Beak Rub - Beak beak beak!

[Stasia]

My parrotlet loves his beak rubbed too! Often while I'm giving him scritches eh'll change the position of his head and put his beak right in the air, so cute!

Stasia

[Franciscus]

Originally Posted by BirdsUnlimited

So beak rubbing drives up the hormones? Every time our birds wipe their beaks off on a perch or preen their feathers or the way many macaws will wipe or bang their beaks on the cage bars (much like a prisoner w/ his tin cup in old movies) this is driving up the hormones? It just couldn't be comforting much the same as gettting a good deep neck scratch? Now I know someone on a similar thread stated that Sally Blanchard or Liz Wilson said this is a sexual, hormone raising thing, I'd like to see it in print from an independent source. Like I said before Sally and Liz are not what I'd call good sources for scientific data, too many assumptions without enough real research.

No, wiping beaks themselves to clean or sharpen them would not raise hormones just as you cleaning yourself after using a toilet would not (necessarily) turn you on.
It was me who had mentioned it in a previouos thread and I beleive it was Sally Blanchard. I trust her judgement as to parrot behavior and if behavior is an indicator of elevated hormones, which makes sense to me, I would choose to follow that information. Why are you so keen on rubbing your bird's beak anyway?

[BirdsUnlimited]

I've never made mention to rubbing a beak, check previous posts. I only question the raising of hormones by doing so.

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by smallonion

Hi everyone,
Just wondering if anyone else has a parrot who likes having his beak rubbed. It's Humphrey's newest thing. You say to him, "give me your beak" or "beak beak beak!" and he will stick his beak between your fingers. Then you give him a beak rub and he closes his little eyes in pleasure and makes a strange noise.
He then often makes the noise to ASK for beak beak beak (what we call beak rubs in my house - in other words, my husband will say, "I can't get any work done. Humphrey wants beak beak beak all day long.") I could sit and rub his beak for hours - he'd let me. Also, he rubs his beak on my face which is lovely. But I've not heard of anyone else's parrot liking beak rubs!

Michele and Humph

My bird Skye loves beak rubs, and my African Grey loved them too...along with eye rubs, cheek rubs, chin(?)rubs,ear rubs. LOL. He loved his whole head being rubbed. But especially his beak and ears.
Linda & HRC~

[FairLight]

Abbie (CAG) is 15 months old and has not reached hormonal maturity.
She loves having her beak rubbed. I believe that at her age it is related to
her first "baby feedings". When I rub her beaky, she squats down, puts up her head and slightly flaps her wings.
She usually does this when she is ready for night night.
She doesn't do it as often, but she does enjoy this little bit of babying occassionally.
And so do I. :o)
Linda In CA