Lorikeet loves Budgie?

[Ashling]

I haven't posted vids before, so this is rather exciting :)
I would like to ask everyone's thoughts and opinions on Ashling and Topaz's relationship? The budgie's mate died a few years ago and she lives in a big cage with the cockatiels. They tolerate her but she's a bit of a bully to them so they're not what I'd call friends. However, she seems to thrive on the attention of Ashling- when they're all out playing. Ash likes to preen her (made her bleed once), jump on her, hold her with her foot and kiss her (including "french kissing"... she is a lorikeet after all). During this, Topaz sometimes screeches her head off but always comes back for more?? She'll fluff up her head and act happy, but as you can see in one of the pics, Topaz is suddenly flying away from Ashling in fright. She mimics Ashling's noises and words (I'm sure my budgie has the largest vocabulary of all my birds, without any help from me!) and they call to each other from other ends of the house. What is the deal? Is Topaz just lonely and takes the good with the bad? She is obsessed with Ashling, but I think Ash only sees her as a plaything.









Everyone out playing on the stairs:



Ash 'playing with' Topaz:



Ash and Topaz kissing:



Topaz flying away from Ash:



Preening:

[expressmailtome]

The pictures are really cute! I might just worry that a lory is a bit of a large playmate for a budgie. If it does work outside the cage just watch them.

Matt

[Abby]

Somewhere in my photo collection I have a photo of Milly (budgie) preening Olly (lorikeet) back before the aviaries went up and they had their own mates to preen. From what I saw of Olly and Milly's relationship they were both able to sort things out if one pushed things too far. Olly isn't a real ADD type lorikeet though and Milly is reasonably placcid. Having seen my two I can see how it can work.

I think it's great that the 2 of them have found a mateship. I wouldn't discourage it if they're happy. You know the safety stuff to watch out for.

[macawpower58]

The two together are so cute. I, as others worry about the size difference. Do you have any other Keets? Have you thought of adding another Keet to your flock, just for Topaz? My experience says sooner or later, an accident will happen, due to the Lori not realizing the Budgie's fragility. Hopefully they'll live happily ever after.

This is definitely what I'd call an odd couple!

By the way, your Lori is gorgeous.

[Ashling]

Yeah they only interact physically outside the cage, and I'm always watching... I once left them alone on the tiel cage for a while and when I came back Topaz had shallow punctures in her face from Ashling being too rough. Topaz is anything but fragile though! Toughest budgie I've ever had! I don't have any others since Topaz's mate died. The plan was to rehome her to someone who can give her one-on-one attention, cause she has so much love to give and loves cuddles, but I don't have the time to tame her right now without neglecting the others.