As most of you know I recently moved Jewel, my Creamino budgie, out of the cage with the 9 other birds. For some reason she was being plucked. I'm just curious about the whys. I know she was a food dish hog when she was in there - plunking herself right in dishes. But I recently read a post about UV light and the more colourful birds being more attractive (at least I think that is what it was about). Just wondering if that may have had anything to do with it - her lack of pigmentation making her a "reject" in the bunch??? Just thinking out loud basically and wondering if anyone knows for sure?

You know I have heard but I haven't throughly researched how albino's are rejected in the wild. It is a good theory and I would be interested to see what others say who have a mixture of different colored mutations.

I doubt color has much to do with it. The sad fact is that while most budgies get along with each other, it's not a surefire thing. When you have many living together, it's common for one or more to get singled out and picked on. As time goes by, the dynamics of the flock will change and the previous aggressor may become the aggressee and vice versa.

 

Another thing that causes budgies to be picked on is injury or illness but if this isn't going on, I'd just pin the problem on budgies being budgies. It might be good to carefully take a look at your cage and make sure things aren't too crowded and there is plenty of flight space. Rearrange things a bit to give them something to do other than pick on each other. You may even need to add more food dishes and different types.

Well there is no injury or illness that I am aware of. I know that budgies mask illness but I watch them pretty closely. And they have tons of flight space. The entire top of their cage (60 inches long) is open for flight and they use it. I'm pretty sure it isn't overcrowded. I also just bought an outside birdfeeder that holds 5 pounds of food and has perches on both sides giving them all space to eat. I got rid of all the "cup" feeders. I rearrange the toys all the time. I think I'm doing everything that I can possibly do to make the situation the best it can be for them. I hope that it is a hormone thing and in the fall I can successfully reintroduce her.

have you read up anything on the net yet about behavioral issues like this and pecking order? I haven't done so yet...

 

I still won't discard the coloration theory because in all reality we don't know what they are thinking.

"Pecking order" doesn't really exist in budgies. It's not a dominance thing. More of an ability to push one around more, but not dominance. (Let the arguing begin!) I'd go into more detail on my thoughts about this but it's not really necessary.

 

As far as the color thing, it's not impossible but if that were the case, it would be more widespread, don't you think? I've not seen this as the case among any of my budgies or others that I've met, including albinos. If this were the case, other budgies wouldn't breed with albinos either.

your right about the pecking order, I wasn't thinking when I typed it. I remember reading in the budgie book that they truly are one of the only species out there without a pecking order and live peacefully. So I strike that from the post .

 

I haven't talked to enough budgie people with flocks, or read enough on it, and no one else has posted here to say what their flock does. So in essence I can't debate if color is or is not a factor educatedly quite yet.

 

Though we do now that budgies can see color like we can and I assume because they are individuals each has their own preference to what does and may not attract them. Ecample: if they are given an opportunity to chose a mate do they always chose the mate of the same color or not? That I suppose would be a question for breeders who let their birds chose mates for breeding. I know that many stay with the same mate but what if that mate died or was out of the picture.

 

In Jewel's case, do we know which budgie was doing the plucking or if it was a number of budgies. Because it is not seen widely throughout flocks or avairy birds does not mean it can not exist. There can always be that 1 incident that someone else may not have experienced.

 

So breaking to down...do we know who the culprit is and what is his or her behavior with the other members of the flock. Figuring that out you can then break it down was it a food bowl issues, hormonal or a simple dislike or whatever...

 

I think more facts need to be brought into the case at hand

 

okay Terri now you got me reading :nest: found a interesting site, not for debating purpose just for pictures of different albino mutations in different birds http://grandpacliff.com/Animals/Albinos-Birds.htm

"Hierarchies (Pecking Order)" - In Budgerigars

 

It's quite a good read.

"Hierarchies (Pecking Order)" - In Budgerigars

 

It's quite a good read.

Excellent information Daz....thanks :hap:

Both are interesting websites. Would love to hear from those with ino's to see if they have had the same problems.

okay, so I wasn't wrong it is not found in the wild but in aviaries from what I read on your page Daz, yes?

I don't agree with it, gotta think of TRUE dominance here, not what things appear to be.

explain Terri...I want to learn