u/Bulky_Carpenter3791

My 8-month-old budgie recently turned into a tiny hormonal dinosaur. He started guarding the cage, biting me, and disappearing into his little “cave” instead of being cuddly. 🦜💀

So I decided maybe he just needed a buddy, and I brought home another male budgie. The new guy is still shy and adjusting to the new place, while my original bird is acting like the landlord.

How long does it usually take before two male budgies can safely meet and hang out together? And any tips for a successful bird bromance?

I’ve raised my parrot since she was very young, and she’s always been incredibly affectionate — the kind of bird that wants constant contact, snuggles up against me, and even crawls inside my clothes just to be close. We’ve built a really strong bond.

But around 8 months old, things suddenly changed.

She became much more territorial, started guarding her cage, biting, and showing pretty strong aggression. I was confused at first, but then I realized… she’s a female going through hormonal maturity and basically in a constant breeding mode.

Then I saw something that honestly blew my mind — she started shredding paper into thin strips, tucking them into her feathers, and carrying them back to her “nest.” I had no idea they could do that. It’s wild how instinctive and smart she is.

Now I feel like I want to give her a proper, safe “home” that respects her instincts — but I also don’t want to reinforce aggressive or hormonal behavior in a way that stresses her out or makes things worse.

For those with experience raising female parrots through this phase:

• What should I be careful about when they start nesting behavior?
• Should I provide nesting materials or avoid encouraging it?
• How do you balance their natural instincts with keeping them calm and friendly?

Would really appreciate any advice — I love her a lot and just want to do right by her