Odd behaviour - Kirby

[Kirby]

I have posted a few times on Kirby's "aggression" towards Skittles the odd time. And now it just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I am going to list the scenarios I have mentally noted which triggers these "attacks" followed by all round weird Kirby behaviour.


Scenario #1

I walk up to the cage open up my sock drawer to get socks. Opening any drawer in the room triggers Skittles to go nuts to try to get to the drawer and hide inside it.
She will bob and weave her head back and forth to try to get into the drawer from inside the cage. When this occurs, we always tell her "No, Skittles. No socks for you today" or chit chat away at her as she talks back.
Kirby ALWAYS shows signs of displeasure when a drawer is open and Skittles is 'going nuts'. Pinning his eyes, fluffing up and cracking his beak. When he displays these signs, he almost always follows with an attack on Skittles.
The attack only lasts about 5 seconds and then while Skittles is left in the back of the cage, he'll run back and try to get into the drawer.
This is repeated if Skittles comes back to try to get to the drawer.

Scenario #2

I have a bag of nutriberries I hide on my computer desk. When the birds get their treats I've learned to keep one either by me and the other on their dresser. Most of the time I give Skittles hers in their food dish as she gets piggy and tends to nip if it's fed by hand and I keep Kirby by me and he eats on my computer desk. Kirby usually finishes his first while Skittles isn't even 1/2 way through hers. When that happens he flys over to the cage, literally kicks Skittles out or off of cage/desk and eats hers. Even if I offer him a brand new nutriberry he still MUST go and take hers.

Scenario #3

The two birds and myself are lying on my bed while watching a movie. They almost always take a nap on my chest. Whenever Skittles tries to snuggle under my chin, Kirby will, once again, push her out of the way. Which usually consists of her flying to the floor :(. Kirby will then take up place under my chin and stay there for hours.
If I give Skittles to Chris to snuggle, Kirby will take that extra effort to go kick her out of her spot on Chris.
At the end of the movie, the whole scene looks like this:
Kirby is snoozing under my chin and Skittles is snuggled awkwardly on my stomach. (And Chris has no bird :rotflmao: )

Scenario #4

Skittles is a VERY curious bird. Whether it is a toy, piece of paper, food and she shows an interest in seeing what it is, she'll try to go help herself to it or play with it.
When this happens, which is a 100% of the time, and she shows interest in an object Kirby will attack her.

Scenario #5 (the most funny one)

Skittles + a piece of paper + Kirby = Kirby stealing all Skittles' neatly tucked shredded paper.
Kirby cannot shred paper AT ALL. He creates... balls of paper but he tries SO HARD to shred. Skittles can shred a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper in under 5 minutes.
When Skittles has done 3 strips of paper and its tucked in her bum, Kirby struts over, steals a piece from her bum and while tucking it in HIS bum, peeps all proud to himself.
If Kirby is by himself and with the piece of paper, he doesn't touch it.

:confused: :confused: God I have such weird birds.



I don't know if I'm really trying to focus on just ONE behaviour I've noticed, just the weird triggers and antics I suppose :woot:



**please note that when I say ATTACKS, there is no blood shed, feather ripping or any toe nipping/biting. it is simply a quarrell between beak knocking and lots of peeping**

[CocosMomma]

I want to take some time later to read and digest this information, cos it is good stuff you writing down all these details. But I wanted to quickly say:

1) I have VERY weird animals. All my animals have been weird my whole life. You don't suppose that is a commentary on 'us' do you?? (LOL!!!) I sure hope not! :>)

2) I was wondering, quickly, if when Skittles goes crazy for the sock drawer, Kirby is misconstruing that as 'crazy for him' and then when nothing comes of it... well, we know how that goes with men! (LOL!) Probably not...!!!

3) When Petey gets into "Sammy's space" and Sammy gets to determine at any given moment what that space is - there will be some beeping and peeping that goes on, mostly on Sammy's part. He's an old man with little patience for Petey's rambunctiousness and desire for interaction. And Sammy sort of "air beaks" toward Petey when he gets annoyed, like he would do something but doesn't. In other words, there is no contact. Does Kirby make contact with Skittles, but no blood, or no contact at all?

Just wanted to say that real fast, and I'll read and digest more later!
Keep up the great observational skills! Wow!

[Kirby]

I will get some videos this weekend for everyone. Hopefully tonight. They were really rowdy this morning so I know they'll be the same tonight.

Their arguing is not as bad as it looks, squeaking, peeping, chirping and lots of beak knocking. Kirby has only pulled feathers out of Skittles once, but that has not happened again.

They have shown SOME sexual actions to each other: Skittles is feeding Kirby and Kirby does the airplane dance to my cell phone and Skittles happens to have his butt in her face.

There is quite an age difference between them.. over 10 years.
Kirby just turned 3 and Skittles will be about 13 this year. So it might be a "sexual conflict" with interest as well as age.

I don't know if lovebirds and birds in general chose their mates based on prime sexual age. This "aggression" with Kirby could possibly be him frustrated due to not being able to 'go through' with any of their 'stuff' ... if you catch my drift lol

[CocosMomma]

Lauren, naturally, I'm NO behavior expert (except of my own bad behavior);), but I would agree with you in that there might be some sexual tension going on. I think in a different post Shirley had commented as well that due to the age difference, it may be that he's ready and she's not.

In reading your scenarios, it also struck me that you may be the object of the disagreement. Kirby is chasing her away, taking things away from her and wanting to be the center of your attention. I know that when I spend time with other birds, Coco will talk and whistle to get my attention toward her instead. While she doesn't take it further than that, she definitely reacts. She can be uninterested in interaction, but the minute I start paying attention to the other birds, she's all about wanting momma.

And when you say Kirby doesn't want Skittles to have something that you have given her or that she has that is hers (even if he didn't want it to start with), or wants to kick her out from underneath your chin so he can have the prime spot... to me that sounds like you are the object of the argument in that case... your attention and the prime location of being close to your face or to be more apt to get kisses and attention. Kirby sounds like a big bully!:funny: While you are trying to divide your time between the two, Kirby may feel that he should be the #1 center of attention in your life. It could be that Kirby is trying to show off for you, peeping and trying to shove his "competition" for your attention and affection out of the way.

I'm glad there's no blood, and I know your space is limited. Are they still in the same cage together, or did you figure something out that way?

[Kirby]

well.... I caught them doing the "swishy-swishy" on the weekend.

And I must say, their *ahem* arrangements were COMPLETELY opposite than to what I assumed. Skittles had the top position and Kirby was on the bottom.

Not what I expected to walk in on. They didn't care I was watching, they kept going. Now this doesn't mean Skittles is the male, I have seen mated couples reverse the roles.... but it might mean that I have two females quite possibly.

They are still in the same cage and I have tried separating them, but they always end up together in their main cage whether I try to prevent it or not.

Kirby is such a sweet bird though. Every morning he'll be under that tiny exposed spot under the cage cover just looking out and when I lift the blanket off I tell them morning, I'm greeted by two birdy-yawns.
He has bit everyone in the family except for me within the past 8 months.

Maybe I am loved by Kirby more than I think I am. He's my momma's boy that's for sure. He definitely DOESN'T show it the way Skittles does though. But she's an attention ham, anyone anywhere can molest her hahaha.

Still as of lately... the only arguing is over the drawer and nutriberries. So they get neither.. only their yucky yogurt bites which they hate and throw at me.



...hmm... I do need to wear socks at some point... so I might have to change sock drawers :p