i have 14 birds in an aviary and out of 14 there are 4 pairs but the cocks that arent paired in the aviary i think are starting to pair up with each othere there feeding and preening each othere is this normal behaviour or are they gay lol

Hi deand 16:

 

It is very normal, and no they're not gay -- at least not to my knowledge. In a same-sex pairing, one bird will take the dominant male role, and the other the submissive female, and they get along quite well this way. I had two males who lived very happily like this for years.

Yep Erin is right it is a social behavior and has nothing to do with their sexuality, be glad they are enjoying each other's company and not fighting

In the wild the Budgerigar is a highly social bird especially in the none breeding season & gather in large flocks & there is plenty of inter action between birds. They feed, preen & even have social sex, but once they start to breed this often changes & there can be some very serious fights, especially between hens, that's why most of us on this forum recommend cabinet breeding instead of breeding in the colony system.

 

When most cocks are paired up with a hen later this behaviour changes, but in a small number I have found some are useless for breeding & produce infertile eggs, no matter which hen you pair them with. Whether this is some social preference or whether its some physical problem with them is hard to say, but I have noticed that on return to the aviary some of these birds always have partnerships with other males & prefer inter action with them rather than hens.

Edited May 19, 200817 yr by Norm