I've been trying for ages to get some video of Fang and Jem performing this "dance" that they've been doing together. Of our current flock Fang has been with us the longest, he's around about 13 years old now and we've had him since he was a baby. Jem joined the flock in March 2022 having been an escapee from elsewhere whom we caught in our back yard - we tried to find his family for weeks with no luck so decided to keep him here. Fang was not impressed with Jem at first at all, he's getting on to be a middle-aged gent now who has long kind of considered himself more "people" than "bird" and was not thrilled with Jem and his youthful exuberance or attempts at making friends. Enter Lovejoy the lorikeet, whom neither of the 'tiels like, and more recently Peach the princess parrot who L💖VES Lovejoy, and Fang seems to have become much more accepting of Jem which makes me happy for both of them. Even if it is sort of an "enemy of my enemy is my friend" scenario, the two of them are much more comfortable in each others' company than before, and where one goes now the other is almost sure to follow.
Now as to this dance, it's a curious thing. They do this almost mesmerised, mirror-image "dance" with each other, which I call the 'tiel two-step, make heart wings at each other and there is much clicking of beaks although in all other respects the dance is carried out in complete silence. It doesn't appear to be threatening thing at all, and they follow it up with a preening session where, again, the moves are almost a mirror image of each other - if one preens their left side so will the other etc etc. This is the longest I've seen them doing the dance without Lovejoy, Val or Peachie swooping in and breaking it up, and I'm quite fascinated by it!
Fang really hasn't had another birdy friend since we lost Twinkle about 10 or 11 years ago. She was a beautiful but much older lutino 'tiel hen with whom he fell MADLY in love. Unfortunately he fell a little too hard for her though and would get a bit violent when she didn't return his affections, and I'd frequently have to step in and rescue her from him. So I'm happy that he and Jem seem to have bonded with each other much more closely, they may not be besties just yet the way Lovejoy and Val the budgie are, but they are well on the way 💖
Now as to this dance, it's a curious thing. They do this almost mesmerised, mirror-image "dance" with each other, which I call the 'tiel two-step, make heart wings at each other and there is much clicking of beaks although in all other respects the dance is carried out in complete silence. It doesn't appear to be threatening thing at all, and they follow it up with a preening session where, again, the moves are almost a mirror image of each other - if one preens their left side so will the other etc etc. This is the longest I've seen them doing the dance without Lovejoy, Val or Peachie swooping in and breaking it up, and I'm quite fascinated by it!
Fang really hasn't had another birdy friend since we lost Twinkle about 10 or 11 years ago. She was a beautiful but much older lutino 'tiel hen with whom he fell MADLY in love. Unfortunately he fell a little too hard for her though and would get a bit violent when she didn't return his affections, and I'd frequently have to step in and rescue her from him. So I'm happy that he and Jem seem to have bonded with each other much more closely, they may not be besties just yet the way Lovejoy and Val the budgie are, but they are well on the way 💖
