Galah behaviour questions

[elf]

I just brought home a male companion for my girl this afternoon. He's 2 and a half years old and was handraised.  This is his third home in a week, as the people who bought him from his original owner were afraid of him and rehomed him straight away. He's quite different in personality from the galahs I've had before, and I'm not sure how to interpret his behaviours. Mature male galahs are a new experience for me.

1. Wings raised really high, crest up and screaming repeatedly at me.
2. Scraping his beak all over the wooden play frame. His crest is up and he's silent while he's doing it.
3. Sort of bobbing up and down with closed wings half raised (the wrist part of his wing is out from his body but his feathers aren't spread and his wing tips are still in contact with his rump). I thought he wanted to be picked up but when I offered my hand he bit me. Good thing I'm used to being bitten!

I assume that at least some of these behaviours are dominance-related? Otherwise he's a charming lad, very keen on scratchies and cuddles, and a bit of a clown. 

Also, is there a way to discourage the screeching? I don't mind the noise they make when they call to other galahs outside, but the new boy's screech is incredibly loud and I'm worried he's going to teach our girl to do it as well.

Rebecca

[elf]

Never mind. After two of my children were bitten without warning I need to find him a new home. He's a sweetheart most of the time but as the bruises on my daughter's arm attest, he can be unpredictable. Part and parcel of having a hormonal sexually mature male galah, I suppose, but I can't have the children being put at risk, especially when he's an out-of-cage bird and has access to most of the house most of the time. I don't think he's the right friend for my female anyway. He's thoroughly imprinted on people. I don't think he even knows he's a bird.

(I worked out what some of his extremely loud noises are all about - the bird phone's ringing! The other screeching seems to be his way of proclaiming ownership of a new space. He's done it in every new room I've taken him into. And he mimes eating when he's hungry! I've never seen a bird do that!)

[avinet]

The first thing when bringing home a new mature bird is to let it settle in for a few days before trying to do anything with it - which means keeping it in a cage while it gets used to the new people and surroundings.  It will basically be a very unsettled bird after going into its third home in a week - and that means stressed!  And a stressed bird is an unpredictable bird.  Let it settle down in a cage of its own - do not have any new larger bird  sharing a cage with another bird until it has had plenty of time to adjust - weeks or even months!  When I got my female Grey after having had the male for a year it was 6 months before I let them share a cage, even though they seemed to get on OK out of the cages.

Patience is the essential ingredient when introducing a new bird into any household, they need time to adjust.  And certainly don't let children try to handle a new Galah for quite a while - let them talk to it through the bars, offer it treats through the bars but not to handle until you are very certain about the bird's behaviour.

cheers,

Mike

[elf]

Thanks Mike. So you think it's worth giving him time? I had expected some sort of interaction between them, even if it was just a bit of joint screaming in the evenings, but it's like she doesn't exist for him. Until she gets into his personal space, that is, when he makes a serious effort to bite her. She, on the other hand, is really keen to make friends and is quite upset at having been rebuffed.

They are in separate cages and I've been trying to give them separate cuddle & play time. It feels cruel to keep him locked up as his original owner let him roam all day and only caged him at night. He sits there with his little foot waving at me, asking to be let out. I will restrict his movements for a while though. I'm also going to have to move him onto a decent diet, as he's only ever been fed budgie seed and broccoli.

He's a lovely boy most of the time, and I was really disappointed when it looked like it wouldn't work out. If his bites could be stress related I'm certainly willing to give him some time to settle in.

[avinet]

I certainly think it worth while giving him a chance to settle down and start to feel comfortable in the new environment, and the new people.  It may not work out but there is a good chance that it might.  I must say that my experience with Galahs is that you have more Galahs that will give the occasional unexpected bite than you get ones that never bite.  In fact there were very few older Galahs that came into our shop that never ever bit.

Regarding your female, again it will take a while before he starts to appreciate there is a female Galah around if he has been on his own up to now.  Keep the cages close to each other so he gets used to having her nearby.

I wouldn't worry about him being confined to a cage a lot of the time - in fact I am not a fan of allowing birds to spend most of the day free to wander around - they need to be used to spending periods in their cages through the day and accepting that it is part of their life.  My own flock (21 bird sin the house currently) have a couple of hours out of their cages in the morning then go back into the cages with fresh food mid morning.  They then stay in their cages until evening after we have had dinner when they come out for a further 2 to 3 hours.  That is their routine and they are accepting of that routine.

Budgie seed and broccoli isn't too bad - at least there is no excess sunflower in that diet and broccoli is a great vegie for birds.  However I always recommend a low fat pellet as preferable for Galahs given their tendency to get fatty lipoma tumours.

cheers, 

Mike

[cockatielscanberra]

I would support the idea of giving the bird some time. They need this to adjust. There environment has changed as well as the people around him.

[rick]

What you are describing to me is pretty much normal male galah behaviour.. The key is patience and routine. The bobbing and screeching at you is a performing/attention grabbing parrot. They are prey birds, so it takes a while for them to realise who you are and what the new environment is about..so its natural for them to be mistrustful. I have had a male around the 2 year mark for 6 months.. it took around 3 months for him to be comfortable, and he has just recently settled and knows routine. He comes inside at dusk and is allowed out in the evening after dinner and has about 2 hours free time. Then hes confined to a dark, quiet room for 10-12 hours and usually up around 6-6:30. He will talk to me to let me know he is up, and squawk a little if I don't get up in time to let him out. I find galahs to be very aware of the seasonal changes, so if it is fine they will wake earlier, but if it is windy and overcast, they soon learn that it isn't all that pleasant to be outside!

Basically every bird is different, and you learn as much about them as they do about you pver time.. there is no quick fix, but if you want a quieter, more gentle and relaxed bird, a strict routine will work every time. The routine is entirely up to you and what you can offer and you will have to adjust your routine to care for not 1 but 2 pink and greys now.

Since you have another galah, and a female - one thing about cockatoos is they are very jealous creatures. Giving one attention, but not the other I would not really recommend. Perhaps let him settle for a few days in his cage and align the routines with the female.. but when the female comes out to play, be sure to offer a treat and attention to the male also.