I have a long billed corella (Rocky) he's tamish with me but no one else and is in an outdoor aviary on his own (doesn't play well with other birds) and I have noticed that lately he has been wagging his tail while on me, at first I thought he was getting ready to drop a bomb but he didn't. Anyway today he perched on my arm then climbed to my shoulder, chewed my zipper for a bit then walked from one shoulder to the other and even on my head while stopping in between to wag his tail (he did it alot)
Also he didn't want to get off me, I tried getting him to step up but he would climb back up again, I even tried jumping up and down and still nothing, eventually I had to throw my jacket over him which lead to him clenching his feet on my head and those nails OUCH.

So does anyone know what wagging their tails mean?

They are happy or settling in. Unless it is an amazon. Then it could me they are going into overload. But I have one bird that it means she is going too poop.

yes, it is a kind of contentment usually.

It could be one of two things. Is he just wiggling his tail a bit, shaking it for a second then holding still? That's a sign of contentment. Or is he waggling it a lot, seeming like he's rubbing you? The latter is a mating behavior, which is a complement in a way but can lead to problems down the road due to sexual frustration and should be discouraged

Thank you, it's nice to know he's a happy boy then my dad got him from a pet store when he was 12 years old and he was only semi tame but he's 18 now and seems to have taken a liking to me, I think everyone else is scared of his long beak.

Jenny: he does wag it a lot and I have noticed that he holds it in a downwards position sometimes

Sounds like he might actually be errr.. yeah

Birds .......

It means he likes you... A lot....

What the others are trying to say is it sounds like he may be masturbating/trying to mate. Is it similar to the behavior in this video?

Cockatiel Behaviour| | Yes Boofy Is Masturbating - Yes It Is Hilarius - YouTube
Don't worry, it's nothing gross It's actually a pretty common behavior, though I've seen it much more in cockatiels than cockatoos. Just gently remove him, tell him no, and redirect it into more appropriate behavior. Ideally, we want our parrots to see us as a flock member, not a mate. Letting him continue to masturbate on you will mean he sees you as his mate, which will lead to more possessiveness, aggression, and frustration on his part that can lead to plucking or biting. Goober has done this with me, starting regurgitating on my feet and trying to rub on them and I just pick her up, put her back on her playstand, telling her "no no, we're just friends!" and speaking very calmly until she calms down. You may want to not let him up on your shoulders as much, because then you're not in control of the situation.

Just go slow, keep an eye on it, and try to redirect it. Give him a toy, pick him up and move him somewhere else, etc. Don't make a big deal out of it, then he'll do it for attention. If he is trying to masturbate on you, then you'll also want to reassess how you pet him. In a flock, a flockmate will preen other members heads, but really only a mate would preen the back and lower body. Petting their back and under their wings can stimulate masturbation behaviors and should be avoided until they're less hormonal.

Jenny - your posts are always so helpful! You're a very knowledgeable member of the forum. Just had to put that out there!

Sorry I'm so late to reply and I would like to second that, Thank you so much for the info Jenny, I'll definately be discouraging the behaviour just in case and I went out and got him some new toys now that you've mentioned it I do pet him on the back because I don't think he likes it on his head, so I guess he'll have to get used to being petted on the head from now lol
Thanks again

Happy to help! Once you get a feel for the behavior and how he responds, you can go back to petting on the back again. Goober went through a hormonal period of about a year, but now I can pet her all over and she doesn't get hormonal or stimulated anymore unless she gets near my feet... she still tries to feed them Cockatoos tend to be more sensitive to that sort of thing tho, I believe. We had an umbrella growing up whom we could never touch below her head or she'd immediately go into sexual behavior. Just keep a close eye on his behavior, watch for those cues. The more time you spend with him, really watching, the better you'll get at reading his moods. 'Toos are some of the hardest breeds to read, but you can learn how with time I think you'll do great with it, you already are looking for the right info and taking the time to research and have a great bond with your boy!

:blush: Aww, thanks Abby! You all had great posts too, I'm just a bit more blunt about masturbation hahahaha Always loved explaining that to customers at the pet shop, their faces were priceless!

Actually, this is very common behavior in Cockatoos...and Ekkies! And it's perfectly normal, it means he's happy and healthy but it would probably be best if he had a different outlet like a toy or another friend!

I would love to see pictures of him if you'd like to share. The Long Billed Corellas are a rare find here in the US, especially the Westerns. I think they're just stunning!

Thanks again, I think watching his behaviour will be easier when the bigger aviary is set up, otherwise he kind of has me cornered when I have to hold the door shut with one hand and keep an eye on him, hoping that when it's done I can spend some more time with him
I go outside to see him when I get back from work and he keeps saying "gotta go to work to work" it's something he picked up from his previous owner, I keep having to tell him no thanks I've just come back lol then when I'm ready to leave the aviary he tries to follow me out.

I don't really have many pictures of him because my phone is bad at taking pics when he's moving, but here's an ok one
IMG_0174.JPG
I'll try to get some good ones this weekend and post them

Wow.. Awesome pic,.. He's beautiful... Very different from other toos, but just beautiful!

He's gorgeous! Thanks for the picture. I believe he's an Eastern Long Billed? They're supposed to be incredible talkers! I dream of being owned by one some day along with a Major Mitchell and a Red Tailed Black. I love the 'toos! We currently have a Ducorps' and a Galah...both boys and both who like to do the same thing yours does!

Beautiful corella!

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