Help! I have a Bully Bird!

[FeatherMom]

I have 5 birds, two parakeets that live together, a Sun Conure and adopted Jenday Conure, and an African Grey that I’m currently fostering. My Jenday, Marvin, started out as a foster in June and we officially adopted him a few weeks ago. I’ve had my Sun Conure, Stevie, for about two years and over the first few weeks that Marvin was with us, they got to be good buddies and eventually ended up living together. Which leaves my foster African Grey, Flappy. We started fostering him about 5-6 weeks ago and he’s done great with us. Now Stevie and Marvin are both flighted while Flappy’s wings had been cut quite short before we got him so while his wings are growing in, he is not able to fly at all.
So, a couple days ago Stevie, the Sun, started dive bombing Flappy. He zips across the room to slam into flappy, often knocking him off of his perch and making him understandably nervous. Flappy is not aggressive or provocative at all. Flap is supper sweet and mild-mannered while Stevie is very opinionated and persistent. Flappy even has a separate play gym, a separate cage in a different room, and in general, he stays a healthy distance from Marvin and Stevie’s cage and play areas.
Side Note: Marvin stays out of it all, even though Stevie is his bro because he’s a very nervous bird. He was attacked and seriously injured prior to our fostering and adopting him so he’s super paranoid.
I don’t know what to do to stop the dive bombing. I just know it’s breaking my heart because I don’t want to see either of them get hurt. Plus, Flap has really bonded with me, he follows me everywhere, waddling behind me, and I would love to keep him but I can’t have them fighting or anyone being bullied. I don’t know how to fix this. Please help. Thank you!!

 

[Monica]

First and foremost, welcome to the forum!!!! Even if not under the best of reasons.

Second, we need to redirect and empower Stevie. We can do this by training him using target training and station training techniques to start, as well as engaging him in activities that don't involve bothering Flappy. This can be things such as foraging activities and learning new behaviors!

Worse case scenario, I would recommend a barrier between them. This could be separate rooms with the door closed or perhaps a room divider of some sort. This could be something built with some wood and wire so as to prevent the fly by attacks.


If you need more training information, please look here.

Free Training Resources

Someone recently told me that there was only one trainer on the internet that had free training advice. This is, quite simply, false. This “trainer” they spoke of is an amateur that has taken advice from salesmen who market themselves as bird trainers. Not to say that they don't enjoy helping...

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Vmax]

@Monica , I’m going to ask what I fear to be a dumb question and I hope you don’t take offense. I have target trained both Max and Gus to have them touch the end of a dowel and can get them to move away from the area of the cage I am accessing to prevent my being bit b/c of cage protectiveness, but where should I take this training to a next level? Like @FeatherMom mentioned with her flock, my Max bullies my Gus. Their both little conures, and Gus is older and we’ve had him longer. I’ve worked with many domesticated species, but am very ignorant when it comes to my birds.

 

[Monica]

@Vmax If anything, I think it's great that you've already got some training down! And you are using this training to make life easier living with Gus and Max!

With Max and Gus, is Max station trained? Teaching Max to station in one area and ignore Gus may help to teach Max to leave Gus alone.



Taking training to a new level may depend on what else you would like for them to learn. I like to use Fargo's tricks as an example since he has learned a lot! (wish there was new info from the pair!)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=810023135709888

 

[finchly]

@Monica another "how far can you take training" question. Male caique that gets put up often for trying to attack other birds. He doesn't go aggressively at them he sidles up and starts the "i'm going to eat you" act but if they don't fly off he will eventually bite. Can training help? I'm willing to put the time in if he would stop *I'm not going to leave him out unsupervised -- it would just make life simpler. Right now I have to keep my eyes on him all the time.

Right now he will go to several locations on command. He's 21 months old, just enough to be rotten.

 

[Monica]

@finchly Yes, training can help!


Many undesired behaviors come about because birds have no direction. That is, because they don't know what *TO* do, they find something to entertain themselves with... *OR* start new behaviors that we simply don't enjoy.

Training involves giving them something to do by redirecting their attention to behaviors that we like. Station training can be used to teach a bird to leave others alone because we are rewarding them for staying put rather than bothering another bird. Add in foraging opportunities and this is something that gives them direction and, when done correctly, it's self rewarding!


Your caique could be going towards the other birds out of boredom, or it could be that he wants companionship, but at the same time doesn't know how to properly interact with other birds.

 

[Vmax]

@Vmax If anything, I think it's great that you've already got some training down! And you are using this training to make life easier living with Gus and Max!

With Max and Gus, is Max station trained? Teaching Max to station in one area and ignore Gus may help to teach Max to leave Gus alone.



Taking training to a new level may depend on what else you would like for them to learn. I like to use Fargo's tricks as an example since he has learned a lot! (wish there was new info from the pair!)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=810023135709888

Fargo is amazing and absolutely beautiful! I downloaded Ann Castro s 8 suggestions booklet. My flock and I have been trying out clicker training just because it’s another way of interacting and playing together ! Thank you for the resources and your replies.

 

[SandraK]

We have 2 bully birds in the house and they're both conures. Gcc Beni (alpha male) and Sun Tikki (male). When we lived in the old house everybirdy shared a bird room which was part of the family room (22' x 33') and 1/3 of the room (the bird part) was curtained off at night. They got along though Beni & Tik never saw eye to eye and kept to their own spaces.

In this new house the birds I kept are in a much smaller room and Tikki has his own cage in the family room which opens to the kitchen & eat-in area. The tiels & fostered pigeon are loose all day but the gccs & Quakers are caged until mid-afternoon and then everyone has free flying time. Tikki will fly after any gcc that comes into "his" area - my blue Quaker, Baby, included - but he doesn't go after JJ my green Quaker. In turn, if I make the mistake of going into the bird room with Tik on my shoulder when the gccs are out Beni will knock him off me and, if I don't come to Tik's rescue, he & the other 4 gccs will attack Tik.

I obviously try to avoid doing that but every now & then I screw up and forget Tik is on me. I don't expect them to love each other but I don't leave anybirdy out if we are going out for obvious reasons. I suspect it could be a blood bath. Yet the tiels & pidge are left alone as are the 2 Quaker boys.

 

[kingkrab]

I have 5 birds, two parakeets that live together, a Sun Conure and adopted Jenday Conure, and an African Grey that I’m currently fostering. My Jenday, Marvin, started out as a foster in June and we officially adopted him a few weeks ago. I’ve had my Sun Conure, Stevie, for about two years and over the first few weeks that Marvin was with us, they got to be good buddies and eventually ended up living together. Which leaves my foster African Grey, Flappy. We started fostering him about 5-6 weeks ago and he’s done great with us. Now Stevie and Marvin are both flighted while Flappy’s wings had been cut quite short before we got him so while his wings are growing in, he is not able to fly at all.
So, a couple days ago Stevie, the Sun, started dive bombing Flappy. He zips across the room to slam into flappy, often knocking him off of his perch and making him understandably nervous. Flappy is not aggressive or provocative at all. Flap is supper sweet and mild-mannered while Stevie is very opinionated and persistent. Flappy even has a separate play gym, a separate cage in a different room, and in general, he stays a healthy distance from Marvin and Stevie’s cage and play areas.
Side Note: Marvin stays out of it all, even though Stevie is his bro because he’s a very nervous bird. He was attacked and seriously injured prior to our fostering and adopting him so he’s super paranoid.
I don’t know what to do to stop the dive bombing. I just know it’s breaking my heart because I don’t want to see either of them get hurt. Plus, Flap has really bonded with me, he follows me everywhere, waddling behind me, and I would love to keep him but I can’t have them fighting or anyone being bullied. I don’t know how to fix this. Please help. Thank you!!

Please keep Flappy separate for the time being. Stevie sounds envious of Flap and could be showing territoriality towards him, being the new kid on the block. After some time, Stevie may lose interest. Grey’s are sensitive and highly intelligent. The fact that his wings are clipped makes them vulnerable. It sounds like you have a good friend in Flap. He trusts you and will be a fantastic companion going forward. I hope you keep him.

 

[FeatherMom]

Please keep Flappy separate for the time being. Stevie sounds envious of Flap and could be showing territoriality towards him, being the new kid on the block. After some time, Stevie may lose interest. Grey’s are sensitive and highly intelligent. The fact that his wings are clipped makes them vulnerable. It sounds like you have a good friend in Flap. He trusts you and will be a fantastic companion going forward. I hope you keep him.

Flappy is an amazing bird. He has definitely grown to be my favorite and my buddy (don’t tell the others though!!). He is so super sweet and even though I was told he wasn’t a “cuddly” bird, he is with me, often sitting in my lap and grabbing at my fingers to let him. I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to keep him! I’m always amazed how mild-mannered he is, even when my Conure is bullying him. He just looks around like “what did I do?” and it really breaks my heart. Stevie (The bully) is slowly losing interest however and has slowly reduced his aggression towards Flap. The fly-by’s only happen occasionally now and I’m hoping they will cease altogether very soon.