Two budgies fighting

[Kamoebas]

I have two budgies. A male and a female. when they go near each other they always aggressively peck each other. but the female is the one causing the fights. The male just wants to be there. Is something wrong the female bird? And sometimes the male fights back in random times

 

[Sparkles99]

Welcome!

IME, this happens if one budgie is introduced into another’s territory or the cage is too small. Did they come at the same time from the same place? What cage do you have? What’s in it? Any pics of them both?

 

[Kamoebas]

They both came from pet smart at the same day. The cage I bought said let the birds fly around and strech. It also said it could have 2 birds With no issues. Inside the cage there is a swing toy with a bell inside it, a broken ladder that the female claims it as it’s territory, a water dispenser, a seed dispenser and a treat bowl that doesn’t work good. But the male likes the bowl so I don’t want to remove it.

 

[Shezbug]

I was told a cage I bought to bring home a bird I could not leave at the pet store was large enough for 2 birds to live in... I use it as a travel cage/carrier because it simply is way too small for two birds to live in comfortably, it would be like making a human live in a small bathroom. I would not take advice from a pet store- they are there to sell stuff, they are not there to care for or better the life of our pets.

 

[AussieBird]

The girls are almost always bossy
Unless you are wanting to seperate them ensuring there is adequate space and perches, toys that block visual contact, and extra food and water bowls are all good things to do.

 

[Sparkles99]

My first two budgies squabbled/postured until they moved into a large cage. It is distressing to watch.

How’s it going today?

 

[Scorpi0]

Yeah I bet their cage is too small. Female budgies need their space!

 

[GreenThing]

If you could give us dimensions, that would help! Honestly, no judgement on you at all. A lot of well-intentioned, animal-loving people go to a pet store and are given information that is not intended to serve the needs of the animals but that company's bottom line. Even a lot of employees don't know better, and working in that environment really makes you want to believe what you're told.

Budgies can have very different personalities, and if you are choosing from a "budgie bin", at the very least it is a good idea to choose a pair based on which budgies are getting along (not just what they look like). So what you need to figure out before taking next step is whether 1) you have two budgies whose personalities are not ideally compatible or 2) if lack of space the main/only factor triggering bickering. As others have said, because female budgies can be territorial, they are especially sensitive to limited space. Age (have they hit budgie puberty? Has only one of them hit budgie puberty?) is another factor.

Asking here is a great start, I hope you continue communicating with us. If you are committed to providing a good life for your new companions, this forum is a wonderful resource.

 

[Lady Jane]

Better yet post a picture of your cage set up. We can help.

Female budgies can get nasty and really boss the male. Nothing is wrong with her. If they have a nice big flight cage with lots of enrichment it helps.

 

[Ljuba]

Without photos or measurements, we can't really determine if the cage is small enough or not.... that being said, it is either a small cage that is causing the issues, or just the female budgie being territorial as female budgies are wont to be

If it's any help, my own cage dimensions are 24in (61cm) length × 15in (38cm) width × 20½ in (52cm) height. I have two male budgies & they only occasionally have territorial fits over the double-sided swingset in the middle of their cage

 

[Sparkles99]

Swings seem to be really high value items to budgies.

 

[Kamoebas]

I’ve noticed whenever my male bird gets close to my female bird, the female attacks the male bird. Why does this happen? I usually
take away the male bird for 15 minutes but they still fight. How do I stop them from fighting?

 

[Icey]

Are their cages close together?
Did you have the female before the male?
Do you know their ages?
When you say the female attacks the male, is he on you, or a perch?
The more information you can give members, in relation to the situation, the better chance they will have to offer advice.

 

[Kamoebas]

Are their cages close together?
Did you have the female before the male?
Do you know their ages?
When you say the female attacks the male, is he on you, or a perch?
The more information you can give members, in relation to the situation, the better chance they will have to offer advice.

They live in the same cage. i got them both at the same time. I don’t know their ages but when i first got them 2 ish years ago, they showed signs of youth.

 

[Lady Jane]

Where did you get them?
When you say attack what is she doing exactly?
Please post a photo of the cage they are in. This is important so we can help you.

It is normal for a female budgie to be protective of "her" territory especially in a small cage.

 

[Birdlove]

I have diffused arguments by adding an extra of whatever they are fighting over. For example, my female won't let the male eat sometimes so I add feed In a bowl or take him out and hand feed him. One time they fought over perches so I got a second one, put it at the same height, and then they fought it out about which one they preferred. He won that one and kept the old perch.
My siblings had budgies from petsmart and her female was mean. She was blood thirsty with the little guy that they bought at the same time as her. They were both babies, too. It could just be a personality quirk.

 

[Sparkles99]

I agree about two food bowls. Good thinking!

 

[Kamoebas]

I have 2 parakeets. A male and a female. Whenever I bring my male parakeet to the top of its cage, the female climbs all the way to the top and bites the males, toes. The male bird always screams very loudly. So I have to grab the male parakeet and place him far from the female. Why is that happening?

 

[Kamoebas]

Where did you get them?
When you say attack what is she doing exactly?
Please post a photo of the cage they are in. This is important so we can help you.

It is normal for a female budgie to be protective of "her" territory especially in a small cage.

I got them both in petsmart.
She runs toward the male to bite him.

 

[Sparkles99]

Please post pictures of the set up from a good angle (front & straight on). Also pictures of their faces in natural light. This will help!