Try 'tick-tock'. That's like the head bobbing but sideways. After awhile it can turn into a really 'weird' sort of 'too dance when he figures he can do the 'bob' and the 'tick-tock' all at the same time! :)
By the way, you can make friends with any Rainbow Lorikeet you meet if you know the 'tick-tock'.

Debbi
NZ

I'll try it, thanks! Darwin does this head-flipping movement that I can only emulate with my wrist, sometimes if I hold my hand up and flail my wrist around he'll do the same. I haven't tried the tick-tock motion yet but I'll report back with the results. :-)

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA

It seems like a lot of Pongo's favorite self-initiated games are "pretend attack" sorts of things. As long as she keeps beak and feet gentle, these are great fun. If she gets too hard, i end the game. i haven't had to do that in a very long time, so i guess she understands.

She also likes to swing through the air and hang upside down from my hand and flap wildly.

Bebe does 'tick-tock'. That's like the head bobbing but sideways and when it goes to far he goes right around with his head.

Lisa, Bebe does this to. But as you say it can get rough. All I have to do is tap all my fingers infront of Bebe and he charges at you. Normally just taps knackles, but can get carried away.

Murray

I have adopted 2 cockatoos - Sydney a citron retired breeder, and Anthony a moluccan retired breeder.
Anthony is the most shy and doesnt' vocalize often but has learned to enjoy playing with his toys. He also enjoys new foods and particularly likes turkey and chicken drumsticks. He will not 'talk' back to me and doesn't react to singing, dancing or any other interaction I can think of. He used to completely freeze when I entered the room which was comical when he had food in his beak, but now at least he plays and eats in front of me.
Sydney has more pet potential than Anthony (although I am very patient and will not give up). I let the birds set the pace at which our relationship grows and there has been a lot of progress with each one.
Sydney and I scream everynight and he comes out on top of his cage everynight. If I need to put him back in his cage I take my time in catching him and he has not bitten me yet. I give him a peanut so he doesn't think going back in is a bad thing. If I have music playing we sing and dance together. He will give kisses (gentle nibble on my bottom lip) but he is still afraid of hands.
Anthony always watches my interaction with Sydney and seems very intrigued. When Sydney and I are creating a rucous, Anthony plays roughly with his toys tossing them around. So far I have had subtle reactions in playing passive games like blinking or if I'm in the ktichen and I hear him playing and I peek around the door and play peekaboo with him that way.
I could use some advice on what passive games I can play with Anthony and which not quite as passive games I could play with Sydney (especially ones that may get him to not be so afraid of hands).

I know I sound like a stuck record sometimes but I think training is basically just a great game to play with birds. Do Sydney or Anthony like treats? Or do you have some other way of rewarding them, like head scratches or something like that?

One thing that works really well with Phoebe (my shy pionus) is for me to pick something up and play with it in my hands for a while. After a couple minutes she starts climbing down from my shoulder because she wants to play with it too. I was putting bindings on a new snowboard a couple days ago and she got really excited, flew over to me and started rummaging around in the parts I had scattered around me. I gave her the 'leash' (a nylon strap with a plastic buckle) and she chewed on it for days.

Tissues work well for that too... practically every time I wipe my nose I have to get another tissue for Phoebe to play with. :-)

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA