Pets, including dogs and cats, lick their humans all the time. Dogs lick you to show affection, licking humans release endorphins in dogs which give them comfort and pleasure. Cats also lick to show affection to humans, this is their way of creating a special bond between the two of you. Birds, on the other hand, aren’t known to lick humans like dogs and cats are, but they do it often enough. If this happens to you, the question on your mind may be ‘why is my bird licking me’ this article explores the reason behind this

Birds lick you for one of three reasons, they are either trying to show you affection by giving you bird kisses which involve licking, trying to figure out what you are by exploring you with their mouth and tongue or attempting to preen you because they care for you. 

Why does my bird lick me?

A bird will lick you to show affection towards you, to taste you or to preen you. Birds do not have hands as humans do and thus they use their other body parts to do what their hands would otherwise do, this includes communication. Licking you is a birds way of communicating that it feels affection towards you. They will stick out their tongue during a kiss and lick you. Birds will do this throughout their lives to maintain a relationship and a bond with you as their caretaker

Preening is a form of showing affection as well. Birds preen themselves to maintain their feathers, preening keeps their feathers straight, clean and shiny. If a bird licks you, it’s trying to maintain your hygiene, this is a form of showing affection. Preening is a sign that your bird trusts you, thus, a bird licking you is a good sign 

Your bird will also lick you to taste you, birds are very inquisitive creatures, they use all their senses to figure out where they are and what’s in front of them, this includes licking. If your bird is licking you, don’t worry, it isn’t planning to make you a snack, just trying to figure out what you are 

Do birds give kisses?

Birds do give kisses, kissing is just another way that birds show affection to humans. These animals kiss humans and their flock mates as well. Bird “kissing” is learnt early in life as the mother has beak to beak contact while feeding her baby birds. This contact causes birds to associate beak contact with positivity and thus, they learn to kiss. If a bird is making a smooching sound as it kisses you then it probably learnt this from humans

 

Is it bad to kiss your bird?

It depends on where you kiss your bird. If you’re wanting to kiss your bird on the top of its beak or on its head then go right ahead, this is a perfectly fine thing to do, but if you’re thinking of kissing your bird on or inside its mouth you may need to reconsider 

Kissing on the mouth transfers saliva and or lip products to your birds. Even though you may think it’s safe, human saliva is a breeding ground for a number of bacteria that may or may not agree with a bird’s bacteria. If your human bacteria gets into the bird, your feathered friend’s immune system may not be able to fight it off. Your bird may even give you a disease that can be fatal

Your lip products have likely not been tested for safety on birds. Transferring these products to birds can cause them to get sick or die from the chemicals in said products.

 

How do birds show affection to humans?

Licking isn’t the only way that birds show affection, there are a number of things birds do to show affection, these include: 

Wagging its tail: Just as dogs wag their tails when they’re excited to see you, a bird will do the same. Some say this tail wagging is equivalent to a human giggle and is a sign of affectation 

Regurgitation: This may seem like a gross way to show affection but the reason behind it can be sweet. A bird regurgitates food to feed its mate, baby or friend. If a bird regurgitates for it then it means it likes you

Cuddling: Just as humans enjoy cuddling, birds do too. This is a very common way that birds show affection. Birds will cuddle up to you for protection and to experience some of your body heat

Conclusion

In conclusion, a bird will lick you either to show affection towards you, to explore what you are or to preen you. It may also kiss you to show affection, if this happens avoid letting the bird kiss you on the mouth. The bird may also wag its tail, cuddle or regurgitate for you as a sign of affection. 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can birds eat Quaker Oats?, Why does my bird tap its beak on me?, Why does my bird hate me?, Can baby birds eat bread?, Why does my bird nibble on me?