My budgie keeps biting and preening another budgie. What to do?

Thanks for reaching out about Peekaboo. Not all birds get along but can often be trained to get along. Suspect this is more dominance that anything else. Allow to interact in neutral territory so no one is defending their home territory. Allow to interact with plenty of feeding stations and for short periods of time, to get acclimated to each other. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Bird. Not all birds get along. Maybe the male wants to breed and the female doesn't. There should be adequate perches and hiding areas, to get away, to lessen stress. Good luck.

It will take time. Allow him to keep eating from your hand. Use treats to coax him onto your hand and when you pet him, do not come in from above. This can be a threatening motion for birds. Approach at or below eye level and move slowly. The female will require a bit more work in getting acclimated to your hand. You can do the same though. Use treats and rewards. Keep your hand near her, but don't try to touch her, for ever increasing periods of time. Provide additional food and water bowls to prevent resource protection.

If they were fighting or your older bird was causing distress to the new one, I would wait and try introducing them again later to see how they get along. It could be that the cage you have is too small for two birds and they are being territorial, or your older bird is just stressed out by the change. Making sure the cage is large enough, and there are multiple food and water dishes available so they can't be possessive over one or the other can help reduce fighting. Adding in extra perches along with barriers such as toys or clothespins can also help break up the space to avoid one bird chasing and picking on another.

Cute budgies! If Pluto likes to be out and about, adding in a cage-top or table-top activity center (most pet stores and online retailers carry them) may be a good idea. These often have spots for additional perches, toys, etc that can help Pluto interact and play and have some fun (and give Joy more space to rest and relax if she needs). If both birds are housed together, making sure to place in additional food, water and resting spots for each bird can also help prevent competition over these resources and may give Joy some more places to rest and relax without being bothered. Adding in hanging or preening toys between perches can also help break up the cage into more sections, and provide entertainment and fun to get out extra energy. Budgies are also great at bonding with people, so working with Pluto to teach him to perch on you or talk may also help enrich his world and get out that energy!

It might be that they don't get along, or your female is being a bit territorial/jealous, especially if this is happening when you are interacting with them. Training one at a time in a separate area may help with any bullying. if you have any nesting material or nests in the cage, removing it may help some with territorial disputes. Placing fake plants, or even clothespins on perches can also add a barrier of 'separation" in smaller enclosures to help your male get away and be picked on less easily.

The other bird could indeed be preening her excessively. It is possible she could be starting a milt also. Monitor her for feather loss in other areas. Ideally, she should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet to diagnose and treat any medical causes. If medical causes are ruled out, you will need to address behavioral causes such as stress or boredom. If the behavior persists and you confirm the other bird as the culprit, you may need to separate them temporarily. Don't worry, they can be caged next to one another. Feathers will grow back wrapped in a sheath. These are called pinfeathers. The sheath will be removed by preening and the feather will unfurl. You can bathe or mist them once or twice a week with warm water to promote preening and healthy plumage.