Who doesn't like a Neck Scratch - not Kookaburras

Come on - give me a pat

I know my cats love getting petted (oh yeah, btw, I’ve got 2 Burmese cats – Jykle & Hyde).


 

Hyde

Jykle

So I wondered if my Kookaburra family liked the same.

So it was time for the experiment.

By now Boss, Bitey & Brave Baby, we comfortable to just perch on my hand once they had been fed.

queueing up

I started with Boss first. A few tentative pats down his chest......

 

 

.......& off he flew. Did he enjoy that?

 

If it was my first Kookaburra pat, I bloody well know it was his.

 

 

 

He didn't seem startled when he flew off. I think he just didn't understand it.

 

 

 

 

Well the next day, he let me pat him a dozen strokes before he flew off. I think he likes this.

Now he's happy to sit with me at the end of day, and just be patted.
Kookaburra Patting Boss loves a pat 

Brave Baby was next. He's up for anything.

Right from the get go, he got into it. Nothing seems to faze this little guy.

Bitey (Brave Baby's older brother), was a bit more pensive. His behaviour was much like Boss (except with a few pecks thrown in).

I have noticed they don't like to be stroked on the back or head. That does startle them. I think it's a field of view thing. They don't fly off, but you can tell they're not enjoying it.

Now, with cats, they really like a pat - but they LOVE a scratch under the chin.
hyde neck scratch

So I wondered if my birds did too?

And, as a matter of fact, they didn't like it, they loved it.

They will only cop so much of it before flying off, but they do look like they really enjoy it.  

Bitey even pushes himself into it.

This video is of all 3 of them getting "A good old neck scratch".

Kookaburra neck scratch