Advice Needed

**Spyroxshikari** · 04-04-2017, 01:17 PM

Hi all.

Yesterday evening I noticed my male budgie Pippin performing an odd head bobbing behaviour, shaking his head violently and acting generally lethargic (if anyone could glean what was wrong with him that'd be great. His faeces and feeding behaviour were completely normal at the time). As it was late, the vets was closed but I planned on taking him in today the minute I got up.

However, when I got up this morning my poor blue boy had passed away over night. This has left me with my two females Spyro and Shikari. I've deep cleaned the cage thoroughly today to remove any chances of it being something related to that.

Prior to Pippin's passing, both girls got on fine. However now that he has gone, they're regularly fighting for dominance.

I really need advice on what to do. I want my birds to have the best welfare possible and was hoping that some of you who have maybe had budgies for a long time would be able to assist.

As far as I can see, I have three options:

1. Wait out the storm. Leave them together and see if their relationship improves. I've tried to encourage this with communal millet feeding and play times but no luck as of yet.

2. Buy another cage. I could buy another cage and split the girls up, getting them a prospective male each for company. I'm not worried about the cost of this, I just want my birds to be happy and comfortable.

3. Sell one on. This one truly is a last resort and one that I really don't want to take.

Thank you so much for anyone that can help me.

**maxollie** · 04-04-2017, 04:00 PM

Hi and welcome to the community. I'm very sorry you have lost previous Pippin, and you have my sympathy.

I've homed budgies for many, many years. Females do tend to have dominance problems at times, especially now that spring is here. This is the time for bird hormones, mating and eggs.

In my view, your best approach now is to give each one their own cage. I am concerned that they can get into a fight and either, or both of them could be injured.

It is entirely your decision as to getting them a male friend. In the meantime, put a couple of small mirrors in each of their cages, and they can play with their mirror boyfriends. I have always put mirrors in my budgie cages, and they love them. Even pairs love them. Budgies seem to be a parrot species that do not have hormonal issues with mirrors or bells. Some species do have hormonal issues with mirrors or bells in the cage.

I know you will miss Pippin, and I do not think you need the sorrow of having to part with the other two. It is not necessary if you keep them in their own cages! Please let us know his this setup works for them!

Fly high and free sweet Pippin...over the Rainbow Bridge!

**Spyroxshikari** · 04-06-2017, 07:42 AM

So it appears that the fighting has stopped which is great! I'm still keeping a close eye on them both to make sure they're getting along and aren't showing the same symptoms as Pippin did before he died.

Spyro has truly come out of her shell and is far more active and reguarly enjoys showing me her acrobatic swinging upside down behaviour! Shikari is still very reserved, I assume she is grieving for the loss of her mate which is understandable.

When I bought Spyro, the owner said that she was a female and upon first look at her cere that was definitely the case. It was a light lilac/white colour. However, it has now started to darken a bit at the top into a blue with lilac on the bottom. Could anyone enlighten me on which sex they think she/he is? Thanks!

**maxollie** · 04-06-2017, 10:38 AM

I would suggest the darkening cere, if brown in color, could signal hormonal behavior, in some other words, coming into condition to mate and lay eggs. Hens can lay eggs without a male in the home. It could be she and Pippin were going to or were a pair. This could explain the aggression that recently surfaced. I admire you for watching them and hopefully, the two will get over their aggression. However, if Spyro does have the hormone rush now, then her whole cere will get crusty brown color. It will stay that way for awhile, and as a result, the sparring between the two might continue.

I am hopeful they will not spar so much that you will have to put them in separate cages, because they are friends, and were together for a period of time. I would say after she gets over the hormones, the sparring should stop.

**maxollie** · 04-06-2017, 12:15 PM

If you can post some pics, we will look at their ceres.

**boomer girl** · 04-06-2017, 12:55 PM

I am sorry for your loss of Pippin. It is hard on us when we lose our loved birds and also hard on the birds who knew them. I am happy your girls seem to be doing good and in time Shikari will be OK once she gets over her grieving her mate dying.

**Kichitai** · 04-06-2017, 11:51 PM

I'm so sorry to hear about Pippin xx It's so hard losing our feathery friends, especially when the others take it hard too. Could you perhaps put them in seperate cages next to each other for a while - till things settle down hormonally? You wouldn't necessarily need to get them mates as they'd still have company, and hopefully they do get over the sparring.

**Spyroxshikari** · 04-21-2017, 05:22 AM

Hi all.

So it turns out Spyro is indeed a male. His cere has turned very much a blue colour. Shikari's is still brown but I'm glad to say that the sparring between them has stopped and she's much more active than she was, though still not 100%.

I've been introducing lots of different enrichment into their cage and Spyro's naturally playful demeaner is really bringing Shikari back out of her shell again.