PLayful behavior?

Question
hahaha, ok well then that raises one other thing. my oldest in that cage is tobey, he is almost 9 months old. then there is Benny and Joon (brother and sister)12 weeks, and Mandy, she is my little special needs baby who is about 10 weeks old. Tobey, is verrry much top bird so to speak. he absolutely will be a butt and bully anyone out of his way. nothing too serious, but he makes his point very clear. Benny is assertive, but very much a gentle baby. should i expect, things to get less harmonious when benny gets a bit older? and what would be condsidered "too serious" to be housed together. Mandy just leaves the perch without confrontation. joon and benny both stand up to him and do the tall neck, beak tapping static like thing, till one or the other backs down. usualy its benny or joon. tobey also likes to go to their perch and get close, then walk away, then get closer and walk away, then get right next to and put his foot on them, at that point they usually get down.
please excuse all the follow ups, but your an exellant resource and i really appreciate the knowledge you share. this will be my last question...for today! lol
Amanda
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Followup To
Question -
cool! thanks so much. i thought it was probably something like that, but so many people would try and tell me when theyd see it he was being aggresive and or territorial. i had answered they dont know my little benny boy thats all! hahaha that is adorable about your keet, little birdy burrito! lol Thanks for your time! Have a gr8 day!
Amanda
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Followup To
Question -
Good morning,
I hope you are well...
i am wondering. when 4 of my tiels are in their flight cage and they are all scavenging the bottom and chasing each other around. sometimes one of my males ( i think hes' a he :>) )gets into one of the corners and rolls a little. he rubs his head and sometimes his chest on the paper, then gets up and runs like a wild beast through the cage with wings up tall. chasing everyone. His beak is not open, but he is chattering. is he playing, or just scratching an itch then celebrating how good he feels? or is he declaring that corner as his own? he is such a nut ball and goofy and sweet as pie. he never hurts anyone when he chaces, its just a biiiig production. just like when i tell him he has pretty wings he holds his wings high and bobs his head up and down. i dont know if it matters but he is 12 weeks old. lol thx
Amanda

Answer -
Hi, Amanda.  Thanks for posting.

I believe your young tiel is playing!  And they are adorable at the age yours is.  

I have a parakeet whom one day I found taking a corner of paper in his flight cage in his beak, laying down on the paper, and rolling himself up in the paper!  He'd let go after he had rolled himself up and do it all over again.

Chrys
Answer -
Hi again, Amanda.  This little guy is most likely a male tiel who will eventually exhibit his "maleness" in a group of tiels.  In other words, in any group of birds (and most animals), a hiarchy/pecking order develops where there is a more dominant individual.  I think what you could be seeing is a male who might be a good candidate for the top of the pecking order when the time comes!  

Chrys  

Answer
Hi again!  I don't think you have much to worry about even as they grow older.  It's fairly rare in a group of tiels to have an individual who is too aggressive to be in the group, although it does happen.  They will establish a pecking order amongst the group...might be Benny, might not be Benny.  Females tend to sit back and let the males make fools of themselves (LOL)!  They still have a lot of growing up to do, so it's kind of early to tell who's going to win out over the other.  A serious problem would be if one or two tiels gang up on another and bully the other bird constantly to the point where the other bird "gives in."  I draw the line and separate birds when I see one being bullied to the point where the bird can't even catch it's breath, eat, etc.  For example, last week I separated 3 sun conures from their other 2 cage mates.  These birds had been together in the same cage for years and they always got along well together.  Two of them had been picking little by little on another over the past several weeks, but nothing so bad I felt they needed to be separated.  One evening, I saw 1 of the bullies standing on the tail of this bird (rendering him unable to move)while the other bully bird pecked the head of the other.  This went on for quite a while until I noticed the conure being bullied was out of breath (panting), they wouldn't let him eat, drink, perch, etc.  I know from previous experience that if I had not removed the bird being bullied, I could come home or wake up to a dead conure (often if they aren't able to fight back/fight off more than 1 other bird, they just succumb).  They've been separated now for a week and all are doing very well.  I moved 2 others from that cage just for company for the single bird.  

As long as the cage you house them in is big enough for them all to get exercise they need, etc., you should be OK.  The 2 related tiels will most likely stay "close" to one another (but shouldn't bond together) and the other 2 tiels could pair up if they are male/female.  If you plan on pairing them up for breeding, of course you wouldn't want to breed the 2 related tiels to each other.  All parrots have their little squabbles, but when you start to see blood drawn or one or more tirelessly picking on another too badly, then it's better to separate them.

I'm glad I can share my parrot experiences and knowledge with you.  I hope you benefit.  Thanks.

Chrys