Adopting an African Grey - advise needed please

I was at the vet clinic with Hugo this morning - second check-up after he had the sniffles and I was chatting to the vet and said that if there were any parrots that need adopting she could let me know. She said that there was an elderly lady who was sickly and had bought a 9 year old Grey and wanted to leave it to the vet in her will. The vet didnt want to take the parrot as she worked very long hours (understandable being a vet). She said that it wouldnt be now but maybe she would call me if the parrot had no-one to go to. Please could I get advise on firstly, owning two parrots and the implications and the pros and cons of adopting as well as owning two parrots. I have been wanting to get another one but didnt want to get it and it turned out a mess, I have never owned a Grey before and you can see by my threads that Im still learning but very eager. Would it be more destructive for Hugo?

The pros of having two parrots are that you get more birdy love! Also parrots love to interact with each other from the inside of their cages (Most of the time!). Before you get the parrot you should meet him first and see what his behavior is like all in all. Greys are usually great pets in my understanding (I have never owned one myself) and can be excellent talkers. The pros of adopting are that you are helping a parrot by giving it a home. In my previous threads I have said that going to a shelter is best, and I think saving that bird from a sickly old woman would be just like going to a shelter. Also the bird has already formed his personality so that can be tough to fix, but can be fixed. Also I hope Hugo feels better! Poor thing... and if Hugo really cares about you then he might not let another parrrot around you- just keep that in mind.

Hi Darkisgirls, thank you so much for your reply. Im going to think long and hard before even seeing the parrot if he/she is in need of a home. Hugo is doing much better and I got a huge fright as I thought the reason for him being a bit off was because I changed the position of the cage. He is still being nebulised and splutters now and again. I am worried about what Hugo will do if I get another parrot. He has been through some hard times and despite that he is so willing to love and forgive. Will keep you posted on what happens. Take care...

I'm a single parrot owner - for many reasons. But one of them is I'd be worried how getting another would change my relationship with Auggie. Would he bond with the new one and leave me out, or worse would he be jealous and feel left out.

Many parrots see their person as their mate. I can't imagine how they'd then feel when their mate brought someone new home.

All that said there are so many wonderful stories of happy families with several birds, so I suspect my concerns are misplaced - though I still just can't shake them.

Hi AG, your so right, Im not sure that getting another bird would be beneficial for Hugo at all. It was just that I felt bad because he had no communication with another parrot. You have this fantasy that your two parrots would get on and that they would love eachother but love you even more - that can be done but I guess Im too scared if it doesnt. I have approached my local animal refuge - its stunning and the parrots are so well cared for - I will be volunteering there from next year. I was shocked at how many large parrots get abandoned. Maybe in a small way I can give back to the parrot community by going on a Sat and helping out

Hi E What would you do if your mate brought home another mate? I too will stick with one bird. I know many people do have more than one. It is a tough decision.

Hi it's a hard decision to make.
Would Hugo get with the other bird.
Will his personality change, knowing he is not getting all the attention he has become accustomed to.
It's time consuming keeping two birds, would you have enough for both.
Good luck
Take care

You could also think of it this way. I know a guy who started out with one african grey and loved him so much. He couldn't stop getting them. He now has SEVEN!!! They all love eachother. I heard greys do well with other greys though. If your gut is telling you not to get one then maybe you shouldn't, but if you want to make a try of it, then go ahead.
I had a dog for 7 years and always thought about getting another. I have Italian Greyhounds, I'm not sure if anyone is familiar with the breed but they are different from other dogs, very high stressed high strung, strange personalites. I always wanted another but was scared to bring another one in. Well I got another one last year and I should of did it sooner. They love eachother. Like someone said earlier in the post. Maybe Hugo could meet this bird before you making a decision.

maybe you could talk to the vet about fostering the bird and seeing if they get along, and if it doesn't they still can look for a home.

If I were you, I'd find a way to socialize with the first, letting it get to know you before assuming custody. Zoey is 7yrs old, & it takes a li'l while before she allows a new person the pleasure of her conversational skills, let alone her trust.

You should have no problem with a grey and a poi. They both belong to types of birds that get along with others with no problems. Usually. It depends on the birds, of course, but birds that have been normally handled and socialized would be OK. So I would not be really concerned about that and parrots do benefit from having other parrots around them. My only concern is that you are very new to parrot keeping, you are still in the honeymoon and not what I would call 'proven'. Everybody loves their parrots at the beginning but, as time goes by, they become more of a chore than a pleasure and that's when they get rehomed which is terribly traumatic to them. So I would suggest you wait until you know for a fact that you can do what you are now doing for the next 40 years before you commit yourself to another bird.

I am a multiple bird owner. I love them all, but it is work. Everyone needs attention and that day can speed by, especially with all the chores to do. When I have brought home a new bird, I treated it as though a parent were bringing home a new baby. I did my best to integrate the new parrot into the existing parrot's schedule. For instance, Papagayo was my first B&G. When Holly came into the picture, I still took Papagayo out of his cage first and gave him treats first. Might not work for everyone, but it did for me. While my life would be easier with one or two parrots, I could not part with any of my children. Good luck with your decision.

Thank you so much for all your advice and replies - sorry I didnt reply sooner but have had server problems. I didnt take the grey and luckily I didnt as Hugo has been sick and I would never have forgiven myself if the grey had got sick. It must be amazing have a whole family of birds but for now my main focus is getting my boy better. I agree that one should try introduce first and check if its goin to be ok between the two birds.