Possible sexual behaviour

Question
Yes i knew about the regurgitating. but since his body was jumping with his head, wasn't to sure, especially not knowing me very well. i agree she does a good thing, but today with the 3rd visit, i found a couple things that concerned me. she doesn't believe in vets, only if its life threatening. otherwise she uses energy healing...also, she says you don't have to DNA sex a too, visual appearance is enough, i know that is absolutely not true. i asked her today after spending about an hour with him, if she felt he was comfortable with me and this would be a good match. she said yes, definitely, but when i asked her when she would consider going forward with letting me take him home, she said, that were all just getting to know each other, and well just "cruise" for awhile and see what happens...
how long would you consider long enough b4 i need to let her know i really feel it would be in his best interest to come home with me...i of course understand taking it slow, and i can see giving it some more time...but ...
i have another goffins, who ive talked to you about b4, "Lakota" he is now 8 months old and doing fabulously! i
i would just appreciate your insight and help with this situation..
thx

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Yesterday i was in a parrot shop that focuses on rehoming rescue birds. I was holding a 12 year old male goffin's. he was sitting on my chest while i was preening his feathers when i started feeling something from his body that felt like hiccups/ i looked down and his beak was slightly open and his body and head were jerking slightly. the owner of the shop said it is mating behavior? i was running one hand over his back and the other hand was preening around his neck. this was the 2nd time i had visited with him. all i know of his past is that he was a single bird for 12 years. the horrid woman who owned him smoked so much around him his feathers were dark grey until the shop owner bather him. he also had never been allowed to preen. when very young the woman thought he was plucking and put this "collar" around his neck about 2 to 2 1/2 inches tall. he wore that for 12 years till the shop owned cut it off of him...im not sure if any of that matters for the question i asked but i figured more info on his back round in better than less..
thank you
-----Answer-----
Hi, Amanda.  Thanks for posting!

What the bird was most likely doing was showing you affection by trying to regurgitate on you.  They open their beaks and the jerking with the head is the way a parrot regurgitates food.  It sounds gross, but this is what parrots do with their mates, both human and avian. They also feed their babies this way.

I'm wondering if this bird is so starved for attention/affection that he is bonding to you after only 2 visits.  With this bird being 12 years old and poorly treated, it's a wonder he's friendly with anyone.  I hate to say it, but in avian circles, a bird that reacts to a person such as this bird has done to you is a "sign" that you and this bird should be together.  The bird has picked you and this is good.

How wonderful of a person this shop owner is for doing what s/he is doing for these birds.

Chrys

Answer
Hi again, Amanda.  

When a parrot starts bobbing it's head like that, it's hard for the body not to follow along to some extent!

About her view of avian vets...some avian vets want their owners to bring their parrots in for annual well-bird checkups, etc.  However, my avian vet doesn't believe in this.  He says the worst place you can take a healthy bird (pet) is to the vet where they can catch all sorts of illness/disease from sick pets who are in the office.  He only wants to see parrots when their owners believe they are sick.  He states bird owners know their birds better than I do...if/when the owner believes there's a problem, there likely is, so bring them in.  Otherwise, he only needs to see young birds for vaccinations and other birds if they are ill (or owner believes they are ill).  Energy healing isn't going to do it when you have a sick bird that needs medication.  I agree with you on the DNA sexing part for Goffins.  Some toos can be visually sexed, but some can't.  Makes me wonder how much this lady knows about parrots.  

In my opinion, I think it would be best for this bird to go home with you ASAP.  It's not good to let a bird get used to one location just to move the bird again, especially if one know's in advance the bird will be moving.  It's best to get the bird, especially a rescue, to it's new home as quickly as possible.  Is this person considering keeping this parrot herself?  I'd have to think this a possibility if she won't let it go with you at the present time.  Otherwise, I'd have to question this person's knowledge of birds.

Chrys