parrots not getting along

I have two parrots - a 10 year old sun conure and a 2 year old Patagonian conure. I adopted the sun when she was 2. Since they seemed to get along, I had them start sharing a cage for a little over a year. The sun conure adores the Patagonian and preens him all the time. However the Patagonian is indifferent at best (ungrateful brat!) and mean at worst. They've been separated a few months now after he started biting her (If you aren't familiar with the Patagonians they're very big for a conure)

So I put her back in her own cage for her own protection, but now she just screams and screams and is starting to pull some of her own feathers out. She has plenty of toys in the cage and I haven't changed how often I get them out. She just clearly wants to be with the Patty and he is making it more and more clear that he doesn't want her there. They're currently both out as I type this and I've had to play referee a few times already

I don't know what to do. I've even started considering adoption for the sun as she's so unhappy, but I really don't want to go that path. She's already changed hands before.

Anybody have any ideas? or had a similar experience?

Hi there, and welcome to the forums.

So sorry to hear your Patagonian no longer wants to play 'nice' with your Sun Conure! I think it was very wise to separate them, as your Patty could have done some heavy duty damage to your Sunny. Yes, they're HUGE for conures (and gorgeous, too!!!!)

How big is the play area outside of their cages? Can you change the play area around, hang different toys up, in hopes of confusing them a little? Perhaps you could even change the location of the play area?

There's unfortunately no guarantee this is going to work.

I hope folks planning to add another bird to their flock read this. The Sun has bonded to the patty , the Patty to you.( of course the sun is mature and the Patty is not yet) The best thing is to get the Patty away from the Sun. There's some hope he( the Sun) will return to liking people if the other bird is not around. We are always taking a chance of screwing up our pet companions when adding another bird. Maybe putting companion pets in the same cage was not a good choice either. Keep in mind the goal, if you want a companion pet don't give it a better companion than you. If you want a companion for your pet, why would they then need you? I realize i'm not helping your situation but maybe preventing it from happening to others who have not thought this out. Parrots make good pets because they tend to bond, be careful what choices you give them.

henpecked said:

I hope folks planning to add another bird to their flock read this. The Sun has bonded to the patty , the Patty to you. The best thing is to get the Patty away from the Sun. There's some hope he( the Sun) will return to liking people if the other bird is not around. We are always taking a chance of screwing up our pet companions when adding another bird.

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YEP! Exactly. There are times when one more becomes one too many.

Especially where there are big bird/little bird issues. Little bird always loses.

I'd be keeping those two in separate rooms out of sight of one another if I were you.

Use the screaming protocols on the sun to try and reduce that screaming problem, and be strict about it.

Handle the sun one on one, and maybe do some sort of training program with that bird to stimulate it, like trick training.

Hi support the comments already made and the tough love from Henpecked. If you don't get the separation/rebonding exercises to work out, could you take another as a friend for your Sunny rather than re-home her? Obviously need to do some work to get this to work out and it wouldn't be an instant solution to the problem. It is heartbreaking to think that just because she loves the company of the Patty she could lose her loving home. Good luck and please keep us updated with your progress.

Henpecked, you offer genius advice and said it very well. I appreciate how well you put that. When I try to tell friends that, I haven't been able to word it so well. Thank you.