Bird Fights

[Nikki]

Having a bit of a problem with my little green cheek attacking Nikki my grey. Green cheeks are nippy birds to begin with & very bold. Korkie is a sweetheart when she wants to be & has spent many evenings pruning my grey (if I am holding them both) Nikki will beg to be pruned & really seems to want to be friends, she is so loving. Recently however, my green cheek has managed to get to close when I have turned my back & she begins biting the bigger bird. She is bound to get hurt if she keeps this up. Right now Nikki appears scared more than anything but naturally she will begin to defend herself. Today Korkie bit her toe. I try my best to keep them in their own space. Many times they seem to get along just fine & I allow them be near one another. We have had very few squabbles in the last few months but I'm concerned. We just returned from Florida, an 8 hour car trip with both birds. They were wonderful for the most part.

[judygram]

I have a sun conure and I can attest that she is the more aggressive of my two parrots and she does not get along with my grey either. She will try to nip at Josey and she used to be a little afraid of her at first but now she stands her ground. I have to keep them separated or Sunny will end up with the shortest end of the stick.

 

I would have them on separate playstands when they are both out of the cages, that is what I do and I very seldom have both of them on my shoulder at the same time.

 

You are right to be concerned for even though the conure is the aggressor, it will be the conure that will end up hurt very badly or killed by the grey.

[Tycos_mom]

This is very true When I fist got Tyco My Green cheeked Conure was very jealous and wwas always trying to start something with Tyco. I hadn't had Tyco 1 week when and Sprout was in his cage and trying to get up in Tyco's face from inside his cage Tyco reach through the bars of the cage and bit Sprouts beak off. I hand fed him for 7 month before his beak had grown back enough for him to eat on his own again. Please try to keep them separated believe me its not pretty all the thing that could happen Today one of my cockateils flew on to Tycos cage I was not in the room at the time. Tyco took a bite out of her side just above her left leg. she didn't make a sound and I didn't even know it happened until I picked her up to but her back into her cage. It looks very deep and I going to take her to the vet in the morning if she makes it through the night. All the vet offices are closed right now. I cleaned up the wound and put her in a hospital cage with a heating pad she doesn't seem to be in shock she still perching on one foot and isn't puffed up or anything but the wound is deep so I'm ure she is going to need some antibiotics at least to get her healed up with out getting an infection. I'm just so upset about this it always seems these things happen at the worst possible time<br><br>Post edited by: Tycos_mom, at: 2008/12/30 03:19

[Dave007]

"""""She is bound to get hurt if she keeps this up. Right now Nikki appears scared more than anything but naturally she will begin to defend herself. """""

 

Maybe, maybe not. Smaller, quicker birds like green cheeks, pionus, quakers, suns constantly have the upper hand when it comes to tangling with much heavier slow moving species such as greys, Zons, eclectus. Certain small species dislike larger birds and will go after the bigger bird before they tangle with other species of the same size and temperament. Smaller birds are extremely quick and can easily avoid getting bitten by that larger species. The percentage of small birds successfully bitting a grey's feet is much higher than the other way around. About the only way your grey is gonna get back at the smaller bird is if that bird is either trapped against a wall where he can't get away or if the owner happens to be holding the whole body of the small bird such as is done when filing a beak, carrying from one place to another etc. If the owner who is holding that bird and just happens to be very close to the grey don't be surprised if that grey runs out and bites the bird on any exposed area while it can't defend itself. As soon as the towel is off, away goes the grey. I have quakers at home who rule the roost.

Below--A typical continuing attitude with the grey very nervous and leery and surprised by a quaker. She's ready to bite but he's afraid and sliding down the bars and she means business. This is a common occurance. The grey just doesn't learn. She acts this way with one other grey too. The male quaker is calmer and has less attitude but can be nippy with the big ones if he wants to..

Your 2 birds may be the type that need to be watched, especially the small one. As a grey gets older smaller birds get more aggressive. PS--my 2 quakers wouldn't even harm a budgie.

 

 

 

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Something funny just happened right after I posted this reply. My wife happened to be right behind me and she spotted the 2 pictures and was looking at them

I said, " you remember that time when Lola's (quaker)cage was next to Tee and he was on his cage wall and she went after him and tried to bite him?" She said "no, how can I remember one specific time? She goes after him all the time. He's a masochist".<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2008/12/30 03:43

[Nikki]

<br><br>Post edited by: Nikki, at: 2008/12/30 14:27

[Nikki]

Yes can see that happening. Nikki was more afraid of Korkie but she will try to retaliate if she has to. I wish they could get along better but I may have to assume that will not be the case.

[Nikki]

Re to Tycos_mom:

I am so sorry to hear about your cockatiel, I hope she will be alright. Things do seem to happen at the worst time. I guess I am going to have to never allow them near each other. They seemed to be getting along well but truly you cannot trust a green cheek! I'll have to have a new attitude from now on, perhaps I can prevent

a disaster.

[danmcq]

My Grey absolutely hates my Conure. The Conure at first tried to buddy up with Dayo, I suspect due to Conures being a bird that will naturally flock with other species as most the new world parrots do.

 

Fortunately, as Dave said, these little guys are much quicker and agile then the Grey. Jake will fly away most the time before Dayo nails him. Dayo several times has been flying around and then very abruptly just try to land on my Conure.

 

There have been 2 instances where he succeeded and grabbed the conures tail feathers as he was flying away.

 

One of the times, Dayo had such a good grip on Jake's tail feathers that Jake was flapping away and being held in mid-air by Dayo hanging on until the feathers were sheered off close to the tips.

 

Since then, Jake is much more watchful and if he sees Dayo even flying close to him, he leaves before he can be landed on.

[danmcq]

Oh Pat, I am so sorry to hear of the wound your Conure received. I hope she is ok this morning and the vet gets her patched up properly.

[Tycos_mom]

I called the vet this morning as I was going to make an appointment for her. when I took the cover off of her I was very suprized to find her climbing and eating and like nothing was wrong. the wound doesn't even look as bad as it did yesterday. I told my vet this and I also told her I was worried about a secondary infection she said that it sounds like my bird is on the mend and to just use polysporin on the wound so it doesn't get infected. she also said to make sure its polysporin and not neosporin because the polysporin is safe and the neosporin is posionous. I still have her in the hospital cage with the heating pad and 3 sides covered but she seems to be happily whistleing away and chirping. Its trully amazing what these little birds can get over.

[Luvparrots]

Pat, so glad your cockatiel is looking and feeling better. Good thoughts to you and all of your sweet flock.