Probably completley normal but...

[Pictaker]

do all Senegal Parrots do this??

Patience moves her beak open and closed VERY fast and also wags her tongue all around like crazy (up, down, sideways, out of her mouth, in her mouth etc...) and while doing it she makes no sound at all. So it looks like she is having a great long conversation but no one hears anything at all. Pretty cool and weird at the same time. What does this mean to her?

I find that I am able to recognize most of a birds "language", but this is one thing I have not read about. She beak grinds, and clicks her toungue, but this is different. Faster with no sound.

Anyone's bird out there doing this?

[Poicephalus girl]

I think I know what you mean and if so, then it happens to Shade as well...but a video of what you are talking about might help people to really know what you mean :)

(ok so maybe this is just an excuse to see a video of Patience.... ;) )

[failurebydesign]

She may be trying to find her voice, sometimes when they are really young they will exercise their beaks/tongue even when they aren't making noise, they are just "feeling" the different sensations.

[Pictaker]

She does this daily so tomorrow I will get a video uploaded for you all! She was doing it tonight like crazy! I love watching her do this cause it seems like she is trying to talk to me..but its sort of crazy and weird too..with no sound at all. Although tonight I DID hear some different sound...sort of like a whisper...

[hollyhawkz]

Yes both our birds "play" with their tongues just like that.

[Pepper's Pa]

Pepper does the same thing with his tongue and with opening and closing his beak very fast. I’ve heard of other Sennies doing this too. I think your question about the beak movement may have come up here before.

If you want to see a possibly very interested bird, the next time Patience is wiggling her tongue, face her, slightly open your mouth and wiggle your tongue over your lips . . . this always fascinates Pepper. Just don’t do it within reach of her beak or you may receive a pierced tongue.

[SisterBlue]

My Sun does the "tongue waggle" thing all the time...we turned it into a trick and he now does it on command. I'd never seen it before but since then have seen several people here mention it so I'm guessing it's at least somewhat normal!!

-SB

[sootykitty]

Yep, it is completely normal. I have 6 Senegals and they all do that. Some of them making a "lip smacking" sound while they do it. Pretty cute really.

[dmiller91]

Originally Posted by Pepper's Pa

If you want to see a possibly very interested bird, the next time Patience is wiggling her tongue, face her, slightly open your mouth and wiggle your tongue over your lips . . . this always fascinates Pepper. Just don’t do it within reach of her beak or you may receive a pierced tongue.

I read this in Mattie Athan's book and I tried it with my Meyers. She was very interested. I wasn't sure if it was a happy interest though. I wondered if she might try to take a chunk of my tongue!