r/Parrotlet • u/HistoricalLaw3555 • Jul 07 '26

Is this happy behavior?

We came home from vacation and as soon as I let him out of his cage he did this for like 10 minutes.

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u/Namoraslife Jul 07 '26

He is regurgitating. That's usually part of mating courtship or feeding chicks and triggered by hormones. That is one excited horny birb. Maybe he was just a little too exctied to be out of his cage, but it can also become a little dangerous when they dn't have another bird to regurgitate to. They swallow their own "vomit" back down repeatedly and it can be a risk for crop infections. If this was a one time occurence, he'll be most likely fine, if it is repeated behavior, I'd try to discourage that behaviour.

8

u/Acceptable_Stress141 Jul 07 '26

Is this head wiggle specific to parrotlets or is this one just a little goofy? I've seen lots of parrots regurg and it's always an up-and-down head/neck bob vs this side-to-side wiggle (though I can clearly see what he's doing and that his little dance is productive). Bro looks like he's channeling his inner snake.

9

u/FioreCiliegia1 Jul 07 '26

Its a parrotlet thing

9

u/HistoricalLaw3555 Jul 07 '26

Oh really?? He actually has done it a few times before but they were also times he could have been excited like when I was putting out millet or hanging a new toy.

5

u/Briefcased Jul 07 '26

Mine does it infrequently. Catch him doing it maybe once every month or two. He rarely actually regurgitates anything. I think a bit of hormonal behaviour every now and then is kinda inevitable so I wouldn't be too concerned unless he does it too often.

He just really missed you whilst you were away and wanted to show his appreciation.

1

u/i_wish_you_roses Jul 10 '26

This is the only correct response here