Don't pet your bird anywhere below their neck, and only pet them gently on their head. Even if a bird's sexual organs aren't located in the areas of their back and beneath their wings, most birds still prefer being pet on the head and neck.
How to pet a bird correctly. To help your bird build a healthy bond with both you and other people, keep caresses and petting limited to the head or feet only, and ask others to do the same. The reason for this is that birds' sexual organs are located directly under the wings on a bird's back.
Physical hugging or scratching around the head is acceptable, but scratching, stroking or petting your bird around the back, rump, and hind end may cause sexual stimulation. Redirect your bird's attention towards other toys and healthy interactive play with you, the owner.
Try to avoid touching your parrot on the back, wings or tail. Most parrots prefer to be touched on the head. This is similar to how many parrots interact with each other in the wild. Because parrots can't reach to preen the feathers on their own heads, they often appreciate the help of a friend for this job.
Don't pet below the bird's neck.
While this isn't the case for every bird, they also tend to prefer being petted on the head and neck more than anything anyway, because those are the only spots they can't reach by themselves. So, it's generally better to just stay above the neck.
Most birds (unlike other pets) prefer being petted against their feathers. If your bird is getting relaxed and comfortable with you touching them, you can gradually start rubbing the sides of their head gently, including the skin just behind their beak and around their ears (but be careful around the eyes).
To sum up, it's usually a good thing for your bird to come and rub its beak or face on you. It generally shows that the bird is being affectionate and recognizes you as a friend.
There are several reasons your bird may be opening and closing his mouth. He could be trying to regulate his body temperature, as birds don't sweat like humans do. He could also be trying to get your attention, as many birds will do this when they want to be fed.
Small "nips" and "pinches" are usually because a bird is trying to get your attention about something she wants. These bites usually only leave a small impression and/or redness on the skin. Bites that cause minor bruising and small cuts will often result when a bird is reacting out of frustration.
Birds have a sensitive respiratory system, so it's best to avoid spraying most common household cleaners in their air space. And moving furniture, sweeping, or vacuuming can certainly send some birds into panic mode.
This will be unpleasant for your bird and birds should never be allowed to become dependent on a human (or anything else) to that degree. Even if there were no physically dangerous aspects to sharing your bed with your bird, you run the risk creating a poorly adjusted and mentally insecure parrot.
1 Always keep your pet bird out of the kitchen while cooking. Many veterinarians urge pet owners to keep their birds in a room other than the kitchen. However, if the kitchen is your family's - and your bird's - favorite place to flock, always move your pet into another room before cooking.
Birds have many ways of showing affection for their partners. One way is allopreening, where a bird uses its bill to groom a mate, twirling each individual feather in its beak (like these Macaws.) Other birds present their partners with gifts like moss or sticks.
Perches serve not only as places for birds to stand on but also as objects on which to chew.
Wing flapping generally means a bird is either seeking attention or displaying happiness.
This is called exploratory biting. Birds tend to explore with their beaks, and this includes your fingers or other body parts. Your fingers are very new and interesting to birds, so they are often eager to inspect them. Young birds usually outgrow this behavior as they mature.
New research demonstrates for the first time that birds also respond to a human's gaze. In humans, the eyes are said to be the 'window to the soul', conveying much about a person's emotions and intentions. New research demonstrates for the first time that birds also respond to a human's gaze.