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For the past I don't know how many months or maybe even a year, Smokey, the oldest male, has been "preening" his toys. No big deal. Lately tho, he's been preening a little string from one, then immediately touching his under-wing feathers. He does this repeatedly, and sometimes for maybe an hour or more. It's almost like a dog putting his scent on something that belongs to him, but I've never seen anybody else do this kind of thing. He also will at times, tuck his head upside down under his wing and just hold it. Not the sleeping head tuck, but really strange looking. I know he's wanting someone to preen him, and he started this act a month or two after Coco died. I'd really like to get a picture of him doing this, as it's really weird looking. I don't know how he can get his neck and head turned upside down and hold it under his wing.

Any ideas about either?

Sam

My oldest bird Joey turn's his head upside down when he wants to be scached. I agree it's very bezare the only thing i can think is there double jointed

Tillie does the upside down head under the wing trick too. She is usually calmly sleeping that way in the evening when Syd is trying all of his noises and dancing around to get someone's attention (mine or hers, I am never sure)

My vet is also an expert on avian behavior and I had asked the very same thing with the preening of toys, in particular little strings from a shredded pinata toy. Apparently that preening behavior is like a pacifier for birds. I guess it calms them or relaxes them. I don't know about the head tuck, but maybe the two are related somehow? Sherwin will preen my hair and then rest his head on my hand for me to scratch his head. He actually gets so relaxed that he rests his beak on my thumb and leaves it there while he gets scratched. So perhaps that is Smokey's way of relaxing? Hope that helps.