# Wanting head scritches or some other behavior?



## Dreamrunner (Aug 14, 2015)

Even though Cirrus was supposedly a hand-fed baby, he was always very frightened of hands when I got him. A few months and lots of millet bribery later, it was like a switch suddenly flipped. He no longer panics and crys and backs away from my hands or ducks away from my fingers. (But he was always perfectly content being right up next to my face)

Though, what's most curious is when I have him out as I'll often do, just sort of freely roaming around on me and my desk, he'll walk up to my fingers with his head down and just sit there. He'll even let me give him head scritches and makes a low-toned peep that is far as I can tell something he seems to do when he's happy..
But he doesn't fluff up, he won't turn his head or anything, just stays in that position, feathers down, crown back.
So.. is he actually wanting head scritches? Does it seem like he enjoys it when I give them to him? Or is this some other behavior?
Apologies if this seems incredibly ignorant, he's so much different from the first cockatiel I had when I was a silly teen, and I'm learning about them all over again.


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

I think he just wants scritches. Mine even do this to my toes because they can't see the difference between fingers and toes haha


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Yup, if he's bowing to you, he wants scritches  the peeping might be the 'baby begging noise', Coco used to do that when he was very young and wanted to be petted. He grew out of making the noise, but is very pushy when it comes to demanding head scratches, and will nudge my hand with his bowed head  Your 'tiel might eventually turn his head while you're scritching him to let you know where he wants it.


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## tasheanne (Dec 31, 2014)

Does anyone know how long it usually takes them to grow out of the baby noises? I don't want mine to! Even if one sounds like a broken washing machine when she does it... Lol


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## JoJo's Mom (Oct 20, 2012)

Milo has just grown out of his baby noises- but I miss them! They were so sweet. On the other hand he is talking and singing all the time <3 So nice to have those sounds back in my house. RIP JoJo...


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## TamaMoo (Jan 12, 2014)

At first Joey didn't move his head either, then one day while I was scritching the top of it, he flopped his head to the side and offered me his cheek. I was in heaven! Then he turned again and offered the back of his neck to be scratched. From then on, he has moved his head to where he wants to be scritched. I guess they do it when they are ready. Some are from the beginning and some take a while. Just go at his pace and trust will keep on growing.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

He definitely wants scritches, and it's not always logical what they bow their heads to. I have one girl who will ask my nose for scritches, and another who repeatedly bows to a toy and makes pitiful noises at it until she gets mad and pecks it for not scritching her. She's been doing this for over a year.


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