Hi,
This is a common mistake that owners make when they want their birds to be tame. They aren’t going to become best buddies – they are going to bond as a pair and then you won’t be able to handle them anymore. You need to understand that these are a wild species, and they act on instinct. In the wild, adult birds don’t have friends or buddies – they bond with a mate and at that time they stop having contact with other flock members. In captivity, YOU are the companion. If you give your bird another bird as a companion, once hormones kick in, you will lose them as pets. It has worked out to this point because they were immature flock mates. But now they are starting to experience hormones and now they are confused, because their instinct tells them to choose between each other or you. And one may be maturing more quickly, which would explain the fighting. The best thing to do is separate them and let each bird have their own cage. When you handle them, you can try letting them interact, but don’t cage them together anymore. If you do not want to separate them, you need to understand the day will come very soon when you will not be able to handle them anymore. They will only want to be a pair and breed. If they are related, you must separate them because related birds should never be allowed to breed. I know it is hard to think your pets will turn on you, but this is what usually happens so it’s best to split them up and avoid any issues with them.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
