My related blog posts:

• Parrot Body Language Tips and Signs
• Parrot Body Language Visuals
• The how to's of body language in parrots

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Waynesboro, VA Shown: Congo African Grey "Cressi" 

Cressi is known for showing inappropriate body language of becoming horny and hormonal and, and, and! However, in this picture she is NOT showing any type of mating behavior, she is actually showing that she's NOT happy with what one of my other birds is up to (namely Bandit) and is about to go over and show him exactly how she feels about him.

I know this by her body being puffed a bit out, the lower feathers being raised and the slight raise of her neck and very tip head feathers. They are all in a way to make her a bit bigger, and some feathers that are slanted mean business.

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Waynesboro, VA Shown: Camelot macaws "Tusa" & "Comet" 

Tusa is the innocent by-standard in this photo. Although they may look all cute and snuggly, Comet is actually... there's just no other way to say this... rubbing his butt on Tusa. His position is in the "about to do it" phase and this is very hormonal behavior.

It will be more obvious when you see the next image, obviously showing bonding during the whole thing.

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Waynesboro, VA Pictured: Camelot macaws "Tusa" & "Comet" 

Obviously these two brothers love one another. We don't make them stop doing this when they do it, as it doesn't last long and it's natural and doesn't lead to any sort of aggression with us or each other, but it's just another sign that they're getting close and is often before or after inappropriate behavior of butt-pushing on one another.

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Waynesboro, VA In photo: Camelot macaw "Tusa" & "Comet"

In this photo Comet is showing significantly inappropriate behavior. He always puts his foot in front of Tusa, or Jinx in some cases, in order to get in the right position to do his very inappropriate behavior. This is something I always look for, "the foot in front" because I know it's only a matter of seconds at that point, if not one second.

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Waynesboro, VA Shown: Camelot macaws "Tusa" & "Comet" 

This is the worst one yet. This is the photo that really shows the most inappropriate behavior your macaw can be doing! Bad, bad, bad. Don't encourage it on you, don't encourage it on other birds. When you sexually frustrate your bird you basically piss it off, just like when it happens with humans or any other animal. No one likes that so it's best to distract your bird with something else and never put it in the position to be able to do so as well as familiarize yourself with the signs that it's about to happen so you can avoid it altogether.

Article by Jamieleigh Womach. She has been working with parrots and toucans since the age of 17. She isn’t homeless but is home less than she prefers to be. She travels the world with her husband, daughter, and a flockful of parrots whom she shares the stage with.