Are my Budgies getting along?

[shaylahrosch]

I inherited a 5 year old Budgie, Pete, from a friend's grandfather who passed away. I was told he was about five, and came with everything he needed. I worked with him for several months, but after 5 years of not being handled, I feel as though it's a lost cause to try and tame him. I've tried every method in every book at the library, and he just doesn't seem to want to come around. He lets me put my hand in his cage and sometimes even ring the bells on his toys and he'll come ring them back, but he just won't let my hand near enough to touch him.

So, yesterday, I purchased another Budgie and a larger cage. They hopped right onto the first perch right next to each other and began to chirp at each other. However, this morning, Pete seems as though he wants to intimidate the new bird. He is standing up really tall over the new bird, and tapping their beaks together. He will also ring the bell on one of his toys and stand up tall over the other bird, ring the bell again, stand over the other bird, and so on...

Is he just trying to establish that he's the boss or is he trying to start a fight? The new bird has been very quiet this morning and ducks when Pete tries to stand over him.

Just looking for any advice from anyone with experience Thank you!

[Hezz]

First, the new bird should have been quarantined from Pete to be sure it didn't introduce any diseases to Pete, but too late for that now.

Pete is simply asserting his dominance. There is another thing here that could have helped with this. If the new bird had been quarantined - separate cage etc, you should then after the general 30 days, have introduced them to each other by putting the cages side by side, so they could see and talk to each other, then allow them time out of the cages together under supervision for a number of days, depending on how well they got on, and then they may have been ready to share a cage, but only after the original cage (Pete's, I presume) had been rearranged so that there were no favourite toys etc of Pete's for him to feel possessive about.

So Pete has had his personal space invaded by this other bird, and his natural instinct is to make sure the other bird doesn't try to be the boss. Birds have to find their natural pecking order. Usually they will sort things out for themselves, occasionally there will be fights, but as long as there isn't blood and too many feathers flying, leave them to it.