Gouldian wing flapping

[Marigold]

I asked several other local breeders and they said it was a sign that he/she was ready to breed...........

[Sally]

My Gouldians usually don't actually get in the water to bathe, they sit on the edge of the bath and go thru all the motions without ever getting wet. So a lot of their wing-flapping is at bath time. I have since lost that little male, but I don't know that it had anything to do with his wing fluttering. I had decided to try breeding him, set him up in a cage with a hen, and they had just started checking out the nestbox (one with a porch). I found him dead in the nestbox, with no clue as to what happened.

[kiwi & mango]

Marigold

I was thinking it might have somthing to do with breeding as well. I believe our female is slowly coming into breeding condition since her beak has been slowly turning black for about three weeks now and he tries so hard with her and she is wlling to a point....

Thanks and if anyone else has any thoughts it is great since I am such a newbie at this all....

So far no flapping of his wings today or last night.

[Domenic]

I'm sorry to bring this post back up, but has anyone come up with a solution to this mystery? The gouldian I just bought is doing that continually, but only when he's on the perch. Sally you scared me, do you think this is a symptom of something serious, and, like your's, he could die?

[Finch Fry]

I had several gouldian cocks that did that. I bought them from breeders that had them in large Flight Aviaries.

I think it was because they were not use to the smaller cages.

The one I bought in Dec doesn't do it any more but the one I just bought 08/18 does and keeps hanging off of the side of the cage. They are in 30x18x18 cages.

Bingo. I just got a male gould from Donna just 10 days ago. She has an entire room for the birds to take full flight. Now I have him in a 30x18x18. He has been doing this since the day Donna removed him from the large room to a cage to bring to me.

Its interesting because the hen I bought didnt do it. She must have been accustomed to smaller cage life. But now, she does it cause the male does it all the time and she sees it and mimics him. I dont think this is twirling at all but rather them wanting to take flight.

I would assume if anything ever became of this topic back in 2007 when it first posted (for example, a bird death) then it would have been posted. Since the topic sort of dwindles away, it would indicate to me that nothing serious ever became of it.

[MLaRue]

I agree that the bird does this because they want to fly and in these smaller cages we put them into they can do nothing more than hop from one perch to another. I feel it is a form of anxiety for them.

[dfcauley]

I agree that the bird does this because they want to fly and in these smaller cages we put them into they can do nothing more than hop from one perch to another. I feel it is a form of anxiety for them.

Which is sad. Hopefully they will adjust soon.

[Finch Fry]

I agree that the bird does this because they want to fly and in these smaller cages we put them into they can do nothing more than hop from one perch to another. I feel it is a form of anxiety for them.

Which is sad. Hopefully they will adjust soon.

I am planning a large flight/aviary for the birds. I dont anticipate them being in 30x18x18 breeders much longer than the end of this year.

[CandoAviary]

Wing flapping can in itself be a form of exercise. I have seen large parrots (that were in flights with unclipped wings) hold on to a branch and act like they were flying. Excercise and dominance display. Usually only the dominant bird will do this. (very true watching my 2 male weavers in the large outdoor aviary) Gouldians will flit thier wings in an aggressive posture but these are small flutters preformed with the bird bent down and often with the beak opened. A full flutter can be a sign of breeding dominance, much like swans on the water. And it could be for desired flight..... though I do not experience this when I move mine from flight to breeding cage. If the bird is healthy in all other ways I would not worry.

[nixity]

I believe this is a neurotic behavior, probably from going from a larger cage to a smaller one.

I have a male that used to do this consistently and in the same size cage. When I moved him to my 6' flight where he could fly horizontally more frequently, it magically stopped.

So I really think it's just maybe a product of frustration at not really knowing or having any where to go.

His daughter, oddly enough, does this in small cages too, when she is disturbed or nervous, and she sort of bobs up and down in this anxious manner while flitting her wings .. so it is apparently learned, as well (don't think this is heritable as not all of his offspring do this).

[Domenic]

Thanks Tiffany and Candace for the info, as well as everyone else. Luckily he isn't doing it today, but at least I know why he was doing it.

[GOULDYGIRL]

That's why it would be hard to take birds from Donna. Not many can dulplicate their life style with her and to me it's a shame to then put them in something smaller when they had all that freedom before. It's like taking a wild bird from outdoors and putting it in a cage. Not as bad though but the same principal.

Definetly a motivator to build a larger flight or aviary

Renee

[dfcauley]

Oh my.... now I feel terrible. I cannot keep all my babies.

But I am absolutely sure that in the case of Chris's yellow gould, that this is what has caused it. That bird NEVER did that in my aviary. When I caught him and put him into his flight he began doing that flapping within an hour. I do think that he will stop once he adjust. Birds can live happily in a cage. I do not think that they can necessarily remember their life in a flight..... they just have to adjust.

[GOULDYGIRL]

Donna, I didn't mean to make you feel bad I'm sure he will adjust and Chris will build something nice for him one day

When I first got my goulds I only had a small cage that I had used for my parakeets. My male would do the same thing and I always wondered why. After moving them to the larger flight, I was so happy to be able to do that. I saw such a big difference, they didn't move in that smaller cage and looked bored. They flew so much and got so much more active when they had room to move. He still does this behavior though on occasion and it bothers me to see that. I guess it became a habit but he is doing wonderful and is sitting on his first clutch

Renee

[akidsgal]

I have experienced seeing this when my males were in breeding mode as well. I do have a few males that do that so I am just figuring they are "strutting their stuff". Then after the female has chosen him he does settle down and get to business. I have tons of unfertile eggs, but my very first clutch of Gouldians is starting to hatch. I don't think I would worry so much unless you see something else going on.