Senegal as a companion for Meyer's?

Hi everyone!

I have a Meyer's parrot, a female who is 4 years old. She has recently started to behave as if she wants to mate with me: she makes little noises, stands with her back towards me and lifts up her behind a little.

It has first happened about a moth ago, exactly at the same time as I've got a new job. Because of the job, I have to leave her alone with my husband for a large part of the week and he has to leave her alone for the large part of the day. We both love her very much, but she prefers me to my husband.

The problem is, I just cannot stand the thought of her being alone. She needs a friend of her own species, to share in all her activities and to be with her for the most of the day while I am at work. After all, they are social animals.

I don't want my birds to breed, so I have decided against a parrot of the same species. I don't want them to be too different, so I have decided to get another Poicephalus, a young Senegal male.

In the best case, they will bond, move to one cage and live happily ever after, or at least several years together. However, they might not even be friends, but even in this case my Mayer will still not be alone during the day. So I think I'm doing the right thing here.

So my first question is: is a Senegal really a good choice for a Meyer? How much is the character of a young bird set in its ways, anyway? Will it be able to adapt to my bird?

My second question: how do I introduce the new young Senegal male bird to my 4-year-old female Meyer so that they do not freak out and start fighting for territory right away?

I've arranged two separate cages on the same height level in the opposite corners of the room, approx 8 m. apart from each other. I don't let my Meyer to sit on this new cage and remove her every time she lands there. After the quarantine, I'll put the new bird in the new cage. But what do I do next?

Pois in general don't get along, so they might enjoy each other, but not be able to interact. My sennies are siblings and still can't get too close without fighting.

I have no advice other than the fact that a Senegal and Meyers can definitely breed with each other. Our local store currently has some hybrids.

Poi's aren't super friendly to other birds, or to each other unless they are a matched breeding pair.

If you do end up keeping 2 birds, I would keep them in adjacent cages, but not together. A similar sized bird to a Meyer's would be better than another Poi however (ie Sun Conure, Caique, Hahn's Macaw, etc.)

Grraarrgghh said:

Poi's aren't super friendly to other birds, or to each other unless they are a matched breeding pair.



If you do end up keeping 2 birds, I would keep them in adjacent cages, but not together. A similar sized bird to a Meyer's would be better than another Poi however (ie Sun Conure, Caique, Hahn's Macaw, etc.)

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I'd disagree, a poi isn't going to like another species better or worse than another poi. Chances are good they aren't going to like any of them.

I do agree though that separate cases are a must have. My male sennie loves to climb onto my female sennies cage to torment her. Their cages are side by side.

I agree with above posts. My Ruppell's is a Poi, and he lost 2 toe nails (in bloody accidents) to his 'relative' the Red Bellied. Griffin usually stays away, but now I have to keep very close watch that he does for sure.

I don't have experience with Caiques (mentioned above), but I've heard they typically have similar feelings as Poi's against other birds unless it's their own kind.

It's rather unusual that Griffin and my Pionus are friends. It is definitely out of the ordinary, and I wouldn't be expecting a friendship with any other bird.

Also... if you decide to get another bird (in a separate cage), consider that the South American species (depending on closeness of quarters) might not be able to tolerate health wise, the dust production of the African species including your Meyer's. I have to take extra measures to keep Raven in the room with Griffin.

Olesh said:

So my first question is: is a Senegal really a good choice for a Meyer? How much is the character of a young bird set in its ways, anyway? Will it be able to adapt to my bird?

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A Senegal is just as good of a choice as any other species considering that he likelihood of your Meyer's getting along with another bird.

My second question: how do I introduce the new young Senegal male bird to my 4-year-old female Meyer so that they do not freak out and start fighting for territory right away?

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That's not likely to happen, so don't worry about it.

I've arranged two separate cages on the same height level in the opposite corners of the room, approx 8 m. apart from each other. I don't let my Meyer to sit on this new cage and remove her every time she lands there. After the quarantine, I'll put the new bird in the new cage. But what do I do next?

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All you can do is accept the fact that you'll have two birds that will not get along with each other and you prepare yourself to be ready to deal with having separate out of cage time for each bird unless you keep their wings clipped.