Zebra Finch Harassing Cagemates

[flyover]

Last month I consolidated two large cages to make one large (80" long x 30" deep) flight cage, and introduced two young male zebra finches into the flight with two Gouldians, two Societies, two diamond doves, and one canary.

It went smoothly at first, but the zebras have started harassing other birds. They crowd the other finches off branches and then follow them to other branches to continue the same. Worse, one of them is plucking the tail feathers of the two diamond doves, who now seek refuge in round nests where they can keep their hind ends flat.

The only one the zebras leave alone is the canary, who won't put up with them.

Note: the zebras don't sleep together as they did when they were in their quarantine cage. One sleeps in a nest while the other hunkers down with the finches he's been harassing during the day!

Is there some intra-species conflict that is spilling into inter-species harassment?

And has anyone who's experienced this had any success in mitigating the problem? I've thought of adding more fake plants for cover and vines for the zebras to twirl around on. Toys and bells? (I once had a zebra who lived for ringing his bell.) Adding feathers into the cage to satisfy their feather needs?

Or do I just need to put them back into the quarantine cage? That would be a drag since they have so much space where they are.

Thanks in advance!

[lovezebs]

flyover

What can I say, they're just Zebras being Zebras, lol.

I had to eventually get a seperate flight for my Zebras, which they now share with Society Finches, a Shaft Tail, and a Cut Throat.

It was that, or have my male Canary Luciano, commit murder most foul (he was more than willing).

Zebras, are rascals and can be trouble makers. You either love them, or hate them. I sort of go from one extreme to the other, and some days, I just love to hate them.

You could add more greenery to your flight, maybe some swings, which all Finches enjoy. Feathers, may put them in mind of breeding and nesting, which might make them more aggressive. A nest, is also for nesting, which there again can make them super protective ans aggressive.

Good luck.

Elana