Adopting/buying a second bird. What to take into account?

[Psittaciformes]

Hi!
Currently I have a young green-cheeked conure. She's about 10-12 months old (I adopted her at the age of 6-8 months old, the owner wasn't sure how old the bird is exactly 'cause the owners before her weren't too sure either i guess).
I don't know if it's a boy or girl, but all my previous birds have been boys, so I'm going with girl for now or until I'm proven otherwise.

My first question is; are GCCs generally good with other species? I know it's individual, but I would still like to know if they're generally known as bullies or if they're easy going/easy for other birds to get along with.

I will more than likely be getting another species of parrot when it's time, conures are somewhat rare where i'm located.

Now, what are some things to take into account when doing my research about the species I'm mostly interested in?
The only things I can come up with right now are; is the species known to bully other birds or do they usually get along fairly well?
Money - How often would I need to buy new toys?
Noise - Do they scream loudly and often?

Money and noise aren't the biggest issues ever, even though I'm poor. I put some money aside every month.
Unless the parrot is being constantly loud, it's not a big issue. I do live in an apartment, and even though the walls are thick and most noises aren't heard through, there are obviously limits.
The only neighbours I ever hear are my upstairs neighbours 'cause they're insanely loud banging on the floors and whatnot, they have a baby, I never actually hear the baby when I'm in the apartment, but when i'm in the building walking down or up the stairs, i sometimes hear it.

What are some other things to take into account?

EDIT:
What are your thoughts on adopting a parrot that's a couple years old already? Usually I don't like that 'cause I wanna be there from the very beginning, but is it harder on the parrot when it's 2-3+ years old already?

 

[EAI]

First, I would want to talk to the landlord or the building's manager about getting another bird and seeing if it's okay with them. You don't want to bring home another parrot then told to rehome them again.

After that, you should start narrowing down your choices from the top. I would just automatically knock off species that: are known to be aggressive, illegal, out of my price range, and that would clash with their future home (as in, too dusty, loud, ect).

But since it will be "in time", things might change and you might have more options later on or restrictions. Try make a list of all species that fit your categories so when it's time, you can look back on it and see if they would still be a good fit for your life.

The toys are more towards an individual basis as well. Ones who like's foraging toys will most likely have you running to a pet store every weekend.

I also think it depends on the species of the bird and the age. Since some mature at a year or 2, you need to deal with the hormones off the back while you might have some time to "set things straight" with species who mature at a later age. I would personally adopt older birds because what you get is what you get for the rest of their lives. There are some behavioral or preexisting things you might have to fix, as a heads up. But I do like the idea of having them from when they're young so there might be a stronger attachment.

 

[Birdman666]

Hi!
My first question is; are GCCs generally good with other species? I know it's individual, but I would still like to know if they're generally known as bullies or if they're easy going/easy for other birds to get along with.

This one depends on several things. (1) conures are pair bond birds. If this bird is bonded to you, will the new bird coming in be seen as an intruder or a threat to the pair bond relationship?

Will the new bird be seen as a playmate and buddy bird?

Will the green cheek just not care about the other bird and go on business as usual?

Will he be seen as a potential life threatening intruder to the conure? (Big bird/ little bird. Little bird loses that one every time. An otherwise happy go lucky conure could turn defensive and nippy if he feels threatened all the time.)

So, until you have the answers to those questions you don't know.

In my household the birds themselves are socialized together, and usually work it out. I've had three conures, as many as four macaws (plural!), as many as six amazons, a CAG, and a too all out on the big playstand together.

Even if they don't all get along, they usually find their own little spots, where the other birds do not bother them.

My CAG occasionally messed with the little birds just for sport, and I had to discipline the CAG. The other birds generally didn't. The conures weren't dumb enough to attack any of my big macs or my amazons. So it was never an issue.

 

[Birdman666]

Hi!
Now, what are some things to take into account when doing my research about the species I'm mostly interested in?
The only things I can come up with right now are; is the species known to bully other birds or do they usually get along fairly well?
Money - How often would I need to buy new toys?
Noise - Do they scream loudly and often?

The number one issue is what qualities are you looking for in a parrot?

Talking? Cuddle factor? Disposition? Pair bond bird? Flock bird? Solitary feeder?

What general quirks does this species have? Are there "body language" issues I need to know to prevent biting/bad behaviors.

The number two issue is do I know how to work with and train this species? (If not, find out BEFORE you get one!)

How independent is this bird likely to be? (Toos for example NOT VERY! Amazons being the other end of the spectrum.) What attention needs am I looking at?

When is breeding season for this species, and how tempermental do they get when they are hormonal, what age does it happen at, and what do I do when that happens?

What is the minimum recommended outside the cage time for this species? Can I give them that?

What is the bird's life expectancy? Can I do that for the duration of the bird's life expectancy?

Are they specialized feeders, or do they have special nutritional needs? Can I meet those needs/can I afford this long term?

What size cage is appropriate, and do I have room and money for that?

What type of toys do they like to play with, and how many toys are appropriate? What is inappropriate for this species?

So, those are the things that come immediately to mind...

 

[Birdman666]

What are your thoughts on adopting a parrot that's a couple years old already? Usually I don't like that 'cause I wanna be there from the very beginning, but is it harder on the parrot when it's 2-3+ years old already?

I have a lot of things to say on this topic. The base answer is it depends on the bird and what it has been through... but there is a lot more to it than that!

I did parrot rescue and rehab. Most of the "problem birds" only problems are human. Most of mine have been rescues (All but three of them.) Some of them were in horrible shape when I got them, and they are thriving now.

As for "birds with baggage." All living things respond to love and proper care. It has been my experience that the opposite of "baggage" is true. Having endured horrible treatment, most respond to proper care, and become almost grateful. Those are the birds that end up being the most bonded of all...

My super bonded 2 year old Red Lored Amazon was going to be put to sleep as a vicious biter, when I got her... Four months later she was curling up into a ball on my shoulder and using my cheek for a pillow. I had the skills to work with that particular bird, however. Many would not have been able to deal with her.

My 35 year old blue front was left for dead by the garbage, and was, in fact, the sweetest bird I ever owned...

The oldest bird I ever fostered was in his 60's - A super independent, set in his ways DYH.

My oldest bird I presently own is 42 years old. She is a lilac crowned amazon, and we are the FIFTH home for this bird. She's a sweet little thing. She showed up in my house, intigrated herself right into the flock environment, and has thrived ever since... (that was seven or eight years ago!)

There are behavior mods for most bad behaviors, and they generally work.

So, no, I don't buy into the have to raise them yourself. AT ALL!

It comes down to what is your skill set as a parrot trainer, and are you willing to do the work, consistently.

And on the plus side, sometimes you get a bird that is already past the hormonal stage, already trained not to bite, and to step up, and do a few tricks, and say a few things... and you don't have to go through all that...

And the larger birds live forever. Lila's 42, and she has AT LEAST 20 more years with us... POSSIBLY TWICE THAT. So, yeah, that works just fine...

 

[Birdman666]

The toys are more towards an individual basis as well. Ones who like's foraging toys will most likely have you running to a pet store every weekend.

Not if you buy the right foraging toy/and or make them yourself.

DIY foraging toys are as simple as hiding treats (which you would be feeding them anyway) and foot toys inside wadded up paper, stuffing it into a box, and tossing it on the floor of the cage.

I make them from left over food boxes, my junk mail, the broken toy parts that are still safe that I find on the bottom of the cage or the floor, and seeds/nuts/grapes/nutriberries. Takes five minutes TOPS!

 

[Psittaciformes]

Thank you guys so much for the information! I truly appreciate it!
Gotta do lots of reading about a bunch of species, but it's great fun, and hey, a little extra knowledge doesn't hurt either

I was actually thinking of making my own toys, the only problem I'm having right now is finding metals that aren't covered with zinc or mercury etc.

Price of a second cage isn't a problem, i'll just save up some money, it'll be well worth it.
-
When you say that conures are pair bonded, how does that impact their relations with other birds?
Right now Kiwiberry's starting to bond with me. When I'm about to leave she flies to me. If I'm doing something around the house, she thinks I'm playing and she wants to join in, she preens my face, i preen her. We play a bit together, she's not as playful now while she's molting, she just bathes and cuddles more, sleeps a little bit more now as well, but that's fine.

I just want to add another bird to the flock, one that is in need of another home.
It doesn't really matter if the bird has a big vocabulary or not, i don't really care about that too much. It's fun when it happens, but it's definitely nowhere near being essential.
Definitely a big plus if it's a cuddly one.
As long as the new birdie gets along with me and Kiwiberry and that they (and all three of us) can play together and stuff.

 

[Birdman666]

I wouldn't use metal in toymaking.

Sissal or cotton rope works just fine, and it's cheaper and easier to work with.

 

[Birdman666]

When you say that conures are pair bonded, how does that impact their relations with other birds?
Right now Kiwiberry's starting to bond with me. When I'm about to leave she flies to me. If I'm doing something around the house, she thinks I'm playing and she wants to join in, she preens my face, i preen her. We play a bit together, she's not as playful now while she's molting, she just bathes and cuddles more, sleeps a little bit more now as well, but that's fine.

I just want to add another bird to the flock, one that is in need of another home.
It doesn't really matter if the bird has a big vocabulary or not, i don't really care about that too much. It's fun when it happens, but it's definitely nowhere near being essential.
Definitely a big plus if it's a cuddly one.
As long as the new birdie gets along with me and Kiwiberry and that they (and all three of us) can play together and stuff.

There are three basic "wild bird" flock structures:

Pair bond birds; flock birds; and solitary feeders.

There are only a few solitary feeders. Rock pebblers, and I believe IRN's are... they come together during breeding season, but the rest of the time they go their own separate way. The flock structure is not close knit.

Flock birds would be toos, eckies, and CAGS. They live in large flocks of 100+ birds, and have constant company. They take multiple mates, even within the same breeding season. The emotional needs of not having a large flock and constant attention are why flock bird species tend to pluck more than the others... especially when flock birds are kept in solitary confinement. A flock bird without a flock is a sitting duck for predators. This can sometimes make them inordinately needy and fearful in captivity...

Pair bond birds - macaws, amazons, and conures (which are essentially so closely related to macaws in DNA and personality that they are shrunken macaws.) These birds live in flocks of 30-40 birds, but you almost always see them in the wild flying and forraging in pairs of 2 by 2... They "pair up" and mate exclusively with their "significant other."

In human terms, flock birds would be the "players" and in the case of eckies, the "swingers/fetish people" cuz SHE (female dominant species) essentially keeps a harem of males who serve her every whim... and the pair bond birds would be the "marrying kind."

Here's where the dynamic comes into play in captivity:

Flock birds generally accept that you are going to "fool around" with other birds, and are much less prone to becoming "attacky" when you do.

Pair bond birds tend to think of you as "theirs." Bringing in a "third wheel" sometimes messes up the "pair bond" relationship.

Amazons are known to drive rival amazons out of their territory.

Macaws are known to become jealous and pinchy with their person when they pay attention to another person or bird, and can become "attacky" with rivals for the attention of their favorite person. For example: Once when I was paying attention to Sally, my Foster Shamrock Macaw became so enraged that he ran over and picked her up by the wing and threw her across the room! (Needless to say, that was the last straw... )

Conures, being closely related to macaws, tend to behave the same way.

 

[veimar]

I had exactly same situation - I wanted a friend for my gcc, and didn't want the same species. At that time a lady offered me a lovebird which I was reluctant to take, and added two free parakeet babies on the top of that when I came to pick her! (The lovie is a super adorable very loving bird now).
They all are the best friends ever! Parry and one of the budgies are totally bonded - the budgie follows him as a puppy, preens him, regularities etc. They had little fights with the lovie in beginning, but I didn't allow it, so they stopped. I have a cockatiel as well, and they all get along very well - he is in love with the lovie. LOL Parry, the gcc is a leader of the flock and everybody else follows him in adventures around the house. LOL BTW he is completely cage free bird - we have a "jungle" in our dining room for them to play, and he has his own corner to sleep.
It all depends on individual bird and his/her temper - some birds like others some don't.

 

[RavensGryf]

There are three basic "wild bird" flock structures:

Pair bond birds; flock birds; and solitary feeders.

There are only a few solitary feeders. Rock pebblers, and I believe IRN's are... they come together during breeding season, but the rest of the time they go their own separate way. The flock structure is not close knit.

Flock birds would be toos, eckies, and CAGS. They live in large flocks of 100+ birds, and have constant company. They take multiple mates, even within the same breeding season. The emotional needs of not having a large flock and constant attention are why flock bird species tend to pluck more than the others... especially when flock birds are kept in solitary confinement. A flock bird without a flock is a sitting duck for predators. This can sometimes make them inordinately needy and fearful in captivity...

Pair bond birds - macaws, amazons, and conures (which are essentially so closely related to macaws in DNA and personality that they are shrunken macaws.) These birds live in flocks of 30-40 birds, but you almost always see them in the wild flying and forraging in pairs of 2 by 2... They "pair up" and mate exclusively with their "significant other."

In human terms, flock birds would be the "players" and in the case of eckies, the "swingers/fetish people" cuz SHE (female dominant species) essentially keeps a harem of males who serve her every whim... and the pair bond birds would be the "marrying kind."

Here's where the dynamic comes into play in captivity:

Flock birds generally accept that you are going to "fool around" with other birds, and are much less prone to becoming "attacky" when you do.

Pair bond birds tend to think of you as "theirs." Bringing in a "third wheel" sometimes messes up the "pair bond" relationship.

Amazons are known to drive rival amazons out of their territory.

Macaws are known to become jealous and pinchy with their person when they pay attention to another person or bird, and can become "attacky" with rivals for the attention of their favorite person. For example: Once when I was paying attention to Sally, my Foster Shamrock Macaw became so enraged that he ran over and picked her up by the wing and threw her across the room! (Needless to say, that was the last straw... )

Conures, being closely related to macaws, tend to behave the same way.

That's interesting . Ekkies - "swingers/fetish people" LOL!!!!
What are my birds? I'd guess Pionus are pair bond like Amazons since they're closely related? My Budgie is flock for sure.

How about the Poi's? Robin used to be jealous, but he's calmed down in his older age. Griffin the Ruppell's is really different, he's more social than Poi's typically are. Right now he's making out with the budgie!! They've been kissing through the bars for minutes lol.

 

[Birdman666]

Sennies are pair bond birds... most of the other african species are flock birds. CAGS and TAGS in particular are flock birds.

Virtually all of the raptors are pair bond birds. Very fiercely devoted pair bond birds at that...

 

[Psittaciformes]

So if i were to get another pair bond bird, what would happen then you think? With the new one especially, would he stay away or try and bond with either me or Kiwiberry?
Would there be a possibility of being able for all of us to play at the same time without too much hassle, or does it rarely work out?

 

[Birdman666]

So if i were to get another pair bond bird, what would happen then you think? With the new one especially, would he stay away or try and bond with either me or Kiwiberry?
Would there be a possibility of being able for all of us to play at the same time without too much hassle, or does it rarely work out?

I had three conures. Two of them were pair bonded to each other, the other one was pair bonded to me... it worked out fine.

I have five birds now. Four of them are pair bond birds. Three of those are pair bonded to me, and one is pair bonded to my CAG. (Who is a flock bird, but was raised with amazons and macaws from birth, so I don't know if he knows he's a flock bird...)

They all get along just fine. They were socialized together.

 

[Birdman666]

That's interesting . Ekkies - "swingers/fetish people" LOL!!!!

Female Eckies are dominant. They make "slaves" of the males. They don't get to "please her" until they first show they are worthy by "pleasing her" in other ways. (Honey-Dos.) It's not uncommon for the females to have around five males at a time doing their bidding (and servicing them) at a time...

BUT

The males also make the rounds, and they can be part of multiple harems - visiting multiple nest cavities everyday...

So, yeah, pair bond birds these ain't!!!

They are prone to vitamin deficiencies - You'd think number one would be Vitamin E!!!

 

[Dinosrawr]

It's honestly so hard to tell you what to expect exactly. There's generalities, but your birds also change over time. Avery is my GCC, and she's very bonded to me. I can pass her to anyone and she can be with anyone, but she is most definitely my baby. Shiko, my new IRN, is not a pair bond bird. But he does pick favourites over time, and currently Avery is his favourite. When they first met, I couldn't have them out together because Shiko would aggressively attack Avery and I was terrified he would kill her - the size difference is crazy between them.

But, when I made a new play stand for my birds that neither had been introduced to previously, all of a sudden having neutral ground changed the dynamics completely. Shiko will now fly to Avery in hopes of her accepting his crop goop, and will preen her non-stop. Before Shiko, Avery was the one who wanted to preen and be with other birds - now she squawks angrily at Shiko for being over bearing and flies to me to escape him (which doesn't work because he flies right behind her, haha).

So having neutral ground AND also building individual relationships with your birds is important. They work out their own flock dynamics over time with your help. If Avery is put away, Shiko follows me like a lost puppy. If Shiko is put away, Avery happily sits with me and preens me lovingly. I take time to train them both, and I think if I didn't Shiko definitely would get aggressive with me if I were to "steal" Avery away like I always do when she's noticeably uncomfortable. So, like any relationship, it can be built up or it can be broken depending on the interactions.