Bird on shoulder.

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Lags
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:52 am
Location: Mount Isa QLD

Bird on shoulder.

Post by Lags »

Can someone tell me why its "bad" to ley your bird sit on your shoulder? My IRN loves cruising around on my shoulder checking out what I am doing.
Fah
Posts: 686
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:00 am
Location: Adelaide, Australia

Post by Fah »

My IRN basicly lives on my shoulder, but he is also quite well trained. It can cause problems early on for dominance over who is boss... shoulder = contention area in that its as high as your head is... which is what it bases equality on.

Not to mention, in the early ownership of your bird, a simple 'testing nip' to the ear or face can leave permanent damage.

Just something to be taken with caution.
Dolphinheart
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:55 am
Location: Perth WA , Australia

Post by Dolphinheart »

Fah does this work on the same principles of dogs - and the way of thinking that seme dogs try to do the dominace behaviours? Obviously not the sitting ono your shoulder but htings like sitting on your lounge chair and such like?
do the the birds in the wild have a hierachy of dominance??
Fah
Posts: 686
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:00 am
Location: Adelaide, Australia

Post by Fah »

Most certainly... any group / flock / pack animal will have various levels of heirarchy. You wont have an alpha bird like you will in a pack of dogs, but you will have rankings among birds like Ringnecks, and most of the flock species around.

We become part of their flock by owning them... and especially in the early years you will have your bird test what it can do, and see if it can be the dominant player among you.
Lags
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:52 am
Location: Mount Isa QLD

Post by Lags »

so how do we go about asserting dominance over our feathered friend? he is very person friendly and steps up on command, but i do love having him cruise around the house on my shoulder.
Janet
Posts: 76
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:51 pm
Location: Tasmania, Australia

dominance

Post by Janet »

Mine love sitting on my shoulder as well and I have four!!! One of them also likes to sit on my head. I heard that you can assert yourself by making them step up, then step up again, then step up again. Let's them know who the boss is (though most of the time I think it's them). My birds snuggle into my neck or hide under my ponytail if the world is a bit stressful and I wouldn't give up those experiences for anything.
sheyd
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:22 pm

Post by sheyd »

I don't like/won't let my Ringneck sitting on my head as one time he pooped! He has turned into a real brat now though- once he latches on to something ( that includes my earrings and he's not gentle!)-he won't let go!
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