Dive bombing

[dudders123]

Apologies in advance if I've posted this in the wrong place.

I got my guys one week ago today. My other half hasn't been in the house since Tuesday. Tonight one of the boys kept dive bombing him everytime he moved earlier.

I wasn't sure if it was a "normal" behaviour or he's trying to tell us something.

Tia xx

[Loz]

Hi dudders123

I don't know what to advise you but some more detail might help someone who can.
Is the budgie making contact with your OH's head? Does your OH interact with any of the budgies other than getting buzzed by one of them? What are your own interactions with the budgies like - are they hand-tame for you? Does you OH wear millet in his hair?
That last one isn't terribly serious but it might be helpful to know more about the human-budgie flock dynamic.

[dudders123]

Aug 8, 2022 6:53:04 GMT @loz said:

Hi dudders123

I don't know what to advise you but some more detail might help someone who can.
Is the budgie making contact with your OH's head? Does your OH interact with any of the budgies other than getting buzzed by one of them? What are your own interactions with the budgies like - are they hand-tame for you? Does you OH wear millet in his hair?
That last one isn't terribly serious but it might be helpful to know more about the human-budgie flock dynamic.

We have only had them for a week. They came from a friend so I know from their account what their personalities have been like. They are 3 years old. I open their cage in the morning and let them free fly the room until they put themselves to bed after dinner. (Unless I'm out then they go back in so I know they are safe) I have been the primary caregiver food water etc. I talk away to them throughout the day. I'm trying to let them come to me I don't force any interactions or handling. They were hand tame but for the past year they haven't had much handling due to my friends personal circumstances. He's not had much interaction with them as he has not been at home.

I just thought it was a bizarre behaviour as they had never done it to me. I can walk about and to about my business and they don't bother. It's just the one of them came down off the curtain rail a few times and went straight for him and flying away it's hard to explain exactly but I just wanted to know if it was "normal" and if we had to change what we are doing etc

Sorry if I've rambled

[Loz]

No rambling there, just some helpful background. Thanks.

I've not got a lot of budgie experience but that dive-bombing sounds to me unusual for budgie behaviour, if it is meant aggressively.

Do you get the sense that it is meant aggressively? Or is it more like the budgie wants to land on your OH but loses its nerve at the last moment?

[dudders123]

It doesn't seem aggressive or wanting to land. Just wasn't sure if it was a normal budgie thing or if it was just something that happened. Obviously I want them to be as happy as possible. I'm not going to lie totally new to bird keeping and I have been researching on the daily so things like I've researched diet and slowly changing that to be more varied and healthy for them. I've researched interacting with them and what happy bird noises and behaviour is. We have nailed that so far. We are also upgrading their living space too as its a bog standard pet shop number they currently live in. I know some people might say oh you should have done before hand but as I said completely new to this and I've made an assumption if they've lived 3 years then it must have been "correct" it's a whole new world from 4 legged furries 😂

[Loz]

There's a lot of helpful advice to be had here, from the forum stickies and the forum members.
It doesn't seem to me that you are going wrong in your approach and attitude.

The dive-bombing, if not aggressive, seems like normal behaviour to me. I must admit, I formed a hasty conclusion when I read your first post and assumed there was aggression. I'm confident that this is not the case.
My own budgies flew at my head for a while before one of them decided my head was a safe place to land. Once the first one does it and stays there for a time, the others usually follow. Once they see it is safe. This sort of behaviour will apply to any new situation your flock encounters.

[Marianne Marlow]

Maybe they are just trying to land on him!

Chipper sometimes dive bombs me but would never land on me, but he is a young scamp of about 6-7 months old.

[Loz]

6-7 months is Scamp Prime Time, Marianne Marlow !

[ladybird]

I can’t really answer your question either….but a couple of questions. When you say dive bombing, do you perhaps mean budgie is making a quick fly past and realising at the last minute that this is a human and I won’t land there? Also you say you put budgies away before you go out….I just wondered how you get them in? Good for you for taking them in and looking after them……please can we have pictures of them? Do they have names?

[Loz]

I totally forgot!

Names and pics please!

[Marianne Marlow]

I just looked at my spreadsheet, he's 8 months.

Aug 8, 2022 10:06:04 GMT @loz said:

6-7 months is Scamp Prime Time, Marianne Marlow !

[Loz]

And Herman is six months old according to my spreadsheet.
So 6-8 months minimum and no end of scampishness in sight!

[dudders123]

Aug 8, 2022 10:13:55 GMT @loz said:

I totally forgot!

Names and pics please!

They were ty and trixie as I was told they were girls but the lovely members on here confirmed otherwise in my previous post. 

We are still undecided on names. The bright blue is a lot bolder personality wise he's always first to do anything. I've been making my way through the posts on here. Was reading for hours last night. 

[Loz]

Ah yes, I remember that pic now. I didn't connect your name with that post from a few days ago.
It's my age, you know.

[dudders123]

Don't worry I'm not offended part and parcel of being a newbie. I'm enjoying reading all the posts and learning. I always prefer reading from personal experiences as it's more real