# Aggressive budgie



## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

Hi!

Taming Celeste, my three-month-old female budgie is proving to be harder than I thought.
She approaches my hand with no hesitation if there are seeds on it, and even follows my hand if I move it to the opposite part of the perch. 
But if my hand is empty and I put it near her (standing still, not trying to touch her in any way), she immediately starts biting hard, again and again, until I pull my hand back (but I try to bear the pain so that she doesn't learn that biting makes me leave). She isn't scared, she just bites.

I have read on the forum that biting might be a sign of frustration. She is indeed in a stressful situation, she lives with her parents and she is often left out. 
Her father, Sid, sometimes interacts with her and sings to her, but he is also bossy from time to time, while her mother, Stella, doesn't like her at all, and occasionally even attacks her when they are on the same perch, making her fall to the bottom of the cage. Celeste is afraid of Stella and flies away every time Stella approaches her. 
Could this frustrating situation be the reason why Celeste is so aggressive toward me?

Should I put her in a different cage, in another room, temporarily and try to tame her while she is alone?
Thank you in advance. :001_smile:


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Yes, it would be best to move Celeste to a separate cage which may be a permanent solution, if she is being attacked by Stella you cannot risk them being in the same cage.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

It sounds like moving Celeste to a separate cage would be a good idea. 

Yes, taming a budgie is usually not easy, and takes much patience and time. You have to remember, these are prey animals with wild instincts, not like a domestic pet at all.


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## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

Thank you. :001_smile:

I know taming budgies is not easy, I tried to tame Sid for years, but he only gets on my hand to eat seeds.
But if my hand is empty, he gets away from it (same for Stella, who is afraid of me), so I wasn't prepared to Celeste's aggressive behaviour.

Anyway, since I can't buy another cage for now, I only have two small cages to house Celeste, unfortunately:
- A bird cage, which is about 16 x 10 x 18 (inches).
- A hamster cage, which is about 18 x 11 x 12 (inches).
I am thinking about using the hamster cage, not only because, as I have read on the forum, a wider cage is always better than a taller one, but because Celeste has slip claws on both her feet and she wouldn't be able to climb the vertical bars of the bird cage.
The hamster cage has horizontal bars, so I think it would be more suitable for her, even if it is low. 
In any case, I would leave the cage open for several hours a day, so that its small size wouldn't be a problem.
What do you think?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Yes, put Celeste in the hamster cage.
She is going to need to be housed in a cage of her own on a permanent basis and I'd suggest you start saving up to buy a bigger cage for her. 
Keeping her in a separate room and spending time with her one on one will help her to learn to trust you over time. *


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## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

I will probably save some money to buy a bigger cage for Sid and Stella, using the one they currently live in to house Celeste, as it is big enough for a budgie, but not for two or three.

Anyway, thank you, I didn't realize how important it was to separate Celeste from her parents. 
I should also consider to get a male budgie when she will be older and tamed, since I don't want her to feel lonely or never interact with her own kind.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You do not necessarily need to get a male budgie for Celeste. Two females can get along together quite well. 
I'd wait at least 6 months - you may find that Celeste is quite happy as a solo bird, many budgies are as long as they get regular attention on a consistent basis each day.*


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## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

Okay, if Celeste will be happy alone, then I'll probably wait more than a year to get another budgie, when I'll go to university and I won't be able to spend enough time with her.

I will move her to the hamster cage in a few days, and I will give you updates on my progress in taming and bonding with her. 
Thank you.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Excellent plan. I'll look forward to your updates on Celeste. 
You can start a specific on-going thread called "Celeste's Training Journal" when you are ready to begin.*


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## Sim (Apr 22, 2019)

Okay. When she will be in the new cage, how many days should I wait before starting to tame her (to let her settle in)?

By the way, I have two big food dishes that I removed from Sid and Stella's cage because Stella had tried to empty them to lay new eggs, when I had just removed the nest. (I replaced them with small dishes, as you told me to do.)
Now, can I put the big dishes in Celeste's cage? Or could she be "stimulated" by these nest-like dishes to lay unfertile eggs, even if she is alone?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Please do not use large food/water dishes in Celeste's cage. All female budgies can lay eggs (even if they are alone). Nothing should be in her cage that could be used as a possible nesting site.

Once you move Celeste into the new cage and into the room where you plan to keep her, she is going to need time to settle into that new environment.

To build your budgie's trust, sit by her cage and read, talk or sing quietly to her for a period of at least 10-15 minutes, 3 or 4 times day. After the 2nd or 3rd day, rest your hand on the outside of the cage when you talk to her so she'll learn that your hand is safe and will not hurt her.

After a week, rest your hand inside the cage when you talk. 
Don't make sudden moves, don't try to touch her. 
Let her get used to the idea that the hand is now in her safe place and not harming her.

After 2 weeks, begin moving your hand slowly toward your budgie. If she becomes agitated, stop moving your hand and just hold very still until she calms down. When she's comfortable with your hand near her, you can offer her a bit of millet or a few seeds. In a few more days, you can begin your taming and bonding sessions.

Always work at your budgie's pace. 
Move slowly and talk reassuringly and calmly to her whenever you interact with her.*


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