My green cheek conure regurgitates when I pet her neck. Why?

Regurgitation can be a sign of affection/wanting to mate, and some birds may display this behavior toward people they are bonded with if they do not have a mate. It is best to discourage the behavior by either stopping interactions when it happens, or distracting with a favorite toy or treat instead. Puzzle toys or things that can be chewed on/groomed may help him get out some boredom or affection for the object instead.

Often they regurgitate (not vomit) their food when they are in the presence of a friend or mate. It's a way for them to show off. If you have a particularly close relationship with your parrot, then this could explain the behavior; especially if it's something he does regularly. They can also do it more often during breeding seasons. There are a couple of different diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that can also cause frequent regurgitation, so it's best to have him checked out by an avian vet if this suddenly started occurring. If you are suspicious that it's more behavioral, then you may consider altering how you interact with your parrot. This is especially important when it comes to touching your parrot. In the wild, friends will only touch around the head and neck, while mates will touch areas below the neck, like under the wings and belly. Essentially, you'll want to give a little distance between you and the parrot. If that stops the regurgitating, then you'll know that's the problem. I hope that helps and all goes well with your Ringneck.

Birds can sometimes begin to regurgitate or share food if they're feeling in a "lovey" or mating mood. It may be that he is considering you a potential mate. It'd be best not to encourage the behavior if this is the case, and to try and interact with him in other ways, such as offering a toy to play with, walking away when he attempts it etc. If you're seeing any other symptoms such as changes in eating habits, stool changes, listless behavior, etc, then it could indicate something beyond just behavioral, and scheduling a vet checkup is always a good idea.

Birds do not recognize themselves in the mirror, so this would explain the mating behavior of regurgitating. I know it looks somewhat concerning, but it is more of a behavioral thing and is not concerning from a medical standpoint. If she seems more hormonal (like she's displaying a lot of mating behaviors), then you should expect this to pass within a few weeks. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to stop her from doing this at this time...you'll have to just wait for this phase to pass. If she doesn't seem to be keeping any food down or is continuing the behavior for longer than a month, then it's best to have a vet check her out. There are a few different infections and conditions that cause chronic regurgitation, so it would be good to rule these out as a cause.

Birds can regurgitate as a sign of affection and if she is attempting to build a nest or make a nest of blankets this could be the case. However, if she appears at all ill, or has other symptoms such as listless behavior, refusal to eat or drink, changes in stool habits, swollen crop, etc, in addition to the regurgitation, then a vet visit is best to rule out any health issues.

Thanks for reaching out about Charlie. It is possible she is regurgitating as a hormonal behavior, but other things can cause this also. Crop or stomach foreign bodies, ingested toxins and metal toxicity, metabolic concerns (liver, renal disease) are among the list of things that can cause regurgitation. If she is loosing body size and getting thinner, she needs to see an avian veterinarian. Has she laid an egg or acting hormonal otherwise? Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out. No, this is not normal. Ingested toxicities, gastrointestinal foreign bodies, crop infections, are all possibilities. A veterinary visit is recommended for diagnosis and treatment. If he has been and continues to regurgitate, he probably is not getting many nutrients. See a veterinarian tomorrow if possible. Good luck.