Do Greys "Sucker Punch" Other Parrots?

[MarcusCAG]

I've heard it referred to as a 'sucker punch' when a Grey bends their head down as if requesting a tickle or scritch--but then they twist their head around quickly and bite you!

 

Marcus has been rather hormonal lately, I think he's building me a nest or showing me what a great, manly chewer he is via all these toothpicks he's making out of his toys and such lately. Well, our Indian Ringneck, Tybalt, is almost as bad these days. Today Tybalt was in uber-love mode and, after wooing the rest of the willing flock, was trying to flirt with Marcus through the bars of his cage (Marcus was on the bottom grate and Tybalt was on the rug a few inches beyond his reach). In response, Marcus kept putting his head down and pressing it against the bars of his cage. He was all ruffled up, but not in a happy way--more like his "I'd charge you if I could" look. He kept calling Tybalt by my husband's name (???) and would look up occasionally to see if Tybalt was responding. Honestly, it looked like he was baiting him with an aforementioned sucker punch--or he was actually trying to get Tybalt to groom his head or something. (I know, that's probably very unlikely.)

 

So I was just wondering if anyone else's Greys have ever acted in a similar fashion to any of their other birds? It was interesting to watch, but I was glad I was so close to them both that I could quickly intervene if necessary.

[birdhouse]

Wonder if that was a territorial display. In the wild some breeds may tolerate others surprising well as long as there's no real threat. But for the most part, no one is going to be allowed too close to a potential nest site during mating season.

 

Even w/no potential mate, Marcus is displaying hormonal behavior of his own right now. He may have been making a display to warn Tybalt to back off & stay out of his territory.

 

Or it may simply have been his way of discouraging Tybalt's overly friendly behavior. Marcus used body language to tell Tybalt, "Don't even think about it!" at the same time as he was trying to maybe vocally make your hubby aware he "...could use a little help here!"

[Dave007]

*****when a Grey bends their head down as if requesting a tickle or scritch--but then they twist their head around quickly and bite you!

Those are the magic words. You're simply misreading body language and there's a huge sticky here concerning body language.

And there's special ways to conduct yourself around birds who are in a hormonal state.

[lovethatgrey]

Here's something I posted a long time ago..

Like many other african greys, Emma is a bit of a trickster. Sachi and Mabel don't do this but Emma applies this once in a while. She'll bend her head down and verbally ask for a head scratch. If I am gullible enough to oblige she'll reach over to bite the finger that scratches then looks up and say "oh oh!!"

 

 

Then she'll bend her head down while asking for another head scratch in which I'll reply FORGET it!!

She seems to get a kick out of this sneaky and devious tactic. Thinks it's greatly amusing to behave in this rotten way. The african grey bait and switch tactic..

Here's a great article by Maggie Wright who addresses this issue.

http://www.africangreys.com/articles/behavior/biting.htm

 

 

[danmcq]

Yes, Greys are notorious for the sucker bite. Hw will also sucker bite our conure jake. He will ask jake to "here come", then as jake happily approaches thinking he has made a break through and dayo now wants to be buddies. Dayo will wait until jake is about 3 inches away and then at the speed of light try and bite jake. Jake is very fast himself though and most times takes to flight just before dayo's beak hits his head.

[aerial.2000]

that was a REALLLLLLLLLLY great article!!!!!!!! I am on the prowl for some more books to read while Im waiting for my baby to come home! Anyone have some good suggestions of helpful books and/or authors?

[lovethatgrey]

I'd say these sites will be pretty informative as well as this forum. I don't know of any book that would be as as good.

http://www.africangreys.com/articles.htm

http://www.goodbirdinc.com/

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/greymatters.html

[aerial.2000]

MOST awesome thanks so much .... Its funny how much you read and try to prepare like I did while having a baby (What to Expect while you're Expecting) Im sure every new mother reads that then ... when the time comes.... nothing is as the book told you lol. But every little bit of knowledge atleast makes me feel like Im more prepared then the average joe .... so thanks for occupying my day with some great reading

[MarcusCAG]

Yes, the articles look wonderful (I started reading one, lovethatgrey--and the one sticky on body language, Dave, thank you, I somehow missed that before), thank you everyone for your advice, recommendations, and commentary! I do have a lot to learn, some days I feel pretty 'on the ball' with understanding our flock and other days I'm just totally treading water. (Sigh!) I'm starting to think all the issues I had with Marcus stepping up last year, and he being so new with us, was just compounded with him really just being hormonal, because he's acting the same way all over again. (Except he no longer has his crazy little stomping/yelling fits whenever we ask him to step up, thankfully!!!) Birdhouse, you're always a wellspring of avian insight... And Dan, I do remember that video with Dayo trying to bait Jake and Jake being so sweet... that just slipped my mind while I was watching Marcus and Tybalt together, but I guess it was essentially the same thing. Tybalt unfortunately seems to have a death wish, though, so I have to be quite on my toes if they're both out of their cages at the same time. Can't wait until these raging hormones calm down a bit again!

[aerial.2000]

perhaps things might not be as hard for me only having 1 bird in the house? no competition and he will get ALL of my attention Im going to bet however that hubby is so taken with my new baby that he'll want "his own" too ... Ima just bet ...