Two of my family's cockatiels keep fighting when outside the cage

[Ark]

My family has 5 young cockatiels going through their first molt and two keep fighting when taken out together with just the two of them, but seem perfectly fine when inside the cage even grooming each other or when all 5 are out together.

They aren't sexed but we believe one is male and the other is female due to the one that seems to instigate the fights being quite chatty when inside their cage and rarely when outside alone. We have only had them for a few months at most. Any help is appreciated, tia

 

[Free as a bird]

My family has 5 young cockatiels going through their first molt and two keep fighting when taken out together with just the two of them, but seem perfectly fine when inside the cage even grooming each other or when all 5 are out together.

They aren't sexed but we believe one is male and the other is female due to the one that seems to instigate the fights being quite chatty when inside their cage and rarely when outside alone. We have only had them for a few months at most. Any help is appreciated, tia

You have to define what a real fight is first. A real fight is if they are actually biting and/or clawing each other. Often times they will bicker but that's just like an argument and not a real fight.

My birds bicker all the time and can't sit beside each other but I'm always watching to see that it doesn't turn into a fight.

 

[Ark]

You have to define what a real fight is first. A real fight is if they are actually biting and/or clawing each other. Often times they will bicker but that's just like an argument and not a real fight.

My birds bicker all the time and can't sit beside each other but I'm always watching to see that it doesn't turn into a fight.

Thanks for the reply. By that description it seems it may just be bickering then. They mostly hiss or seem like they try to bite but haven't seen they claw at each other.

They don't seem to do it when they're with anyone else in the family as well. Just quite confusing as well as being new to birds but will definitely keep an eye on them if it happens again.

 

[Jcas]

You mention that they are going through a first molt? Molting can make birds a little cranky. The new feathers coming are sensitive at first which can cause some birds to get skittish or defensive.

 

[Ark]

You mention that they are going through a first molt? Molting can make birds a little cranky. The new feathers coming are sensitive at first which can cause some birds to get skittish or defensive.

Yeah, they are. I've noticed that they are a bit less interested in interacting with anyone as much outside of coming out to be on the table with foraging boxes or being on someone's shoulder so I assume that is because of the molting.

My only concern is that the possible male only seems to have the behavior with one of the other birds and only when the two are out with myself.

 

[texsize]

Going through their first molt also means hormones.
I believe Tiels became sexually mature at about a year old.

I have 2 male Tiels Cheeky (father) Popeye (son).
they lived in the same cage for at least 4 years with just occasional arguments.
All of a sudden they flat out hated each other.
have to keep them separate all the time and still Popeye will try to attack Cheeky if he even gets close to his cage.

 

[Ark]

Going through their first molt also means hormones.
I believe Tiels became sexually mature at about a year old.

I have 2 male Tiels Cheeky (father) Popeye (son).
they lived in the same cage for at least 4 years with just occasional arguments.
All of a sudden they flat out hated each other.
have to keep them separate all the time and still Popeye will try to attack Cheeky if he even gets close to his cage.

I'm not entirely sure of their age exactly but they have all started molting except for the most recent one we got being the youngest.

The male in question, Onion, we had gotten from a breeder that at the time my parents had thought was good but eventually realized they weren't for the way he was clipped fully on one side and none on the other so when he tried to fly he'd pretty much spiral and crash but also seemed to really not like us for nearly 2 months before coming around. He has only seemed to take a liking to one of the other birds (Salt) which is the one he seems to argue or kind of fight with when outside the cage together with me but not any of the others. None are related but Salt and one our other females (Pepper) were raised by the same breeder (different breeder than Onion).

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

A cockatiel in full out 'fight mode' will kick, squeal, hiss and lunge at their foes' toes. Crest will be pinned and feathers fluffed with aggression.

'Bickering' is usually head lunges with beak open and mild squealing. They'll bluff a bite, and do this until the other bird backs off, which is usually right away. There's no real heat in the warnings.

Hopefully that helps a bit

 

[Ark]

A cockatiel in full out 'fight mode' will kick, squeal, hiss and lunge at their foes' toes. Crest will be pinned and feathers fluffed with aggression.

'Bickering' is usually head lunges with beak open and mild squealing. They'll bluff a bite, and do this until the other bird backs off, which is usually right away. There's no real heat in the warnings.

Hopefully that helps a bit

That definitely describes what's happening and helps a lot. Just only notice the two of them doing it around me alone which is what I'm unsure about as well. Thank you for the reply

 

[texsize]

That definitely describes what's happening and helps a lot. Just only notice the two of them doing it around me alone which is what I'm unsure about as well. Thank you for the reply

Here is a short video of my two fighters.