Most flocking birds establish a pecking order or dominance hierarchy, in which there is a leader, a second-in-command, and a chain of passive members who know their place and act submissively to keep the peace.

Discover why parakeets have a pecking order and the surprising ways in which this complex social network is decided.

Why Would Parakeets Have A Pecking Order?

The term “pecking order” stems from the role of the alpha chicken, who is allowed to peck any other chicken in the pack. The beta chicken, meanwhile, can peck any chicken but the alpha. Today, this phrase relates to any species in which one group member dominates the others.

In some ways, the pecking order is an instinctual set of interactions that relate to food, water, shelter, and other resources. Bigger or stronger birds may have some advantages over their smaller counterparts, but size alone doesn’t determine a parakeet’s place in the pecking order.

These social rankings are essential for avian societies; the ability to recognize a bird more dominant than oneself can severely reduce the risk of an aggressive interaction that results in injury or death. And the hierarchy allows parakeets to coexist peacefully in social groups while sharing resources.

A pecking order allows a flock of birds to successfully share resources, much like a human society. Each bird in the flock has a role to play, and for that role, they are rewarded with a share of the water, food, shelter, etc.

There are many benefits to living in a society compared to facing the world alone, so it makes sense for avians to establish their own version of this grouping to satisfy the needs of the whole. Ultimately, being part of a flock is about the best chance of survival, and a hierarchy is essential to keep the community living in harmony.

How Would A Pecking Order Be Decided?

We’ve all heard the phrase “survival of the fittest,’ and in most scenarios, a pecking order is established by determining who is the strongest, fittest, smartest, etc., of a group. The same applies to parakeets, though the determining factor appears to be social status rather than their size or spatial location.

A study by Elizabeth Hobson and her colleagues aimed to determine the logistics of animal societies and the ways in which parakeets can establish hierarchies in these socially complex formations. In the study, two groups of monk parakeets were observed independently over a period of 24 days, with a cumulative total of 1373 fights analyzed.

The results of this research showed that the parakeets observed the other birds’ behavior to understand the social hierarchy. They can seemingly connect the dots between watching A fight B and then B fight C to remember aggression chains.

In this way, the parakeet learns how to interact with other group members by focusing their aggression on the birds they think are a close match to themselves.

The study shows that a chatter of parakeets determines their pecking order, not only by who wins each fight but through social interactions and complex cognitive calculations. These birds depend on inferential skills plus a good memory in order to find their place within the complex social network.

Will Parakeets Fight To Decide The Leader?

Many people opt to keep parakeets due to their calm and friendly nature; these sweet birds love interacting with their owners and each other. Still, there are times when these birds do fight one another, as you’ll no doubt have seen if you keep these birds at home.

But, as Hobson’s study demonstrated, parakeets keep their aggression for the birds who rank at a similar social status to themselves. This means that a parakeet might decide to take on the “leader” or “alpha,” but only if they are high in the rankings themselves and deem themselves to be a worthy opponent for the leader.

Parakeets are relatively easy-going birds who do not possess a naturally aggressive temperament. However, they may experience several fleeting moments of aggression regarding food, toys, or territory.

If you keep parakeets as pets, they will likely get along most of the time as long as you provide each one with adequate food, water, and toys. On some rare occasions, two parakeets will not gel with one another. Experts still don’t quite understand the reasons behind this, but if you have two incompatible parakeets, your only option is to keep them in separate cages.

Summary

The majority of species in the avian world develop a pecking order as it allows them to create a strong sense of society while maintaining a certain level of peace. Parakeets are not aggressive by nature, but they will fight over resources such as food and shelter.

A parakeet’s position in the pecking order is determined by its social status. To know their own place in the rankings, parakeets carefully observe the other flock members while determining which birds best match their own status.

References

Parakeet mathematics and the perception of pecking order – (biosphereonline.com)

Budgie Aggressive Behaviour | Budgie Behaviour | Budgies | Guide | Omlet UK

Are pecking orders common in bird society? | Discover Wildlife

The hierarchy of the chicken coop and how to stay in charge of the pecking order (thisnzlife.co.nz