My Scaley's behaviour..... very odd!

[melzawelza]

Hey guys!! just want to say what a great site, ive been looking for a forum with a section for Lorikeets, as there doesnt seem to be many on the net!!

Anyway, I got my scaley Pickles in November last year and hand raised him so he is about 8-9 months old. He is a crazy little bugger and loves to play soccer with a yellow plastic ball we have. up until now he used to just chase it and kick it but in the last few weeks he has been doing this thing where he puts it in front of him, then his little legs go 100 miles an hour trying to push it under him and he uses his beak to push it under too. It really looks to me like he is trying to sit on it like he would an egg, but as its quite big he cant get it under there. it either doesnt go under or shoots out the back. he also fluffs right up when he does it and will do it for a long time.

now, my lorikeet book says that only the female lories incubate the eggs. my questions to you guys are:

1. Do you think he is mimicking sitting on an egg? and if so does that mean he is a female?

2. If he is, isnt he a bit young to be doing that sort of thing?? haha.

3. Have you guys ever experienced this with lories so young??

Thanks!!! (ive also got a short vid of him playing soccer so ill put it in the video section!)

[AcaciaWattle]

Hi And welcome to the forum from Me. I work a lot so I seem to be lurking in the shadows a bit more than normal.
It sounds as though Pickles is in "love" with the ball and is trying to mate it. This behaviour though doesn't mean Pickles is a boy, because girls do this behaviour too.
I have a rainbow and a scaley and I love the scalies cause in my experience with lots of them they tend not to bite
can't wait to see the vid
Amanda

[AussieBirds]

I have a Rainbow Lorikeet and for 2 years we called her him until she laid an egg, she used to do the sort of things your Pickles is doing so he may well be a she. Lorikeets are just the most fun and love to play games so Pickles sounds perfectly normal.

John

[melzawelza]

Thanks for the replies! Aussiebirds maybe he is a girl then! is 2 years about the age they start laying eggs if they're girls? I think i read they're fully grown at 1 and sexually mature at 2.

Hey amanda... i agree scaleys are beautiful! Little pickles is lovely although he sure knows how to bite when he thinks im going to put him back in his cage! he's all sweet and cuddly till then and he'll rip you up! haha im trying to work through this with him. i think he's definitely a bird that shouldnt be on the shoulder but he loves it there!