This picture was when I first got her. Can you see the suspicion in her eye?

 

Hello all. It's been a while since I've posted but some of you might remember my questions about my yellow budgie, Shelfie. I've had her about 6 months now. After 2 months I got her a friend because she was unhappy. They get along pretty well. At first they were inseparable. Then Shelfie molted and turned into a vicious keet. She starting pecking at Dave when he was interacting with me. After a time she got kinda cranky in general and would peck at Dave out of blue or to fight over food. He stands up to her now and she mellows out. They are still close.

 

My question is about Shelfie's interaction with me. She eventually stopped biting at me. Then she started again but this time it was different. If I would hold up a feather for her to nibble (she seems to enjoy this) she would nibble it for a moment then JUMP on my hand and start biting me really fast. Jerking all over my hand in quick bites and nibbles. Some are gentle like preening behavior but it's mixed with some really hard bites. She never breaks skins and it's not too painful. I just letter do it until she tired out. Then she'll sit on my fingers for a minute or two before hopping back to the cage. I can't tell if she is attacking me or playing with or aggressively preening me. She never preens Dave like this. I do see her get frisky in the cage sometimes and jump around quickly.

 

Recently she's started coming up to me when I talk to her when she's on top of the cage. Really close. I would back away because I worried she'd attack my face. Finally I stayed still and she just gently preened my hair and my nose and my lips.

 

Is she just a crazy mixed up keet?

 

She's very moody. Sometimes she'll crouch in the corner looking very suspicious and bite if you ask her to step up. Other times she jumping on the door banging the food cups squawking to get out. Then she jump on my hand before going to the top of her cage. She's also mischievous and lots to knock things off the shelf.

 

Dave her friend is much more calm and predictable. He's gentle and will usually step up. He usually wants to come out and play. But he's less interested in interacting with me.

 

Can anyone explain Shelfie's behavior?

 

They are happy birds and spend a lot time out of there cage. They are semi-tame. When it suits them they step up. But they don't like to linger on my finger. Unless Shelfie is going nuts on it. I need to video tape it.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Summer

My girl budgie Bacardi is sort of like that. She likes to hop on my hand and chew and nibble my skin. She never bites hard though and is relatively gentle. She does give the odd hardbite by accident sometimes though, but it is never too hard. She likes to chew on my watch and LOVES chew my clothes and climb into my sleeves.

She will also preen my face the same way your Shelfie does. It tickles. She won't let me scratch her though.

It sounds like Shelfie is treating your hand as a toy. Bacardi will sometimes pounce on my hand too. One time I had 3 budgies doing it all at once. They particularly liked sitting on my finger as I wiggled it up and down and trying to nibble the other one.

Edited December 4, 200816 yr by Sailorwolf

This is very normal, Merlin does that to me all the time it is like talking to another budgie, nails I believe are very similar to ceres to another budgie so they get excited, dance and do nibbling some even regurgitate seed. Be very happy she still is bonded with you even with a 2nd budgie, there is nothing to worry about .

This is very normal, Merlin does that to me all the time it is like talking to another budgie, nails I believe are very similar to ceres to another budgie so they get excited, dance and do nibbling some even regurgitate seed. Be very happy she still is bonded with you even with a 2nd budgie, there is nothing to worry about .

 

 

Ah, that's good to know. I did spend a lot of time with her by herself during the first two months. I guess it meant something afterall.

 

I really love my little guys. They are so sweet and funny.

 

Thanks for the perspective.

 

Summer