birds of different sizes beak wrestling?

[GCC_Quijote]

So our gcc got into where our new baby cag is being kept.

When we found him they were beak wrestling. Neither of them was hurt and I know babies o f the same species do it but there's a pretty wild size difference.

What are your views on letting go them do it?

Yay or nay and why?

 

[pinkdagger]

Nay. They may be doing it harmlessly now, but what can happen in a split second when one changes their mind or gets on the nerves of the other - or even think they're still playing but exerting more pressure than the other can handle - can be catastrophic.

 

[macawpower58]

Ditto what Michelle said. Too much chance of an accident down the road.

 

[GCC_Quijote]

Alright. So I'd like to add a second question to the group what says nay:

How do I promote healthy play between the two while simultaneously discouraging beaking?

Our gcc loves his new friend and tries to get to him whenever we're not playing goalie. We've caught him grooming the new baby and even lying under his wing. We're taking steps to remedy these unsupervised adventures. (Quijote is a surprisingly resourceful 3 month old.)

 

[webchirp]

I would not encourage play between these two. Their size differences are to vast. I have a friend who lost her green cheek when the grey broke his neck...it only takes seconds. Just because they are friendly now, when hormones hit, you have no guarantee.

 

[JosienBB]

Absolutely no "play" between the two. I would keep them separate.

 

[karen256]

I know of many cases where birds of different sizes do make friends and get along very well, but everyone is right that with that size difference, it would be too easy for a grey to accidentally harm a GCC.
I had a budgie who LOVED to beak wrestle with my GCC but he was half her size at least. A GCC and a grey is a considerably greater size difference... a medium parrot like a grey has a jaw strength similar to a small to medium dog to give you an idea of the potential for accidental injury. I've also heard of greys intentionally injuring small birds because they see them more as toys than as companions.

 

[SueA555]

They may not stay friends. I had a Meyers and a grey cheeked parakeet who were very good buddies. When the Meyers went through his first hormonal period, he bit one of the smaller bird's toes off. After a night at the vet and blood transfusions the little one recovered. I kept them apart after that.

 

[GCC_Quijote]

When I got them I was told that because of the nearness in age and how young they were the chances that they'd get along and become friends were improved.

They're the only buddies other than DH and myself that each other has. So if anyone has any insight into promoting a friendly relationship here that would help.

They don't have any other flock. This is it.

 

[karen256]

There is a good chance they will become friends as they are both babies growing up. It's more that there may be a risk of the grey accidentally causing injury if he tries to treat the GCC as if he were another grey. They may like being housed near each other and keeping each other company though.

 

[GCC_Quijote]

So they can't be physically around each other because there's no way to teach the grey to be gentle toward the conure?

Their cages will be in the same room facing toward each other.

 

[GCC_Quijote]

Alright so DH and I are keeping them from playing together. Is it still okay to let them out at the same time? Or do we need to stagger their playtimes?

 

[JosienBB]

Alright so DH and I are keeping them from playing together. Is it still okay to let them out at the same time? Or do we need to stagger their playtimes?

I think it would depend on whether or not they tolerate one another. Even the sight of my smaller conures set off Target into a tizzy, so I have separate playtimes. If they seem to leave each other alone, I would let them out together. But only supervised of course.

 

[GCC_Quijote]

Yeah they don't mind each other.

The greatest hurdle yo getting them to leave each other alone has been their desire to cuddle and groom and play.

 

[Jenphilly]

We have birds ranging in size from budgies to the blue and gold macaw in our home, with quite a few in between size. I never allow different size beaks to interact, its just waiting for an injury or worse.

We do have different size birds out at the same time. My macaw is out almost always, as is my bare eye cockatoo. But Ivory goes high and Max thinks he's a rugrat, he's always playing on the floor. You can have different playstands, hang a boing and such so the birds can be out at the same time, but not in the same exact area.

 

[Ribbit21]

Too much of a risk in my opinion especially if they will not stay away from each other. I have separate playtimes for my grey and my smaller birds. It would only take a split second for a grey to kill or seriously injure a conure.

 

[Lady Jane]

Try to understand the mentality of a GCC. They are little warriors and like to be top bird, no matter what the size of the others is.
My experience is with an African Grey and GCC. True to form the GCC would try to get to the AG and eventually did through the cage. The GCC had a life threatening injury from the beak of my grey. Lesson Learned and passed on to you.

 

[Monica]

Call my a hypocrite, as I don't recommend allowing different sized birds to interact!

Not to say that it can't be done, as it occurs every single day out in the wild! But, unlike their wild cousins, many captive parrots do not know how to safely interact within a flock setting. Instead of breeding in mixed aviaries or flock situations that may be similar to their wild counterparts, parrots are bred in pairs, their chicks removed from the nest at a certain age, then raised by humans. Even if raised with clutch mates or birds from different clutches of other species, they don't really get to see and learn from adult birds in an adult flock. This can potentially lead to aggression, which could lead to injury, maiming, or worse.

Currently, I have Sylphie, an african ringneck, living with my cockatiels without any issues. The cockatiels have learned to avoid her when she wants something, and the most she'll do is scream and growl at them! I think Jayde could potentially live in harmony with the flock, but Charlie I have my doubts! Charlie is already missing half of his lower beak, thinking he could boss around a blind ruby macaw and he had no tolerance for a little blue budgie that had squeezed herself into his cage while he was inside it! I know that Charlie *can* get along with other birds, as he had a lilac crown amazon as a buddy, and he bossed around two other zons as well without any issues, however, here, he is the largest bird (rather than being mid sized). He and Jayde only barely get along! It's like Charlie wants to be friends, but he doesn't know how to play "nice", and Jayde is sensitive. I'd love it if the two of them got along well enough to be buddies, but I'm also perfectly ok if they remain as "friends at a distance."



I think the main question is, would you be able to handle the blame and the guilt if something *WERE* to happen? I can pull up pictures of a cockatoo and a conure snuggling, or a macaw and a conure snuggling, or a parrotlet sitting on top of a hyacinth macaws head, or a lovebird laying on it's back on the tail feathers of a cockatoo also laying on it's back, of a lovebird feeding an amazon, and a quaker and hyacinth macaw that are buddies. I can also say from experience that the guilt and hatred towards oneself for "allowing" an accident to occur is no fun. (bird had escaped from her cage while I was out and lost her upper beak, which resulted in the loss of her life )


Although I know my birds and my flock, and am willing to change things if necessary, I don't know your birds, and that's an awfully big beak difference there!

 

[Wolf]

My parrotlet is often out of the cage at the same time as my other birds, a Senegal, a CAG, and an Amazon. This is the only way that I can provide adequate time out of the cage for all of them, but although they will all talk and sing together I do not allow any physical interaction between them as there is too great of a risk of accidental injury.