Boundaries

When we're home, the 5 larger parrots are usually out of their cages. Because Daphne, my budgie, is so much smaller than the rest, and I need to make sure that nothing happens to her -- like losing a beak or foot -- from one of the larger parrots, she is allowed out only under extreme supervision. She still gets out a lot, but not when our attention is focused on cooking, for example.

For the most part, the other 5 parrots either ignore each other or fly away from any irritation caused by another parrot. There are occasional brief squabbles, which are usually over before I arrive to put a stop to them.

This means that sometimes there are parrots free in the living room while I am in the kitchen. I listen for trouble, but there is rarely any, as the greys (most likely to be troublemakers) tend to be in whatever room I am in.

In the living room, they are most often hanging out on top of their cage. There are some interesting dynamics of parrots going on other parrots' cages. But not parrots going in other parrots' cages, until recently.

Last night, Thomas was out running and I was in the kitchen, making dinner. The caiques and Rocky were out; the greys were in their cages because they were too distracting when I was trying to cook.

I went into the living room to check on everyone, and Rocky was in the tray of Stella's grate, trying to build a nest! Stella was a bit upset by this, and trying to use her feet and beak to discourage him, but she couldn't reach him, luckily. Rocky then spent the next 20 minutes, until Thomas got home, in the kitchen with me, unable to bother anyone else.

Later on in the evening, as we were eating dinner, I noticed that he'd gone inside Stella's cage and was trying to build a nest!I don't know what's gotten into him and why he's finally decided to go into other parrots' cages, but this is something we'll be discouraging!