# Aggressive preening me?



## Featherful (Sep 18, 2018)

It’s kinda hard to explain what sev is doing, but the last few days he has been almost aggressively preening me. He chirps at my face and bobs his head up and down then kinda pecks and preens my nose as if he’s playing with a toy. It’s not biting, but it seems like an irritated gesture. When I remove him from my face he leans back in like he wants to be close to me. Then does it again. Is this a mating thing? He is also starting to molt. He does this with his toys when he’s out of his cage too. Almost as if overexcited. So hard to explain.


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

When a budgie are bonded to you, you are a flock friend or mate. He's not irritated, it's just the way they responded to other budgies that they're friends with. One of joys of having a budgie as a true non-human friend.


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## Featherful (Sep 18, 2018)

Oh yeah I definitely understand that preening is a sign of friendship, and he does that sweetly. But sometimes theres a sort of peck thrown in as if my nose is a toy and I'm not sure what that means. It never feels particularly aggressive, his body language is very calm otherwise. I'm thinking he might be trying to play with me like he would another budgie. He is in a very very playful mood these last few days haha more so than usual.


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## Jesska (Apr 24, 2018)

The way I understand it, though I am no expert, is that it's kind of like when you rough house with a cat or dog and they get all 'attack like' but you know it's only in fun. I think budgies do that too as a way to get out energy and communicate. Kowhai does this to me sometimes and I rough house back to him gently and he seems to think it's a great game. :>


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## Featherful (Sep 18, 2018)

Jesska said:


> The way I understand it, though I am no expert, is that it's kind of like when you rough house with a cat or dog and they get all 'attack like' but you know it's only in fun. I think budgies do that too as a way to get out energy and communicate. Kowhai does this to me sometimes and I rough house back to him gently and he seems to think it's a great game. :>


That would make sense thank you! Because everything else he is doing points to affection. Chattering and bobbing his head at my nose. He sometimes does the angry dolphin noise when my finger gets to close but that never lasts long. I attribute that to the fact that he's a hormonal teenager not wanting mom to bug him all the time.


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