Complete Cockatiel Bird Language And Behavior Guide
Cockatiel language and behavior can be very complex but with knowledge of some general cockatiel traits and what they mean, you will be able to learn more about your cockatiel. We’ll start with the language of the cockatiel crest. The cage your bird is in plays a extremely big part on your it’s overall language and behavior.
Cockatiels are unique in that, unlike other small cockatiels, they have a crest that can give us clear insight into what’s going on inside the cockatiel’s head. The positions of the crest vary from laying flat on the head to sticking straight up in the air.
1. A flat, angry crest. When your cockatiel crest lays flat on the head, it is usually a sign of hostility and often most often when you get to close to your birds cockatiel cage while eating. Of course, even sweet, tame cockatiels like my baby cockatiel Toby (male cockatiel, a little over 6 months old) has moments where the crest will flatten and the inner demon will emerge | it’s totally natural for babies and adults!
2. A relaxed crest at “half mast.” This is a regular crest position for the usual content cockatiel.
3. A relaxed, yet alert crest position. This is a common position for an inquisitive cockatiel.
4. A completely raised crest. Bright red alert! This is a common position for when a cockatiel is startled or otherwise on guard. This often happens when a cockatiel hears a “bump in the night,” or when he hears the voice of another cockatiel that he can’t see. It’s an all-purpose “alert” crest.
The “Rapidfire Bite” Technique:
If your your cockatiel gets little bunchy eyebrows or a flat crest and then starts quickly biting your finger (or as I like to say, playing your finger like a harmonica), he might be a tad miffed at you. Don’t take it personally. It happens with even the best cockatiels.
Skinny Cockatiel:
If your cockatiel suddenly gets very small and “skinny,” it could mean that he has been startled or is scared. It often looks like the cockatiel crops sucked in, and all the feathers lie flat on the body. This is often accompanied by a “red alert” crest.
The Head Bob:
A cockatiel who is bobbing his head often while in it’s bird cage might be trying to tell you a variety of things. In a young or unweaned bird… it is often a sign of hunger. Your cockatiel may be begging for food. In an older cockatiel, it could be a way of showing off or trying to get some attention.
Heart-Shaped Wings:
Also known as “the big chest.” This is when a cockatiel holds his wings slightly away from his sides with his chest sticking out. From the back, the shape of the wings resembles a heart. This is a male cockatiel behavior 90% of the time and is just your cockatiels body language showing off because he likes you. A big chest is a great tool when flirting with cockatiels as a big ripped chest is a great tool with humans and ladies. You should understand how smart your bird is and how much they pick up daily from you, their owner so do not neglect these signs.
The Bowed Head:
If your cockatiel lowers his head and leaves it there, it is most likely an invitation for you to pet his head. This is very cute! A more demanding cockatiel might beak bang a few times before leaving his head stationary if you don’t respond to his demands in a timely fashion.
Ready for Take-Off:
Often, a cockatiel will stoop down low and hold his wings out, still folded, at his sides while fidgeting or moving back and forth. It may look like he is about to take off flying. If your cockatiel’s wings are clipped, then it may mean that he would like to fly somewhere (often toward you) but isn’t confident enough to take off. A flighted cockatiel may also choose to do this if he thinks that you will come and pick him up; it saves him the trouble of actually flying over to you if possible.
Bat Cockatiel:
When given a new cockatiel cage or play gym, when sitting on a tall object, or when near a nesting site, a cockatiel may hold his wings out all the way, often swishing slightly backward and forward. Sometimes, a cockatiel may adopt the same wing position while leaning far forward, sometimes even upside down. This is a sign of “property ownership.” Your cockatiel is saying “This is mine!”
Beak-Banging:
A cockatiel and most birds may often hammer his beak on a hard object, or on you. It almost looks like a pecking motion. This is beak-banging, and it’s a common behavior for male cockatiels. Like other make cockatiel body language, it is a gesture of property ownership. Your cockatiel may be saying “Whatever I’m hammering on is mine!” However, while the Bat Cockatiel is seen in both male and female cockatiel birds, beak banging on your own birds cockatiel cages is a predominantly male behavior once again but females can do it also. There is no known traits that only a male or female can do or shows besides females laying eggs. A male bird or cockatiel can lay eggs but that’s a whole other story and topic lol.
The “Back and Forth” Cockatiel:
Also known as “pacing.” Sometimes, especially when in bird cages, you may see him or her eagerly walking back and forth very quickly, taking only one or two steps to each side while always facing forward. Sometimes he may chirp repeatedly while doing this. Your cockatiels behavior is begging (rather, nagging, begging – whatever you would like to call it) to be let out of his bird cage. The speed of back-and-forth motion often increases exponentially when people are eating in his field of vision.
Beak-Assisted Climbing:
When your cockatiel is climbing onto your finger, he may first grab on with his beak before stepping all the way on. This is normal. He is testing the stability of your finger. This is also often used by cockatiels as a balancing aid.
Beak Grinding:
Usually it is the sound of this motion and not the visual that first attracts our attention. Your cockatiel may grind his upper and lower mandible together, producing a scratchy or “zippy” noise. Your cockatiel is probably content and relaxed, and he might be getting ready for a nap.
In Your Face:
If your cockatiel jumps onto your chest, runs up to your face, and maybe even sticks his beak against your face, he is inviting you to join him in a cuddling session! Take advantage of the opportunity! This move is demonstrated in the video “In Your Face.”
The Head Tilt:
If your cockatiel turns his head sideways and then tilts it up or down, he may be looking at something either above or below him. Because of the positioning of a cockatiel’s eyes, this is the easiest way for them to view certain areas. If you can’t tell what your cockatiel is looking at, it’s possible that he’s staring at his own fluff floating in the air. This head motion may also be done when your cockatiel is listening intently to a sound.
Tail Wagging:
Ever petted your female cockatiel on the back or by the tail and had her “wag her tail” in response? Well, stop it, because you’re turning her on, and she might start to lay eggs!
The Happy Cockatiel Dance:
If your cockatiel gets on top of an object (or backs into an object) and starts rubbing his/her butt back and forth on it, often chirping at the same time, be polite and avert your eyes. Congratulations! Your cockatiel is masturbating hehe. Many cockatiels chirp while doing this.
Backward Head:
If your cockatiel turns his head backward, closes his eyes, and buries his beak in between his feathers, he is all ready to go to sleep. You can also expect him to stand balanced on one foot while doing this.
One Eye Closed, One Eye Opened:
Sometimes, when cuddling with your feathery friend, you might find that he has one eye closed and one eye opened. Most often, it will be the eye facing you that is closed, and the eye facing the rest of the room that is opened. Your cockatiel is relaxed and content, but still alert enough to want to keep a look out.
Puffy!:
Your cockatiel may occasionally puff out all his feathers, often accompanied by a brief dog-like shake. Your cockatiel is just fixing up his feathers. This is often done during preening. However, if your cockatiel remains puffed for long periods of time (and might also sit at the bottom of the cage), he might very well be sick, and he should be taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Repeated Yawning:
Often after preening, a cockatiel may yawn over and over again. It could be that he’s readjusting his crop or that he’s gotten a bit of down stuck in his throat. Either way, it’s normal. They also yawn when they are tired or after waking up from a nap.
The Head Shake:
You may occasionally see your cockatiel rapidly shaking his head for a moment. if done while eating, it could mean that the food has a surprising taste, temperature, or moisture level. If done when listening to a sound, it could mean that it’s a tad too loud or sharp or high-pitched, or just that it’s an interesting sound.
Rolly Head:
While preening, you may see your cockatiel wiping or rolling his head on his lower back, or occasionally inside his wing. If you feel the lower back area, you will find that it is very powdery. A cockatiel performing the Rolly Head is simply distributing all these oils and powders to the feathers on his head.
Bathroom Time:
If your cockatiel stoops down low and gets slightly puffy, it could mean that he is about to go to the bathroom. Hurry and get a napkin! Once you recognize this sign, it will become much easier to prevent accidents on yourself and on the floor.
Bath Time Puffiness:
While taking a shower or bath, or while getting misted, a cockatiel might become extremely puffy, raise both his wings up away from his side, lean forward, and sway all around. This means that he is enjoying his bath!
Shower Time Trance:
When in the shower, your cockatiel might close his eyes and zone out for awhile, as if he is sleeping. Again, this is a sign that he is enjoying his shower.
Nose Picker:
Occasionally, your cockatiel might stick his toenail up his nose and then sneeze. What an undignified cockatiel! Nah, he’s just attempting to clear out his nasal passages. It’s perfectly normal so don’t be alarmed.
Puffy Face:
While listening to a sound, your cockatiel’s face and/or cheek patches may become slightly puffy. This is often a sign that he likes what he’s hearing, or that he is interested in the sound. Toby often gets puffy cheeks while listening to sounds that he later ends up repeating.
Strrreeeetcchhh (haha I like to emphasize the term stretch):
If your cockatiel raises both his wings above his back, usually leaving them folded, he is stretching.
Superman Ice Skater:
Your cockatiel may extend one foot and one wing behind him, often while fanning his tail. This is another way for your cockatiel to stretch.
Mating:
If you have multiple cockatiels, it is possible that you will observe mating. If you have a male and female, this could of course lead to breeding which is not appropriate for everyone. It is also possible to observe mounting if you have a same sex pair since it is far from uncommon for cockatiels to bond to one another regardless of sex. Mating will not always lead to eggs (young females, older females might have a harder time to conceive an egg and obviously a same sex male pair won’t have eggs – ever!).
Crushes:
It is quite frequent for cockatiels to develop crushes on other animals (i.e another cockatiel) or even on other people. Usually, you’ll notice that your cockatiel is acting hormonal around that person (ie protective, displaying, singing etc.). The cockatiel might even try to mate with the chosen object of desire. The male will rub his vent on the object whereas the female will lift her tail and kind of arch her head back and make faint whistling sounds. Crushes might go away or persist, it usually won’t persist if the object of desire is removed. If your cockatiel develops a crush on someone else than you, even if you are the primary care taker, don’t take it as a sign that your cockatiel doesn’t love you… he just doesn’t love you “that” way!
Flock Calling:
In the wild, most cockatiels live in large groups called a flock. In captivity, you and your family are your cockatiels flock, which is why it is important to frequently interact with your cockatiels as you are his social group. In the wild, cockatiels of a same group are not always within sight of each other so they will call to each other to keep track of each others positions. Think of it as a way to verify that all your family is safe and sound. The bird calling usually consist in a high pitched whistle repeated until the caller is satisfied that all of his flock has answered. You can answer your cockatiel by whistling back so he knows that you are there, safe and by extension so is he. If you have multiple cockatiels, they will call to each other in the morning to verify that everyone got through the night alright, they will also call to each other if they are in separated rooms. Be careful, however, as there is a difference between flock bird calling and a behavioral screaming for attention problem. A cockatiel whose flock answers will stop calling after a few whistles, faster if you answer the cockatiel | An attention screamer will just go on screaming for ever until you show up in the room and care for them.
Hissing:
Think of a cat hiss when it’s scared or unhappy, the same applies to cockatiels. If your cockatiel doesn’t want to come out of the cage, doesn’t want to be petted, doesn’t want anything to do with that new $15 toy you put in his cage chances are he’ll let you know by either hissing at you or at the object that is causing him to be scared or mad. If you have multiple cockatiels, they can also keep each other at bay by hissing at one another – this is a simple “don’t get in my personal space!” message to other birds. It’s a mean of intimidation for the cockatiels and they usually fluff up their feathers, open their wings in order to pretend to be bigger and stronger than they really are to scare the potential threat away.
Regurgitating:
This is not to be confused with vomiting which is actually a sign of illness. Regurgitating is the act where the cockatiel empties the food from his crop onto someone, another cockatiel or a toy which they are bonded with. Parents also regurgitate food into their babies crop in order to feed them. If your cockatiel regurgitate on you it is a sign that he is very much bonded to you and he’s trying to feed you. Sadly, cockatiels do not comprehend that we might not want to eat their gift.
Acting out Fear and Aggressions:
Cockatiels who have been abused in the past, either by a mate or an owner can act out fear and aggressions on their toys or new feathery friends. This rarely happens in baby cockatiels gotten from breeders or reputable stores, but if you got your cockatiel from a rescue or from someone out of the classifieds it’s possible to observe this behavior. Keep in mind that not all rescue and classified cockatiels were abused, but there’s more chances of a shady past. If you notice that your cockatiel is aggressive toward other cockatiels it will be important to cage him/her alone, it will help reduce the stress for all your cockatiels and yourself. Time, patience and love will be required to work through this and eventually your cockatiel will feel more confident and safe around you and will settle down.
Congratulations on making it to the end and you can now say you’ve completed the cockatiel bird crash course on body language and behavior, hehe. I hope you all enjoyed it and that it was able to answer any questions you may of had about your loving pet! Please comment or send me any stories or information on your cockatiel if you have anything else to add. I enjoy pictures and am always interested in story’s that are bird related.
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I love the story about your cockatiels and find it so heart warming that you took the abused cockatiels in to bring them back to health. I would reallly like if you could post pictures up of your cockatiels as they sound so cute. Thank you for your kind heart.
How about the claws? do they use one of them to hold an object or piece of food like bigger parrots? allways?
Cockatiels like most birds will hold food with one hand and eat with the other when it’s something they have to work to get to, for example a sunflower seed for cockatiels and a parrot usually will hold fruit to nibble on or a peanut. There is nothing wrong with a bird which does this and it’s common with all birds while eating. If you did not know, when cockatiels go to sleep, they will climb to the highest perch and sleep with 1 foot up in the air… why, I do not know but it does cause them to get scarred sometimes at night and fall and that’s why I always leave a nightlight next to all my cockatiel cages.
Thanks for posting this, a very good article. A cheat sheet on tiels behaviors.
Thank you very much. Yes, you could also call it a cheat sheet
. Hope it was a help.
Thank you, I’ve always felt bad for abused animals and since cockatiels and birds are my specialty and love… I knew they needed my help and I am happy to say today they are fully different birds who chirp, happy and love to play out of the cage instead of the biting, hissing and attacks when first getting them.
Thanks for the tips and help.
Complete Cockatiel Bird Language And Behavior Guide with Videos….
When I take my 3 week old cockatiel chick out of its nest box to handle it will repeatedly shake his wings is this the ‘rearranging its feathers or is this something else?
thak u very much u answerd alot of my questions
you are very welcome. please visit anytime. thanks again
Since your cockatiel is only 3 weeks old, it is still weaning and developing. A store isn’t allowed to sell (well in New York at least) a bird until it is fully weaned and ready to be brought home which is usually 5-6 weeks after a cockatiel is born. Yours may just be getting excited because it thinks it’s feeding time since they are still “not ready to be on it’s own. He may be flapping because it’s natural for birds to wonder what their so called wings are lol. As long as he is healthy, is eating and not showing any signs of illness, the flapping thing is nothing bad or nothing to be worried about. He may be very happy to see you since they develop bonds early on and my youngest male cockatiel is 9 months old and still flaps for attention, food, to play and so on. It is cute though, hope this gets to you. Take care.
What an interesting site! very informative.
I have a 12 week old cockatiel that we have just brought home (2 days ago)from a pet shop. It is making a sound like a constant electric motor running, but its beak is shut tight. I know that it is getting used to us, but it gives me the feeling that the poor bird is upset, almost as if it is pining for something. it took a while for it to get used to where its food is, but doesn’t mind being handled gently.
Any suggestions?
Hey John, congrats on bringing home your new cockatiel and at 12 weeks old he/she is still learning and adapting to it’s new home. The only sound I’ve heard from a cockatiel from your description is that as long as your bird isn’t biting or biting hard and not getting aggressive, then it’s purring… yes just like a cat. You could take him/her out, put them to your chest and pet them from neck up, almost backwards and you will prob hear that purring noise again. I don’t think your bird is feeling upset and it will take a little bit more before they become fully comfortable with the food and toys in the cage. Millet you can’t go wrong with as the most stubborn bird can’t turn it down lol. Hope this helps.
Do you know what it means when a cockatiel rocks back in forth?
Hello Lila… from my experience – all my cockatiels I have and owned did that funny back and forth rocking lol. They do it for a few reasons but mostly it is your bird way of trying to get attention and almost like a little dance. Sometimes if they hear a unique noise and get curious they could do that trying to figure out what it was and where it came from. If yours does it often, even if no one is by the cage or while your birds alone (peak in the room if you need to check) – it could mean he is getting sick which they do if something isn’t right with them but that is more rare and you would be able to see other problems first but it is always good to get them a checkup. Thanks for writing.
My cockatiel always picks at the fabric on my chair, and when I pick him up, he starts attacking me… is this him “preening” the chair? Or is it something else?
We got a female cockatiel from a coworker who could not keep her. She is our second cockatiel and she is very frightened and aggressive. She hisses and lunges and does this sort of head and body shake that almost looks like a seizure but I think it is a warning gesture. She won’t sit on her perch but insists on sitting on the indention where her cage curves. We have successfully changed her diet from seed-only to peelets but I am at a loss of how to put her at ease with us. She does this lunge-shake behavior any time I talk to her or move nearer than 2 feet from her cage. Any ideas?
Sorry, I meant to say we changed her diet from seed-only to pellets.
Hello and that is a excellent question. It was kind of you to take in another cockatiel and believe it or not, this act/gesture is very common in male and female cockatiels. This occurs more often when a bird is moved into a completely new home with all new people but the good news is that the problem can be fixed and if you read my about me page, you can see how that happened to me only with a very very abused and nasty cockatiel who would bite and go crazy even when trying to replace his food and water dish.
If you got it from someone who you know did not neglect the cockatiel or abuse the bird, then it is just a case of being in a new environment and naturally will hiss, lunge and go into a protective state which is why you get that reaction when approaching the cockatiels bird cage. There is a bunch of changes you could do which will allow your cockatiel to gain your trust and with a little more detailed information, i would be more than glad to walk you through it since I’m positive every bird can be trained to be nice. Getting your cockatiel to eat pellets is a task on it’s own which you said you were able to do so that is excellent since most birds take months to accept pellets without throwing them onto the floor. The body head shake is a defensive move they use in the wild to appear more strong and avoid attacks by animals in the wild but that goes hand and hand with the hissing. Spooky who we named due to him being how he was and he still hisses and chirps but it’s all an act and I just put my finger out and he puts on his show then hops on, so each bird needs trial and error to find what works best. The location of the bird cage could be a major role in the attitude… high traffic area or alone in a room and your other cockatiel would make your new one nervous at first.
how old is the female approx?
what cage and size is the bird currently in?
has the bird ever actually bit you or does it seem to just put on a act (females are alot less aggressive than males so it is already easier on your part)?
what toys, activities do you have in the bird cage and do you notice any trend in like or dislikes?
did you try moving the cage to different area’s, away from direct sunlight but not in a dark room alone all day?
talking is good and you have to show her that you mean well and don’t want to harm her (pull up a chair close to the cage and just sit there for 2 minutes ignoring any hissing or lunging and see if she naturally stops at the time and note how her reaction is). After talk in a nice soft tone and just say good girl and anything to praise the bird, have a millet stick in hand and you’ll be amazed on how friendly they turn lol. Your goal is to first be by the cage talking without your bird trying to attack you, then you could keep the door open and let her come out and explore at her own pace and reward her with a treat when she acts good.
If you get back to me, I promise to do my best and get you through this. I have and can take video’s of mine who acts similar and show you tricks and things I’ve done in the past which I found to work for me but I am not a professional… just grew up and between now and growing up, owned 20+ cockatiels as well as other bird species. Good luck and I can’t wait to hear back from you.
Best Regards.
Your first question I answered in the previous comment and I hope you can use part of it to accomplish your goal.
Naturally birds will pick at strings, fabrics, carpet, anything that looks fun. Preening is when he starts biting himself to clean out the white dust there about to shake in your face lol. You just have to say no when he picks at anything hes not suppose to. Him attacking you might be just a leave me alone fake intimidation because mine will do that but will nibble on my finger and not bite. If it is a big problem you might need to get some new forging toys and shredding ones he could tear apart in his cage.
I just purchased a Lutino Cockatiel that is about 14 weeks old. Snuggles seems like he enjoys his new home and really likes to be out with the family, but when being held he constantly nips at our fingers or any flesh that he can get his beak into. However he stops if we wear gloves and long sleeved shirts on. How do we stop our precious baby from nipping and why is he acting this way?
Our family just purchased a 14 week old Lutino Cockatiel. We named him or her Snuggles. Snuggles has adjusted to the family quite well. When everyone is home Snuggles chirps and paces her cage and once I open the cage Snuggles imediately comes out and wants our attention. However, Snuggles has a nasty biting habit, so we bought gloves and it has basically elminated that problem (or at least we thought). If Snuggles sees any visible flesh she goes right for it and bites. It is not like an aggressive bite like shes angry, but a constant action. Why is Snuggles doing this? Have we done something wrong? Is it the way she may have been hand fed? Or could it be she was neglected at the pet store we purchased her from? I have looked at several web sites, read two books and have not been able to pin point the problem. Her crest is either at half-mast or simply relaxed when we interact with her. She also seems to like it when we watch her eat because when we greet her in the morning or throughout the day she will head staright to her food dish and eat and once we leave she chirps. I am confused and I hope I will be able to find a solution to her biting. I know it will take time and patience and I am willing to try everythting. I eagerly await your response. Thank you for your time.
Hello! I have a beautiful little cockatiel named Ginko. She is almost 7 months old, and this guide has helped me understand her. I feel like we’re bonding more now ^^ I am trying to teach her to whistle little tunes. The person who I got her from says, “Its a myth only males can whistle songs. The vocal ability is waht you teach them.” Do you have any tips on how I can teach her to whistle? Another thing, she does little chirps once in a while. Like when I pick her up to play, or when she hears a bird outside, or just randomly when we’re on the couch. What does this mean?
The location of the bird cage could be a major role in the attitude… high traffic area or alone in a room and your other cockatiel would make your new one nervous at first.
how old is the female approx?
what cage and size is the bird currently in?
has the bird ever actually bit you or does it seem to just put on a act (females are alot less aggressive than males so it is already easier on your part)?
what toys, activities do you have in the bird cage and do you notice any trend in like or dislikes?
did you try moving the cage to different area’s, away from direct sunlight but not in a dark room alone all day?
talking is good and you have to show her that you mean well and don’t want to harm her (pull up a chair close to the cage and just sit there for 2 minutes ignoring any hissing or lunging and see if she naturally stops at the time and note how her reaction is). After talk in a nice soft tone and just say good girl and anything to praise the bird, have a millet stick in hand and you’ll be amazed on how friendly they turn lol. Your goal is to first be by the cage talking without your bird trying to attack you, then you could keep the door open and let her come out and explore at her own pace and reward her with a treat when she acts good.
If you got it from someone who you know did not neglect the cockatiel or abuse the bird, then it is just a case of being in a new environment and naturally will hiss, lunge and go into a protective state which is why you get that reaction when approaching the cockatiels bird cage. There is a bunch of changes you could do which will allow your cockatiel to gain your trust and with a little more detailed information, i would be more than glad to walk you through it since I’m positive every bird can be trained to be nice.
Good information and this site helped me alot in my college assignment. Thanks you for your information.
Found the answers to many question’s I had about my cockatiel and now my wife has been reading every article on your site and is enjoying the learning process. Any tips for keeping a cockatiel from screaming so early in the morning? I know it’s normal but ours starts at 5:30am and does it all day whether we are in the room or not. When we try to play with her, she will not come out of the cage but just sit there and scream. She was never like this and it started a few month’s ago. Nothing I can think of has changed to cause this and the only thing we changed was a toy here and there but the play’s with them. She will not bite but seems afraid to come out and we were getting worried.
It took a while, but I’m back.
Her age… when I got her she was 7 weeks old, and I’ve almost had her for about a year (in november/october)
She has fairly large cage, good for smallish/medium sized birds.
We keep her near the windowsill, she enoys climbing on it and gazing outside
She doesn’t play a lot with toys, but when she does, she’ll ring her toy-bell.
My sister got a male cockatiel recently, but that really made a change in her behavior. Maybe, besides being less lonely.
I spend as much time with her as I can, talking, whistling replies and “chirps”. Her sitting on my shoulder, snuggling, taking her outside.
When I do approach her, he opens her beak as a warning then nibbles my finger, and allows me to pet her. Slower actions help too, but she will always nibble my finger before anything.
She spends time with her older birdy friend playing and climbing on her fake tree branch (count that as a toy if you want)
She hasn’t molted yet, and the other cockatiel she plays with has softer feathers, which I’m curious about. She also wont really eat a lot of fresh fruits of veggies, mostly dried things.
:3
I have owned several cockatiels, but have one right now who has an odd behavior that I do not understand. It is like a hiss, but not. It usually occurs when Lu is sitting in my finger or shoulder and will suddenly shake his head, make a really quick hiss, open his wings out a bit and keep his beak wide open for a second. He does this all the time if you move the hand he is on too fast, or move too quickly around him, but sometimes he will do it when sitting completely still and quiet. People often pull back because it looks like he is lunging to attack and bite. But he is not a biter and after watching it many, many times it doesn’t seem to be anything more consequential than a sneeze, but it is startling and odd. Have you seen this behavior or know what it is?