# Male cockatiel making nest in cage?



## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

Hello 

I guess this is more of a mental health question than a physical one.

I recently seperated my single cockatiel from my budgies and he is now in a cage next to them during the night (they are all out during the day). Misty was becoming obsessed with one of my female budgies, Maya, who is already paired up. He was trying to mate with her and becoming very aggressive with my other budgies. Maya's mate recently had a sore foot and as I didn't know the cause I decided to seperate Misty, just in case. 

This morning I found Misty mating with a tent I have in his cage. Through the day I sometimes see him on the bottom of the budgie's cage, but he jumps up when he notices me. Today I had a look at the bottom of the cage and I suspect that he is trying to making a nest there. There's a heap of feathers and other bits in one place.

Should I do something about this? I can't get him a friend due to my living situation. I'm not sure what I should do when I clean out the budgie cage. Is it ok to destroy his "nest"? Should I provide nesting material so he can carry out his urges? Should I remove the tent from his cage? He doesn't go in it, but sits on the opening and mates with it.

I'm assuming Misty is male due to the fact he calls loudly and raises his wings into a heart, and also has jumped on top of Maya to mate. He's pied so I can't tell by looking.


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## devilangel09 (Feb 5, 2008)

Just leave him to it. There's no harm
And it's keeping him entertained and if he lays an egg he's female lol


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Give him long nights treatment 12-14 hours a day of total darkness , Also cut down on mist baths and keep anything he can make a nest out of out of his cage.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I agree with Rexiesmom, this is causing him to become aggressive with the other birds so it needs to be stopped. Since he uses both cages, rearrange them, it'll make them like a new environment and throw him off.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I'm sure it's not out of the realm for a male to be so persistent about nesting.. but I'll play the devil's advocate here. Are you sure your bird is a male?


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## Flappy (Aug 28, 2008)

Thanks guys. They go to bed when it gets dark, although it depends if they're all in their cages. I cover them with a lightweight curtain and get them up between 9-10am. So they're getting a good 12 hours at least at the moment. The routine was interrupted because I went away for 3 months and my mother looked after them. She told me she'd kept their light on until midnight! (in summer.. when sunrise would have been only a few hours later ). 

He's making a nest (or a pile) out of general rubbish in the cage. So all of that will be removed next time I clean. He has just had a complete change of environment. The new cage I've introduced and put the budgies in must be more appropriate for a nest than the old one! It's weird because I've had him 3 years and have never seen him do this before. 

DyArianna, I thought Misty was female at first because he was very quiet when I got him. But he tries to mate with Maya by jumping on her back, sings to her loudly (an annoying "whoop whoop whoop whoop..etc") with wings in a heart shape, and mates with the tent in typical male fashion!


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i would remove the tent. theyre not reccomended for tiels for obvious reasons you are having trouble with


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