African Grey stimulated by toy?
by Jill
(CT)
Good Morning...I've had a Timneh grey for over 20 years. I have never had the bird sexed, so I am unsure if it is a male or female.
About a month ago, I hung a new rope toy in "his" cage and a couple weeks ago "he" started playing with it. First, he was somewhat violent with it, swinging it back and forth and bumping it with "his" beak. More recently, "he" has started attaching one foot to it, keeping the other foot on the perch, and making "kissy" noises at it. "He" has also started the open "his" wings, drop them, and cock his head to one side, with a strange look on "his" face, while swing back and forth with "his" tail down.
I have read quite a few articles about this type of behavior online, yet I am still confused. Is this a sexual ritual? If so, should I remove that toy, which is clearly proving to be a stimulation? Lastly, is it safe to assume that my parrot is a male, as "he" has not laid any eggs in the 20+ years I have had "him?"
I welcome your thought and advice!
Thank you,
~Jill