I often read on forums that Pois aren't particularly nice towards other birds in general. Maybe I have a flock of exceptions, but I don't find it particularly more true for Pois than for other birds. I've seen other large flock of different species interact with each other and have seen a lot of similarities with mine.
Now, my birds aren't necessarily the best buddies, and Shade and Zuri's relationship might be the best one, but they don't necessarily look to harm each other. Actually, they seem to keep a lot to themselves and I certainly wouldn't call that being aggressive towards other birds.
On a few occasions in the past, I have talked about how the parrots here seem to perceive each other. Shade has always had a friendly disposition with any new addition and, as a result, has a pretty good "friendship" going on with Zuri and can be in close proximity with Joey and they'll either do their own thing or, on rare occasions, play with each other (even if it's to steal whatever the other is playing with, it's not met with any aggressiveness).
Joey mostly likes to keep to himself, but will tolerate the other birds in fairly close proximity most of the time. Often him and Pixel will be alternating what they play with while hanging out on the same perch (which, most of the time, is the computer desk).
As pointed above, Zuri gets along good with Shade and, recently, has been getting along nicely with Pixel as well. But he can't be with each other at once, as Pixel will try to instigate problems with Shade.
So, that is maybe the one of the only antagonistic relationship here - Shade and Pixel. Shade had nothing to do with it, it just seems that Pixel never really liked her (yet is perfectly fine with the others). It might be because they are the only two hens (Léa not coming out at the same time), I don't know. But if a fight will break, it's generally between these two. However, Shade has become very good at avoiding Pixel and when I see her getting in that "mood" I generally intervene before she can do anything. Would I say it's because they are Pois? No. I think even as humans we have people we just don't like.
We are left with Petey - he generally doesn't like the other birds, he's just a grumpy old bird. But I think it's worth to note that he has a higher tolerance for how close he'll let other birds come before he makes it known that he wants them to give them space. He also won't purposefully go after any other bird (unlike Pixel after Shade) just to do them harm (he reserves that treatment for me). And if you remove him from the flock environment, I think he does misses their company.
And that last thing - the flock environment - I think they all crave it. They do talk to each other during the day. And when one is missing, I do think it does something to them.
So why Pois have got this reputation to be mean with others, I haven't really seen it with my flock. And there are 5 of them that come out together with a Lovebird, whom they'll either mostly leave alone or try to befriend (Shade).
I have been around Pois who do not necessarily feel like they have to be nice towards others - the perfect example of that is my mom's Senegal (Shade's brother). He liked to terrorize her bigger birds so much that she ended up giving him his own room, for his own safety. He also was nasty with a Meyer's she fostered, resulting in her having a foot injury with resulted in amputated toes. But is this solely because he's a Pociephalus, even worse, a Senegal? His own sister is the sweetest bird you'll ever meet! I think, just like humans, it might be more of an individual thing than a species thing and therefore, since we like to categorize and label things and make broad generalizations, it became that Senegals, in particular, are one person-birds who like to be mean towards others.
I, on the other hand, think they are misunderstood.
Why is it that my Senegal is the total opposite of what you read about the species? And, to a greater extent, why is it that I have a flock of Pois that get along most days, contrary to what people will have you believe about them?
It's quite possible it's because I have a strong affinity for them and understand them and know how to get the best out of them. Yet, wouldn't that prove that the reputation they have has more to do with how we treat them, how we raise them, how we read them?
They are quite complex little beings and every day I spend with them, I get amazed at how much they seem to understand their environment and how they try to manipulate it. Would I recommend Poicephalus for everyone? No. But then, I wouldn't recommend parrot ownership to most people given the strong commitment they require. Do I think they are as bad as people make them out to be at times? No - but they do need that special person who will want to understand their nature.
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