IRN & GCC - Size question, and "when to let both birds out, if ever" ?

Squeeing_Onion

Active member
Oct 10, 2018
134
162
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
"Bongo" - Green Cheek Conure
“Echo” - Indian Ringneck
"Chicken" - Sun Conure, rest in peace, my precious friend.
So, I have a more in-depth article on Echo (click here,) but here's the two big questions I am burning for answers and ideas on:

1) He seems 'stocky' and large to me for an Indian Ringneck. Is that just me? (photos gallore on the above linked thread) His feet in particular, they seem much larger than the IRN I have seen at the parrot rescue and those I've seen in photo. They huge! His body shape and beak proportions otherwise seem like a typical IRN, just... stockier? Is he maybe crossed somewhere in his lineage with the Alexandrine, or do you think he looks like a normal IRN?

2) When should I look at trying to let them both out at the same time? Advice or tips for doing so? I'm aware to make sure they both have the same of things they love to help discourage any fights for "I want what you have and I don't!" and setting them up for success, not failure.

They peacefully eat at the same time even when he is in his cage and Bongo is sitting a few feet away on the table, munching, and visa versa. They seem interested in what the other is doing without being obsessed. The only threat displays I've seen are when Echo lands on Bongo's cage, she'll start marching over to tell him to go away, and he once opened his beak to retaliate (I dropped a braid of sweetgrass between them and they both backed off) -- after such small confrontations, they both calmly go back to whatever it was they were doing. When Bongo has landed on Echo's cage, he more often than not simply backs away to the far side from her while she curiously looks in his cage at him and (of course) his food bowls.

There's been a few times for brief moments, when they sat on the other's perch (I keep a rope perch running outside each cage) and both just sort of sat and looked at each other. Bongo loses patience before Echo does, and begins her little sassy march.

Honestly, my biggest worry at the moment is my fiesty little GCC is going to strut right up into his cage to eat out of his bowls and get herself cornered, or that the option of flying All Over The House would lead to some epic birdie chase-down. I do have two doors on each of their cages, so I can make more than one exit/entry, but still. I am not foolish enough to believe I will be able to prevent her from EVER doing that, because all it takes is a few seconds of my back turned for them to be able to get into mischief.
 

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