katana600 Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 A recent thread about the pinning of eyes caught my attention. I have never noticed Gilbert pinning his pupils in the entire time he has been with us. Our other parrot is constantly pinning her eyes and in fact, recently when she was sick, that was the first indication I had because her pupils were dilated and didn't react to light. With that said, she pins her eyes frequently so it was noticable right away. From the time Gilbert came to us, I had little warning from him before he would suddenly strike out and bite. I have been watching him carefully as he is trying new things and even under careful observation, his pupils remain almost fixed and I wondered if this is normal for some birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Smokey Joe rarely pins even when he is planning to remove a chunk of me for further stud,y the other Greys do pin often. Don't know if that might be a personality issue or a genetic physical difference. He has no trouble seeing so I don't think it is problematic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Simon doesn't pin either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 None of my parrots pin their eyes. Why would they, they rule the roost! So to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Ah, good to know. With all the changes going on in Gilbert's life, I am surprised it took me so long to notice this. Java pins when she is happy, when she is disagreeable and even when she is just relaxed. Of course with red eyes, it is much more noticeable. You know... at my house, since it is a tie, one for pinning, one for not pinning, the only way to have a majority is to get another parrot. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) Dee, you are fooling no one. We all know you want an amazon. I might just start a betting pool to see who can guess when... ah ha! Ha ha! Edited October 23, 2012 by luvparrots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 My memory fails me, did I want an Amazon? Of course I did, just kidding there. Recently I saw a new member post a picture of the white front amazon and I felt all the feathers on my back and neck get ruffled and my eyes were pinning with delight. LOL. I was just taken by the contrast of color of that white, red and blue accents and of course, the vibrant Amazon green. Ah. Simply amazing. There is always that pesky "but". But, Java and Gilbert are voting no for now. So is devoted husband and two kids who are now in the will as lifetime caretakers. I will work on that. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Josey does pin her eyes but mostly because she is happy with something like when she is eating a favorite food, like that darn cheese she loves, works every time. That is interesting that some do not pin their eyes, wonder why, maybe one of the experts can enlighten us on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I hope so too. Timber does, but usually over cheese as Josey does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Birds' pupils change in size for all the same reasons as humans' do. However, they also enjoy conscious control over the iris and other eye muscles. According to avian veterinarian Dr. Susan Orosz, the signals sent from the brain to a birds' eyes travel from some of the same nerves as in mammals, but they take a different path that allows the bird discretion over the results. In addition, a bird's eye muscles are different from ours - they are more like the muscles in our arms and legs. As a result, birds can control how and when the muscles in their eyes move, and make their pupils small or large whenever they want or need to. This type of control is what allows a falcon traveling at over 200 mph to instantaneously change focus from a faraway object to one that is near, or vice versa. If we tried to do that we’d probably fly into something! That same control allows a parrot to use his eyes to convey that he is feeling afraid, aggressive or interested. By constricting, or "pinning," and opening, or "flashing," his pupils while he is talking, your bird is letting you know just how excited he is at that moment. With this in mind, it seems Gilbert is unemotional most the time. He probably only pins when your not looking so he does not give away his true feelings. In human terms, he has a poker face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 LOL to the "poker face!" Interesting stuff Dan, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitri89 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) Well, any of the share images is not visible at all. I'm wondering that facing this problem somewhere else in the forum. Anyway,, is it a browser problem or content is not available? personal training In Hawthorn Edited October 25, 2012 by Dimitri89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I see the images so it may be a browser problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Thanks Dave I also loved that poker face annology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Dan, I think you hit on something about Gilbert being unemotional. When I saw him first he was scared senseless and pulled tight inside himself. It is like he has locked down inside himself. When he has bitten me, it has been like a cobra strike with no warning. He has never growled or screamed, he just pulls inside and sits like a rock. It just wasn't until I read about pinning it struck me that I have never seen him do it. If this is a poker face, I am taking my little savant to Vegas. LOL. As he is changing and opening up, it will be interesting to see if he does start pinning at some point. That may be an indication he is getting to his innate personality instead of being so scared and closed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Dee, if you watch Gilbert while he is outside or perhaps by a window. I'll bet that you will observe eye pinning as he zooms in and out to focus on objects or birds flying by. Other than a reason though, most times they do not pin. Dayo does not pin his eye's if he decides he wants to blindside me with a bite. Thank god those have lessened in frequency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 We will be traveling this weekend, so I will watch closely when we are in the car where he has lots to look at from different distances. Also in my daughter's home, I will be watching his eyes closely as he sees her after a couple months of separation. Then, in November he will be headed to Texas to see his beloved Rachel as we move her household to her new home in Odessa. That will be another opportunity to see if he pins for her. I now have everyone watching his pupils to see if we might get some clues to his inner thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Sure wish I'd been looking closely at Timber this morning when he decided to take a plug out of my hand. He hasn't bitten me to over two months and I wasn't expecting it! Hard to think of everything at moments like that. In hindsight, I should have looked for eye pinning as I was trying to extricate my thumb from his beak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 I don't know for sure, but I think maybe my eyes pin when I get the sudden cobra strike from Gilbert. It hasn't happened for months, knock wood. I have been getting up close to him and peering into his eyes, he probably doesn't pin because he is resisting my hypnotic gaze. I can't wait til the weekend when we travel so I can watch to see if he pins on the trip. He is a well seasoned traveler and does great in the car and at our daughter's home, so maybe he will have interest in something that will make him want to hone in for a closer look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 LOLOL I'm sure you're right about the hypnotic gaze! I'm sure Timber only bit me because he could no longer resist the lure of my intoxicating flesh in close proximity to his beak. Oh Lord it's hard to be humble... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 You made me snort coffee on that one. Good one. Now that I think about it, on the rare occasions that Gilbert has given me a mind numbing chomp, he says "sorry". I thought he was feeling bad about the whole hurting me thing. Now that I think of it, it could have been "Oh, sorry, I lost my head for a moment, I thought I was in paradise and was dreaming of ambrosia and the sweet nectar of the gods". Hahaha. You just made my day, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 We watched for eye pinning in the car and at my daughter's, none. We couldn't stay outside long enough to observe because we were on the coast of North Carolina and even though we were south of where the hurricane first made trouble, it was still windy and cold as we got the outer bands. Now I have everyone in the family and even my friends approaching him and watching his eyes. LOL. I have them watch Java first. Her eyes are red and I have shown new visitors how she pins her eyes and caution them, if you see her pupil constrict to a pinpoint, you are seeing a lot of red and that is a danger sign with her. Maybe I am just used to her pinning often and for a lot of reasons including happiness, excitement and sometimes pure wickedness, LOL. I'm sure when I see Gilbert work up happy excitement over something that makes him pin it is going to be something to mark on the calendar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Interesting! Maybe Gilbert is just a blase' sophisticate who doesn't get excited about anything Seriously, if you are like me you probably just aren't looking at him when it happens? He's probably thinking "why is she starring at me like that, do I have egg on my beak?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Since they can control that pinning perhaps a bird that is insecure or nervous could be keeping those eyes from pinning to avoid predation or aggressive reaction from a flock mate? Just a random thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted November 2, 2012 Author Share Posted November 2, 2012 I think you are right about him looking at me looking at him. He doesn't see my eyes pinning so he is holding his cards close to his tattered little vest. He is a subtle little fellow, it has taken me a long time to realize that he hasn't been pinning. Since he is getting so much more active and outgoing, it will be interesting to see if this is something he starts randomly letting me in on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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