Question
My friend's cockatiel is quite eager in lowering her head and neck to ask for some petting or preferable a gentle rubbing between two or three fingers.
Is this commonly enjoyed by cockatiels, or might this be a symptom of some problem like a skin or feather condition?
She is otherwise picture-book perfect looking and seems quite healthy.
After getting a neck massage, she straightens up her feathers with a bit of fluffing with her feet, but otherwise does not scratch at herself.
Answer
This seems to be a pretty common behavior for cockatiels, especially when they molt. The head and neck are the most common areas they can't reach with their beak, so they use their feet to scratch these areas, or rub them against something. They also preen each: you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. I feel they also socialize to each other (and us) through scratching!
That said, it's wise to examine the areas for red skins, wounds, mites or anything indicative of special conditions and disease.
Answered By - M.S. Dousti