Toe Tapping Eclectus

[The Outlaw]

Vega writes:


Toe tapping...behavioral??

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Hey all, I noticed my female Vos started toe tapping yesterday. Today I called her avian certified vet who told me that toe tapping is a behavioral issue and may just be part of her personality. I've never heard that before! Has anyone else?

[The Outlaw]

Carolyn writes:

We can accurately say that "toe tapping" is behavioral when referring to the occasional tapping that some parrots do at bed time when they're settling down for the night. Also, the display of purposeful foot stamping that Cockatoos sometimes exhibit when they feel threatened can be called behavioral.

The toe tapping most often described by Eclectus keepers is the repetitive foot clenching, or the rhythmic, involuntary opening and closing of one or both feet. The toenails sometimes make a tapping sound as they hit the perch during the opening and closing of the foot, hence the name.

If anyone is interested in more information about this type of toe tapping, you can read about the causes and remedies at this web address.

http://www.landofvos.com/articles/index.html#toetap

Thanks for a great question, Nancy! We sometimes forget to mention that there is "behavioral toe tapping" that is not caused by problems, so owners who have heard of toe tapping worry needlessly when they see their parrot tap a few times. The problematic toe tapping most often described continues both day and night, non-stop, until the offending agent clears the system, which is usually one to three days.

Carolyn
http://www.landofvos.com/tec.html