Today I was in my avairy "trying" to take some pics of my Lacey, for another post, and after a few minutes of just standing there quietly Lacey came right up to me and started nibbling on my Tshirt...the others saw this and about 5 of them came over ( I have 11 in my avairy) - I was leaning on a ledge - most just came really close and looking but Lacey and another male were gently picking at me, Lacey even climbed up on my shoulder - pecking my earrings and my hair, I was amazed as these are avairy birds - never been tamed to my knowedge....I just stayed there quietly chatting to them for about 10 minutes....I had a really bright purple Tshirt on....do you think this is what they liked??? I have been in the avairy daily - chatting and taking pics and this has never happened before????

not sure... but i did see on a budgie documentary that they can see ?ultraviolet or something? They showed how the little bright purple bits on the cheeks of the wild green budgies actually look like they glow to the other budgies, don't know how they figured that out but it was interesting! I'm sure there's a link to that documentary on here somewhere, its on Youtube. (sorry... don't recall the name of it!)

Yep, they can see into the ultraviolet. Their facial feathers actually reflect UV so to each other, their faces stand out - they use it to choose mates, and they probably use it to be able to find each other while travelling/foraging and stay with their flock.

Parrot type birds can definitely see colour, they need it to be able to pick out the best fruit and flowers at just the right time - I know the lorikeets always descend on my gum tree that one day a year, just when it's flowering. It would also help them distinguish between toxic and edible plants.

Many trained birds are able to do basic puzzles where they put colours together, and they can also say the names of colours. Type in "Alex the parrot" into youtube and see his amazing cognitive ability.

My budgies go nuts at the sight of green, even if it's actually a bit of material or paper, because they think it's their veggies. They are comforted by green, yellow, blue and pink objects because that's what's in their cage, but are freaked by red and black even if it's the same type of item.

 

Maybe your shirt reflects UV and they like it!

Edited June 11, 200916 yr by Chrysocome

I don't know about being freaked out by red and black. I was wearing black this morning to feed them and they swarmed me and tried to eat my black jumper. Might have thought it was charcoal?

^ I think that is just if they're not used to red and black. My budgies used to get fed out of a green box, and one day when I went into the aviary with a different brand that had a red box they all flapped madly about.

 

 

They're also terrified of glow sticks

Thanks everyone....that will be my avairy Tshirt from now on.....