Behavior or Antic (Ethology)

Description and theory of behavior

Double 
Wing 
Stretch

Maintenance activity

This is a less common form of stretch, but seems to be a learned behavior as some birds seem never to exhibit it, while families of birds, if left with the parents will commonly hunch both shoulders and mantle like a falcon: wings semi open and raised slightly over the back, with tips directed out at approximately 25 t0 35 degrees from the body.  This posture is held for only a moment before wings are once more retracted onto the body.

We have seen this activity frequently amongst the peachfaced lovebird, but no other species or races.

There are cases where one's birds may not initially exhibit this behavior.  However once a bird that performs this stretch is introduced to a flock, it is not long before they are all doing it.  There is no known reason for the double wing stretch except perhaps for the sake of stretching and maintaining limber wings.

Yawn

A yawn is always a bit of a surprise to the novice, and is a natural occurrence if the bird is not being provided enough hours of light or darkness or is merely waking from its evening "torpor" or slowdown.  The mouth is opened wide, much as we do when we are tired, and the tongue and throat are clearly visible. The bird will also blink several times and the head move forward.  This is a natural action, and not something that should unduly concern those with a new lovebird

A yawn is not often mistaken as a SNEEZE, but can be by the novice.  The bird actually expresses a certain amount of air and creates a sneezing sound, the beak opens slightly and the tongue can also been seen.  However, the sneeze takes only a fraction of the time required for a yawn and is usually missed.  the sneeze is usually followed by a quick downward movement of the head and a quick shake

The mouth or beak of the lovebird will also open if the bird is very hot in an unregulated climate.  The feathers are fluffed to release the heat, the wings are slightly spread apart from the body to enable dispersion of additional heat, and the beak may be open to reveal the tongue and the overall appearance is  one of panting
 

Sleeping:

Head Resting 
over 
the Back

Maintenance activity

This is the "normal" or most common way, for most lovebirds, to behave when taking a sleeping position.  The head goes over the shoulder, usually the left shoulder as you look at the birds head on, and the head rests down next to the spine.  The feathers are slightly fluffed and the eyes are closed.  The bird is seen to be balancing on one leg, usually the right one first and then alternating as it gets comfortable or rises out of sleep every once and awhile.  Despite the sleep position, the birds always seem aware of movement and sound  Wing tips are slightly spread as a result of the pull on wing and chest muscles.

A pair will turn the head back almost, 180 degrees on opposite shoulders, while perching in close contact with one another.  This may provide them better security or visual coverage if jarred awake by an unnatural sound or movement.

Clicking

Signal value

The clicking sound seems to emanate from the vibration of the beak or the tongue.  The sound is usually initiated in the lead up to copulation or mating.  The clicking is repetitive and steady, and is often accompanied by the foot coming up behind the wing to scratch the head: sometimes with wing slightly extended, mostly with wing still formed to the body.  Clicking can be initiated by either hen or cock.  The hen will make the same sound to encourage a cock, if the cock is young and unsure, or if an older male is being excessively cautious in approaching the hen. 

The hen will also stretch out her wings, bending them at half extension, raising her tail slightly and off center, and bends her body from 45 degrees to horizontal, depending on the size and weight of the male: she will either lean forward over her legs when accepting a heavier cock, so that she can bear his weight, conversely, she may stand more upright or at 45 degrees for lighter males.  The clicking sound ceases when the cock bird climbs aboard the hen.  The hens neck is stretched up and backward from her body and the bill can be open or closed.  She will sometimes beg the cock to mount her, in the same position, instead of clicking or vibrating her beak.  She may also sidle up to him and touch him with her wing, lowering it a little to solicit his participation.  this is a difficult spot for the cock to be in, unless the hen retracts her wing and enables him a chance to step up behind the wing.  This position and activity is not common, and usually only occurs with a very "family oriented" hen, who has lost her mate, but has cycled into a next round for egg laying.  In this case, it seems her desire to mate exceeds her desire to select a mate or she is aware that there are no other choices.

Scratching 
Sounds

Scratching sounds can come from the foot scratching the head (and the rubbing of feathers) or from the nest box, where the hen may be rearranging the nesting material.  The hen will often remove or move nesting material until she hits bare wood or dirt.  The subsequent sounds are those of the foot scratching the wood or the beak being drawn across the wooden floor. 

Scratching, scraping or rubbing sounds can also arise or be caused by the hen rubbing her beak against the nest wall, floor or entrance, or chewing / gnawing on those same surfaces 

Sawing 
or 
Grinding Sound

Maintenance activity

This sound is often hear when a lovebird is in a state of repose (resting / sleeping).  The lower mandible of the beak or bill is rubbed against the top mandible in a sideways fashion, which results in the grinding sound we often hear and wonder about. It seems to be performed  intentionally and may serve to control beak growth or sharpen the beak. 

If they had teeth, we would call it teeth grinding!  It does not appear to have any ill affects.

Beating 
or 
Whir of Wings 

The beating of the wings is usually practiced by a bird that has been confined in a minimum flight area for a considerable time.  An example of this is the hen when she is brooding her eggs.  In her infrequent exists from the nest, she will seek water, feed or allofeed with her mate and then find a perch where she can beat her wings forcefully enough to lift herself off the perch, while clutching strongly to the perch with her feet. This is felt to be a form of exercise for the hen after sitting relatively quiescent on eggs for a good portion of the day.  During this wing flapping, she will lean ever so slightly forward.

We have also seen hens take a position that is crouched rather than erect and begin flapping their wings in the same fashion described above.  In this case the hen is usually on the box perch. If she released her foot hold, she would immediately be flying as the body is set in a format similar to the birds when in flight.  We have only ever seen this position taken by hens, not cocks.

Young birds can also be heard beating / flapping their wings inside the nest box.  They can be seen to practice flying on any of the dowels exiting the nest box or on or near perching areas.  For the juveniles, the wing beating is the preliminary step to leaving the nest or preparing for that first or solo fall to the ground or frantic flapping to the next landing target.

Wing beating is also used by early nest escapees, which will spread their wings out, touching the ground with the flight feathers and head raised up, chirping or begging to be fed.

WIng beating is also seen when a cock is mounting a hen and is trying to maintain his balance while in the throes of reproduction.  They are also used when juvenile flip upside down on perches or swings to right themselves.  The wing is also sometimes used as an appendage in balancing the bird on a particularly precarious location or when the hen shifts sideways and down to assist the male with balancing

Occasionally, you will actually see juveniles or adults "hover" in place while they inspect and interesting object, but this is never for very long, as it is tremendously hard work for such a bird

Launching off 
the ground or dowel

Lovebirds will jump quickly from the standing position when on the ground, but launch obliquely from the ground when startled.  When leaving a perch or dowel, they may crouch down a nd launch off in a slightly downward position, or alternatively hop off the perch and then begin flapping their wings. 

When birds are found in an upside down position or hanging, they simply let go and drop, twisting the body in mid air and taking off in the direction of choice, tail flared out and wings fully open and controlling its movement

On the ground, they will sometimes hop like a sparrow or hop and flap briefly to their intended target area, although it has been suggested that lovebirds do not hop, only walk.  The most common form of movement on the ground, is the pigeon toed gait that we as breeders are so familiar with.

On longer perches one can often see the birds playing leapfrog over each other.  this consists of a quick hop into the air, a brief flurry of wings along the horizontal access of the perch and landing on the other side of the bird located in the way.  This can often initiate a sequence of jumping among resting birds, more akin to chinese checkers than leapfrog

When preparing to launch from any position, the tail is held rigidly along the axis of the body and gives little intent of direction.  This is instead telegraphed by the position of the head and angle of crouch. 

Tail fanning is often employed in braking, sharp turns or flaring to a quick stop in a short flight pathway.

Vocals,
Beating of Wings, 
Body Erect and stretched

This activity may be interpreted by some as more agonistic or hostile rather than defensive

Signal value

This position will be taken by both hens and cocks, but when it is the hen, it is usually the hen acting as a male in a same sex pair.  When the bird rises to the top of its legs, neck stretched upward and wings flapping wildly, while uttering piercing shrieks, it is informing you that you have done something to startle or upset it. 

We believe it to be the bird's way of telling you off, just as a squirrel will chatter angrily at you when you invade its territory.  We have seen this activity more frequently with caged birds than with those held in colony situations.  It also seems to occur more frequently in caged birds when the hen is on eggs or in the box and a single animal is left to defend their "territory". 

There is no mistaking this angry, startled or defensive action by the cock or hen, who will trundle along the dowel, keeping you in sight, while continuing to tell you what a stinker you are for having bothered them. 

The wing flapping may stop momentarily while the bird eyes you up, and follows you a bit before taking up the position again.  In some instances, they will will follow you all the way along the perch, wings flapping, neck stretched out and erect on their legs, "beaking" at you all the time.  In some cases they will appear to fly sideways without maintaining contact with the perch, or they may simply release their grip on the dowel, slightly, and appear to fly sideways following the irritant. Quite the performance !

Squeak-Twittering

(Dilger ²)

 
"Two forms of male behavior initially associated with frustration, on the other hand, show a distinct evolutionary progression.  The first of these activities is called squeak-twittering.  Among the three primitive species - the Madagascar lovebird, the Abyssinian lovebird and the red-faced lovebird -  the male utters a series of high-pitched vocalizations when the female thwarts him by disappearing in the nest cavity.  The sounds are quite variable in pitch and purity of tone and have no recognizable rhythm.  In the more recently evolved species - the peach-faced and the four white-eye-ringed forms -  squeak-twittering is rather different.  the sound is rhythmic, purer in tone and less variable in pitch.  Nor does it occur only when the female has turned her back on the male and entered the nest cavity.  The male usually vocalizes even when the female is present and gives no indication whatever of thwarting him.  Squeak-twittering has undergone a progressive change not only in its physical characteristics but also the context in which it appears." ²

Allopreening 
&
Autopreening

Intention activity is often noted in the allopreening aspect, as the cock may be thwarted in his intent to preen the hen, and can also be chased off by her

Maintenance activity

Allopreening is a must for any bird and those birds that are either closely related (siblings; hen / offspring, cock / offspring and offspring / offspring) will sit quite closely and preen each other on a regular basis, removing irritants and broken feather shafts.  The most frequent paired preening is seen around the eye, neck, back and top and back of the head, with shoulders, back and mask being preened less frequently, if still often.  This makes perfect sense, as the receiver of the preening is often unable to reach the primary areas itself. 

Pairing between same sex pairs (hen / hen) and hetero pairs may also include the preening of the mask, breast, abdomen and legs (tarsi), although this seems to be an exception and performed by the more dominant or aggressive bird of a pair. 

Sometimes preening is forced by the hen, who will gently maneuver the cock against the nest box opening and wall and then proceed to preen him all over, despite his obvious discomfort and one leg raised at 45 degrees and held against the nest box wall, while the other latches onto the perch.  The hen will give him the once over a few times, until he feels safe to push away and go to a free perch.  This odd activity is usually observed in the mid-range of partnership  or pair development.  Initial approach to preening in  adult birds looking to pair or assess possibility often involves overtures by the male in gentle preening around the head and periopthalmic ring and head. Movement toward the beak is either accepted or rejected.  The hen, if reciprocating or willing to participate or encourage the cock, will often close its eyes, ruffle its feathers (body and head), cock its head towards the male and solicit preening.  If the cock responds too amorously, she will fend him off with a head dip towards his toes, which sees him off.  This activity is repeated until they sit gently together, feathers fluffed and participating willingly in allopreening.

Preening is rarely if ever undertaken between strange birds, or birds that do not get along.  The easiest way to confirm this is during the molt, when the heads of single birds are left, through the simple act of autopreening, covered with little white pieces of feather shaft, that they have been unable to remove themselves.  Even this irritant will fail to encourage birds, which have taken a dislike to each other, from adopting or encouraging a preening position, as it is also a fairly vulnerable position (back of head, neck and eyes) 

Although autopreening may be practiced by loners or singletons, with their very limber and flexible bodies, the head, back of the neck and the beak and eyes are simply places they cannot reach: other than by rubbing those areas against something.  Autopreening can take up a significant amount of time in the caged bird setting, where the bird starts at the breast and abdomen and moves along each wing and out to the tip, before switching to the back, rump and as high on the shoulders as it can reach. The order of areas preened is seldom fixed, with each bird having its own preferences and process.  The intent of preening seems to be the removal of parasites and the spreading or waterproofing of the feathers with oil from the uropygial gland.

Birds with human companions will pull or "preen" any exposed body hair (hair, uncontrolled ear and nose hair, eyebrows, beard and mustache, neck hair, arm, back etc..) of the primary care-taker.  The bird receives the same back through the rubbing or cuddling of the bird in the day to day activity. 

Allo and autopreening are often seen after a bath, whether mist, leaves or water container.  The bird ruffles its feathers and draws them through its mouth or has them preened by a mate.  The tail may be fanned out to assist in drying or shed water droplet and the bird may shake or ruffle varying parts of the body to displace larger droplets of water

Allofeeding

Courtship Feeding

Maintenance activity 
(pair bond)

Allo-feeding is simply the exchange of food between a mated pair or developing pair and adult offspring interaction.  Fledged youngsters from the same nest, although quite young, have been seen allofeeding young of the same age from other nests as well.

Singletons will often find a toy or perhaps a mirror and take a liking to it.  In this event, it will regurgitate its food on the mirror.  If it has taken a liking to its handler, there is no saying where the food will end up, whether on the shoulder, neck, hand or hair, but be assured that the bird will regurgitate for the handler, if the handler is the primary companion.  While people may see this as revolting, it is a sure sign of "love" between the bird and handler - or at least the bird's best attempt at it.

The male will frequently be seen feeding the hen, often maneuvering to get in a higher position, to simplify the exchange of food or standing on its toes, nest box  etc... .  The hen on the other hand,  who often initiates this action if she is coming into season, will end up lowering herself closer to the perch, wings slightly open and mouth turned up, begging for food from the male - this is most frequently seen in new pair bonding and between a pair that accepts each other. The cock will bob his head and throat three or four times, lowering it when he has difficulty producing anything, and then pass the contents to the hen.  It is quite easy to see the reverse peristaltic movement of the food , in the throat, as it is called up by the cock

Allofeeding goes on between a pair year round, with increased activity during the nesting season. Hens will feed the cock as readily as the cock feeds the hen during the non nesting period.  Hens seem to teach the young cocks how to and when to allofeed through their begging mechanism and activity, and the cock reciprocates by feeding the hen in the box, on the perch and while only the hen's head is outside the nest box.

In mated pairs, the male will feed the female by stretching slightly or by sitting on the nest box, while the hen turns her head upwards from the nest entrance, to receive the food for the young.  In some cases multiple cocks may feed the hen in a colony situation and sometimes chicks as well.  Once the chicks leave the nest, the primary responsibility for feeding lands on the cock.

Allofeeding occurs between same sex unions, so the only sure way to determine a same sex pair is through the production of excessive eggs or no eggs and DNA analysis.

Professor Dilger defines allofeeding in the following manner:
 

"All species engage in courtship feeding: the transfer of regurgitated food from one member of the pair to the other.  In the three primitive species the female often offers food to her mate.  This behavior has never been observed among the peach-faced and white-eye-ringed forms; here courtship feeding seems exclusively a male prerogative.
One can discern an evolutionary  progression in the manner in which the birds carry out the rather convulsive bobbing of the head associated with the act of regurgitation that immediately precedes courtship feeding.  Among primitive species these head-bobbings describe a small arc, are rapid and numerous and are usually followed by rather prolonged bill contacts while the food is being transferred.  In the other forms the head-bobbings are slower, fewer in number and trace a wider arc; the bill contacts usually last for only a short time.  Moreover, among the more recently evolved forms head-bobbing has become pure-display; it is no longer accompanied by the feeding of the female." ²

Defecation

Maintenance activity

Signal value: ovulation and readiness in the hen

Hens and cocks will usually pursue the same sequence of motions when on a spar or on a nest box cover.  If on a flat surface, they will move to or shuffle backwards to the edge, raise the tail slightly and lower their body before excreting their waste over the edge.  The waste often catches against the exterior nest wall and adheres, or flows off it , if it is heavily laden with liquid or is vented at the same time as the liquid.

We have seen birds on spars lean forward, move their legs side to side and squat slightly to enable their waste packet to drop, unimpeded, to the ground.  Birds can defecate and urinate at the same time or perform these actions in separate events. 

Hens in season will stay  longer in the box, as the days to egg laying approach.  During this time period, the breeder will often see a collection point on the floor, where the hen routinely visits as her time in the nest stretches on, and her droppings increase in size and softness (odor too).  The hen will fly from the nest box opening to her favorite perch (eventually an ingrained route on exiting the box), initiating the waste motion sequence  preliminary to relieving herself, and either fly to water, demand food from her mate or head directly back into the net box 

Regurgitation

As with allofeeding, regurgitation can be accomplished in the same way .

Regurgitation in young birds or birds that appear ill is often a sign of illness.  Young birds in the nest who are unable to keep down their food or regurgitate upon receiving it, obviously will not last long.  Older birds that cannot keep food down are similarly, likely to have something seriously wrong with them. Immediate action is required if the bird is going to be saved.  Check with your vet

The novice should not confuse a singleton regurgitating food on a favorite toy, mirror or something else as a sign of illness.  This was described in allofeeding and if the target is always the same, while the bird continues to eat well and appear in good health, the bird is merely afflicted by an ailment often diagnosed as "unrequited love": The prognosis for survival is very good.

Regurgitation can have numerous forms, from damaged lungs and bronchial passages afflicted by gases or fumes to rancid food and disease.  A vet should be considered if your bird is regurgitating at every meal and quickly begins to lose weight and smoothness of feather

Masturbation

This is an issue that impacts both sexes, not just the cock.  Both sexes, when alone in a cage, will vent their sexual aggression or desires on something in their cage, whether it is a dowel a favorite stuffed toy or something else.  This can often seem quite amusing to the novice, but can be worrisome to the primary care-giver who recognizes that their little feathered friend is missing a partner.

Masturbation may be occurring where your bird is seen to straddle a stuffed toy or perch, push the tail forward under the perch and begin side to side movements, while flapping its wings and ducking its head.  A small amount of moisture on the perch or toy should confirm what the little fella has been up to. It is unmistakable. 

Masturbation can be a seasonal thing that ebbs and flows or it can be set off by something in the home or cage.  What that might be is hard to say, but it is like the banging of pans, cutting on a butcher block, or cooking.  It could also be the presence of the primary care-giver or a specific sound.  Like people, it is very difficult to know how different birds will react to different stimuli.  A case in point is the specific preferences these little parrots have to food, and their like and dislikes.

Masturbation is not the result of a failed or attempted mating, but may simply be a way for a colony bird to lessen its needs, when other hens are not available and his own hen is brooding.  With hens, We have only seen it where the bird was a singleton and had no other bird to react to.  Certainly hen / hen  pairs copulate in the normal fashion and I have not heard of a hen / hen pair masturbating, while it is not unknown for a cock / cock pair to masturbate and copulate

Grasping 
of the 
Neck Feathers 
with the Beak 
(Interaction)

Overt signal value

These observed activities are often worrisome and frightening to the beginner and the advanced breeder.  Unfortunately, these forms of interaction all need time and experience to assess.  In an altercation between two new birds, this is likely to mean only trouble to follow. 

If the neck grabbing is initiated by an adult towards its offspring, more often than not it is a warning from the parent or an expression of anger at the chick's action (reasons often unfathomable). The chick will usually squeal in this case, and try to drop out of the grip, if possible, and the breeder will immediately know that something has transpired.  When chicks are older, sometimes the parents will grab the neck to drag the more obstinate youngster from the perch (unbalance it) to indicate that it is no longer welcome at the nest box.

An aggressive youngster who is intent on emulating adults, will sometimes try and mount a similarly aged youngster by applying force to the neck as it scampers around to the back.  This can result in shrill cheeps from the target.  Frequently the neck feathers are clasped in the beak and pulled as the unwilling target tries to get out from underneath

Unrelated adults will also grip feathers on the neck (also toe, foot or wing) of young birds, to displace them, if they are bothering the adult during the action of feeding or acquiring water. 

The one thing these incidents all have in common is that the assessment of the level of danger is based on the knowledge of the breeder.  Most novices and breeders are not aware of any rule of thumb, other than to remove targeted birds from the cage.  In a colony breeding situation this is a routine observation, and seems part of establishing societal bonds, hierarchy  and social interaction, so for those breeders the action holds little real concern regardless of the age, as it is something these birds do as part of their complex colonial interactions

In a cage, where there is no room to fly or escape the bird that is a little excited, the harm could far outweigh that anticipated in a colony situation, where there is room to escape or avoid the angry bird.  There is undoubtedly a number of factors such as time of season, individual space, age of bird; threat from bird; food and water availability; temperature and other issues that trigger these violent or warning actions from our birds

Grasping and Pulling
Neck Feathers 
(Fighting)

Agonistic or hostile behavior

As above, but a more serious form of sanction or fighting and needs to be watched carefully by the breeder to ensure that death of one of the birds does not occur.

Whenever a clump of feathers and down are removed in an altercation, it is a sure sign that everyone is not happy in their new environment, and that the damaged bird has approached too closely or tried to be intimate to quickly.  If a nest box is involved and it is two females fighting, immediate separation is required to prevent more serious  scrums

This may also be a significant warning for another unrelated bird, to stay away. While feather pulling is not a day to day occurrence, you may well see adult and juvenile bird spitting out a mouthful of feathers and down.  This is something, once again that must be watched by the breeder and acted upon if chasing and biting occurs.  More often than not it is an irregular occurrence in the colony situation, and used as a warning to interlopers.

Birds that are from a third nest onwards are sometimes slow to feather, fly or react to their surroundings.  In this case the chicks are relatively safe in a cage setting, but at real risk in the colony.  Colony mobbing has occurred on young defenseless chicks.  They try and run, but the adults and juveniles will pull and bite around the neck of the late bloomer.  Some young were lost every year through this natural selective pressure, until hand feeding and pulling became commonplace.

Cheeping 
in Nest

This is a clear indication that there are chicks in the nest and that they are at least a week if not a week and 1/2 old, in order to be able to hear them.  Hearing this sound may not be such an issue with only a pair or two in cages, but as numbers increase, the noise in the aviary or colony tends to drown out cheeping sounds except late at night (12:35) or early in the morning (3:30 am). 

Cheeping is also a sure sign that the chicks are ready for more food.  the fact that the chicks are so noisy, is a good indication of them not having to remain silent in the wild - a consequence of colonial nesting. 

Red-faced young seem to be very quiet in the nest, often leading the breeder to believe that sexual activity was unsuccessful..

Intermittent 
screech or cheep 
within the nest
(chicks)

This is usually a sign that a chick is being plucked by one of the parents. Confirmation can be derived by checking the nest and examining the back of the chick for fluff / down removal or the drawing out of blood feathers, in which case the back tends to be the target.  The back may be dotted with small scabs indicating that pulling, biting or eventual removal of the pin feathers is occurring or has occurred. Bald patches on young birds should also be suspect.  Despite the interest in this affliction, it has been difficult for behaviorists to come to any specific conclusion on the reason for plucking, as every environment, food availability and site can contain numerous causes for plucking. 

Some adults develop a taste for blood feathers and will literally strip their chicks of feathers.  The only way to prevent this is by identifying which parent is responsible for the plucking and removing it, or  taking the chicks out and placing them in a wire cage that parents can feed through, but makes the perpetrator feel to unsafe, which diminishes the time spent trying to pull feathers from its chicks.

The cock is usually the culprit in nest plucking, but the reasons for it remain unclear, even after years of speculation and dietary assessments.  The cock will pluck throughout the nesting period, even as the chicks get bigger, so something should be done to help the chicks through this dreadful period in the nest. 

It is important not to confuse the perennial "plucker" impact on chick vocalizations, with similar sounds emitted by young and juvenile birds when parents assist in the removal of excess down.  There is a fine line, which becomes self evident, when the plucker is intent or driven to pluck its offspring.  Breeders must take the appropriate action to return harmony to the nest when the plucking exceeds routine assistance

Female Aggression 
towards some Chicks, 
but not Others

It is fairly common to see hens chasing off their cock offspring as early as they are ready to leave the nest. Conversely, the hen offspring are often allowed back into the nest during the nesting and hatching of a second clutch.

Cocks can form small groups, after they are chased from and prevented from entering the nest, during the evening.  They will often congregate together on a flat surface as the lights go down, with minimal fighting.  Some aggressive cocks will push past the defense of the parental cock and hen and remain with the parents in the box, despite the presence of other boxes, right through the laying and fledging of the next clutch.  While this is not necessarily uncommon in colony behavior, it is often not seen in caged birds because of the desire to pair off birds.

In some instances the hen may not be aggressive with either offspring sex, and will allow them back in every night, once they pass the mates lack-luster defense of the nest, or she moves him aside to facilitate their entrance. Cock chicks, that actually exceed the size of their sire, simply put their head down and rush at the nest hole, pushing past the cock to the relative safety of the nest.  Scuffling sounds may be heard within, but this is usually for only a short period (10 seconds) and then they all settled for the evening.  Larger chicks are confined to the area closest the nest hole and away from the eggs and chicks at the back (point furthest from the entrance) of the box, and beyond the most recently fledged.

Sexual Activity in Juveniles

Not unsurprisingly, this  occurs at a very young age and many breeders will separate their birds when they see allofeeding or attempts to mount the opposite or same sex.  Unfortunately, this prevents the young birds from identifying likely partners or mates: not something the breeder who wants pedigreed lovebirds (exhibitor), wants to encourage.  Other breeders will pull the chicks because of the potential for undesirable matings, fear of egg binding in a young hen, and the overwhelming amount of literature that encourages lovebird breeders to only pair their birds between 10 (preferably 12) months and two years.

Professor Dilger describes the juvenile efforts in the following way:

"There are significant differences in behavior between the peach-faced lovebird and the four white-eye-ringed forms.
perhaps the sharpest contrasts in behavior are those that distinguish the three primitive species from the species that evolved later.  Even the common generic characteristic of pairing at an early age shows changes between the two groups that must be related to their contrasting patterns of life - nesting in pairs as opposed to nesting in colonies.  Among the primitive species pair formation takes place when the birds are about four months old.  At that time they are entirely independent of their parents and have already developed adult plumage.  In the more recently evolved species, the colonial nesting pattern of which offers them access to their contemporaries virtually from the moment of their birth, pair formation takes place even earlier; the birds are about  two months old and still have their juvenile plumage.
Among all the lovebird species pair formation is a rather undramatic event.  Unpaired birds seek out the company of other unpaired birds and test them, as it were, by attempting to preen them and otherwise engage their interest.  Couples quickly discover if they are compatible, and generally it takes no more than a few hours to establish lifelong pairs." ²
 

More often than not, what the observant breeder will notice is the poor ability of the cock to tell whether a young hen is receptive or not and will be chased off.  their may be allofeeding between the interested couple; gentle preening of the head and particularly around the eye and beak. Sleeping near  or progressively closer on each passing evening.  Attempts to mount each other, usually in a very awkward manner and sometimes in a reverse fashion.  There will be significant wing beating or fluttering as the young cock or hen tries to maintain balance on the hen, who may not have her wings spread and head up, thereby controlling the success or failure of any given effort.  It is the hen that will finally decide when she is ready, and the cock's performance will improve with iterative efforts.

Shuffling 
or
Sidling
("Switch-sidling" ²)

Agonistic or submissive depending on context or causation and associated signal value

Shuffling along the dowel is an interesting movement that results in the lateral or horizontal movement of the bird across the dowel.  It may be observed in several species and actions:

1)  mating, pre copulation or introductory activity
2)  preparation for a sneak attack by a hen (sidling closer for the lunge at the intruder)
3)  charging at an adversary or intruder
4)  For moving laterally when beating its wings and squawking at an intruder (defensive )
5)  Moving to position for a better take off spot or generate distance between birds sharing a dowel

 The actual movement has often be referred to as "sidling" and is defined by lateral movement of the bird without the feet ever crossing.  The inside foot is moved sideways and the "outside " foot is drawn across the gap that was created, until both feet are near each other once more.  This action is repeated rapidly or slowly, depending on the birds objectives.

Dilger, terming this activity: "switch-sidling", defined it as follows:

" One constant among all species is the female's frequent indifference to, and even active aggression against, the male each time he begins to woo her.  Another is the essential pattern of the male's response -  a combination of fear, sexual appetite, aggression and consequent frustration.  Primarily motivated by both fear and sexual appetite, the male makes his first approach to his mate by sidling toward and then away from her, while turning about on his perch.  This switch-sidling, as it is called, is common to all species." ²

Copulation

Female Display of Acceptance

" Unlike the females of the primitive lovebird species, which have no special display activity during courtship feeding, the females of the more recently evolved species play a distinctly ritualized role.  They ruffle their plumage throughout the entire proceeding.
Females of all species indicate their fluctuating readiness to copulate by subtle adjustments of their plumage, particularly the feathers of the head.  The more the female fluffs, the redier she is, and the more the male is encouraged.  Finally she will solicit copulation by leaning forward and raising her head and tail.  Females of the primitive species do not fluff their plumage during copulation; females of the more recentkly evolved species do." ²

 Mounting 
& 
Copulation

this activity is fraught with intention activity, but redirected sexual activity (masturbation following refusal by the hen or cock) has not been observed 

Mounting and copulation is always preceded by the hen defecating and urinating, so that the copulatory activity is provided the greatest chance of success.  in many instances, somewhere in the ritualized movements, the hen or cock may fan its tail - never at the same time.  The value of this is unknown

A variety of techniques are employed by cocks and hens in mounting and copulation:

Cocks:

1. May test the readiness of the hen with their foot (clawing), pushing down on the rump to see if she will stand
2. May endeavor to feed the hen first and follow that with a step up onto the hen's lower back
3. May sidle (switch or reverse sidle?) up to the hen if she appears receptive, and test her with his extended wing appendage (wrist) before moving closer.  She may lean forward, ruffle herself to indicate readiness or do nothing, forcing him into head scratching, turning circles on the spot, flying back and forth to her or vibrating its beak to make a clicking sound.
4. May jump from dowel to swing and back to the dowel, sometimes on the same side, sometimes on alternating sides, before attempting the steppe motion
5. *May sidle up next to the hen and then move away.  As it moves away, it may scribe a (or a few) circle (s) on the perch, before returning to the hen (Dilger, 1960)
6. Head scratching with alternate feet and pushing the hen with both side of head and beak and with the foot at the same time.
7. May scribe several half circles behind the hen, if room exists
8. Backs up into the hen and turns sideways on the perch, opening his wings and lifting his neck up, providing the hen clear access to his back, then will turn and bump into the hen with his breast.
9. All of these activities are accompanied by the clicking referred to earlier and the scratching of the head with the foot
10. Aggressive cocks will scratch the head and click and if the hen doesn't respond, will clasp the hen's shoulder feathers in his beak and climb aboard - she of course will attempt to fight this
11. Respond to the hen's begging and climb aboard - no preliminaries
12. Juvenile cocks will be all over the place, before finally getting their position and balance (wings flapping and beak hooked over hen's shoulder) right after several fruitless efforts and increasing ire on the hen's part
13. Perform tight little circles on the nest box and shuffle up to the hen, testing her for receptivity
14. Engage in activities inside the nest box and away from observing eyes
15. Craw; on the hen, holding her feathers with their feet and raise their wings above their back, either for balance or to prepare to flap in the event of disturbance or losing balance
16. Follow their selected female around until she is on eggs or sitting in the nest, at which time the wandering eye returns

Hens:

• May squat low on the dowel and take the position of a begging chick, with wings slightly open, neck bent back and upward, open beak and raised tail.
• May spread her wings and lift her tail to one side to provide easier access for cloacal contact
• Bend the neck back and sidle into the cock, encouraging him to step over her spread but rigid wings and onto her lower back.  in some instances, she will lower or retract the contact wing to facilitate the cocks single step up, bill leveraging and thence to a wo foot clasp of her back/rump feathers 
• May chase the male around the cage to express her ardor or frustration with the cock for not performing his duties responsibly - until he is cowed and submits to her demands
• Appear hatched with the knowledge of copulatory position and requirements, unlike the awkward juvenile cocks
• May kill a cock if he does not respond to her expectations or needs ( worse case scenario)
• May encourage allofeeding and preening as the first step in getting to know each other
• May participate in reverse copulation, where she mounts the cock, and vice versa.  Observed in juveniles and adult pairs - appears to be a testing mechanism to determine interest of the non initiator

Coupling is performed by having the cock step onto the hen's lower back, which has been lowered to a position near or on the dowel or spar.  The cock clasps the hen's feathers, on the lower back ,and levers himself into position on the rump by placing his beak over the hen's shoulder (no biting or clasping, just leveraging).  If the hen stands, rather than trying to slip from underneath him, turn to peck at him or slip out from under by stepping off the edge of a flat surface, she will raise and lower her body and move it forward and backwards to compensate for the cock's movement and weight, providing him a relatively stable surface.  The cock will wrap his tail under the hen's (which has been raised and moved to one side) and move his vent in contact with that of the hen.  The cock's movement can vary from frenzied to slow and solid.  This means that the cock will move his vent/ tail under and across the hen's, with a rapid diagonal stroke.  In some instances minimal contact with the vent occurs, before he switches rapidly to the other side to do the same in the opposite direction.  The activity may include several strokes per side, sometimes one to two per side to where it is almost exclusively performed on one side.  The hen sits solidly, shifting her weight and balance to compensate for the frenetic "rolling" activity of the cock.  Conversely, the cock may be very slow and laborious, with good solid contact on each stroke, performing 5 or 6 strong diagonal motions before flipping to the other side and repeating the action. 

Following successful activity, the male will fly off suddenly from the hen. The hen may stand solidly for a few seconds before flying back to her nesting hole, or dart almost immediately back to the box 

Copulation usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes if success (fertilization) is to occur.  No sounds are emitted in consensual copulation, although the sound of rubbing and feather ruffling can be heard in a quiet space -particularly with the heavier, solid performance cocks.

Damaged or
afflicted limbs 
&
Copulation Movement 
or Restriction

Contrary to popular belief, hens or cocks that have had some accident to their foot , such as the removal of all four toes, or the entire, foot, are still able to perform and reproduce, despite the impediment. We have seen medium size hens treaded by exhibition size cocks and the hen has never faltered, despite damage to one of the legs.  Both balance and maneuverability seem to be minimally impacted by any loss.

Similarly, males without a damaged leg or foot also seem well able to add to the gene pool, by using the beak more adroitly, than they might otherwise have a need.  The feathers are still clasped by the remaining foot and balance is assisted by the wings when the cock seems unbalanced.  these cocks are also more laborious in their mating style, not having the same degree of freedom or maneuverability of two footed or legged cocks.

Dominance 
Stretching 
and Butting

This action is performed almost exclusively by juveniles.  Cock birds will stretch up on their legs and face off, almost like a dominance display.  The larger bird or stronger bird will push his breast into the adversary and they will beak duel while in this position.  It is very quick and does not take long for one to move another.  wings are held tight to the body, the legs are ramrod straight and the neck and head are stretched upwards on both birds; feathers are apressed or held tightly to the body.

Both Juveniles and adults will use their heads to push or butt their siblings or offspring  The adults will use the head or the beak as the blunt instrument to unbalance them from the nest box perch or deter their offspring from returning to the nest when feints at the toes fail to move the young birds along.  In all instances that we have seen, this form of interaction has been bloodless.

Where dominance cannot be defined, juveniles will often engage in claw to claw collisions and wrapping each other with wings such that it results in the lower bird hitting the ground - painfully hard- 

Head-scratching

(Dilger ²)

"A similar evolution toward more highly ritualized behavior has occurred in another sexual activity, displacement scratching.  This response derives from the habit, common to all species, of scratching the head with the foot when frustrated.  Among the three primitive species displacement scratching is still close to its origins.  Only two things distinguish it from ordinary head-scratching: its context and the fact that it is always performed with the foot nearest the female.  Purely practical considerations govern this behavior: the male already has that foot raised preparatory to mounting his mate.  In the more recently evolved species, deisplacement scratching has become primarily a form of display.  Its progressive emancipation from the original motivation becomes more and more apparent as one observes it in  the species from the peach-faced lovebird through the white-eye-ringed forms.  Among all of these the scratching is far more rapid and perfunctory than it is among the primitive species.  Nor is it uniformly directed at the feathered portions of the head.  In the peach-faced lovebird it is sometimnes directed at the bill instead, and among the Nyasaland and black-cheeked lovebirds it is nearly always so directed.  Moreover, these species use the far foot as well as the near one in displacement scratching; among the Nyasaland and the black-cheeked lovebirds one is used as often as the other.  finally, as in the case of squeak-twittering, which is often performed at the same time as displacement scratching among these species, the display occurs even when the female does not seem to be thwarting her mate. ²"

Rising level 
of 
chatter / noise

Chatter or communication  among lovebirds is usually relegated to the early morning,, midmorning; early afternoon and evening.  However there will be an elevated level of sound when birds are housed in a room with a radio or television.  The birds will escalate their "noise" level along with any increase in volume on these electronic devices or the presence of people gathering to talk

Sometimes music will quiet the birds, as can the sound of rain or nature CDs (this is not absolute, but has been effective for some of us)

At other times the birds may all be sleeping or chittering quietly to each other.

Toe biting 
or holding

Maintenance activity 
(necessary as "peaceful" flock interactions seems dependent on regular affirmation of position)

Toe biting or holding.  This is a natural occurrence in any colony breeding, but far less common in cage breeding, because of the controlled absolute pairing, environment and interaction.

In a colony setting, it is not unusual to see young birds with bloodied toes or the occasional bloodied spot on the body.  Young birds may find themselves in the way of an aggressive adult or the target of one it does not move fast enough (exhibit deference) for the adult.  In these situations, an adult may pull the offender off its perch by gripping the toe and squeezing or holding the toe, while the juvenile flaps uselessly against the adult grip. These quick "lessons" do not usually result in bloodshed, just a lot of flapping and screeching from the juvenile, who, when released, will go to a perch at some distance from the adult and exhibit signs of a sore or tender foot, drawn up into the feathers of the abdomen.  The juvenile will also look a little unsteady for a little while.  Within half an hour, the injured bird will be interacting once again with the flock, no worse for the lesson.

On occasion more serious fights will break out, where a juvenile cock attempts to insert himself into the territory of a widowed or mature single hen.  Some young cocks have no fear and will continue to pester the hen, despite her chasing him and feinting at his feet with her beak.  Having tried most successful methods and having failed, she resorts to biting the foot of the pestiferous bird.  In this case, the skin is often broken or the toe damaged considerably.  The toe or foot bleeds profusely when damaged and some breeders will immediately move to intervene.  We have not had any animal die because of toe damage or toe biting, although toes have been lost and blood drips profusely and can appear quite frightening to the cage breeder or novice. 

The juvenile, in term, learns to temper his curiosity and dampen his desire and provide hens with a little more breathing space.  In other words, despite toe biting being tremendously bloody, it does not appear to inhibit or require removal of birds when colony breeding -if conditions are not overcrowded. This is the opposite action which would be taken by exhibition breeders, who wish to have their exhibition birds in the absolute best condition possible, without scars or missing toenails, which could lower their overall point allotment

A colony setting undoubtedly reflects the type of activity that might occur in a natural colony tree or setting, and enables the breeder to develop a better feel for what constitutes a serious versus charged atmosphere or situation

Wing Holding

Wing holding is usually seen in altercations between adults or between adults and offspring.  More often than not, the the adult bird will grasp the wing of a juvenile in its beak, and quite literally, pull and throw the juvenile from the dowel, perch or feeder.

Juvenile to juvenile interaction can include head butting or pulling of the wing to unbalance the less aggressive bird. 

If adult to adult, it is usually a hen to hen or hen to male episode.  The hen will grab the wing and quite literally pull the male of the cage wire, pull feathers from his neck or grab a foot and let him flutter and shriek before releasing him relatively unscathed, if she is upset with him. 

Unfortunately, hen to hen confrontations accelerate from seemingly innocuous activity on to toe biting and facial and neck bites

We have never seen any significant or lasting damage occur from this type of activity when actioned immediately (hen/ hen altercations)

Flock Attack on
Grounded Chicks

Appears as an appetitive behavior ending in the consummatory act or synonymously, the death of the target

This usually occurs in a colony situation and seems reserved for the third nest chicks onward (this is not an absolute, as any weaker chick can suffer the interest and concentrated focus of the flock.  Mitigation success depends on the health of the parents as good health tends to put these occasions off until the third nest).  In these cases, the chick is unable to fly after it exists the nest: usually too early and without the ability or stamina to get back to the safety of the nest.  In some instances the chick may refuse to remain in the nest, no matter how many times it is put back.

Adults watch these chicks very closely, and if all they are able to do is run across the floor, incapable of flight or sustained flight, it is not long before an adult, other than the parent bird, arrives at the scene and starts going for the neck, either plucking feathers, biting or trying to fling the chick and damage it.  Many of the flock will join in attacking the injured target.

In some instances and depending on the number of chicks and their age, the parents will try to defend their chick, standing near it and charging (head down) those adults and juveniles intent upon damaging or continuing to damage their youngster.  Eventually the chick may reach a safe haven, but by this time it is usually heavily damaged around the back of the neck, shoulders and head.  Blood will either collect under the skin where blood vessels are located, or bleed out.  in any case, the youngster is likely to succumb to its wounds.  Parents too may have feathers torn from them, and be bloodied from trying to hold off the attackers. 

The parents of the dead chick are as responsive as the rest of the flock when another chick falls to the ground and does not respond promptly by flying up to a perch.  This seems to be an innate mechanism to ensure vitality within the flock. 

Cage breeders who pull chicks for hand feeding and never experience this horrible loss, are obviously  intervening in a natural selection process and may be fostering weaker animals through their saving of young birds that might otherwise be destined for culling.  This is an example of human intervention to better the lives of our parrots, but perhaps leading to worse loss down the road.  Only time will tell whether compassion has led to deterioration of stock health or maintained it

Polygamy 
or 
Promiscuity

The Lovebird is as promiscuous a bird as you will find in many other small parrot species.  It is a myth that these birds form life-long bonds.  In fact, it may well be an evolutionary dead end for these birds to maintain a stable bond, as survival of the species may be dependent on many unions and exchanges of genes. This is not to say that lovebirds do not remain paired or together for life, but monogamous relationships are often defined as mating with one partner for life.  We have not observed this, except where human involvement results in the caging of  a "pair" together for their productive life

Pair stability may be better after having raised a nest or two, but it is not a guarantee of monogamy in a colony setting.  In fact, in a colony setting you will often see a "pair " remain together, but the hen will be encouraging and receiving servicing from other cocks, while the cock may be visiting other hens, while his own sits on the eggs of another cock (s).  Sometimes the female will refuse to mate with the cock after two dedicated nests with him, but he will continue to feed and look after the hen and the offspring as if they were his own - this form of pairing has been referred to, at some time in the past as social monogamy: maintaining pair bonds but practicing infidelity

This activity will not be observed in a cage environment and would in fact be exactly what the caged environment and exhibition breeders are trying to prevent from happening. Monogamy would not necessarily be beneficial in the wild, where the death of one of the pair might require immediate attachment to another animal.  This would explain some of the same sex pairs that we see in a colony situation, but the rapid willingness to split and pair with the opposite sex, if unequal representation occurred within the colony.  Same sex pairs may not split up after several years of interaction, and may well hatch and fledge their young, while maintaining same sex bonds (hen to hen - certainly.  Not as sure about cock to cock)

polygamous or promiscuous hens and cocks are desirable in the colony situation, as it shows their reproductive willingness, although this does not always translate into good parents or fosters ( we have not seen anything to the contrary, but there are always exceptions). 

HOT WEATHER

Gasping, Open Beak 
and
Labored breathing

Maintenance activity

On an otherwise healthy specimen, the presentation of a choking like action (bobbing and movement of the head), lethargy, ruffled feathers, open beak and labored breathing (wheezing) is often indicative that the bird has had something turn sideways in its throat and jam there. 

In this event, the bird will have trouble eating and may well die if quick action is not taken.  The severity will depend on how how ill the bird looks and where the seed hull, vegetable skin or wood becomes jammed.

This problem is not that common,  but common enough to mention as recognizable actions here.

The symptoms described on the left may also be seen in excessive heat conditions (refer to YAWN)

Egg Binding

Bird Appears Dull and Lifeless, Feathers fluffed up - personality Change

Egg binding is a rather common ailment for some and less so for others.  It is termed egg binding and usually happens after the breeder has noticed active nest building, copulation, large loose stools and a swelling around the hen's vent.  As it is termed egg binding, it should be self explanatory that this only occurs with laying hens.  A number of causes have been proposed for the reason, but nothing has been agreed to.  The range of potential causes follow:

1. hen too young to be breeding
2. egg too soft to pass (egg shell is calcium deficient - muscles cannot obtain proper grasp)
3. poor nutrition levels in the hen
4. breeding a hen too much and lowering her calcium content and availability
5. poor assimilation and absorption of calcium by the hen
6. genetic inheritance (female Japanese Yellow / Dilute 2 mutation)
7. temperatures too cool
8. hen may be dehydrated
9. pelvic spread reduced, preventing egg from being deposited
10. Infection or muscular problem

As described, the hen is often found on the floor of the colony or aviary, or cage, although sometimes they will seek the dark recesses of their box.  Their feathers will be ruffled and they lack their normal spark.  Sparkling eyes and nervous personality may be replaced by dull looking glint in the eye and indifference to the primary keeper's approach.  These birds need our help. If they had been aggressive or defensive, you may note a sudden departure from that character to be replaced by one of indolence, submissivness and disregard for everything happening around it

It is interesting to note that once egg bound or prolapsed, it is likely that these hens will also become egg bound in future nests, although lots of attention may mitigate the situation.  Breeders will need to deal with this problem in their own way

Egg Laying

Egg laying varies widely today in the peachface, because of the number of mutations and the selection processes used to solidify or cement a mutations existence.  Some mutations laid, and may still lay only one or two eggs ( Lutino), although crossing out has usually resulted in the average 4 to 5 eggs as often reported in the wild.  in some cases, blue series birds with violet factor have been reported as having laid as many as 8 or 9 eggs, although this is by no means a common number for a hen.

Fischers were once known to be very prolific, as were the masked, black cheeked and nyasa, That seems no longer to be the case with eggs usually in the 3 to 4 range, although some still produce up to 8 eggs per clutch

Dilger has indicated that agapornis, while they lay between 3 & 8 eggs, have ovaries with a series of graded follicles, which might suggest that they have the Potential for indeterminate egg laying¹.  However, there seem to be factors acting upon the species that make them appear determinant.  Certainly breeders are aware of a natural cycling period of about 10 days between nests, when something happens to the first clutch or when eggs are all infertile at ~23 days.  We are also aware of the odd report on peculiar egg laying rhythms of birds, whether it includes more or less time between eggs, more than one egg per day with commensurate time in-between, and other foibles of our birds.

When the hen exists the nest, she often appears to expose a bare section down the middling of the body, with feathers dividing to either side.  This exposed area is simply the hen's "brood patch", which she puts in contact with the eggs and is able to deduce the temperature of each egg.  While it is surprising when first viewed by the novice, it is not a problem or fault with the bird.

When hens enter their season, their droppings will often become quite loose and wet, as they are sitting in the nest for a good part of the day.  The change in droppings is quite evident when it lands on the floor.  Associated with this, is greater activity at the nesting material site and a rich, musty odor that emanates from the colony, pen or cage - the odor is caused by hens coming into season at the same time and producing large, wet droppings.

Charging -
head down 

Maintenance activity in a colony setting

Charging is practiced by adults and juveniles.  Birds will charge at a rival that has invaded personal space or territorial space.  The head and body is lowered to an almost horizontal position with the head and beak outstretched and head feathers flattened. Then the bird simply charges at the toes and lower body of the target bird.  In the majority of situations, the visitor will give way.  When this does not result in withdrawal, it quickly turns into a battle.

Most situations occur on the top of the nest box or on a perch.  Birds will usually find their own "spacing" from neighboring birds, but when they are not happy, they will also move their beak towards the toes of the offender, making them scuttle off to the side or taking flight from their resting place. 

Hens are very good at charging, with beak open, but we have seen cocks use this form of aggression far more than hens.  Cocks will use the charging method on the ground, perch or nest box to chase off invading cocks and juvenile cocks and hens.  If the male turns and flies off in his own territory, he is likely facing a hen.

Hens will chase off other hens with short charges, but they do not seem to mind adult or juvenile males hanging around or on their nest box

Cocks will chase off any interloper when he is ready to pursue / mount his hen.  The neck goes down and the feathers on the head, nape and back ruffle up to make it seem more aggressive. Cock's beak is closed when he chases away rivals or interlopers.

Threat display

Agonistic behavior

Birds raised in a colony and familiar with complex social interaction, signals and parameters for behavior within the flock, quickly respond to even minor threat or challenge displays.  A bird that lowers its head, while turning toward the target and apressing its feather, followed by two or three steps toward the intended target, often results in the flight of the target bird, or the turning of the head and ruffling of head and body feathers:
 

" The peach-faced lovebird and the white-eye-ringed forms, which nest colonially...( threat  interaction)... is undoubtedly related to the fact that they have developed a ritualized form of display fighting that goes far beyond a mere code of threat and appeasement and that replaces serious physical conflict" ²

" Display fighting among these more recently evolved speciesconsists primarily of bill-fencing.  The two birds parry and thrust with their bills and aim sharp nips at each other's toes.  The toe is the only part the birds ever bite, and the inhibition against biting a member of the same species in any other place seems to be, like bill-fencing itself, and innate pattern." ²

Individual space in colony lovebirds seems extremely important, as there seems always to be a 5 to 6 inch space between any birds that are not offspring or closely related.  Even when resting, a breeder could lay a ruler along the sleep space and mark off where the birds will sit, once the outside bird's position is set. 

Very aggressive animals may walk along a perch and see every other bird fly before its path, while another may not even be able to find a perch position for long.
 

Much wider spacing is considered very important for other species that are not considered colonial, such as the Red-faced, Abyssinian and Madagascar lovebird:
 

" Among the less social primitive species elaborate pattern of threat and appeasement display has developed.  For example, a formalized series of long rapid strides toward an opponent signalizes aggression; a ruffling of the feathers, fear and the wish to escape.  The loser in a bout of posturing may indicate submission by fleeing or remaining quiet, turning its head away from its opponent and fluffing its plumage.... as a result actual fights seldom occur.  When they do, however, the birds literally tear each other apart" ²

Hen / Hen 
Observations

Hen / hen pairing often occur because of the inability to tell sexes apart without evidence from previous nests or DNA testing. 

Hen / Hen  (introduced at the same time to a cage)
If one hen is dominant or more aggressive and the other is less aggressive, there tends to be minimal fighting.  Any fighting that there is seems to stem from the reluctance of the submissive bird to be pushed around excessively.  You may see wing throwing or clasping; feather pulling from the neck; leg holding; chasing and the occasional toe nip and blood, where things are going well.  Both birds will visit the nest and carry material to it in their rumps or beaks, depending on the species.  Copulation and its precursor activities will occur and one hen will repeatedly take the bottom position, although reverse copulation is also seen among these pairings. 

The birds will disappear into the box and show real interest in it when first introduced, although the presence of a nest box will precipitate fighting and squabbling and lengthen the  "bonding" period for the two hens.  Allofeeding is practiced between the two, as is mutual preening, although the more aggressive female always seems to be the instigator.  The aggressive female, if she has never laid eggs before, may never lay eggs, may lay after the second round or even right away.  It is difficult to determine why.  2 clutches of 4 or 5 eggs is a definite sign of two hens.  However, if the eggs are all being looked after by one hen, only infertility and 9 eggs or more may give you reason to question what you have.  Two eggs on eve consecutive day and swollen vents on both birds - showing indications of egg movement- will confirm your suspicions, otherwise that is all one has

Hen/ Hen  (introduced at the same time to a cage)

Two  aggressive hens and the presence of a nest box is looking for problems, but you may be surprised if the hens settle their differences rapidly and take up happy home building. Conversely, there may be reluctance from one of the hens and a willingness to try and refuse the other bird, in which case, there is much wing beating, charging and chasing.  These two birds will often act the same way as mentioned previously, if they come to agreement, recognize they are the only two birds around and are lonely (perch together at night, fluffed up, and then assume maximum distance from each other during daylight hours, all the while chasing each other. Spilling of blood is anticipated in these encounters, but not excessively, if the birds enter the cage at the same time

Hen / hen (introduced at different times)

This situation is similar to adding a cock to a hen's well established territory.  if the hen or cock is experienced, they seem able to weather the storm, but not always.  This situation, complete with nest box is looking to turn the resident hen into a killer.  The seriousness of the situation has to do with the relative ages of the birds and the length of time the resident has had to make the cage her home.  Aggressive fighting may break out, where the chasing is non-stop. It is here, that the begin to play an angles game in the cage, working with swiftness and agility to grasp wings and toes and pull or throw the opponent from the cage wire into the air or onto the cage floor 

Aggressive hens will let the other hen start eating or drinking and then launch at them from a perch overhead, frightening or biting the opponent  on the back of the neck, in the process.  She will also sidle over rapidly in a charge position and open her beak when the other hen attempts to eat on a spar with her.  The chasing slows down when the resting periods occur, but otherwise continues.  If the intruding female enters the box, the resident hen will fly directly into the box and they will both emerge in a bundle of feathers and vocalizations, often hitting the ground before separating. Scars may be torn around the eyes or over the forehead and beak and drip blood, feather's may be sheared off close to the bottom of the quill by the beak and the neck may be bald or bloody from nips and feather/down pulling.  It goes without saying that the wing may be tattered from being grabbed and blood may be encrusted on the extremities (toes) where intentional biting has occurred.  Death or lapsing into a stupor, followed by death is a likely result if breeders do not intervene

Matted Feathers 
& 
Bathing

Maintenance activity

There is nothing more startling than coming into your birdroom for the first time and seeing your lovebird looking like a bedraggled and sick creature, with its full mask of feathers tightened into ragged lines down the body and feathers clinging to its little skull and body.  Rest assured, even advanced breeders are continually surprised by the sight of their birds after they have dunked their head and breast into the water or bathing dish, several times. 

Like a dust bath, our birds enjoy clean water in which to bathe and will throw water everywhere as they come up from the water and ruffle their feathers.  Despite this effort, some feathers will remain matted and make the bird look quite shocking.  Whether they sit on the edge of a bowl and dunk themselves into the water, or stand in a cage and open their wings to accept a routine misting, all lovebirds enjoy the water, for both drinking and washing.

The lovebird will shake its head and fly to the nearest spar, where it will proceed to fluff its feathers, fan its tail several times, turn its head over its shoulder and rub the mask and cheek on that shoulder,  rub its beak on the dowel to rid it of water and then ruffle all of the feathers on the body.  the wings may be slightly open in this process, as when the bird is excessively hot.  The bird may then stand up on its toes and give a few flips of the wings and then whir the wings on tiptoe for a few moments.  It will then entice its mate to assist with preening and drying of its feathers.

Matted feathers may also be indicative of an ILLNESS if confined to the nasal area (nares- above the beak); the vent (caused by diarrhea or other internal problems), and where the matted feathers are a result of the birds failure to preen or exhibit an interest in its where-abouts or condition. 

Carrying Nesting 
Material 
in rump

Agapornis roseicollis carries paper, grass and other nesting material in their rump, while the eyering group will carry nesting material in their beaks. 

HYBRIDS of eyering and agapornis will initially try carrying material in their rump, but eventually give up and carry it in the beak;
 

"Today the hybrids are behaving, by and large, like Fischer's lovebird, the more recently evolved of their two parents.  Only infrequently do they attempt to tuck strips into their plumage.  But it has taken them three years to reach this stage- evidence of the difficulty they experience in  learning to use one innate pattern at the expense of another, even though the latter is never successful." ²

Occasionally a lovebird will push nesting material into the nesting cavity with its beak, but this is usually only a rare occurrence, and usually by accident, although it often appears intentional:
 

" Although the peach-faced lovebird normally carries its nest-building material in its feathers, on about 3 per cent of its trips it carries material in its bill.  This peculiarity suggested an experiment.  We mated the peach-faced lovebird with Fischer's lovebird (the birds hybridize readily in captivity) to see what behavior would show up in the hybrids." ²

Hens of most species will tend to throw out any material that the keeper has put in the nest, and this seems to work on most species as a trigger to begin thinking about breeding.

The female roseicollis is the primary builder of the nest and will carry lengths of material tucked securely under feathers on the rump, although their are rare occasions when the male may carry material as well (not all that common among lovebirds, but everything must admit to the exception)

Nests in Captivity

Most peachface nests tend to be flat or level, with generational increases in the depth (height) of the nest. This is true where paper, grasses or wood shavings are the primary medium for the nest. In the 

The eyerings will nest on paper and a flat nest where breeders have not supplied material with the necessary strength or rigidity for dome building.  In the best case scenario, the breeder may supply palm fronds, williow twigs and in some rare cases honeysuckle.  This material retains and gives off moisture in the nest, retains the shape it is bent into, and can be ground and stripped by hen and chicks alike.  Black-cheek: two cavities are built, one false and one real, where material is rigid enough.
 

The nests of the Abyssinian are relatively flat on the nest box floor.  Primarily cavity nesters in the wild, they do not tend, even in captivity, to make complex nests.  Feathers are often plucked to line the basic nest (The cock's feathers are plucked from the head and shoulders and the hen will also pluck herself- sometimes excessively). Abby's  prefer a tunnel like box to nest in

This nest is similar to the abyssinian, but more cup or bowl shaped.  The madagascar likes privacy and does not pluck itself to the same extent as the abyssinian, which is, no doubt , the worst plucker for the purpose of nest building
 

Little is known about the nesting habits of the Red-faced in captivity.  However Dilger (1960)¹ indicated that they nested primarily in arboreal termite mounds and infrequently in ground mounds.  Any success in captivity seems to require foliage for security and a regular nest box, although what they do in the nest box is unclear.

Use of Feathers 
in Nest Building

We are not that familiar with the Red-faced, but believe that their nest may be quite bare, with only a clear floor and a few feathers. Red-faced lovebirds will fluff up all fo their feathers:
 

" The entire plumage of the bird is erected as it inserts six to eight bits of material in place and remains erect during the whole operation"²

Abyssinian hens tend to pluck themselves to line the nest, and it is not unusual to see a hen with few feathers on her body, although the usual damage is confined to the chest and shoulders. 

It is felt that the wild Abyssinian do not pluck themselves to the same extent as they do in cages, and this may be a question of feather availability in the housing quarters or environmental and psychological factors

Peachface don't necessarily pull feathers to line their nests, but feathers are always present in the well developed nest. Nesting material is carried in the rump feathers:

" The peach-faced lovebird cuts strips that are considerably longer. (this permits the more elaborate structuring of itscuplike nest.) Indeed, the strips are so long that they can be carried only in the feathers of the lower back.  These are the feathers erected when the strips are tucked in, or they fall out while the bird is flying.  the lovebirds that use smaller bits of nest material are more successful in carrying them" ²

Fighting

Maintenance activity

Cheeks, feet/toes; feathers face, shoulders back of head and neck.  Each of these areas are targets of attacks:  Blood or bloody feathers are the real tell-tale signs of a serious altercation - In a cage with limited space, this is very serious and should be dealt with immediately by the keeper, 

In a colony situation, even signs of bloodshed are not necessarily all that serious, particularly if the telltale signs are evident on a juvenile bird.  The usual cause is that it has  aggravated a mature bird and been taught a memorable lesson.  Some would remove the wounded bird or the aggressor.  However, reacting to these occasional occurrences and responses are highly dependent on the breeder's comfort level with social interactions and knowledge of their own birds.

Fighting is not usually something that occurs out of the blue.  In many cases there are early warning signs that birds are not getting along.  The worst situation is where birds may be housed in confined in too small quarters, overstocked (crowded) and with one water and food dispenser and no room for flight.  Examples of fight situations are described in gender combinations above

Fights over nesting boxes are anticipated in colony breeding and enough boxes need to be ensured so as to prevent these types of fights, which can be bloody and final.  Hens will go for each other immediately, forcing each other off the perch, hitting each other in mid-air and falling to the ground and returning to the fray moments later.  Hens don't usually give up, and one will follow the other right into the box.  Some screeching goes on, but not as much as anticipated.  One of the hens will explode from the box, with the other in close pursuit, or conversely, stops on the nest box perch. 

Feathers may be bitten off close to the skin and leave bald patches, toenails will be bitten off and cut and there may be a lot of facial damage - particularly along the back of the head and neck.  One hen may throw a challenger off a nesting perch and return to the nest box, only to be pursued by the ousted hen and have to fight again.  As a breeder, it is best to avoid these altercations and look after your birds by setting up enough boxes

Juveniles may be bitten hard or lightly in the colony situation, but you know that lovebirds have very delicate control over their beak, so a solid bite, drawing blood, is intentional.  Juveniles seem to do well in the colony situation and awareness of the dominant animals in the colony reduces the amount of fighting there might otherwise be.

Hens, when upset, will fluff up their feathers, lower their body so it is perpendicular to the perch and charge the nearest bird with beak open.  Less agressive stances include stretching up on legs, the appearance of attention and the sleeking or apressing of feathers to the body.  Often times, the feathers on the nape may be raised

Shadow 
Beaking
or
"Fencing"

Maintenance activity

Also called "beak fencing", this activity is a common occurrence among birds, but somehow and for some reason seen more among cage birds than colony birds.  Pairs, siblings and juveniles will all participate in this interesting and lightning fast flash of beaks.  The rapid synchronization of thrust and counter thrust can be terrifying to watch for a beginner, and fascinating for the avid old-timer.  The sheer speed of the exchange is like a choreographed dance and the beaks are always tapped (or so it appears) on the side, rather than bill to bill, reducing chances of accidental damage.

juveniles will stand on their tip toes and beak each other, as will adults, although adults do not have to stand tall to enter into the complex rhythm of thrust and counter thrust.  Although it is difficult to assess why they practice this behavior, it is evident it keeps their coordination and muscle quickness at optimum speed and accuracy.

In pairs it seems to be a bonding action, seen primarily on the external perches, spars or even from in the nest, where the hen may duel with the cock before feeding.  Again, something that is perceived as an activity that is more common among caged birds versus colonized

When a hen is dealing with her offspring on the spar, she will often get them to move with this shadow beaking activity or a darting action at the feet.  The beak is also used as a flat device for pushing the young or overbalancing them on the spar disorienting them enough for her to get past or move them.  Even shadow beaking with the offspring includes the base of the bill coming in contact with the juveniles beak, whether the action of the thrust is sideways straight ahead or other direction.  This may well be a developed mechanism for teaching young certain things while minimizing the probability of damage.  Just as toe biting and feinting is taught to young birds in the colony, so that they rapidly  get out of harm's way in the event they have unwittingly entered an adult's "personal space" 
 

Beak Holding
or 
Clasping

Maintenance activity

This is often an activity that is seen between adults or and adult and its fledged offspring.  The activity is generally slower than that seen in beak fencing and results in the bird initiating the sequence (dominant bird?) hodling the beak of the other bird gently in its own beak.  The beak is partially open on both birds.  In adult pairs, it often is a precursor to a small exchange of material (almost as in regeurgitation, but nowhere near as aggressive).  Whatever this movement engenders, it is certainly a tender or gentle action, with none of the ambivalence surrounding "beak fencing".

Mid-air 
Collisions

These are usually the result of altercations between juveniles testing their strength or their limits with other youngsters in a flock.  Butting of breasts and heads can lead to mid-air flight and collisions which results in the two birds seemingly holding each other as they plunge to the ground.  The impact is fairly solid as minimal wing flapping is enabled on the fall downwards.  A small cloud of dust can rise from the area of impact - usually caused by only one bird hitting the ground.  That bird quickly leaps up and wings its way to the nearest spar, only to find and target the initial perpetrator once more.  There may be two to four cycles of this type of action before all activity is suspended.  We have no idea what it concludes, if anything

Hens will similarly appear to grasp each other with feet and wings, minimizing wing movement, while ensuring a solid hit on the ground.  Sometimes one of the hens is stunned by the impact, and after achieving the spar, may sit quietly for a moment before remembering that their is a dispute between her and another hen.  Unlike the juvenile birds the fights between hens usually do not end without considerable damage and blood spillage - and of course, the intervention of the breeder at an early stage

Chasing

Chasing usually happens between a dominant animal and a submissive animal.  It may be a hen chasing a cock, a hen chasing a hen or a cock or hen chasing a juvenile and lastly, a juvenile chasing a juvenile.

If a novice has introduced a cock into an existing hen's territory, expect rather than anticipate that the hen will be upset  and will immediately start chasing the cock, keeping him confined to the outside walls of a cage setting,.

In some instances, the cock may sit at one end of a spar, and the hen will walk in a pigeon-toed stance toward him before turning at right angles to the spar.  She will then slowly stretch her wings and  appear to preen herself.  She will do this several times, inching ever closer to the cock, before stretching the wing closest to the cock.  When it touches him, she contracts her wing slowly and then lunges at the open area where the male was: the cock seems quite aware of what is going on, but seems to wait till the last possible moment before launching himself away from a possible bite.  The male will run on the spar or circle around the cage sides front and back, with the hen sometimes getting quite close. 

The hen, through years of observations, is the larger and stronger bird and could quite easily catch and kill the cock if she really wanted to.  We have seen them grasp the cocks wing and throw them down, grasp a foot and hold the male as it flaps frantically before escaping and bite and draw blood on fearless juveniles who push the closeness a little too much, a little to soon.  We have not seen a hen kill a cock, although we have little doubt that it can and will occur, given their focus and speed

With regard to hens chasing hens, we refer the reader back to the gender similar pairs,  above
 

Preventing Access 
to 
food or water

Agonistic or hostile behavior

One of the aspects of fighting in a cage or colony is the effort of a single bird to prevent the newcomer from accessing food and water.  In the cage situation, extra food and water must be added to provide alternate feeding stations, in a colony situation isolating a new bird it is not as sever or noticeable an issue because of the stations established within

We have seen only hens practice this form of strategic fighting, never cocks.  If you have seen cocks preventing other males from eating please do inform us.  We are not talking about a bird taking food or water and chasing off a bird that intrudes on their territory, but where it is obvious that a single bird is being targeted and driven away from the food or water source every time it thinks to access either source

This phenomena may also occur where a bird is ill and has taken up station near the feeding receptacle, such that it prevents other birds from feeding or drinking and thus is forced into a position of having to fend off and defend itself at all times, despite its afflictions.  This may be an issue of the arrangement of food and water in the cage, aviary or pen and intervention by the breeder is a must.

Nest Box Fights

As referred to earlier, nesting site altercations tend to be some of the bloodiest battles, as it determines who raises offspring and who doesn't.  Hens rarely give up in these fights because of their fundamental importance.  Once wounded the hen can quickly become a target for the rest of the flock, since it is wounded and unable to fare as well as it should. 

It may take several days for a hen to wear down, or it may be an immediate result of a fight.  This activity is something you will not see in cage breeding, and shouldn't see in well managed colony breeding.  These fights will only occur when the number of mating pairs and sometimes just hens, exceed the number of breeding boxes in the aviary.  This fact should always be considered by the breeder thinking of colony breeding. 

It is interesting to observe that birds are a lot like us, in that some seem driven to have multiple partners and nests, while others show interest, but not the dedication or commitment to partner or nest building.  Some females will not lay eggs.  Some will cohabitate with other females and share nesting and feeding duties, while keeping their mates outside the box.  It is interesting as well that despite the appearance of overcrowded conditions, some hens or pairs will not fight for nesting areas, leaving them to the more aggressive or driven. 

Cock's Position 
While 
Regurgitating 
or 
Allofeeding

The male will always try to take an elevated position over the hen in order to  transfer food to her.  In many cases the desirable height difference is accomplished by standing on the nesting box, bobbing the head up and down, two or three times, while stimulating the regurgitation of food.  The cock then leans over the box edge to the hen, who is poking her head out of the nest box entrance, and proceeds to pass the food downward to the hen below.

Preparatory 
Movement 
for 
Copulation

In Box; on perch; on roof of bird houses, it seems not to deter these little parrots from trying to reproduce.

The cock or hen will often exhibit their readiness by lifting their foot up through (behind and up) the wing to scratch their head, all the while emitting a continuous clicking sound (like a metronome in fast beat) .  The hen will defecate prior to undertaking this activity, while the cock does not seem to require any emptying of its own system.  The cock may feed the female or move directly to testing the hen's steadiness and readiness by pushing on her back and rump.  if she sidles sideways or reaches backwards or sideways with her open beak to give him a warning, he know she is not ready.

The cock, once he has the hens attention, may or may not launch off a dowel and inscribe a short arc behind her, jump to a dowel across from the hen and then jump back to the hen's other side or jump to a swinging apparatus and then back to her alternate side.  Whatever the means and the available space around the hen, the cock will endeavor to move back and forth from the hen, either always on the same side or alternatively on alternating sides.  This enables the hen to keep an eye on him, while he displays himself to the hen.  When all is in order the cock will stop next to the hen and touch her with his foot.  If she stands, he will step up on her back and her wings will open to balance them both.  As the male gets in position and slips his tail beneath the hens upright or raised tail, he will saw backwards and forwards from alternate sides, sometimes alternating sides and strokes, sometimes doing many strokes before flipping to the other side.

The cock will use his bill to pull himself onto the hen and to help position him as he switches or rolls from side to side.  The hen will concomitantly lower her body and shift her wings wings wider or closer depending on what is necessary to maintain their balance.  The hen rarely moves quickly and seems to be very stoic in the midst of the cock's frenetic expenditure of energy.  Copulation takes 5 to 7 minutes and the vent on the hen can sometimes be rubbed clean of feather and down by the aggressive contact of some cocks.

Copulation on a box, encompasses all of the motions described above, but in this case the male will flap in small jumps or simply strut around the female, always around her back and sides, not in front.  She  once again stands quietly while the cock goes about his business and no sounds are emitted during the process

Cock and hens will both take the submissive position and climb aboard the back of the other bird.  This occurs in both in juveniles and adults. Why they alternate is a question, but it seems that the juveniles are merely replicating the actions of their parents, while the parents seem to do it when they are attempting to encourage the other sex to participate in a mutual union.   The cock will take the submissive position and call to the hen (similar to a begging call, but in copulatory position with wings open).  The hen will attempt or climb on the back and the cock will slip out from underneath, in the hopes that the hen will take up the copulatory position and remain in it.  Conversely, the hen will also beg the cock to perform, when she is ready. 

Entering Nest Wet 
or 
Soaking Paper & food

Maintenance activity 
during brooding

If you see a bird dipping nesting material in the water or wetting their breast in the water, then ruffle their feathers to disperse some of the water, and then returning to the nest, you can be fairly sure that you have a hen.  Hens wet their breast and carry in wet material when they are sitting on eggs and need to raise the humidity level, so it is a good indicator of activity in the nest: if you are unable to look in and check the nest. 

When feeding the young, food will also be dropped in the watering dispensers, which  can quickly become rancid, messy and a potentially fatal soup.  By no means should this be allowed to occur.  Good breeders will watch the water and make sure that clean water is available every day and that they are not encouraging detrimental bacterial growth in the water.

Sometimes the hen will dip pellets in the water and they will disintegrate into a soft food for the nestlings.  This is helpful for the hen, and some breeders will watch the situation carefully, changing water every few hours

Scraping 
in the box

Hens will make a lot of noise in the nest box sometimes, particularly when they are rearranging the initial nest base.  As the nest builds up over the year, the sounds will disappear.  However, initial nest building results in sounds like the scratching of claws on the floor of the box as the nest bedding is moved around and bare wood is exposed, and later covered by nesting material.

The hen will also create noise inn the nest by grinding or chewing on wood particles or chewing on the opening to improve the entrance-way.  The beak may also replace the feet in terms of shifting material, so the beak scratching against the wall or floor will also be heard occasionally in the beginning. 

Throwing Nesting
Material 
From the box

Some breeders will try and place material in the nest and hope to encourage the birds to go to nest.  This is not always very successful with a number of the lovebird species or races.  Agapornis roseicollis, however, will usually make use of material that is added.  The eyering species may throw things out, while the more primitive species (madagascar, Abyssinian and red-faced) seem to require the stimulus of throwing material out or removing some of the debris from the nesting cavity.  This could be associated with a desire to clean out a previously occupied nesting cavity.

The Red-faced lovebird was given cork or compact peat, in the past, to encourage breeding: sometimes it was successful. 

The three primitive species will throw material out and re-arrange the nest before rebuilding or establishing a bare floor for those hens partial to the minimalist style "nest"

Drinking

Drinking water is a faily straightforward process: the lower mandible is dipped into the water container and the head is lifted and tilted back to enable the water to run down the throat.  Excess water is removed by a shake or two fo the head or birds fly to another roost and shake the water from the beak at the roosting location

When a hamster or water bottle is available, the birds learn to use their beak or tongue to manipulate the bottle's ball-bearing flow control so that they can access water as they require it.

Familial 
Bonds

While this activity might seem to be a little anthropromorphised, there is little doubt that these little parrots are cognizant of family relations.  Whatever it is, there is a noticeable reluctance to brother / sister matings.  Siblings may huddle together at night, they may squabble occasionally, but rarely is there any sexual activity between them, beyond mutual preening.  The same reluctance cannot be said for birds that are parent / offspring or cousin / cousin.

As well, birds in a colony situation can be very accepting of juvenile birds, siblings will feed and preen each other as they develop.  They are welcomed into the nest box at night and can remain with parents for some time.  However, there are instances where certain hens will prevent the young from  entering the nest, although they do this in as firm a way as possible, we have not seen them harm their young in a colony situation.  The same cannot be said of a caged situation

"The Madagascdar lovebird, the Abyssinian lovebird and the red-faced lovebird ... the primary social unit is the pair and its immature offspring" ²

Social Feeding 
of Fledged 
offspring

Older birds do feed younger ones, but not other adults.  Hens always seem to be willing to feed their male offspring and the males the female offspring, but same sex feeding appears to drop off quite a bit after fledging.

There are often reports of birds trying to mate or allofeed at two months of age or older in hand fed birds.  this does not appear to occur in a colony situation, where the young will certainly feed each other and similarly aged or younger birds in the colony.  However, there does not appear to be any "real" sexual behavior until the birds have passed through the molt.  they try and practice, but their skill level means that the chances of any undesirable union being fertile is highly improbable (but not impossible)

Feeding of younger birds appears to be an individual question, as are many of the questions associated with behavior.  You will fine some that will and others that could not be bothered.  there is a wide range of behaviors, that we hopefully be able to add as time goes on and breeders observe more unusual behaviors

Three Generations 
of birds 
- Same nest box 
Despite presence of unoccupied boxes

We have seen and had multiple generations existing in 1 box:  Adults; Juvenile; fledging young and eggs, despite the presence of extra boxes and mates in the colony.  In this particular case, the juveniles would be out mating with their hen of choice in their own box, but return to the parental nest during the night.  The fledgling chicks were out of the nest box, but returned to roost in the evening, while the hen sat on eggs.  The cock or sire often attempted to prevent the return of the older birds, but the hen would interfere and the larger offspring would push past the old cock.  Those older birds that returned to the nest were all cocks. 
The hen would push the cock away from defending the nest hole and let the young cocks squeeze by her into the nest.  When the male came out to defend the box and chase off the older birds, he would succeed for a while, and then one would sneak in behind him or charge at him, as he turned to go back into the box and chase out the interloper. The others would then land and charge into the nest box.  No blood was ever shed in this box.

In a box several inches away, the hen and cock were much more aggressive about chasing their young off.  Although she would accept the fledglings, while on eggs, she would not accept the older birds and would frequently resort to foot biting to drive off the most determined of her offspring.  While blood was occasionally drawn in this situation, it was understandable and nothing repetitive or acrimonious developed as a consequence.  The young birds simply had to find a roost on nest boxes elsewhere in the colony

.Chewing Spars 
or Dowelling

Maintenance activity

.In this situation, the bird will be stretched out with its body along the line of the spar, while its feet are perpendicular or slightly turned .  the head is stretched out and wings held close to the side, but feathers are not apressed.  The beak is open and the tip of the beak is used tyo probe and pry at the wood or chew if there is existing damage or chewable surface, rather than a rounded one.

Shredding
& 
Nest Building Material

Hens of most known lovebird species will shred an incredible amount of material in order to line their nests and keep it dry when chicks are developing.  Paper is chewed into strips 3 to 5 inches long and carried to the nest, where they are shredded into tiny pieces.  The hen will cut the strip  from the paper  in two parallel cuts (using her beak).  She will then pass the paper sideways through her beak, manipulating the paper with her tongue and rolling it into a tight roll.  The end left in the mouth is tucked into her rump feathers.  The hen may have a number of strings in her rump before flying to her nest.  Sometimes pieces are lost in her flight to the perch.  With juvenile hens, the rolls are lost on almost every trip.  It takes some time for juveniles to understand how to perform all the nest building stages.  Sometimes strips are shredded before carrying and stuck into the rump as oblong balls and then transferred to the nest.  Wood is grated and shredded

In fischers and other eyerings, the leaves are stripped off available branches and the bark sometimes removed.  Longer pieces are woven into a complex nest with a fake top section and a deeper nest area.  Sometimes the branches are chewed into something akin to sawdust to line the nest bottom.  After egg laying commences, the bark of later twigs is stripped, chewed and dipped in water to soak it.  The hen uses this material to provide extra humidity in the nesting cavity or box.  A hen will also wet her breast feathers in order to take moisture into the nesting cavity if more moisture than that supplied or maintained by nesting material, is necessary