Issues Getting Along

[Eshana]

Shelby, the 'tiel, and Jon, the Senegal were getting along great. They were preening each other, following each other around the bed, etc.

 

However, today Shelby flew into Jon's cage when I was about to take Jon out. It freaked Jon out, and when they were on the bed together Jon tried everything to attack Shelby.

 

I have them separated now, but i had such high hopes for them getting along! The second time I tried to put them together the same thing happened.

[Eshana]

They are still acting this way together. Any ideas?

[MarcusCAG]

Yikes, she pushed the envelope! Fine, I'll log back in....

 

Well, it just sounds like he's being territorial right now. Our little guys seem to go through moods where they'll all be fine and then somebody will "step on someone else's toes" somehow or other, and I have to lock somebody up because somebody else just had a few feathers ripped out of them. But then--the next day they're all fine. Or it's an issue with someone else in the flock.

 

I mean, I'm not saying that I think all parrots will react the same, and maybe it's something else entirely with your Jon and Shelby, but maybe this aggression will blow over in a day or so if you don't enable them to physically get in a row tomorrow. (Like, maybe take one out and play with them while the other is still caged, hold them close to the bars and see how they react.)

 

Perhaps this isn't exactly helpful, but then again maybe it will be: Today when Bunsen landed on Marcus' cage while he was perched to the side, Marcus pinned his eyes and got all fluffy and started climbing the bars fast to get at my poor, myopic little cockatiel. I got Bunsen to step-up just as Marcus rounded the top, huge and scary-looking, and I said sharply, "Marcus, Bunsen is little. He's a little boy. You're a big boy, you're scary! Be nice to Bunsen! Climb back down to your perch!" And... after staring at us for a moment, his feathers lowered and he did. And when Bunsen, the silly thing, flew back up to his cage top again after that a little later, Marcus was absolutely indifferent to it. Not that I'd leave the room with them like that, but I was glad to see he had mellowed some.

 

So, I say just give them a breather from each other (ie-don't allow them to reinforce the fighting) and then see how it goes. But maybe someone else will have even better advice, in which case totally discard everything I've said.

[katana600]

We have a red-bellied parrot cousin of your senegal. We also fostered a cockatiel (Milo) early on when Java was just a baby. Milo was older and he was hissing for three weeks and I was keeping him quarantined on a separate floor of our house. We never reached the moment when they could be out at the same time and it was Java who was always trying to get on Milo's cage and cause a commotion. We are three months in with Java and Gilbert now and I take one out of the cage at a time and make sure each of them have separate time alone with me to keep jealousy from rearing its ugly head, but I do see progress. At least now Java can ride on my shoulder through the room where Gil is in his cage and she does not try to swoop down and get on his cage. It will just take lots of time and paying attention for you to figure out a safe interaction with Jon and Shelby. Congrats on getting Jon while I was away for a bit. He is a cutie.