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| mmarteen |
I have a tiel (2yrs) a hahn's (1 yr) and a caique (3yrs). They are all
sweet birds and they seem to get along in their own separate spaces. (Each
has a good sized cage where they spend the night and when we leave the house
and each has a hanging play tree in the front room where they spend the
day).
People on this group warned me about having a caique with other birds. We
try to be vigilant when they are out. Lately, though I have noticed another
behavior. Neither Rocky or Simon (Hahns) are much for flying. We keep them
clipped and both are heavy bodied birds that can flutter to the ground but
can't make it too far. Emile the tiel is also clipped but as tiels are, he
is still a tremendous flyer. If something happens to startle them (car
backfire etc.) only Emile will take off flying and lands on the dining room
table, a plant, etc. A couple of times I have been out of the room when
this happens and when I go to check/retrieve Emile I've found Rocky sitting
beside him. (Within a few feet, not right on top of him). Not menacing him,
just sitting quietly. Given that Rocky can't fly too well, the only way he
would be able to reach Emile is by jumping to the floor and walking across
the room. Fast, since I don't leave Emile stranded for long. Emile doesn't
seem afraid of Rocky's being there, since he is quiet with just "talking'
chirps. The other day I left them sitting on their cages and left the room
for a short time. When I came back, Simon was on my desk and Rocky and Emile
were sitting on two legs of my rolling office chair, with just the central
post between them. Once again, there was a buffer zone but they seemed to
have negotiated the space between them.
I am trying not to read too much into this. What I think we have here is
not necessarily trust but stable cooperation. Any thoughts from multiple
bird owners?
Oh--another thing. Simon the baby hahns has taken to imitating Rocky the
Caique in his play. When Rocky hangs upside down and rings his bell, Simon
does too. When Rocky chews on his braided palm toy, Simon chews on his too.
He also seems to remember when I gave him certain toys, since I usually hand
them out at the same time and when Rocky plays with his toy Simon plays with
the one he got at the same time, even if it is somewhat different. This is
very cute except that Caiques play pretty roughly and with all the hanging
upside down and flopping around Simon keeps bending and breaking his tail
feathers. (Rocky's are short and well designed for his active lifestyle.)
He seems happy though and is getting good exercise so I guess I can't
complain too much.
mm
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| Rick |
"mmarteen" <mmarteen@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:buqbj2$kk8jq$1@ID-165117.news.uni-berlin.de...
> I have a tiel (2yrs) a hahn's (1 yr) and a caique (3yrs). They are all
> sweet birds and they seem to get along in their own separate spaces. (Each
> has a good sized cage where they spend the night and when we leave the house
> and each has a hanging play tree in the front room where they spend the
> day).
>
> People on this group warned me about having a caique with other birds. We
> try to be vigilant when they are out. Lately, though I have noticed another
> behavior. Neither Rocky or Simon (Hahns) are much for flying. We keep them
> clipped and both are heavy bodied birds that can flutter to the ground but
> can't make it too far. Emile the tiel is also clipped but as tiels are, he
> is still a tremendous flyer. If something happens to startle them (car
> backfire etc.) only Emile will take off flying and lands on the dining room
> table, a plant, etc. A couple of times I have been out of the room when
> this happens and when I go to check/retrieve Emile I've found Rocky sitting
> beside him. (Within a few feet, not right on top of him). Not menacing him,
> just sitting quietly. Given that Rocky can't fly too well, the only way he
> would be able to reach Emile is by jumping to the floor and walking across
> the room. Fast, since I don't leave Emile stranded for long. Emile doesn't
> seem afraid of Rocky's being there, since he is quiet with just "talking'
> chirps. The other day I left them sitting on their cages and left the room
> for a short time. When I came back, Simon was on my desk and Rocky and Emile
> were sitting on two legs of my rolling office chair, with just the central
> post between them. Once again, there was a buffer zone but they seemed to
> have negotiated the space between them.
>
> I am trying not to read too much into this. What I think we have here is
> not necessarily trust but stable cooperation. Any thoughts from multiple
> bird owners?
Stable cooperation can turn very ugly in the blink of an eye.
Caiques are instinctually programmed to kill birds who are
smaller than they are, if it feels threatened or if another bird
encroaches into its territory. Larger birds they'll usually leave
alone, but you're taking a real chance leaving a Caique alone
with any smaller or similar-sized bird.
We also have a Caique, a green cheek conure and two tiels.
The GCC isn't afraid of anything -- human, bird or otherwise,
regardless of size, and if we let her near the Caique things
would nasty *real* quick. There's no doubt about that.
Rick
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