Petting Leads to Increasing Hormones

Holding Alfie, my moluccan cockatoo, in for a little snuggle. I never bring my hands below his neck unless I’m doing a physical examination.

Why don’t we want to put our hands past our birds heads? It follows flock behavior. Any bird in the flock is allowed to preen a birds head and face. It’s encouraged as a social activity and helps form connections with the flock and deep bonds. But only mates can preen and touch below the neck. This is because these are far more sensitive areas because it covers more sensitive organs and a birds wings, which if disabled in the wild is a death sentence.

So, when you touch your bird beyond their head, you’re letting them know you’re a mate, which is incredibly damaging, unnatural, and confusing. Your bird will expect sexual experiences and increase hormonal behaviors. When they do not fulfill that desire, they will become sexually frustrated, which can be an increase in severe aggression, plucking, and screaming. Not to mention increase in hormonal behaviors can also cause a lot of medical problems like prolapsing, egg binding, holding in droppings, and can even bring on plucking.

Don’t be that person that leads someone on and doesn’t go through with it. We all hate those kind of dates. Just keep it friendly with your bird for a more ethical and safer relationship and healthier bird!