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Pushy male zebra finch siblings

jubimambo

Moving in
Joined
11/4/21
Messages
6
Hi, I currently own 2 male zebra finch siblings in an apartment, they're both a little over 1 year old. They were handfed and are social with humans, and seemed bonded to each other when i got them at 2 months old. They would always cuddle together and preen each other. Mambo is the more pushy one, the Jubi is the more timid one.
Since they've matured, they've become territorial and pushy towards each other on a daily basis, mostly Mambo chasing after Jubi wherever it goes but on the rare occasion I would see a one-off plucking, and sometimes it would be Jubi plucking mambo back in retaliation due to mambo's constant over-dominance.

We let them have their daily flights for hours around our living room, so at times throughout the day i would see them cuddle beside each other for naps, and after a day of mambo chasing jubi around though, they usually sleep together, and its not uncommon to see them cuddling beside each other to sleep, but its definitely a rare sight to see them preening each other now. There was a period when they just reached maturity when mambo would chase jubi around inside the cage in the evening even when the lights were out, but i definitely see a lot less of this now.

Overall they seem to live together alright, never bad enough for me to need to separate them, but i feel they're most likely sexually frustrated, occasionally i would see jubi trying to mount mambo. Our cage isnt too big, around 27" L x 14" W x 23" H since space is limited in our apartment, but we let them free roam in our home most of the day so they only really return to the cage for food/water/sleep. For months now we've taken out all nests or nesting materials, but mambo remains to be pushy and chases jubi around all day. we do have a window perch station where they like to hang out most of the day, where they would both make 'meep meep' sounds and vibrate their tails which i believe to be mating signs. Below is a picture of them cuddling on the window perch station.

Was hoping to get some advice on how they can better get along, thanks!

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Sparkles99

Biking along the boulevard
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Rædwalda

Strolling the yard
Joined
5/24/21
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105
I would say you should get them a bigger space to live in and some female Finches as partners. I don't even know what that is they are living inside, some sort of plastic container? Maybe post some better pics of your set up, so we can help.
 

24Feathers

Moving in
Joined
10/30/21
Messages
7
I have the same problem with my 2 male zebra finches! Thay are also bonded. Most of the day I hear them chase each other around. They used to sleep in a nest together, but one always kicks the other out. I think you are right about them being sexually frustrated. I have seen them trying to mount each other and other birds in the cage, like my society finches. I have been wanting to get them 2 girls to see if that helps.

I don't really have any advice, since I have the same problem. But you could try getting 2 girls for them, that could help. I would try that, but I can't get any more birds.

I love that you have a window perch, I might look into getting one! Mambo and Jubi are so cute cuddling together!
 
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