FINCHforum

Hi all! Have a friend with a Society who, over the last couple of days, has been doing and odd lip licking thing with it's beak. At first it was just a quick lick of the lips. But she just sent me a video where the bird spent a good 30 seconds rapidly licking its lips. I'm not sure if "licking lips" would be the right description. What it looked like on the video was a motion with it's tongue where it was flicking it in and out of its mouth super quick... almost like a snake or lizard would do. She told me that it's cage mate, a Spice, flew over to it a few seconds after she stopped recording and gave it a quick peck on the beak and it then stopped doing this tongue flicking.

Does anyone know why a bird would do this? A sign of infection or disease? Is it dangerous?

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated, as she and I are stumped

AzillaFinch

Does she have any herbal mixes that she feeds them? When I started adding dried herbs I have noticed that my societies love to roll it around in their mouths, flick their tongue in and out and savor the taste of it. Maybe a small herb was in his mouth, then his cage-mate pecked at him to try and get a taste of whatever was so delicious?

Just IM'd her to ask... THANK YOU!!!! That was close to one of the things I had come up with. I had thought maybe a seed hull was in his mouth. If they like toying with herbs, that is AWESOME to know (and much a relief too!)

She just IM'd back... SHE IS giving herb mix! WAHOO!

Bless you! I know she'll be relieved too!!

Thank you so much for the speedy response!!!

AzillaFinch

LOL yay!! If she is using a product like this http://glamgouldians.com/product-herbsalad.php

Then I would say I have definantly seen my societies just savoring and the lip licking!

But someone else might have a different take on it as well, so keep an eye on this thread...just in case. ;)

Babs Will def keep an eye out for what others may have to say as well, but very glad for your quick input!! At least we're not completely scared about it now

AzillaFinch

Glad to help. Im relaxing after a long week of work and just soaking in the new posts and photos tonight before I sleep in tomorrow (which will be heaven) Zzzzzzzzz

Glad to see other societies enjoy their herbs as much as mine do

AzillaFinch & Babs

I have never seen a bird licking it's lips. Am I missing out on something here?

lovezebs I called it that. It "sort of"... and I say that very LOOSELY... looks like that. I saw one video a day or two when he did it slowly and it DID honestly look like he licked his lips/beak. But in the video today, it was more like he was flicking his tongue in and out of his mouth rapidly... almost like a snake would... real fast... in and out again. And his tongue looked long (I've never really gotten a good look at a birdie tongue, but that's the way it looked on the video...oddly long to me).

I have not seen any behavior like this before up close and in person. None of my own birds have ever done this. Nor have I ever had to closely inspect any of my birds' mouths, so I have no idea how long a bird's tongue is...LOL.

Is that mud a little clearer?

lovezebs

BEAK licking WOMAN!!

Like when you spot feed a baby finch for pleasure and they lick and lick and lick like "I havent had this stuff in a while, but wow this tasted good!

AzillaFinch & Babs

I know that when I hand fed babies they would kinda lick my finger? I was in fact surprised that their little tongues were sort of rough and pointy. But I have never seen a bird actually sit there and lick it's lips..... or his beak rather. lol !

lovezebs

Yeah mine do. I especially notice it if I do an occasional spot-feed. Im checking crops every 3 hours and I have to gently push up their feathers.

As awesome as my boys are at parenting, they miss a chick now and then with so many babys. Im just there to pop in a bottle when needed.

I've had chicks lick their beaks for a good minute after a spot feed. Especially if they got a tiny bit on the edge of the beak and they havent been dropper fed in days.

Babs No, I am the one that started the whole "Licking Lips" thing... Heck, that's what I titled the thread...LOL

AzillaFinch newbie and no use right word... birdie no have lips... have BEAK!!!!!

Has anyone ever heard of this one: my java finch male will open his beak and wiggle his tongue when he is upset or afraid of something. Never saw this in any other bird ever. It's so funny to see!

wildbird

Is that like an "I HATE YOU!!!" look, with an added tongue waggling for equal offensiveness?

Your java should have a talk with Lucky who flies in my face like a scene from "The Birds" movie attack.

wildbird

That's hilarious!
Haven't seen that in any bird either...... live and learn......