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Hi, I am new as you can tell. I have a Citron too. He is kinda funny, he likes to do what me and my parents call "chicken scratch" on the bottom of his cage, and ever on my hands. Thats painful he he. He also bangs his beak on my fingers or will rub his beak on them. Can anyone tell me what, why, and is it normal?

-mikey and tino

mikey pizano wrote:Hi, I am new as you can tell. I have a Citron too. He is kinda funny, he likes to do what me and my parents call "chicken scratch" on the bottom of his cage, and ever on my hands. Thats painful he he. He also bangs his beak on my fingers or will rub his beak on them. Can anyone tell me what, why, and is it normal?

-mikey and tino

Sounds like our grey Charlie, I think its just normal and playful. I have never worried about it at all.

Oh ok, i thought he was weird hehe.

Our grey does this when he wants his eggs in the morning. Or attetion in the evening. It is extremly funny to watch him.

Hi, and welcome to the chat.

I have a ten year old umbrella cockatoo named Yogi. He will do the same things you have described when he is in a happy playful mood. I love it! Although, I do think the chicken scratching on your arm could be something a little different. Maybe he's trying to make you lay an egg. He really, really loves you...if you know what I mean.

Our Macaws- regeritate for me, and Our Umbrella& Grey regergitates for Buddy.

i found out that he is really a she, i was told brown in the eyes means female

Hey Mikey
I am kind of new to cockatoos, but I have 3 African Greys and an Eclectus. I have read and been told that the scratching can be foraging behavior or nesting behavior,too. Maybe Trino needs some opportunity to forage for food. My U2, Winter, does this and he loves to chew up lots and lots of wood. Then he arranges it just the way he wants it by using his beak to move it around and does the "chicken scratch" thing too.
cheryl

tino loves to play with paper and wood too, so we get a 2x4 and cut it up for tino and hang it in the cage. I know this, tino will do his little chickening on the bottom of the cage alot and kick seeds everywhere hehe

heres a picture of tino:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mikeypizano ... 4981996562 ill get some more tommorow

I also have citrons and raise them too! Even though we have never sexed our 2 pet ones, we think they are girls even though I have seen a couple females that eyes are SO reddish brown there is no doubt! One was a sister of these two. My one pet Citron, Taffy, does the beak banging thing in my hand also and the other one, Purdy does it to its corner shelf in the cage. I decided several years ago I wanted a Citron and could not find any pet ones around. I found a young breeder pair and bought them. They have given me 25 babies of which i kept 2 as pets. They live inside with my pet umbrella and rosebreasted....total pets! Yes, I am a hard core cockatoo person, I confess! You will find any of the sulfur cresteds quite antimated to say the least!

Sandi