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Aggressive Lorikeet, is there any fix?

Kenzie

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I am very aware and knew before I got my third bird that Lorikeets are KNOWN for being aggressive to the point of killing, even. I have a Forsten / Sunset Lorikeet whose about a little over a year old now. He's a sweetheart and my first bird, loving to me and my boyfriend.

I have since got an Amazon and Blue Crown Conure. Amazon does his own thing and I restrict my flighted warrior from dive-bombing my Amazon and flying when around the Amazon or else he will... well, dive-bomb my zon! But I would, in a perfect world, love for my Lorikeet and BC Conure to tolerate eachother in the same room.

BC Conure is not flighted yet as he is a merely 4 month old baby and was clipped before I bought him, waiting for them wings! But my Lorikeet is flighted and is notorious for trying to fly attack my Amazon. I knew he will happily attack the BC Conure.

Basically, I am asking if there is any training I can do to make them be in the presence of eachother without aggressive-butt attacking the baby. Bonus points if I can get him to stop dive-bombing my Amazon.

I've debated clipping my Lorikeet but ever since he has learned to fly, he's been more confident and happy and I don't know if I could take that away from him.. It's just been challenging to juggle giving each their respective attention since both are more of a "at all times" kind of bird.
 

expressmailtome

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Bump.
 

JLcribber

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Basically, I am asking if there is any training I can do to make them be in the presence of eachother without aggressive-butt attacking the baby. Bonus points if I can get him to stop dive-bombing my Amazon.

You can not force anyone to be friends. No different here.

The biggest factor here is the very clashing personalities of those two species. They would never even see each other in the wild never mind have to co-exist. It always boils down to environment. You haven't got enough environment to make a situation like this work.

Aviaries with shared/separating walls is the only truly safe solution.
 

Mizzely

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It's really hard to fight against instinct. I'm not saying it absolutely can't be done, but primal emotions are tough things to work against.
 

Kenzie

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Yah, I know they will VERY not likely get along, and that's fine. I just want them to be tolerant of eachother being in the room. The Conure is no concern right now, he's as sweet as can be to other birds and minds his own because he is so young.

I guess I can work on station training well but I'll need a more fun setup for them! Perhaps I'll be some of those "Indulger" play stands by one of AA members who I forgot the name of but saved their link! My playstands right now are only holding 1 hanging toy and foot toys right now. Not enough to keep their attention!
 

JAM

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Good luck with that, my lories and conure do not get on. Probably never will do they get separate out of cage time and that’s how I handle it. :)
 

Kenzie

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Yah, that's what it has come down to and I feel like someone is never getting enough time but I do my best to make everything equal. Do you think there is any hope of him getting on with another Lorikeet or you think any bird is a huge no-go?
 

JAM

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They get on best when they are introduced young but lories and lorikeets are notoriously territorial so be prepared for them not getting along.
 

simon777

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It sounds like your Lorikeet is asserting his dominance. In his eyes he is 'top dog', 'ruler of the roost' and 'boss of the household'; a typical lorikeet behaviour I have read. I suggest you try to get him to be a kind caring 'boss'. When one of the other birds needs something get your Lorikeet involved by saying "... needs some food, or needs a bath, or needs something else that bird needs; let's go and get (what the bird needs) together." You should be able to figure out what words would work best. By getting your Lorikeet involved in the care of the other birds will make him feel important and lead to a kind caring attitude on his part. Hope this helps.
 

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By getting your Lorikeet involved in the care of the other birds will make him feel important and lead to a kind caring attitude on his part.
Poppycock.
I´m sorry but you cannot say this like it is fact.

Behaviour is not black and white, something that works well for one bird, may not for another.
 

Fuzzy

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It's difficult, isn't it? I have birds that don't get along too. Right now it's highly reinforcing for the Lorikeet to dive bomb your Amazon. I really like your idea of making a more interesting play station for them with the idea that maybe playing on it might become more reinforcing. When I put interesting toys out around the place (on the sofa, on the floor, tied to the hanging Atoms and Boings, on cage playtops), my birds do get involved in the toys and not arguing. I spread the play areas around so that they don't have to go near each other if they don't want to. One might be happily playing on a playtop whilst another is on the floor or sofa. What you could also do is some training.

You could pair being in the vicinity of the Amazon/Conure with something awesome for the Lorikeet (if he is showing relaxed body language). Theory is that he will begin to look forward to being near the Amazon or Conure because good things happen. My two Amazons, Ollie and Bobbie don't get on. Amazon Bobbie and my Pionus Kobe also don't get along. But in the evening they are all happy to sit around me peacefully (mostly!) on the sofa whilst I scratch their heads. What I am doing is pairing good things (head scratches) with the bird(s) they don't like.

You could also target train them (teach them to touch the end of a chopstick with a beak or foot). Maybe use a favourite treat as the reinforcer. I'm choosing target training as that's one of the easiest behaviours to teach. Later when they all know what to do, you could ask the Lorikeet to target, and reinforce both the Lorikeet for successfully targeting and also give a treat to the Amazon. Then ask the Amazon to target and reinforce the Amazon's successful targeting and also give a treat to the Lorikeet. This will teach them to work as a team. I find that just going round asking for and reinforcing behaviours (we have a training session in the evening), the birds are much more interested in doing the behaviours I ask of them and earning treats, etc. than arguing with each other.

Also make sure you don't inadvertantly enourage nesting behaviour particularly in the Lorikeet. So no providing boxes or access to dark places. I find this elevates aggressive behaviour.

My Pionus Kobe used to be highly aggressive towards Amazon Ollie - dive bombing him, etc. Now they are mostly fine together (I've been pairing good experiences for each of them in the vicinity of the other particularly when the attacks started some years ago). It is Bobbie I am trying to work on now... she flies to attack Kobe especially.
 
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BrenRuss

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Lorries are extremely possessive and territorial it’s in their nature... they will generally attack other birds unless they were introduced at a young age
 

simon777

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Words are all I need for Simon when he is feeling a little aggressive and grabbing the oven mitt to protect my face. I tell him I am feeling scared again and he usually calms down very quickly. I never use treats as a reward for good behaviour because Simon gets treats just for being my wonderful darling.
 

Kenzie

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It sounds like your Lorikeet is asserting his dominance. In his eyes he is 'top dog', 'ruler of the roost' and 'boss of the household'; a typical lorikeet behaviour I have read. I suggest you try to get him to be a kind caring 'boss'. When one of the other birds needs something get your Lorikeet involved by saying "... needs some food, or needs a bath, or needs something else that bird needs; let's go and get (what the bird needs) together." You should be able to figure out what words would work best. By getting your Lorikeet involved in the care of the other birds will make him feel important and lead to a kind caring attitude on his part. Hope this helps.

I do not follow the "Dominance" theory in birds. My bird is a territorial species- it is not dominance based. She thinks the house is her territory. And I had included her in the care of my Amazon. This was when she was clipped (I purchased her clipped). When she got her flight feathers, she began jumping on my Amazons cage while I was changing food/water and making these horrid aggressive noises. So that was something I tried.
 

Kenzie

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It's difficult, isn't it? I have birds that don't get along too. Right now it's highly reinforcing for the Lorikeet to dive bomb your Amazon. I really like your idea of making a more interesting play station for them with the idea that maybe playing on it might become more reinforcing. When I put interesting toys out around the place (on the sofa, on the floor, tied to the hanging Atoms and Boings, on cage playtops), my birds do get involved in the toys and not arguing. I spread the play areas around so that they don't have to go near each other if they don't want to. One might be happily playing on a playtop whilst another is on the floor or sofa. What you could also do is some training.

You could pair being in the vicinity of the Amazon/Conure with something awesome for the Lorikeet (if he is showing relaxed body language). Theory is that he will begin to look forward to being near the Amazon or Conure because good things happen. My two Amazons, Ollie and Bobbie don't get on. Amazon Bobbie and my Pionus Kobe also don't get along. But in the evening they are all happy to sit around me peacefully (mostly!) on the sofa whilst I scratch their heads. What I am doing is pairing good things (head scratches) with the bird(s) they don't like.

You could also target train them (teach them to touch the end of a chopstick with a beak or foot). Maybe use a favourite treat as the reinforcer. I'm choosing target training as that's one of the easiest behaviours to teach. Later when they all know what to do, you could ask the Lorikeet to target, and reinforce both the Lorikeet for successfully targeting and also give a treat to the Amazon. Then ask the Amazon to target and reinforce the Amazon's successful targeting and also give a treat to the Lorikeet. This will teach them to work as a team. I find that just going round asking for and reinforcing behaviours (we have a training session in the evening), the birds are much more interested in doing the behaviours I ask of them and earning treats, etc. than arguing with each other.

Also make sure you don't inadvertantly enourage nesting behaviour particularly in the Lorikeet. So no providing boxes or access to dark places. I find this elevates aggressive behaviour.

My Pionus Kobe used to be highly aggressive towards Amazon Ollie - dive bombing him, etc. Now they are mostly fine together (I've been pairing good experiences for each of them in the vicinity of the other particularly when the attacks started some years ago). It is Bobbie I am trying to work on now... she flies to attack Kobe especially.


Yah, I figured this may be my route. I also read that... maybe bathing her before an interaction so she cannot fly well due to being heavy? would alleviate the possibility of her dive bombing my Zon'... though I feel like her just moving sparatically at all even if she cannot get to my Zon' causes my Zon' to spook lol so that's still reinforcing. I had noticed once that when my guests accidentally let my Lorikeet in the room with my Amazon, she fly at my Zon', and while my Zon' was freaking out and flying around the room, my Lorikeet just sat and watched making her horrible screeching noise with no notion indicating she was going to go AFTER my Amazon... but it's not something I want to test exactly.
 

Fuzzy

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Good idea re bathing her. Plus if she likes being showered that's something else "good" that you could pair with the other birds. I have noticed here that nobirdie attacks another when I am spraying all of them together. If your Lorikeet is good at flying, being wet probably won't stop her, but being wet could well encourage her to be content preening herself rather than going after others... at least for a while!
 

simon777

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A lady on a youtube video, I was watching one day, said "my rainbow lorikeet rules the household with beak and talons". She also had a cat, a dog and other humans; all ruled by her rainbow lorikeet.
 

Fuzzy

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A lady on a youtube video, I was watching one day, said "my rainbow lorikeet rules the household with beak and talons". She also had a cat, a dog and other humans; all ruled by her rainbow lorikeet.
Sorry, rushing around today. Just wanted to add, the woman would do better by asking what is reinforcing her Lorikeet's behaviour in each instance. Then she would have something to work with if the bird's behaviours are posing a problem for her, her animals or her family.
 
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