Growing my flock?

[Susan in So Cal]

Congrats on your new fid! I hope they both get along and become fast friends (or at the least tolerate each other ) Thank you for helping this little yellow budgie! Can't wait to hear her (or his) name!

 

[Hawkward]

Thank you! I am trying to figure out if it is a boy or girl. But haven't gotten very close to it since it is such a scared bird. Sometimes the cere looks blueish sometimes pink. It isn't very dark either way, but I guess that is because it is an all yellow bird? So I wasn't going to name it until I know if it is a boy or girl lol. Can't be calling it Princess Buttercup if it is a prince haha. My friend said to call it Summer, then it works either way. Or Lemondrop.

 

[Hawkward]

Thought I'd come back and update on how things went. I now have two budgies and my parrotlet. My parrotlet, Burby, is totally in love with my yellow budgie, Tsunami, but she hates him lol. I was worried that he'd be the mean one, but he is so sweet. Constantly trying to feed her, he is always putting his head down to be groomed. She chases him away and bites his toes and I have to keep a constant eye on them when they are out together. Bali, my blue budgie, is indifferent and mostly just wants to eat and be left alone. They clipped his wings, and so he is not too inclined to come out of the cage very often.

I'm not sorry I did it, as Burb seems so happy to have other birds around. The budgies are mostly content to be with themselves, I'm trying to tame them but that is going slowly. But it does warm my heart to see the once neglected budgie, chirping and playing with her toys, being a happy budge!

My parrotlet is still very much needing a lot of time and attention, so I'm kinda glad I only have one and not two parrotlets... I love my lil guy but one little attention hog is enough for now lol.

At least he is not bored or lonely! Maybe a little too obsessed with his new ladies lol. He did bite me and draw blood, first time ever! When I was trying to get him off their cage that first week. He has mellowed out though. Spends half his out of cage time trying to woo budgies, and the other half flying to me, chirping (like the budgies) and enjoying treats and head itches. So in the end...good I guess!

 

[fashionfobie]

Parrotlets are fantastic. I think having one is probably easier. I keep two and there is a bit of a give and take. They get to spend time interacting, but they can start harassing each other so it is always dependent on the day. My parrotlets do better in company of my Plumhead, because he doesn't react to their wiggle dancing. This allows them to have a more foraging based relationship.

Parrotlets seem to be very sexual birds. The species doesn't have a breeding season, and will breed in the wild as long as their is food to feed them. So clearly when we keep them and they get healthy diets and care year round.. they are always ready to court.

I would try and curtail too much wiggle dancing. If he is harassing the budgies, it can escalate. They get frustrated and sometimes they can even compromise their own health with excessive regurgitation. This can explain the bite you got. He may have just been overly stimulated and simply lashed out. That lashing out can sometimes harm other birds. When Neptune is overly stimulated he tries to mount Picard... Picard also being a male is very offended by this. Suddenly is escalates into a fight. I mean feathers have gone flying before. Neptune is a bird that can be easily stimulated..even by the wild birds landing on my veranda. That has minimized as he has gotten older.

Try using a positive distraction to reduce too much wiggling.

I also read a paper on speckled parrotlets, the courtship behaviour was prevalent between siblings. When they are fledged they will live together until they are about 10 months - 1 year. During this time they sort out courting behaviours. They mount each other, regurgitate for each other and beak nibble. When they mature to 10 months+ they start rejecting their siblings and find mates. When they are adults they seem to create a more sensible relationship and focus on their mate. Even so, parrotlets have been know to fight in the wild. Sometimes even morally wounding their mates.

 

[Hawkward]

Good advice!

He doesn't wiggle often, as she doesn't let him get close enough usually anyway. But he doesn't give up. I am trying to keep an eye on them. I stay with them the whole time they are out... so far so good. The bite was certainly because he was too excited. It is ok, bites and parrotlets are sorta synonymous lol. He will still charge at me when I get near their cage and he is on top. I say, "heeeey now. Be a good puffy head!" And he snaps out of it and tilts his head and puffs up and let's me give him scritches. Birds are very much "in the moment" I figured out. Whenever I sense things getting intense I break it up. I am still a cat person, I am writing this with a cat on my lap lol. But I am learning. Burb isn't bored at least!

 

[fashionfobie]

Good advice!
It is ok, bites and parrotlets are sorta synonymous lol. He will still charge at me when I get near their cage and he is on top. I say, "heeeey now. Be a good puffy head!" And he snaps out of it and tilts his head and puffs up and let's me give him scritches. Birds are very much "in the moment" I figured out. Whenever I sense things getting intense I break it up.

Yep, sounds like a parrotlet.

When you break it up do your best to do so through a distracting or non direct interaction. If you get your hands involved it could lead to a negative association with your hands.

I have to say, I have met many nice cats in my life, but I am def more of a bird person (Bojack Horsemen anyone?) and a dog person.
Cats are bird slayers, so never be lauded into false confidence.

 

[Hawkward]

What do you recommend for a distraction?

And no, no cats allowed near the birds!

 

[fashionfobie]

What do you recommend for a distraction?

I don't have a single idea here. Sometimes we have no choice but to interact when they get very huffy. I do recall and flight training with Neptune. Sometimes I just call him and signal to him. He knows he gets a treat when he flies to my finger. If I encourage him to come to me before anything major happens it works well. It is easy to tell when he is getting overly stimulated, he starts that little 'chorp chorp sounds' and starts leaning from one leg to the next and standing taller.

I would say it really depends on the bird and your interactions