Tail Touching

[kendrafitz]

I was reading somewhere that many macaws don't like their tails touched.

I am a little surprised by this. Only because Rosie is fine with it. The only time she gets annoyed is if I sit on it. ;) Actually, when someone new wants to touch Rosie, I hold her tail and let them touch her on the bottom of her tail. We have never had an issue. I am also in charge of preening her tail feathers as they come in. She doesn't seem to want to be bothered with peeling the thick keratin off.

So I was wondering, do your guys/girls allow their tail to be touched?

[spiritbird]

Neither one of my birds want to be touched but I keep trying.

[Pinkbirdy]

I think its a natural defense thing in the wild . Im sure that's how their predators try to get them.

[Mare]

My big cockatos love this kind of action..don't even attempt little Chiip :)

[Minamommy]

Mina loves her tail touched. And her feet kissed. She's a little crazy sometimes.


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[plax]

One of the reasons that my guys are somewhat protective of their tails is because each of them often tries to grab and yank another's tail tip. They seem to have a bit of trouble with the concept: "treat others as you would have them treat you!"

Kendra: As is the case with you and Rosie, I'm entrusted with cracking away the long sheaths on Zaf's newly emerging tail feathers. He, too, refuses to do it on his own :indecisiveness:

[kendrafitz]

So it sounds like toos like their tails touched. :)

Rosie likes me to kiss her feet too. :)

It sounds like it is normal for macaws to be defensive of their tails. Both for predator reasons and for their buddies bugging them.

I guess since Rosie always had me messing with her tail, she is desensitized? Now her wings are another story. I can sometimes touch the top but she freaks when I get near her underwings.

Do your other guys do their own tails Tony?

[plax]

I guess since Rosie always had me messing with her tail, she is desensitized?I think that's likely the case.


Do your other guys do their own tails Tony?Yes, they do. Zaf is the exception.

[Cedardave]

Well isn't this interesting.Many years ago I met a woman who runs the avian welfare coalition in winnipeg.Its somehow associated with the Gabrial society....but I digress.I was told any physical contact below the neck is basically sexing up your bird.So no doubt they enjoy it.I also have contact with most parts of all my birds.Its a trust and bonding experience.I would just use moderation when doing so.Just my two cents(1.6cents canadian) worth

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Not a lot of Caspers tail to touch at the moment, because of his clumsiness there are just the two outer feathers, one each side, and a rudder type feather sticking straight down - not sure what that one is about (should we pluck it out?). We are hoping he is going to grow the other feathers back but he doesn't seem that worried, or embarrassed, despite our daily mentioning of his shortfall in the butt-feather department. He has lots of pin feathers on his head and neck so I don't think there is a medical reason for the lack.
When we got him he had a bald ring around his neck which you couldn't see because it was covered with plumage but that has filled in now. Not sure what that was about either.
Conversation between Casper and Margaret as she passed through the room just now: Casper (in a posh voice) "Hello, are you all right". Margaret "Yes thank you, you're very polite."

[Mare]

Amigo use to be one big hormone, I couldn't touch him anywhere without him trying to jump/hump me! He's mellowed out, quite a bit and I can now have a calm, mellow bird to hang with and touch anywhere :)

[Lady]

Well Lady doesn't really like when I touch her tail, but I do it anyway when she turns her back toward me to walk away or climb. I want to be able to touch her anywhere in case I should ever need to if she is hurt or in a jam. I do tell her, I'm going to touch her pretty long feathers as I reach out to them.

[King Parrot]

it is not fun to pet your parrot? Mostly our birds liked to be stroked from the top of their heads down towards their tails. Have you ever tried that with a parrot? If you have, you may have noticed the experience was not quite the same. Your dog or cat may respond by cuddling up closer, rolling over for a belly rub or relaxing and falling asleep. Usually when we touch a parrot in this manner the bird either tries to escape, bite or just tolerates our touch.

[kendrafitz]

Agreed King Parrot. Rosie is not a huge fan of head to tail petting. She isn't a big lover of having her feathers petted that way at all. She much prefers me to go against the way her feathers grow and scratch her on her head and neck. She will let me go from her beak to her neck with feather growth sometimes, but I think she is just tolerating it to humor me. :)

[Mare]

It sounds like macaws are very different in that respect, compared to cockatoos. Maybe this is why cockatoos are considered cuddle bugs over other birds? Sassy and Amigo can't get enough of the all over body ruffling up, head to tail, feet to beak. I really don't think it's always a sexual thing for them, either..they just enjoy it!

[Lady]

Lady doesn't want any of her body touched besides her head, neck and beak. Doesn't mean I'll stop trying though :).