reply-To: bmg1@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Brett)
Organization: University of Rochester
Lines: 24

In article <11065@bellcore.bellcore.com> tr@wind.UUCP (tom reingold) writes:
>(She has always been afraid of hands and fingers.  I don't think
>we can do anything about this now, if we ever could.  She is not
>afraid of *us*, just hands.  She loves being kissed on the head
>and on the back of her neck.  Just no hands, please.)

This sounds just like Bonzo. (grey cockatiel)
I would say he's certainly gotten more used to hands in the 3.5 years
I've had him, (he'll hop on my proffered finger without hesitation)
but he still can't deal with being petted on the back or touched 
near the beak.  But likewise I can kiss him on the beak (in fact,
if my face is near his, he'll give usually give me a birdy kiss).

>Now her favorite way of being fed is by mouth.  My wife thinks it's
>disgusting, and I understand, but it's so much fun!  I push a crumb
>or little particle of whatever I am eating out onto my lips and
>she grabs it as if I am her mother.  With this method, she eats
>the greatest variety of foods.  I guess because she trusts me.

Bonzo will take food from my mouth (yeah, i admit it), usually
a sunflower seed.  Although he will take them out of my fingers
too, as long as I'm gentle.

brett