My bird laid eggs. Why is the male always in the nesting box with her?

Thanks for reaching out about Bounty. This sounds like a situation with new bird parents and not sure what they are doing. Males will often sit on the nest while the female forages for food. So this seems extreme behavior but not necessarily odd. Good luck.

She will lay eggs with or without a male present. Provide a suitable nesting box to keep the eggs secure. Any eggs she lays in the next few days may be fertile. Most birds lay one egg every 24 hours until a clutch of 4-6 eggs is in the nest, then incubation will begin.

It is normal for captive birds to keep breeding even if they'd already laid a clutch, however if the male is harassing the female to the point where she's unable to lay on the eggs properly, or she seems stressed out, then separating them may be a good idea. If they seem OK, are eating and drinking normally, active, and able to sit on the eggs properly, then I would just keep an eye on them. it is a good idea to have some baby bird food and a syringe on hand in case the parents are unable to care for the babies. Young parents especially may have a harder time caring for their young, so stepping in with help may be needed.

Thanks for your question about your budgies. It isn’t typical for the pair to start fighting, but it wouldn’t be unheard of either. I didn’t see if this was their first clutch together, but sometimes that can make a difference. I would recommend ensuring that there is a great deal of space for them to get away from each other, and lots of resources available. Multiple food dishes, numerous hiding spaces, etc. Also, keeping any additional stress to a minimum would be important - things like new people coming over, loud sounds, etc. I hope this gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This can happen with an inexperienced pair. Give them time and they will get it right. Be sure to provide an adequate nesting box as well as a fortified diet (a commercial pelleted mix and some seed) and calcium supplementation.

That can be normal, yes. You can check the eggs when they are not sitting on them to see if they are viable - eggs that are fertile usually start off very translucent and then become more opaque (darker/more solid color) as the embryo develops inside. (12 days should be enough to see this change.) If the eggs don't seem viable, or the parents stop sitting on them, they can be removed. If they aren't hatched after 3-4 weeks, they are likely not viable and should be discarded. Make sure you offer an extra source of calcium for your female in the form of eggfood or a cuttlebone. This can help replenish the calcium that was used in making eggs and prevent egg-binding (an egg getting stuck) if she decides to lay more.

It may be that the egg was actually pushed out of the box as it is not viable. If they will not let you in the box (where there may be other eggs), or the egg is not viable, you can simply remove it. Otherwise, waiting until night when both birds are calmer and quiet may give you a chance to place the egg into the nest.