Reading Parrots

This is Sydney. He's a big male Moluccan Cockatoo that I am visiting this weekend. I always handle him carefully and try to read his comfortability when I bring him out of his cage. Today, he was stiff and upright. He seemed tense. I was very aware of his discomfort. When a parrot gets nervous, they might bite out of fear or anxiousness. I placed him on his hanging playgym and gave him a toothbrush to soothe him. He took it and used it almost like a pacifier. I then determined that the T-Shirt I was wearing made him uncomfortable. It was one of those with parrots screenprinted on the front. Birds are very visual. I slipped away and turned it inside out. When I walked back into the room, I could walk up and preen Sydney and he was back to his old gentle self. The rest of the visit went well without tension. I have found that even a brightly colored shirt can be disconcerting for some shy birds. I wear a lot of brown and black and neutral colors because of this. I handle many birds in many situations and don't need to provoke them!