"Bird Lady Secrets" - Special Report
                                Released On: February 13, 2011

  1) Understand Your Parrot's Body Language - Part Two

   During Part One of this series, several aspects of your
parrot's body language and vocalization were
discussed. These included growling which indicates a
desire not to be approached, purring which indicates
contentment, clicking the beak sharply which indicates
a feeling of threat, tongue clicking which some species
use to indicate a desire for interaction, beak grinding
which indicates contentment, beak wiping which means
the bird is cleaning the beak or is defining its territory,
and panting which can indicate overheating or discomfort.

   I hope in the last few days, you have been watching for
these body language postures and vocalizations in your
parrot and learning exactly what your parrot's
is saying to you with its language.

  As we continue through this series, you'll become able
to understand quite a lot of parrot communications if you
watch for them in your parrot and assess what is going on
at the time. It will provide a better bond between you and
your feathered friend.

  Today, we'll be looking at some other postures and
vocalizations such as moving the head from side to side,
sneezing, flashing pupils, preening, stretching, and wings
spread with beak opened.

   Every posture and vocalization your parrot makes is
part of its communication with you. Parrots have a complex
language used in the wild so that other parrots can understand
their wants, needs and boundaries. These are the same postures
and vocalizations we see our parrots use in our homes and, if we
spent the time to learn to understand their language, interactions
will be much smoother and everyone will be much happier.

   After all, we want parrots to learn our language and our
boundaries. Shouldn't we be expected to spend some time
learning about their communications? 

   Let's begin looking at the body language and vocalizations
for this portion of the series:

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Moving Head from Side to Side 
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   This posturing is often called 'head snaking' and involves
the parrot moving its head from side to side in a smooth
movement. This is not seen in all species of parrots but
macaws and some of the Amazons seem to be most likely to
use this posturing. The movement generally indicates
excitement or a request for attention. Some other species,
such as conures, seem to replace this body language with
a head bobbing movement with the same meaning.  It does

not normally indicate a threat, but instead is an invitation
for interaction and fun.

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Sneezing 
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   Birds sneeze just like people do. Dust, down feathers,
or other irritants can enter the nostrils. Birds do not
have the ability to blow their noses as humans do, so they
sneeze to clear their nostrils. It is perfectly normal for
a parrot to sneeze daily or even several times a day.
Some parrots will sneeze repeatedly, almost as if having a
'sneezing fit'.

   There is no need for concern unless other indicators of
illness are present. If you  notice a discharge from the
nostrils, or the parrot has a runny nose, then you should
become concerned. If a parrot sneezes repeated while
postured low on the perch, crouching on two feet, and eating
poorly, have your parrot visit the vet to check for a nasal
infection or upper respirator infection.

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Flashing Pupils
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   Flashing, dilating pupils often called "eye pinning"
can indicate aggression, excitement, or pleasure. You
must access the situation to determine the reason for
the flashing pupils.

   If the bird is annoyed, perhaps standing with open beak
and tail fanned, the parrot is saying "Don't come any
closer, back off right now!" In this situation, it is a
prelude to a nasty nip. If another bird, person or pet
is in the area, it may indicate that the bird dislikes
that other creature.

 When a parrot sees a favorite person, treat or perhaps
a bird of the opposite sex, it will sometimes pin its
eyes from excitement and pleasure. Eye pinning is often
used in sexual display behavior to attract the potential
mate. In these cases, the flashing eyes are not an
indication of a coming bite but instead indicate
pleasure or excitement.

  As with many parrot body language postures, you simply
have to look at the overall picture to understand the
meaning.

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Preening
--------------

   Parrots are very clean creatures. Every day each feather
is cleaned and much work is involved in keeping plumage in
prime condition. Preening is the action of taking a feather
in the beak and, moving from the base of the feather to the
tip, straightening and cleaning the feather. Each feather is
made up of tiny miniature feather-like pieces with barbs on
each one. These barbs allow the feather to hold its
attractive shape and be ready for flight.

   Each species of parrot also has an oil gland at the base
of the tail. The oil is used to give the feathers a
semi-waterproof coating and a beautiful sheen. A bird
may be seen moving its head rapidly back and forth near
the base of the tail. It is putting oil on its beak to
distribute on feathers. While it is a funny looking action
and many people think something is wrong when they first
note this behavior, it is perfectly normally and healthy.

   Because parrots spend so much time preening their
feathers, some people think their birds must have mites
or something wrong with them. Preening for hours each day
is normal and should be no reason for concern. When a bird
is preening, it is content and feels safe.

 Mutual preening is frequently seen when two bird friends
preen each other, especially those areas that are difficult
to reach. Lone parrots who do not like to have humans groom
their facial and neck feathers can often be seen rubbing
these areas along a perch or toy in order to preen those
feathers. Parrots that are tame love to preen their
human's hair.

   Preening also includes cleaning the legs and toes of
each foot. Quite a bit of time can be spent cleaning each
toe carefully. This does not indicate any problem but is
part of normal hygiene.

   Preening is not the same as feather plucking or
feather chewing. When a parrot preens, it is caring for
its feathers. When a parrot is plucking or feather chewing,
it removes healthy feathers or chews them in two.

   Preening is also done to remove feather coverings from
feathers that are growing in after a molt. If you see small
flakes of whitish material on the bird or where the bird
has been preening, do not be concerned. This is part of
the normal process of removing the feather covering and
allowing a new feather to become part of the healthy plumage.
Some parrots love for their humans to remove these feather
coatings from hard to reach areas but others simply do not
enjoy allowing this activity. Your bird will let you know
if it likes you to assist in removing feather coverings.

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Stretching 
----------------

   Just like humans, birds like to stretch to relieve
tension. Because they spend most of their lives on their
feet, a good leg stretch simply feels wonderful. A bird
may stretch one foot and the wing on the same side of the
body. This posture is called "mantling". When a bird stretches
one foot and the opposite wing, it is improving circulation
and refreshing itself. Birds like to stretch after a nap
and at random times during the day. They feel safe and
content when stretching.

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Wings Spread, Beak Opened 
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   If your parrot spreads its wings and opens its beak,
it is clearly feeling threatened. It will bite if the
threat continues, whether from a human or another bird.
It is a clear signal to back off and leave the parrot
alone for a while.

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A Look Ahead
----------------------

   I do hope you are enjoying this series about parrot
body language and are using the information to better
understand your parrot and its interactions with you.

   If you would like to watch online videos of some of the
parrot postures discussed here such as...

- Mantling;
- Threat posturing;
- Relaxation;
- Sleeping with head tucked in feathers
- And napping;

... then you can visit the page below to instantly upgrade
to a Bird Lady Secrets web site  ELITE member today:

==> http://www.birdladysecrets.com/training/talking.php

   Because as an ELITE member you can watch my parrots
in videos where I show you how these 5 behaviors will appear
in your own parrots as well as have full access to the entire
Parrot Talking System I have developed over the course
of the past 17 years, so you to can... 

  - Teach your parrot how to talk, sing or whistle!

  During the coming days, watch your parrot for these body
language postures as well as those covered in Part One of
this series. Already you should be building a better understanding
of your parrot's communications.

  In the next portion of the series, we'll study body language
that involves the wings including wing drooping, wing drumming,
flapping, and quivering.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Finally you can solve annoying bird
problems like parrot biting, screaming, or feather plucking by
watching Nora Caterino's amazing parrot training videos, audios
and articles online. To get instant access to your free "Parrot
Training Secrets" package (a $47 value), visit:

  http://www.birdladysecrets.com

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   3) "Tell Us What You Think!"

------------------------------------------------------------

  We would love to hear what you think of this issue of the
'Bird Lady Secrets' Special Report about undestanding your
parrot's body language

  If you have any suggestions or opinions for upcoming issues
that you'd like us to publish, please let us know! Just send us
an email using the contact form in the page below:

   ==> http://www.birdladysecrets.com/training/contact.php 

  Yours sincerely,

  Nora Caterino
  BirdLadySecrets.com

  Frederico Vila Verde
  EliteParrotsClub.com

BirdLadySecrets.com
and Frederico Vila Verde
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4150-147 Porto, Portugal
Europe