What is this behavior? Should I be concerned?

[Rico_Tiel]

So, Rico has been hanging out on the bottom of his cage, running around, and showing great fascination with one corner. He is there often, and usually puts his butt against it? He hangs out on his perches, plays, walks, eats, drinks, etc all normally, and doesn’t behave abnormally. He has been doing this ever since I moved cricket into her smaller cage. He does the SAME thing in her cage too. He will fight me, talon and beak to get in there, and to hang out in a corner of her cage. In her cage, however, he grows VERY aggressive and hostile, unlike in his cage. His poop is normal, no diet change, nothing new in his environment, no factors for this. When he is out of his cage, and he can’t get into cricket’s cage, he behaves just as normal. Screaming, singing, playing, getting into things, playing on my hair, getting scritches, etc. I got a pic of him in the corner, getting ready to sleep, but he never did sleep. He ended up climbing up onto a perch to preen.

This was him right before shaking his head, ik he looks sick in this image l, but he is fine.

Him right now.

Is this a cause of concern? Is it a hormonal thing? Whenever there is paper from toys on the grate, he pulls it into that corner, almost like building a nest? So I’m guessing it’s just a hormonal thing, but I could easily be wrong. Never seen anything like this.

 

[onamom]

Hm it sounds like it might be hormonal behavior.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

Hm it sounds like it might be hormonal behavior.

I edited my post, but yes, I do think it could be that. But the weird thing is, he never has done this, and he is never aggressive over this. When he is hormonal over something, he gets VERY Aggressive and very territorial, like with crickets cage, but he doesnt get aggressive over his.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

So, Rico has been hanging out on the bottom of his cage, running around, and showing great fascination with one corner. He is there often, and usually puts his butt against it? He hangs out on his perches, plays, walks, eats, drinks, etc all normally, and doesn’t behave abnormally. He has been doing this ever since I moved cricket into her smaller cage. He does the SAME thing in her cage too. He will fight me, talon and beak to get in there, and to hang out in a corner of her cage. In her cage, however, he grows VERY aggressive and hostile, unlike in his cage. His poop is normal, no diet change, nothing new in his environment, no factors for this. When he is out of his cage, and he can’t get into cricket’s cage, he behaves just as normal. Screaming, singing, playing, getting into things, playing on my hair, getting scritches, etc. I got a pic of him in the corner, getting ready to sleep, but he never did sleep. He ended up climbing up onto a perch to preen. View attachment 51483
This was him right before shaking his head, ik he looks sick in this image l, but he is fine.View attachment 51487
Him right now.

Is this a cause of concern? Is it a hormonal thing? Whenever there is paper from toys on the grate, he pulls it into that corner, almost like building a nest? So I’m guessing it’s just a hormonal thing, but I could easily be wrong. Never seen anything like this.

Do you think Rico thinks Cricket is his new mate? I assume you are certain Rico is a male. I know that some cockatiel mutations are impossible to sex visually.
Just thinking Rico is thinking Crickets cage is her nest and he's her mate. I don't know. Just thinking.

 

[clark_conure]

yeah I'd say hormonal.....

 

[DonnaBudgie]

yeah I'd say hormonal.....

Do think its directed at Cricket?

 

[zERo]

My female tiel Sheer Khan likes to sit on her platform perch with her tail up in the air. It looks very similar to what Rico is doing in your picture.

Does Rico have solid colored tail feathers? No white dots under the wings?

It’s a bit hard to see here but females have lots of baring/banding on their underparts and then you can see the white dots on her flight feathers.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

Do you think Rico thinks Cricket is his new mate? I assume you are certain Rico is a male. I know that some cockatiel mutations are impossible to sex visually.
Just thinking Rico is thinking Crickets cage is her nest and he's her mate. I don't know. Just thinking.

Def not. He won’t even touch her and he has had his fair share of nips towards her. Her cage was a cage he was in when he broke his leg early last year. And he is known for nesting in random things. Bowls, backpacks, behind my fan, my shelf, etc. I know for a fact he is a male since he sometimes jumps his bowl, he does heartwings, he sings like a male, all male behaviors. And cricket scares the heck out of him like 1/2 the time since she is so fast and her voice is sharp while his is round so to speak. He never ever did this to her first cage. So, it’s something to do with her current cage, right?

 

[Rico_Tiel]

My female tiel Sheer Khan likes to sit on her platform perch with her tail up in the air. It looks very similar to what Rico is doing in your picture.

Does Rico have solid colored tail feathers? No white dots under the wings?
View attachment 51492It’s a bit hard to see here but females have lots of baring/banding on their underparts and then you can see the white dots on her flight feathers.

Def not. He is solid everywhere except for the back of his head, a spot near his bum, and his shoulders. No bars or pearls.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

Do think its directed at Cricket?

I’d say probably not, since he prefers my company and is a bit scared of her darting and tantrums. But I’m certain it’s something to do with her cage, and the plastic base of it.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

He’s doing it again

He’s waddling around but he keeps going back to that corner.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

This is 100% hormones. No way it isn’t. I have heard males doing something similar, but not like this.

Usually they do this on a perch but are 100% male.


Someone’s bedtime is gonna be moved to 7PM, and someone’s gonna have to forage more for their food. Mr fat boy is gonna eat more dandelion and I’ll see if we can get him veggies each week since the prices have gone down. I’m still confused about what on earth is triggering these hormones.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

This is 100% hormones. No way it isn’t. I have heard males doing something similar, but not like this.
View attachment 51505View attachment 51506View attachment 51507

Usually they do this on a perch but are 100% male.


Someone’s bedtime is gonna be moved to 7PM, and someone’s gonna have to forage more for their food. Mr fat boy is gonna eat more dandelion and I’ll see if we can get him veggies each week since the prices have gone down. I’m still confused about what on earth is triggering these hormones.

Since your veggies are getting more affordable you should make a big batch of chop and freeze small portions in small zip lock baggies.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Since your veggies are getting more affordable you should make a big batch of chop and freeze small portions in small zip lock baggies.

Are you POSITIVE Rico is a male?

 

[onamom]

I would also suggest re-arranging his cage as much as you can. Move the toys around and the perches. If you can even move the cage to a different spot in the room.

 

[Greenhouseparrots]

My female cockatiel does this a few days before she starts laying eggs. I have never seen my male cockatiel do this, he just shreds paper and will lay on any eggs she does lay. They don't have to be aggressive to be hormonal either as my tiels aren't aggressive to me at all even when they have eggs and I'm trying to move them off of them.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

Since your veggies are getting more affordable you should make a big batch of chop and freeze small portions in small zip lock baggies.

Definitely not that affordable with our other groceries. 10 groceries are 100$ from one store. We usually have to spend 200$ a week just to be able to not have to miss meals. Our animals are always well fed though. They never have to miss a meal. But a family of four (2 of which who have a more mild binge eating disorder, and one who insists on having GIGANTIC proportions of food, ignoring how that leaves others with less food.) in this day and age is pretty expensive, and adding 8 pets adds to the cost. Thankfully though, I don’t eat much anyway but I do have my binging episodes from time to time. Im not sure if we could add on at least 6 different vegetables to our groceries since they tend to vary in price. Kale is arguably the least expensive, but things like spinach, beets, and fresh corn are like 5-10 dollars. Carrots are about 3-5$ depending on if it’s baby or regular carrots, and fresh peas are quite pricey when they are at my grocery store. They may be at three bears but I’ve never seen them there either, which is kinda funny since they sell coconuts there but I’ve never seen peas there. Target has frozen peas but in my experience, it comes out gross and mushy.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

Are you POSITIVE Rico is a male?

Pretty positive. He humps his bowl sometimes and he does every male behavior. He even LOOKS like a male. So I am positive he is a male.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

I would also suggest re-arranging his cage as much as you can. Move the toys around and the perches. If you can even move the cage to a different spot in the room.

That’s actually a good idea. I rearranged it a few days ago but it didn’t do much. So I will do it daily and give him an early bedtime.

 

[Rico_Tiel]

My female cockatiel does this a few days before she starts laying eggs. I have never seen my male cockatiel do this, he just shreds paper and will lay on any eggs she does lay. They don't have to be aggressive to be hormonal either as my tiels aren't aggressive to me at all even when they have eggs and I'm trying to move them off of them.

So there could be a chance that Rico is a hen? Is it possible he is a hermaphrodite? I know not all birds are aggressive when hormonal but oh boy Rico is. He is very VERY aggressive when hormonal, and it’s like a switch flips in his mind. He goes from a sweet bird to the spawn of Satan.