What is eye pinning?

[lisege]

And why is it important to know when you bird is eye pinning?

[birdiemommy]

It can be a sign of interest, excitement or aggression. If I show Tigger something and he is very interested in what it is, he will usually do it. But if he is fanning out his tail a bit and showing rapid changes in pupil size, it would be a good time for me to back up and rethink what ever I was about to do.
Tigger is one of the "hot 3" and I have only been bit twice hard, never drawing blood. One of the big reasons is I make sure to read his body language. If he is wound up and pinning I won't pick him up at that moment.

[lisege]

Does it look like squinting?

[birdiemommy]

They don't really squint their eyes shut. It is more of the iris changing size. Tigger's eyes are orange, with the dark pupil. They can control and change the amount of iris you see. So when he is pinning, there will be very little orange and then the next moment a lot more, and repeat:) It is harder to see with dark eyes birds. Does that make sense?

[lisege]

I guess so, they haven't done it as far as I can tell.

[expressmailtome]

Pinning is really dilating. Kind of like when you go to a doctor and they shine a light into your eye and your pupil dilates.

Matt

[lisege]

They are still quite young, they don't have the white ring yet, just little black balls for eyes.

[Monica]

Then you really wont be able to see the eye pinning until they are 4-6 months old, assuming the birds are not recessive pieds or inos.

[pecks]

Here are some videos of other birds with their eyes pinning, just so you know what it looks like when your birds are old enough :

YouTube - Grey eating strawberries
YouTube - Talking Parrot

[lisege]

Originally Posted by Monica

Then you really wont be able to see the eye pinning until they are 4-6 months old, assuming the birds are not recessive pieds or inos.

Peids or inos? I don't what those terms mean. Hymn is yellow with black and Hur is white with a blue belly.
The pet store guy told me that Hymn was male with a recessive gene and that was why the cere was tan/pink. Although now I think I am starting to see some blue.