Hi guys!
I'm new to bird ownership and just over 6 months ago I took on two male budgies from a previous owner that no longer wanted them. They are believed to be around the four year old mark and have always lived in separate cages. From my understanding they were bought at the same time but lived in different rooms for the first year and then side by side for the next three years. Since having them I've been reading and googling everything I can about them but behaviour and body language is something I'm struggling with slightly. I'll quickly tell you a bit about both of them and then explain the problem!
Albert I'd say is the braver of the two and certainly the most athletic. He loves to fly and be out of his cage and he climbs, jumps and hops all about whilst in his cage. He doesn't play with toys yet but I'm hoping it's just that I haven't found one that sparks his interest yet and he will one day! He'll eat anything I offer him and if he could would take what I don't offer him! He seems to enjoy my company as he rushes over when I enter the room and will fly to me whilst he is out.
Charlie is very far from athletic, He kind of clambers awkwardly about (this has massively improved since he got a new flight cage last month) and rarely flies. When he does fly he looses height quickly, sometimes crash lands and is then very out of breathe. He won't voluntarily make his way out of the cage but once bribed out with millet he seems to enjoy a little bit of exploring. He spooks easily at new objects but will play with toys after awhile. Charlie's biggest issue by far is that he is obsessed with a mirror ball he has. If it leaves he screams continuously until it returns. We've tried weaning him off slowly, distracting him, swapping for a different mirror and it just ends in a very distressed screaming bird so he gets to keep it now.
So the boys absolutely adore each other through the bars of their cage, it's set up so they can sit side by side and they do this for the majority of the day. Albert regurgitates to Charlie all the time. If Albert is eating a new food then Charlie will follow him and do the same. If a cage is moved for cleaning or something they look and call for each other. All of this makes me think they do like each other. If one is out flying they always return to sit on the others cage and have a good chat through the bars.
The issue occurs when they are both out of the cage. Albert rushes over to see Charlie and he will either ignore him, fly away or try to bite him. From what I can tell (very novice) it seems as though Albert is very forward, he try's to preen him, bangs beaks with him, try's to regurgitate to him and sometimes try's to stand on him. Charlie will either fly away but Albert follows him and this continues until Charlie crashes somewhere because his stamina can't maintain flying. Or Charlie will chase albert off of the perch they are on, often this doesn't deter him and he'll come straight back but there have been times he has bitten Albert and he's screamed and won't go back. We have tried doing this in neutral territory and when they got brand new flight cages last month we tried it in both of their cages.
I just don't know if it's them sorting out the pecking order or actually fighting. They act so different when the cage is between them compared to when they are actually together. I can't risk Charlie crashing into things whilst Albert chases him and the same way I don't like the fact Albert does get bitten sometimes. Anyone had a similar situation and could offer some advice? I'm not even looking for them to live together, it would just be great if they could be out together because then they'd get double the time they get currently.
Sorry it's such a long post I just want you to have all the information so hopefully the advice will be as good as it can be!
I'm new to bird ownership and just over 6 months ago I took on two male budgies from a previous owner that no longer wanted them. They are believed to be around the four year old mark and have always lived in separate cages. From my understanding they were bought at the same time but lived in different rooms for the first year and then side by side for the next three years. Since having them I've been reading and googling everything I can about them but behaviour and body language is something I'm struggling with slightly. I'll quickly tell you a bit about both of them and then explain the problem!
Albert I'd say is the braver of the two and certainly the most athletic. He loves to fly and be out of his cage and he climbs, jumps and hops all about whilst in his cage. He doesn't play with toys yet but I'm hoping it's just that I haven't found one that sparks his interest yet and he will one day! He'll eat anything I offer him and if he could would take what I don't offer him! He seems to enjoy my company as he rushes over when I enter the room and will fly to me whilst he is out.
Charlie is very far from athletic, He kind of clambers awkwardly about (this has massively improved since he got a new flight cage last month) and rarely flies. When he does fly he looses height quickly, sometimes crash lands and is then very out of breathe. He won't voluntarily make his way out of the cage but once bribed out with millet he seems to enjoy a little bit of exploring. He spooks easily at new objects but will play with toys after awhile. Charlie's biggest issue by far is that he is obsessed with a mirror ball he has. If it leaves he screams continuously until it returns. We've tried weaning him off slowly, distracting him, swapping for a different mirror and it just ends in a very distressed screaming bird so he gets to keep it now.
So the boys absolutely adore each other through the bars of their cage, it's set up so they can sit side by side and they do this for the majority of the day. Albert regurgitates to Charlie all the time. If Albert is eating a new food then Charlie will follow him and do the same. If a cage is moved for cleaning or something they look and call for each other. All of this makes me think they do like each other. If one is out flying they always return to sit on the others cage and have a good chat through the bars.
The issue occurs when they are both out of the cage. Albert rushes over to see Charlie and he will either ignore him, fly away or try to bite him. From what I can tell (very novice) it seems as though Albert is very forward, he try's to preen him, bangs beaks with him, try's to regurgitate to him and sometimes try's to stand on him. Charlie will either fly away but Albert follows him and this continues until Charlie crashes somewhere because his stamina can't maintain flying. Or Charlie will chase albert off of the perch they are on, often this doesn't deter him and he'll come straight back but there have been times he has bitten Albert and he's screamed and won't go back. We have tried doing this in neutral territory and when they got brand new flight cages last month we tried it in both of their cages.
I just don't know if it's them sorting out the pecking order or actually fighting. They act so different when the cage is between them compared to when they are actually together. I can't risk Charlie crashing into things whilst Albert chases him and the same way I don't like the fact Albert does get bitten sometimes. Anyone had a similar situation and could offer some advice? I'm not even looking for them to live together, it would just be great if they could be out together because then they'd get double the time they get currently.
Sorry it's such a long post I just want you to have all the information so hopefully the advice will be as good as it can be!
