|
It is currently Sat Apr 27, 2024 6:38 pm
|
|
|
|
|
Author |
Message |
JessiMuse
|
Post subject: A different kind of cockatiel courting behavior? Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:04 pm |
Lovebird |
|
Name: Jessi
Posts: 1230 Joined: Jul 2015 Location: Tucson Gave happy chirps:
83 times
Got happy chirps: 92 times
|
When I found those old pictures of my cockatiel, Pecky, I started to think about when we had him and his three rescue siblings. Sadly I don't have their pictures (I had no way to take any, until after the other three were rehomed and Pecky was the last one), but there was one thing I particularly remembered. The four of them were made up of three males and a female, though we originally thought it was two and two. Pecky was originally thought to be a female, because he was being courted by one of his brothers. Then we realized that Pecky was the male, and we thought his brother was the female, and so his name switched between Luke and Lindsey, quite often. Since I know he was male, I will call him Luke, and when describing his appearance, I will let you know that one of the other males (Piper) resembled Carolyn's "Pip". Luke was white-faced just like his 3 siblings, most closely resembling Piper, with the only difference of his face being shaded a light grey around the area where any regularly colored cockatiel would be yellow. After knowing that Pecky is definitely a male, it made things a little harder to determine what gender Luke was, because he seemed attracted to his brother, though it was one-sided, because Pecky was attracted to the one sister they really did have, who had a mutual attraction to Piper. Luke had the strangest courting behavior I've ever seen. This isn't like the video I posted of the cockatiel courting the conure with it's individualized version of the standard behavior. No, this was completely different. Luke never displayed the heartwings. Instead, he would lean over his brother, to the point where his beak was almost on top of his brother's head (he was quite taller than Pecky), and sing, while raising one of his feet (preferably the one closest to Pecky) in front of him. Pecky would just sit there and pretend nothing was happening. Could it just be that he wanted to get on top, and was trying to tell pecky to get into mating position? Or was this just an individualized courting behavior, that served the same purpose of the heartwings? One thing I know for sure, those four rescues were quite the group of oddballs...
_________________
|
|
|
|
|
JoJo's Mom
|
Post subject: Re: A different kind of cockatiel courting behavior? Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 4:00 pm |
Chick |
|
|
Name: Paula
Posts: 69 Joined: Jun 2015 Location: Idaho Gave happy chirps:
18 times
Got happy chirps: 8 times
|
Just my opinion, but it definitely seems like a courting behavior. I love your stories about your birds, both in the past and current. It must have been fun growing up with all the birds in your house. What birds do you currently have? Birds are so special to me, I am owned by a budgie and a cockatiel. The budgie isn't tame by any means. She does talk however, and will come onto my hand for millet. She refuses to come out of her cage, but otherwise, plays with her toys, and seems very happy. My tiel is a baby yet, only three months old. But, he has already learned three phrases and is working on a song. He says "whatcha doin" "good bird" and "I love you". I had another tiel who died in April, and I still miss him so much. But, that said, they are so special to me. Like I said, I love all your stories- keep sharing them!
_________________ Paula
Milo- Cockatiel, hatch date 4-17-15 Bluebelle- Budgie, hatch date 4-10-12 RIP JoJo, 'tiel. RIP Sweet Pea, budgie.
|
|
|
|
|
JessiMuse
|
Post subject: Re: A different kind of cockatiel courting behavior? Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 5:06 pm |
Lovebird |
|
Name: Jessi
Posts: 1230 Joined: Jul 2015 Location: Tucson Gave happy chirps:
83 times
Got happy chirps: 92 times
|
I'm glad you like reading what I write. Indeed, a house (and yard) full of birds are interesting to grow up with. Was never the quietest household, I'll tell you that. I just have Lucy and Dudley now, regarding birds. Lucy my tiel is fairly new, just over 3 months according to the paper, and Dudley, my pionus who actually belongs to my parents, is almost 30 years. One of the two animals currently here that have been around long enough to serve as my witness (if he could talk any more than the few words he knows). Birds aren't the only animals we have. I've also grown up around dogs, as well as reptiles and fish. I also had an interest in insects, as a child. Basically, I live in a zoo, currently with one dog, two tortoises, two birds, and lots of fish in a pond. I don't think we would stop there, we might end up getting something else in the future (most likely another dog. My mom kinda retired from keeping birds, but Lucy is mine). Birds have played a special role in my childhood, be it wild and captive. My mom has always been quite a bird watcher, and she used to hang up many different feeders. I learned to name many of the local species, part of just her telling me which is what, part from the field guides she's had around the house, and part from my own interest in it developing, inspiring me to do research. I could never get bored watching them.
_________________
|
|
|
|
|
JessiMuse
|
Post subject: Re: A different kind of cockatiel courting behavior? Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 10:35 pm |
Lovebird |
|
Name: Jessi
Posts: 1230 Joined: Jul 2015 Location: Tucson Gave happy chirps:
83 times
Got happy chirps: 92 times
|
I see. So it's like a "if I wish for it hard enough, it will happen" kind of thing with them? They think they will magically make babies, somehow, or is it just the hormones doing the work? Albeit, I've never seen courting behavior like it. Crazy thing though, we've put him in the cage with the one hen, before, and he showed absolutely no interest. Either he knew that she was taken by his brother Piper, or he was thinking some other hen would come out of nowhere, and when there wasn't another hen, his last resort was apparently his brother Pecky. Sometimes, it's hard to tell what the heck they're thinking.
_________________
|
|
|
|
|
JessiMuse
|
Post subject: Re: A different kind of cockatiel courting behavior? Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 2:31 pm |
Lovebird |
|
Name: Jessi
Posts: 1230 Joined: Jul 2015 Location: Tucson Gave happy chirps:
83 times
Got happy chirps: 92 times
|
Well whatever it was that drove him to his brother, it was definetely a one-sided relationship.
At the time, it didn't occur to me that they were all related until I started to really think about them, and realized all three males had the same exact "pretty birdie" song. Heck, Piper and his mate, Specky, could have well been Pecky and Luke's parents, for I know. Specky looked so different from the rest of them, being a cinnamon-pearl white faced cockatiel (much like Shodu's chick: "YinYin"), though it could've been a mix of genes.
The four were like the major incest group. Luke was in love with his brother Pecky, who was in love with his sister and/or mom, Specky, who was bonded to Piper, who may or may not have been Specky's brother.
_________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum
|
|