Why does he do this?

[MelissaRay]

I notice that when I stick my finger in my b&gs mouth he acts like he did when he was a baby and I was hand feeding him. He bobs his head up and down. Does any one know why he would do this? And also does any one know what temperature ranges are good for macaws. Like the cooldest and and the warmest. I want to start taking Reagan to my dads office and I want to make sure the temperature is right for him.

[Michelle & Fids]

Because he loves you Not sure on the exact temps, I go by what is comfortable for me. When I take them out when it is cold I always cover their carrier with a blanket and have the car already warmed up. In the summer I make sure the car isn't sweltering before they get in.

[MelissaRay]

Originally Posted by Michelle & Fids

Because he loves you Not sure on the exact temps, I go by what is comfortable for me. When I take them out when it is cold I always cover their carrier with a blanket and have the car already warmed up. In the summer I make sure the car isn't sweltering before they get in.

Ok! I thought maybe he was trying to tell me he was hungry or something. I was worried. Thanks for the help. And Reagan is looking forward to the toys. They should be here tomorrow!!

[Michelle & Fids]

I hope he enjoys them!!!

[Macawlvr]

I have a eight year old B&G that will still easily do that every time. Doesn't really mean anything specific to me except they are being goofy.

Back when I was hand feeding baby macaws, some of my older ones would come into the kitchen when I was doing that and all of them would start trying to feed each other. I would even give the older ones a bit of the leftover formula and they would immediately turn back into babies...it was quite hilarious to watch.

Temperatures...the large macaws actually like the cold as long as they are acclimated to it, at least mine do. They are outside year round. I do live in South Texas though.

What I would be careful about is 'sudden temperature shifts'...like going from a 70 degree house out into a 50 degree cold and windy day. You want the cool down to be gradual, keeping them out of drafts...and you want to acclimate a macaw to more extreme temps if they are going to be subjected to them.

I get a lot more worried in the summertime when the temps go up around 95 to a hundred degrees. Macaws don't like the heat and don't do well with high temps either. A overheated macaw is a dangerous situation.

[Wendy]

My red front does that constantly! Especially when he's playing and in a happy mood. At first I thought he was about to puke on me, which he has many times, but its him being a goofball.

[MelissaRay]

Originally Posted by Wendy

My red front does that constantly! Especially when he's playing and in a happy mood. At first I thought he was about to puke on me, which he has many times, but its him being a goofball.

Reagan has threw up on me too when he bobs his head. Hes only done it a couple of times. I was worried about him, but now that I know its just a bird thing, I think I will be ok!! Thanks

[obscured by clouds]

Hey!

Sounds like he is regressing to behaving like a baby. They will do this on their own, or from other types of stimuli. From lots of touching or warm food can enforce bad habits. While it might seem cute and fun, it's not a trait you should reinforce.

When mine exhibits those types of behavior, I put him on his perch and play time is over.

[StMark]

Macaws regurgitate food for their mates as a sign of their love and caring. Bobbing their head helps bring up food so the first answer from "Michelle & Fids" was the correct one: "Because he loves you"!