Post by Catbird on Nov 22, 2004 12:03:08 GMT 10
I witnessed a most surprising and distressing thing with my birds on the weekend.
One of the Rock Parrot males has been chasing the quails around the bottom of the aviary, and the hen is sitting so I though I'd give her a break and move the Rock Parrot into another aviary. I moved him in next door to my pair of Superbs.
The male Superb went mental!!
He started flying up against the wire (throwing himself against it so it made a loud bang) and angrily flashing his eyes and growling. He moved around the wire as if trying to get a better look at him, even going to the interconnecting door and trying to pry it open (no chance!). Then the Superb male turned around and beat the absolute hell out of his hen! The poor girl had feathers come out everywhere. I can only assume this was a 'displacement' behaviour (ie he was taking his frustration out on her.
In the end I had to remove the Rock male and put him back where he came from and separate the hen, because her mate was consistantly attacking her - very viciously too.
I put her back in in the evening and he had settled down and started to court her again.
This behaviour has me worried though as I planned to put the pair in with a mixed aviary. Even if they stayed in the aviary bank, what am I going to be able to put next to him.
He is ok with cockatiel males next door, so why did the Rock Parrot male send him psycho?? Has anyone had their polytelis do this before? They are meant to be docile.
- Claire
One of the Rock Parrot males has been chasing the quails around the bottom of the aviary, and the hen is sitting so I though I'd give her a break and move the Rock Parrot into another aviary. I moved him in next door to my pair of Superbs.
The male Superb went mental!!
He started flying up against the wire (throwing himself against it so it made a loud bang) and angrily flashing his eyes and growling. He moved around the wire as if trying to get a better look at him, even going to the interconnecting door and trying to pry it open (no chance!). Then the Superb male turned around and beat the absolute hell out of his hen! The poor girl had feathers come out everywhere. I can only assume this was a 'displacement' behaviour (ie he was taking his frustration out on her. In the end I had to remove the Rock male and put him back where he came from and separate the hen, because her mate was consistantly attacking her - very viciously too.
I put her back in in the evening and he had settled down and started to court her again.
This behaviour has me worried though as I planned to put the pair in with a mixed aviary. Even if they stayed in the aviary bank, what am I going to be able to put next to him.
He is ok with cockatiel males next door, so why did the Rock Parrot male send him psycho?? Has anyone had their polytelis do this before? They are meant to be docile.
- Claire
