Trained Parrot BlogParrot Wizard Online Parrot Toy StoreThe Parrot Forum

If birds are flock species with no dominant roles...

Chat about general parrot care and parrot owner lifestyle. Bird psychology, activities, trimming, clipping, breeding etc.

If birds are flock species with no dominant roles...

Postby DanaandPod » Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:27 pm

If birds are a flock species with no hierarchy roles, then why do they insert dominance? For instance, my meyers parrot will be in the parakeets cage, eating their food like a bully. Meanwhile, my jardine will be in the meyers parrot cage, eating the foodxlike a bully... Why?
Piccolo and Pod
User avatar
DanaandPod
Poicephalus
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 359
Location: Connecticut
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: male Jardines parrot, a female meyers parrot, and two budgies
Flight: Yes

Re: If birds are flock species with no dominant roles...

Postby Michael » Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:07 am

That's not dominance, that's just the grass is greener on the other side.
User avatar
Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: If birds are flock species with no dominant roles...

Postby liz » Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:05 am

It is also different species.
I have noticed that the males will keep other males from sitting near their female. It seems like there is a dominant but it is really a more outgoing bird who leads the way.
Sweetie (RIP) was so adventurous that she would try anything. The others would follow.
Now Tommy should be leading the way but because he is still wanting Tammy he does not leave where she is. Jackie has become an example to the flock. Phoenix is always the first one to get to the food tray with Jackie right behind him with the rest of the flock.
User avatar
liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: If birds are flock species with no dominant roles...

Postby DanaandPod » Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:56 pm

haha. Okay. So, its not dominance. Its just rude!
Piccolo and Pod
User avatar
DanaandPod
Poicephalus
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 359
Location: Connecticut
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: male Jardines parrot, a female meyers parrot, and two budgies
Flight: Yes

Re: If birds are flock species with no dominant roles...

Postby seagoatdeb » Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:03 am

I believe it just comes down to personality. My Red belly has always been the boss parrot. She constantly makes the rules she wants others to live by. Except for me. i am allowed to do anything. She is not mean, because she is not one who will hurt another parrot physically, but she knows how to instill fear in them and will do outlandish looking dances to intimidate. The other parrot that perched higher than her have always thought that they were in the more powerful position, but she showed them her lower position was the most powerful, with fast moves that startled them. She commands the respect of all who know her. its her thing. Every human i have known that she has decided to have some kind of relationship with has felt honored by it. She shows them her boundaries and what she allows them to do very clearly. She has a good relationship with my Meyers and my hubby and all the parrots at my daughters house give her a wide berth when she is over.
My Meyers on the other hand always wants to get along with everyone, and will take food from everyone, and let most people touch his beak. He will fly to them to just "hang" for short periods, but only i am allowed to carry him around. He will not even go into his cage when his fruits and veggies are put in until i pick him up and carry him there. When i carry him there he does happy little movements and sweet little chirps. Since it means so much to him i always carry him there. Gaugan my red belly doesn't care who takes her to her cage to eat as long as she knows thats what they are doing.
i believe parrots are a lot like people in that some have more dominant personalities. To feel okay in her world Gaugan needs to have everyone understand her boundaries and to have formed a relationship of sorts with them, and she ensures it happens. Sunny is just happy to be on good terms with everyone.
They are both very happy parrots, and i feel pretty blessed that we all get along so harmoniously. It took a while for Sunnys personality to come out. He had not been socialized well and had bonded with parrots when i got him. He was afraid of humans, and he bonded just to me, but he never was as close to me emotionally as Gaugan is until i took my first trip away for 5 days. While I was gone hubby took care of the parrots. He can handle Gaugan, and she could understand being told i would be back, so she made the best of things until my return But Sunny did not understand why I was gone. Also he could not be let out much because he will not go back into his cage for my hubby. When i came home both parrots wanted to be on my immediately and both were glad to see me. But Sunny had thought i was dead or lost.....He looked at me with wide eyes with a look i will never forget as long as i live. it was some kind of amazement, awe, cant even really describe it but he just stared at me with these wide eyes. At one point i noticed that Gaugan, my hubby and i were all looking at him and the way he was looking. He changed completely that day. He decided i was the big love of his life. He has become such a different parrot, that if i didnt know better i would think someone replaced him. He just dotes on me and shows me so much love and is so tame now that i can do no wrong in his eyes......just like Gaugan is.
Gaugan is still the boss of him though and he has eyes only for me, and does his best to get along with her and notice when she is getting bugged by him.
So dominate rolls....I guess we are all a flock with me being the person that makes my two parrots feel the world is okay. Gaugan thinks she is pretty important and if you could ask her she would probably say she makes most of the rules for how everyone will act towards her. Sunny is happy to do his own thing and to get along with all of us but he is insistent that he must get the same treatment as Gaugan. So if she puts her beak to my lip to kiss me. He will sit on my knee and snub me until I say where is my kiss. The he presses his beak to my lip and then he is happy. I guess we all have our roles.
User avatar
seagoatdeb
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1257
Location: Kelowna, BC Canada
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Red Belly Poicephalus and a Meyers Poicephalus
Flight: Yes


Return to General Parrot Care

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests

Parrot ForumArticles IndexTraining Step UpParrot Training BlogPoicephalus Parrot InformationParrot Wizard Store