Grey Fisher
Clucking pionus is in the mood for love
 Lately my one-year-old white-capped pionus has been making strange clucking sounds. While he is doing this, he is also shaking his wings without opening them and pointing his tail in the air. Sometimes he hooks his beak on the front of the cage while perched.
-- Denise, Butler, Pa.
 THANKS for the question! The behavior you describe can mean many different things. It's possible he simply may be trying to get your attention. On the other hand, the tail-in-the-air posture, trembling wings and the clucking point strongly suggest a female bird in the mood. Are you sure your pionus is not a "she"? One year is a bit early for sexual maturity, but she's giving all the signs.
Grey Fisher is a trainer at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. Previously he was a trainer with Natural Encounters, Inc., a world-renowned organization that helps zoos all over the world train birds and many other types of animals using positive reinforcement.
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