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"Who is your leader?"

"Hello there!" Pinion said, trying to look as unthreatening as possible with its head low and humble and its feathers smooth. "Mind if I talk with you?"

So far none of the parakeets had flown away but Pinion didn't think they'd stay if it disturbed them too much. Already some of them were leaning as if to take wing.

"I'm just interested to ask," it continued, and lay down in front of the cage fence in the hope that this would help it to look harmless. "Which one of you is the leader?"

The parakeets looked uncomfortably at one another. Eventually one plucked up the courage to half-open a wing in the direction of a cluster of birds further back in the cage. "The one picking seeds from the twig. I'll go get-" Without even finishing its sentence the parakeet flew over to the leader. A couple of others followed it as if this was a group mission and couldn't be handled by just one bird.

Pinion watched the first bird talk with the leader, aware the whole time that the closest few parakeets were eyeing Pinion warily.

And then Pinion saw that it was in luck! The leader flew close and perched on a high branch. Pinion had to crane its neck to see it, but this was going better than it had expected!


What would you like Pinion to say now?

- Start a conversation about how their social dynamics work
- "Why don't the parakeets like me?"