Cock(?) Biting Hen(?)

Question
I have 2 Budgies that were sold to me as a male & female. Although I haven't had them sexed, they both exhibit definite appropriate male & female behavior. Now the problem: The male has become aggressive toward the female - often nipping her when she comes too close or tries to feed off the millet spray when he is. Is this appropriate behavior for a bonded pair? What is the solution. My wife wants me to put the male in a separate cage which I did for 3 days. When I first put them back together, they were definitely glad to see each other and were bonding but now the male is back to attacking the female. Should I separate them permanently? Buy another male for the female? Help!

Answer
Hi David,

Your case is a bit strange because normally the hens are more aggressive.  As long as they're not physically harming each other, I wouldn't worry.  One thing you can try to deter violence between them is to get a spray bottle filled with lukewarm water and squirt the cock if he bites at her (a stream setting works much better than the fine spray).  It won't hurt him, just startle him into stopping.

If you haven't  had them sexed, that's very easy to do.  The cere (the area above the beak, around the nostrils) color is a reliable indicator.  If its blue or pink, its a cock.  If its brown or purplish like a bruise, its a hen.

I wouldn't go as far as separating them permanently just yet.  If you want to try another separation period, keep the cages close enough that they can see each other and talk to each other without being able to hurt each other.  If the problem persists, they may just never get along.  Birds have personalities like people do, and some birds just don't get along.

Don't give up on them yet.  I had a pair a few years ago, and they bit at each other until they bled, screaming at each other once I separated them at all hours of the night, and they've had four babies together since!

Best of luck!
-Leah