# What constitutes a "bonded pair"?



## supraSS

Hi guys, I'm new on the forums, and recently adopted two male cockatiels, one normal I believe, and one white faced. The person told me that they were a bonded pair. They live in the same cage together. But what I'm really wondering is, if these two cockatiels are REALLY bonded, and them living together is what's called a bond. There will be times where I can let my brother play with one in the other room, and the birds wouldn't be screaming or chirping for each other. Also, I've noticed the white faced is a bully - the person told me he (the bird) acts like he's the boss of the place and picks on the normal one, scolding it and sometimes cutting it from the food and water bowls. My goal when adopting a cockatiel was to be able to bond one with myself, but I had a great deal and ended up adopting two. Would it be safe to separate the pair at all? And is what I explained technically a bond? I have two budgies as well, so if anything neither would be lonely. Thank you guys.


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## Catherine

In my experience, with any two birds there will be a dominant one. The dominant one will insist on eating first and having the best roost etc.. Even birds who get on really well will squabble from time to time - especially if one tries to usurp the dominant one's 'rights'. So, in those circumstances, the dominant one is not a bully.

Bonded can mean different things. It can mean that they are a pair who have mated and raised a brood and hang together all year. It can simply mean that the birds are inclined to choose to spend most of their time together and fret if separated. Some same sex chicks form a bond in the nest which continues throughout adulthood. One will even mount the other during breeding season and ignore potential breeding mates.

The only way to find out if yours are bonded or simply tolerant of each other, is to part them. Try putting them in separate cages in different rooms for a night. Particularly watch the one in the usual cage and room for new behaviours. e.g. being quiet and still; being aggressive to you; giving alarm calls; making repetitive vocalisations. If this happens, reintroduce the missing bird and watch to see if the behaviour stops. If it does, you have a pair who should not be separated if you can help it.


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## atvchick95

in my house a bonded pair means they can not be out of reach from the other- they do not care if they can still see the other if they're not in the same cage where they can be together all we hear are SCREAMS until we cover one up (usually the male is the one doing all the screaming on the Tiels - the females just don't seem to care LOL) you can say my bonded pairs are like Siamese Twins only with out actually being attached - but you don't see one w/out the other, neither one goes far from the other if one goes to eat The other will be close by it if not sitting on a dish beside it

they preen each other "kiss" each other - they touch beaks w/out regurgitating, they'll nap/sleep side by side curled up beside each other 

you can tell they're IN LOVE to put it simply 

my True bonded pair I have never seen pick on each other, now i've seen them squeal and lung when one was preening and hit a bad feather - but That's natural they do that to us humans when we hit a bad feather as well 

in my true bonded pairs neither one is Dominant over the other But I do notice my males are very polite and will let the female eat first (I have one of my males with a new female they're not bonded but he still makes sure the female eats first)

now for my non bonded birds - they have chase each other, They've bickered , had open beak fights (NO one ever gets hurt) lots of hollering at each other, and pretty much one stays on one end of the cage while the other in on the other side of the cage they don't interact other then the bickering/bullying 


but that is how it is in my house - all birds are different 

but using my birds to compare to your birds I'd say they're just tolerating each other and not a True "bonded" pair of birds 

And if the bullying/picking is meaning they're hurting each other in the slightest they need to be housed separately


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## Rocky's Rose

I have a breeding pair have raised a nest of chicks before but the male isn't always very nice to the female...I had to separate them occasionally because the male has bit the female and drawn blood. but as soon as she is out of his sight, he goes crazy. I agree with atvchick all birds are different.


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