FINCHforum

I just purchased two adorable baby gouldians three days ago from a person that has been raising gouldians for about a year. They were very active day one and two eating drinking swinging (they looove the swings)!! They still seem just fine but flap their wings a lot while on perches. It is only sometimes. They fly around very well. They are in the process of coloring in. Is this part of what can happen when they are coloring in? Is this the same as a molt? I only have experience with one molting bird and that was my canary. He never did any wing flapping. He did fluff up several times a day (summertime). He is done and happy and healthy. One of the baby gouldians also fluffs up several times a day on perch but eats drinks flies around just fine.Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated!

There have been a few different threads on this topic, but I think you'll find under most circumstances this is a nervous behavior - I usually see it in birds moved from a large cage to a small one, or birds moved to new cages in general.
It's as if they are trying to get their bearings.

Sometimes it can be a general neurotic thing when the bird gets agitated..

Normal behaviour in new cage...searching for an escape route...they will settle shortly.Watch the fluffed up one...could be a sign of stress.Hopefully they will all be ok in a few days given some privacy.

yah, watch the fluffing, number 1 sign to illness. Also consider it might just be the goulds being goulds and doing their macho fluffing, preening or preparing to sing.

Thank you for your help!