Feathers can mislead. The crown and nape, where a parrot can preen a companion without rehearsing courtship, are usually the soundest places for a hand to linger; the back, rump, and wing bases sit inside a bodily map that can turn a pleasant stroke into a sexual signal.That distinction is not fussy etiquette. The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis responds to environmental cues, and repeated tac...More