cage mate?

Hello all, we've got a dandy Sun Conure that's about 5 or 6 months old now. We just got a new cage that's pretty big - this one: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B00176F5L0"]Amazon.com : Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Flight Cage with Stand F040 Black Bird Cage, 31-Inch by 20-1/2-Inch by 53-Inch : Birdcages : Pet Supplies[/ame]

My wife would like to get a small parakeet type bird (finch?) to share the cage - is this a good idea? If so, which small bird would be good? We spend a several hours each day with Sun Conure (Gumbo) out of cage playing with him (her?).

We would appreciate any advice on this idea - good? Bad?

Thank ya'll in advance,

Ken H>

Hello Ken, and welcome to the forum.

No, please do not add a small bird to the same cage - it could have fatal results. Once nicely furnished with natural branches and toys, I'm fairly certain your Sun Conure will make excellent use of the entire cage.

Bad idea. Unless it is another conure and they are "properly introduced" and get along.

One will likely attack the other.

The conure will win, though he may be injured in the process. The other bird will lose. At the least, it will be stressed.

They also have different diets, don't they? How you gonna feed them? A finch food seed diet will kill your conure...

Thanks Wendy - that's pretty much what I told her, but she wanted me to ask here.

Thanks, Ken H>

Ooops, Birdman you posted while I was posting so I didn't get a chance to acknowledge your comments. Thank you, now with two experts maybe I can convince the wife one bird is plenty.

Ken H>

Don't show her my response or - Dude! You're gettin' another conure....

I'm just sayin'!
Married once.
Widowed (sort of) once.

The other thing about conures:

They are pair bond birds. And shrunken macaws, i.e. fairly jealous emotional birds. If they pair bond with a favorite person, then there is a risk they may become jealous of the new bird, and behavior problems result.

If they pair up with the other bird, both birds may turn on their human trying to handle the other bird, and behavior problems may result.

Socializing conures is an inexact science.

Bad idea. I dont even allow same size birds of different species to share cages, and I NEVER place a new bird in a cage where another bird already lives. Why? Because I like my birds alive and with all their appendages. No cage is too large for a single bird, so just let your bird enjoy his whole cage If your wife wants a smaller bird she can get one - completely independently of the bird you already have. It needs its own cage, and a large enough one. Keep in mind that smaller birds such as budgies and finches really need room to fly, and while you may tame a budgie with commitment (done it many times) it is much more difficult to tame a finch because their wings cannot be clipped and they are more flighty by nature. And now, I am off to work on taming a budgie...

I wouldn't recommend it either. is is just asking for a tragedy. My 2 conures share a 24x32 cage, but that happened on its own with 2 flighted birds that just ended up moving in with each other on their own terms (and over a few months of them living in the same house). They are really bonded now though and i must admit, neither pays a bit of attention to me unless i go and initiate. So even that compromises the bond you have with your bird.

Thanks to all for the comments and support of my thinking. Let me be clear, Gumbo is HER (wife's) bird!!! The wife kept asking me if I wanted a another bird. I had conures back in '90's while living on a boat. After the last conure passed (drowned) I said I didn't want another bird. Well, all on her own the wife decided I really DID want another bird. We live in house now, I sold boat after meeting her (I lived aboard for 27 years). After me insisting for 2 or 3 months I didn't want a bird, wife shows up with a 3 or 4 month old Sun Conure (Gumbo). Wife said she "knew" I really wanted a bird so she brought "me" home a bird. Isn't it amazing how women seem to know what men are thinking better than men themselves?

Gumbo is the best socialized bird I've ever been around - Thanksgiving with a BIG crowd of folks (over 20), bird would happy go from person to person to spend a bit of time each, checking ear rings, hair, kissing the women (I think just nibbling on lipstick). Bird has bonded with wife, but if wife isn't there is very happy when I take from cage to spend time. Even when wife is there, bird has no problem hanging out with me. Wife has really been amazed how much she has enjoyed bird, and how much personality is in such a small package.

I insist bird is really her bird, which works out really good..... she does all the cage cleaning {grinning} (sure hope she doesn't read this.

Thanks again for all the comments.

Ken H>

KenH said:

Gumbo is the best socialized bird I've ever been around - Thanksgiving with a BIG crowd of folks (over 20), bird would happy go from person to person to spend a bit of time each, checking ear rings, hair, kissing the women (I think just nibbling on lipstick). Bird has bonded with wife, but if wife isn't there is very happy when I take from cage to spend time. Even when wife is there, bird has no problem hanging out with me. Wife has really been amazed how much she has enjoyed bird, and how much personality is in such a small package.

Click to expand...

You are describing my Papaya... That bird loved everyone!

And he was flighted and recalled. He would fly around the room making friends... usually ending up inside my shirt with just his little head sticking out.

Love it! You got suckered and called out by your wife, and without knowing, lol. So while putting another bird in the same cage with Gumbo, when are you getting the new conure, lolllllll!!!

Oh, I'm NOT getting another bird - why should I? I've got Gumbo to play with as much as I wish, and don't have to clean cage I had 3 peach fronted conures to die on me while on the boat, and didn't wish to chance it again. All were accidents and very heart rending.... even to a crusty old man like me. We'll let wife care for this bird..... bird is sitting on my shoulder while I'm typing now. Seems to think some of those skin tags on my neck need removing {g}.... Bird LOVES to help type by walking on keyboard, and grabbing for keys.

Ken H>