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Pseudonymico t1_izzgjnu wrote

Reply to comment by ladybug68 in Bird loves his human. by -birdbirdbird-

Don’t they usually tend to pick one person to be like this with and hate everyone else?

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--leave_me_alone-- t1_izztep8 wrote

In my experience, with some larger birds, yes. We had a lot of birds. My mom rescued them. Most of them were either cool with everyone or equally indifferent. There was one bird a cocka...too? I think the big white bird. I think cockatiel is the little one.

Anywho, that bird was amazing for about a week. You could flip him on his back and rub his belly. He'd coo etc. Well he fell in love with my mom and was a super bastard with everyone else. He'd try to bite your toes etc. Eventually he was a bastard to my mom too and he got to be too much. We gave him to a neighbor and was doing well last I knew.

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Minuted t1_izzttps wrote

I'm not a bird expert and I know next to nothing about bird law, but can't birds become.very attached to their owners? Like they see them as a sexual partner?

Or am I making that up? I might be making that up. I think maybe there was some sort of petting that humans did that turned out to be a sexual thing for birds so I'm probably confusing the two things.

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iswearatkids t1_j0005qh wrote

> but can't birds become.very attached to their owners?

Imprinting is the word you're looking for, and yes. Some species can. It's about context, such as type of bird, socialization, habitat, ect.

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Nomomommy t1_j00crcf wrote

My neighbor had a lovebird who became my special friend. He'd run after me if I went to the bathroom or start yelling when I left. He'd come to my house and take showers with me or walk around on me while I napped. We'd groom each other and hang out. All cool, nothing that weird. But once he was getting all interested in my socked foot and my neighbor said, "careful...he might do a little bird jizz on your foot if you don't look out". So take from that what you will.

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jedi_cat_ t1_j00r6v5 wrote

Parrots and cockatoos are like elephants, they NEVER FORGET. So, if something happens that they don’t like they will hate you forever. That’s like 50 years of hatred.

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ladybug68 t1_j01xyqx wrote

My mom had two cockatoos. Peaches wanted cuddles from everyone and Rocky loved my mom and I, but would bite my brother. She rescued quakers that would let her sew socks on them(they had plucked out all their feathers), but would attack the rest us if we got anywhere near them. It just depends ...

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spinelession t1_izzl944 wrote

It depends on the species, but more so has to do with how well they're socialized.

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ladybug68 t1_izzxovg wrote

Yes that is true. The only birds that I have known to be different are cockatoos. They still have a favorite person but in my limited experience they will accept cuddles from anyone offering them.

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Pseudonymico t1_izzzbyu wrote

I guess that makes sense, I’m Australian and I mostly see cockatoos in huge flocks.

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ladybug68 t1_izzzikg wrote

It must be amazing to watch, but very very loud. 😁

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