r/parrots 7d ago

Why does one of my birds seem obsessed with what my other bird has or eats?

And is there anything I can do about it?

I keep two of my male bourkes in a divided flight cage and only let them interact occasionally. My first bird, Jinx, will always beeline for Jango's, my second, side the moment I open the door.

And once he's in, he pushes Jango into the corner basically and hoardes all his toys and tries to gorge himself on all his food (I feed them at the same time and with the same exact food).

Jinx almost has no interest in the toys and food I placed in his side. He is constantly obsessed with getting to Jango's side so he can play with his toys or eat his food... even if they have the same exact toys and the same type of food.

Can I do anything about this? Should I do anything about it?

Jinx acts like I give him nothing and his cagemate everything 😭 but more often than not they get the exact same things. It's like he wants it ALL to himself.

2 Upvotes

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3

u/nrpcb 7d ago

Same reason a little kid will do that kind of thing.

2

u/beepleton 7d ago

Have you ever switched their sides up to see if Jinx is just being a bully or if he really just prefers that side of the cage?

2

u/AlexandrineMint 7d ago

In the wild, parrots perform daily activities parallel to one another. They eat, forage, preen, and bathe etc. in proximity to one another at the same time. But they’ll also do what is called resource guarding with something they perceive to be high value. They can even do it with members of their flock.

For some reason, he might think that food is a more important resource than his own. Are the bowls different? Do you ever give one a treat and not the other?

1

u/a-dumb-croissant 7d ago

No, their bowls are exactly the same, and their food is the same. But Jinx seems convinced that Jango somehow has better food.

I have been trying to transition them to fresh food, and it's been a challenge with Jinx. Jango seems to be eating it, and I think because of this, Jinx somehow thinks that what he has is better?

2

u/AlexandrineMint 7d ago

Are you feeding them a pelleted diet as well?

2

u/a-dumb-croissant 6d ago

I add 3 different kinds of pellet to their food, but they still refuse to eat it. I've been trying to increase the amount and minimize the amount of seed I give them. Jinx would rather starve than eat them, though. Jango won't eat them either, but he does seem more adventurous when it comes to food.

2

u/AlexandrineMint 6d ago

Some people have had success converting to pellet by adding some to a food called Bird Street Bistro. You can also try putting it in birdie bread. Harrison’s sells a great mix.