Contemplating an Addition?

Hi, again, everybody! Long time no talk.

I'll give you a quick update on Cuzco, the GCC I got earlier this spring. If you want to skip those details and get to the real point of the post, skip the italicized portion.
He's doing great, really settling in (though currently molting).
Not the most interested in attention, though he's started accepting scratches for his itchy pin feathers. I think he's just too ADHD to want to sit still and be petted. But he's stopped being so persnickety about it and is learning the benefits of scritches!

He's smart as a whip. He knows "wings", "turn around" and "wave." He also has learned to bounce and bob on my hand when I bounce him. I say "boing, boing, boing!" and he does his own rhythmic "Bwee, bwee, bwee!" along with me. So very cute. He also says his name like an adorable little Pokemon, sometimes pronouncing it "Cuzyco!" He mutters and squeaks and goes "Baybeeeeee! Beeeee!" and does kissy noises, sometimes while eating treats he really likes. He's also started occasionally saying "Whatcha doin?" though I've heard it shortened to "Whatchadoo?" as well.

He does scream though. So much for the quiet, unassuming greencheek! He screams when he hears running water, he screams with excitement, he screams because he's not currently the center of attention. I'm trying to reward good noises and completely ignore bad ones, but it's a slow process. His biting is also a work in progress. He nibbles all the time, which is sometimes painful, but it's the aggressive chomping I'm trying to discourage. He'll nail ya if he thinks he's being put back in his cage, he'll nail ya if you block him or move him away from something he wants. He's never gotten something he wants from it, so he'll hopefully learn that's it's not an effective thing to do. Hurts, though!

Overall, I love the little guy, but he's quite a devil. Not quite the sweet companion I had in mind, but he's a cute little brat you can't help but love. It's been so fun watching his personality develop. He changes all the time, so it'll be interesting to see what he's like as an adult.

MOVING ON TO THE POINT OF THE POST:

I'll cut to the chase: I've been thinking about (and really wanting) a cockatiel. I know the question of "should I get another bird" comes up a lot, so I'll try to be specific about my situation and clarify up front that I'm not asking whether I should get another bird JUST for Cuzco. I would like one, but I want to figure out whether it would be a good, neutral, or negative thing for Cuzco. A tiel is what I used to have, and she was just the best. I realize after having a more active and aggressive bird that the mellow, hang-out-and-preen types suit me a little better. (Not that Cuzco is going to be forgotten or neglected in favor of another bird!!)

Furthermore, it seems to me that Cuzco really likes other birds, at least from what I can tell. He enjoys boarding at the bird shop and seems calm and curious when he gets brought there. We also had a bout where we couldn't get him to stop seeking out his reflection. I'm not talking about just getting curious when he saw it. If he couldn't be at the mirror he'd go to the TV, and he'd do that rather than be with us!

I've even seen him call to wild birds before when I had him outside on his flight suit!

He was raised with his siblings in a household that had quite a few birds, so I think he's quite used to their presence and I sometimes wonder if his relative isolation now is behind some of his screaming habits.

Now, I don't really plan on housing Cuzco with another bird. But when I had my tiel, we also had another tiel and a budgie in the house, and they called to each other and seemed comforted by each others' presence despite not really being cuddle buddies.

I would like that for Cuzco. If he and another young bird grew together enough to be actual buddies, that would be a bonus, but if just having another bird around would be a comfort for him during his time alone (we work pretty much full time), I'd be happy.

SO, here's the pros and cons, and a quick breakdown of my thoughts:
PROS:
- I love cockatiels. I would love to have one, and a calmer bird to hang out with and pet. I find myself really oggling all the cockatiels I see! I really miss having one.
- Possible comfort for Cuzco during the day - potential for decrease in stress, boredom, screaming?
- Possible play buddy for Cuzco - more fun for him! It's hard to keep him entertained.
- Cockatiels relatively cheap, available, females unlikely to add much to the noise factor.

CONS:
- Need to get another cage and find space! Shouldn't be a major problem.
- Vet costs x2, mess x 2, food, toys, treats, work x 2. Manageable. Cockatiels are less destructive, at least!
- Cuzco no longer ALWAYS center of attention - possibility for jealousy and aggression between the birds.
- Possibility for increased screaming from Cuzco?


My main concerns and hesitations are over whether another bird would make things WORSE for Cuzco.

I wish I had friends with birds so I could see how Cuzco would react to them - curiosity or aggression?

Cuzco is young, so I feel like my best chance to give him a buddy would be to do it relatively soon, while he's still pliable, less aggressive/defensive.

I would love to have a cockatiel, and am not really too put off by the extra cost and work of a second bird. It's certainly not prohibitive. The way I had to rethink and reorganize my life around having a bird was the hardest part - adding a second one is kind of just more of the same, if that makes sense?

Since I may really want to add a tiel in the future, it seems like it may be wise to do it soon.

Anyway, I'd love some thoughts and feedback on this situation! I don't want to jeopardize Cuzco's happiness. Since we already have him, he's the priority! But if the presence of another bird could be good for him in itself, and could even have the potential to offer him a playmate, it may be wise in the long run. It's just a big decision to make.

Thank you all in advance!! Sorry I always posts walls of text.

You just never know how the dynamic is going to play out unfortunately.
I'm glad Cuzco is doing well, and I completely understand about his individual personality not being quite what you had expected, though you love him anyway
Since people go ahead and add another bird to their flock (or single bird) literally all the time, it should not be a "real" problem unless you really don't have time, money and space, but it sounds like you do, so I'd say it's a nice idea.
If you love tiels, since you are prepared for the added expense and vet visits, go for it! I do hear the females make excellent pets.

The little questions that might arise such as jealousy, managing the two at the same time, etc. are things which have a fairly easy solution, and many people here can help you with with common challenges of having more than one bird. Good luck!

I have both a young GCC and a old female tiel. They hate each other...but that's just my birds. They are also new to each other, so they might mellow over time. My birds do enjoy interacting through the cage bars however. All in all, my budgie is the loudest bird I currently have...so maybe its working?

I do think birds are meant to be in flocks generally, so even if they can't physically hang out, having more than one I think is a good thing. Then again, I think that about most pets, which is why I live in a zoo.

I think you should get your new cockatiel. YOU LOVE THEM SO MUCH, and who knows, it could even calm your bird down to know it has another winged companion.
I would look for a baby or at least a very young one

RavensGryf said:

You just never know how the dynamic is going to play out unfortunately.
I'm glad Cuzco is doing well, and I completely understand about his individual personality not being quite what you had expected, though you love him anyway
Since people go ahead and add another bird to their flock (or single bird) literally all the time, it should not be a "real" problem unless you really don't have time, money and space, but it sounds like you do, so I'd say it's a nice idea.
If you love tiels, since you are prepared for the added expense and vet visits, go for it! I do hear the females make excellent pets.

The little questions that might arise such as jealousy, managing the two at the same time, etc. are things which have a fairly easy solution, and many people here can help you with with common challenges of having more than one bird. Good luck!

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Thanks for the thoughtful response!
Yeah, I admit to a bit of disappointment about Cuzco's attitude. I went through great trouble to buy from a breeder with a reputation for the best-socialized, sweetest GCCs and bought a GCC instead of a tiel in the first place because I'd heard so much about what attention hogs they generally are and how funny and loving they are. Cuzco's come a long way, but he's far from the affectionate and loyal companion I'd hoped for and had in my last bird. I do love the little tyke, though! And I love him more all the time. He's my little dragon. I have lots of hope for him; he's smart and always seems to be getting closer to us. But it hasn't kept me from wanting a tiel.

I do worry about egg-laying with female tiels, since a prolapse from that is what killed Tsuki, the tiel I used to have. I had even told myself I wouldn't get another female. But she WAS a very extreme case (even hormone injections barely curbed it), and I do love the quiet attitudes of the females.

We had three birds in the house when I lived with my parents, and it never seemed to be too hard to manage. They are messy creatures for sure, but it's not horrible. I definitely am not counting on a positive dynamic between Cuzco and a tiel, but is it a stretch to think that even if they aren't friendly, they may enjoy or be comforted by another bird being around (eg, when we're gone and they're just in their separate cages)? I guess that's an important question.

I have both a young GCC and a old female tiel. They hate each other...but that's just my birds. They are also new to each other, so they might mellow over time. My birds do enjoy interacting through the cage bars however. All in all, my budgie is the loudest bird I currently have...so maybe its working?

I do think birds are meant to be in flocks generally, so even if they can't physically hang out, having more than one I think is a good thing. Then again, I think that about most pets, which is why I live in a zoo.

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Wow, did the other birds used to be louder?
And yeah, I'm sure adjustment takes a while, especially for older animals. That's why I'm thinking if I want to do this, I should do it before Cuzco hits puberty and turns into a big grumpy poopypants.

And I have to agree with you. They're such social animals. I feel like I do a pretty good job of socializing with Cuzco (and he's remarkably independent!) but I can't help thinking he might be better off with some bird company, even if the other bird doesn't become his BFF. He just seems so fascinated with other birds, which is something I never noticed with our other birds. They seemed content to completely ignore each other.

I think you should get your new cockatiel. YOU LOVE THEM SO MUCH, and who knows, it could even calm your bird down to know it has another winged companion.
I would look for a baby or at least a very young one

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Aw, thanks for the vote of confidence! I DO love cockatiels so much! They are such sweet, funny little chunks.

I will definitely be getting a baby if I get a tiel. My GCC is about six months old now, and I think two young birds are more likely to be able to learn to get along.

Thanks for the responses so far, everybody. I welcome further thoughts or advice. It's just hard to make the decision, you know?

My gccs and female tiels tolerate each other very well. The gccs will actually allow them in their cage without beating them up which is huge for the bullies of my flock. They have grown up together! My female tiels were hatched by my first two tiels and handraised by me. The conures bought as babies from breeders so they have all known each other since they were very young since a couple months after the tiels weaned is when I bought the green cheeks.

It sounds like you just want a tiel for you and have the ability to easily handle another bird so I see no problem! If they don't love each other then just have two separate areas for the birds to play. If they tolerate each other all the better I do believe my birds like having each other to talk and complain about me to each other I can actually have all my birds out at once as long as everyone has their own spot. So if I can have my 9 different sized birds out at once, with varying tolerance for different members of the flock, you can definitely do two

Wow, that's great to hear that your GCCs are so tolerant! Cuzco's sassy, but he's not territorial or anything yet. He is just pushy when he wants or really does NOT want something, and his personality is really still emerging, so I am hopeful that 1) I'm not way off base in my suspicions that he's interested in other birds in a positive way and 2) that he's still malleable enough to learn to at the VERY least tolerate a cockatiel being out at the same time as him.

Our tiels and budgies were never really buddy-buddy, but they would hang out in the same area peacefully. I just get the impression from Cuzco's reactions to other birds that he'd like that, even if he weren't actually bonding tightly with the other bird. I COULD be way off base, and he may think of a tiel as a chew toy like he does with everything else (iphones, computer mice, video game controllers, lips, etc). But hopefully since he's young he may learn to put up with a tiel and maybe enjoy just the fact that he isn't alone?

The stance I've been taking is "well, THIS would be nice, but if it doesn't work, I can easily do THIS."
- Them bonding and playing would be nice, but tolerating would be fine.
- Them enjoying the presence of another bird and being less bored would be nice, but I doubt the alternative would be much other than "neutral."
- Sharing the big training perch I built for Cuzco would be nice, but if it doesn't work, I can build another.

Things like that. Hopeful for the best, but not truly intimidated about the worst, to be honest. Worst case scenario would be a screeching jealous conure who can't be out at the same time as the tiel. I don't imagine he'll screech just because the tiel is THERE, though. And if they have to split time out of the cages, okay. We can do that. We also have separate rooms in the house they can be in.

Thanks again for all the responses so far, everybody. It makes me happy to hear from other people who have multiple birds.

I have mentioned the idea of a cockatiel to my partner and have not been blatantly shut down yet, so some more serious discussion may be in order. I'm not in too big a rush since tiels are so available and preparing for a bird is always an ordeal, but I can start more seriously considering it and keeping my eyes open for good deals on bird stuff.

Sounds like you have a plan for any which way it could go with them interacting with each other so I say go for it!!

I understand first hand about the personality issue. Just like human children, we really don't know what they'll be like as an individual, but we grow to love and nurture them regardless.
When I got my boy Raven as a weaned juvenile, from the get-go he had an extremely different personality than the female of the same exact species I had prior to him. Although I absolutely love my Raven, don't get me wrong, I can't say that his personality is at all what I had expected and wished for. Nothing to do with training, just his individual personality. He's a funny guy though, and I love him .

As far as them being friends, IF they're going to be, they have the best chance while they're both still young. Raven is almost a year, so was still young when I introduced Griffin. Raven the Bronze Winged Pi isn't at all territorial and I don't know if that will change upon maturity or not. I know some juveniles are already territorial, so it might just be individual (?). Griffin the Ruppell's on the other hand is a Poicephalus, and Poi's are famous for hating and trying to kill other birds. Griffin was only 3 1/2 months old when he was introduced to Raven, so I don't think he had that killer Poi instinct yet! I must say, he IS the boss of Raven at this point lol. I hope they continue to (for the most part) get along, but after sexual maturity the birds might act a bit differently. There's that to think about too. I'm thinking that since their friendship was established young, they 'probably' won't ever hate each other.

Since female tiels have a common tendency to get the egg related problems, is there anything proactively that you can do to lessen the chances? It's too bad you hear about it a lot. Female tiels sound like such wonderful little companions!

@Phlox - I agree about the Budgie noise . They are SO loud and noisy. Far worse than my other parrots. I have 2 males, and one especially will have long loud screaming fits. aackaackaackaackaack!!! x 500. Sometimes it's hard to take

I think the tiel egg thing is sometimes over emphasized. Mishka is 14 and she does lay a few eggs in the spring. I let them roll around the cage bottom (unless they break of course) for a few days and then take them away. She never really seems to care after that. She tries to mate with Spirit the dove...and that's super amusing.

Yeah, my sister's tiel is the same way. She has laid a few over the years, and occasionally drops one, but it's been so long since the last.

Tsuki laid an egg every other day for weeks on end sometimes, and would only stop for some days or weeks at a time, regardless of the season, her cage's location, who was around, the photoperiod, whether she was getting hormone injections, whether she was not being petted, whether the eggs were being left or taken away, and so on and so forth. She had a batch of 25 once, which I believe she laid all in a row.

I've only ever heard of one case that severe besides hers, though. We were actually going to have her "spayed," and take her out of state to some specialists to do it. But after some more discussion, they kind of refused, saying tiels didn't have a good survival rate for the surgery anyway, and she was such a little thing to begin with.

I still kick myself thinking of all the other things I could have/should have/would have done to help her and even have dreams about her pretty often. She was pretty special.

Convincing my partner about the tiel may be the next wrench in the situation. He asked what problem needed to be fixed by the addition of a cockatiel, after I'd been discussing the possible benefits to Cuzco and the unlikelihood of major drawbacks. So I admitted that the main "problem" is just that I would really like one! Secondarily, I think another bird is -fairly- likely to bring at least some benefit to Cuzco, if only in the context of comfort/entertainment from not being completely alone during the day.

But ahh, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. :/ I'd feel pretty dumb to double up on our birds when I've already been wondering at times what I got myself into bringing Cuzco home.

It's tough. I feel like since I know what tiels are like and I already have a bird lifestyle now, it SHOULDN'T be a humongous deal to add one bird of the most docile, quiet, mellow species. But I guess I also feel guilty for already wanting another bird, and fearful of whether I might regret it for some reason...

Hmmm follow-up question to this ordeal:

How much do I decrease the chances of having my birds be friendly with each other if I wait to get the cockatiel? My partner would prefer we wait until we move into a larger place, but that will probably be in another year, after Cuzco has entered puberty.

It's such a difficult situation. And I still fear I'll end up with two birds, neither of which are really what I'm looking for in a pet. I feel really guilty about it, but I kind of regret getting Cuzco sometimes. He really gets me down, and I feel a little bit stuck with him, even though he's really not a bad bird. He just... isn't a very good fit for us.

I just don't want to feel "stuck" with two birds. Augh, I wish there was a good answer to this. I sort of feel like I should have just gotten a cockatiel in the first place, but there's no good way to remedy the situation now. I HOPE that a tiel would add a balance to our little family by giving Cuzco some company when we're away, and by giving me a gentle companion a bit more like the one I lost. But if I end up with another bird just isn't really a good fit, then what? I'd be doubled up on caretaking and expenses, and feel even more frustrated. Not a good situation for anyone.

Sorry for the ramble. I feel caught in SUCH a rough situation, and I feel terrible every day for not being able to love Cuzco as fully as he deserves. I try really hard, and I do love the little guy, but it's just hard feeling like he brings more unhappiness than joy. And I feel kind of stupid or selfish or something about looking for a cockatiel, as though it's just because I'm not satisfied with Cuzco. I feel like such a bad bird owner...

I don't know. I don't know what to do. It seems like all of the options are risky and might just lead to more frustration.

I think you do love your new guy but are still looking for that first bird in every interaction. Hopefully with time you can love him just as much as the last. Maturity changes a bird sometimes for the better but almost always with conures they can be the most frustrating when they first reach maturity. And this period can last quite awhile and if he senses your frustration/disappointment with him he might get more aggressive/frustrating not less.

What exactly were you hoping to get from him that he is not giving? If he is too hyperactive there is a great chance he will slow down a little with age. Is he flighted? Sometimes they just need to burn off energy and they calm down a bit. You could also try some camomile to slow him down a little. Does he have things to destroy/forage through to also burn off energy...toys he will actually use not just ignore

If you do get another bird then I highly suggest a rescue bird or an adult rehome bird. If you are looking for particular behaviors this would be the best way to find a bird that can give you want you desire in a bird By the way I don't think you are a bad birdie owner! I think you just had expectations for a bird just like your last and that just set both you and the bird up for some disappointment.

Unfortunately that's the way it goes with parrots. You really never know how they might turn out, just like with children. There are no guarantees. The best you can do is get an adult bird, meet them and see how you fit. Even then their attitude might change when they get adjusted in your home.

thekarens said:

Unfortunately that's the way it goes with parrots. You really never know how they might turn out, just like with children. There are no guarantees. The best you can do is get an adult bird, meet them and see how you fit. Even then their attitude might change when they get adjusted in your home.

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Yep, haha isn't that the truth! Just like people.
I suppose ANY animal with a high enough intelligence level to show a personality is going to vary a great amount from individual to individual. I'm actually sitting here at my next door neighbor's house, as I'm feeding and caring for their dogs this weekend. There is a HUGE difference in the beagle and the Bichon/Wheaton Terrier mix. Night and day in every single way. The terrier mix is so shy and won't eat unless I sit with her for an hour twice a day and hand feed her every last morsel till finally it's gone :52:!

riddick07 said:

I think you do love your new guy but are still looking for that first bird in every interaction. Hopefully with time you can love him just as much as the last. Maturity changes a bird sometimes for the better but almost always with conures they can be the most frustrating when they first reach maturity. And this period can last quite awhile and if he senses your frustration/disappointment with him he might get more aggressive/frustrating not less.

What exactly were you hoping to get from him that he is not giving? If he is too hyperactive there is a great chance he will slow down a little with age. Is he flighted? Sometimes they just need to burn off energy and they calm down a bit. You could also try some camomile to slow him down a little. Does he have things to destroy/forage through to also burn off energy...toys he will actually use not just ignore

If you do get another bird then I highly suggest a rescue bird or an adult rehome bird. If you are looking for particular behaviors this would be the best way to find a bird that can give you want you desire in a bird By the way I don't think you are a bad birdie owner! I think you just had expectations for a bird just like your last and that just set both you and the bird up for some disappointment.

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I guess I was expecting a bird that was more interested in giving or receiving affection. I actually got a GCC partially because of their reputation as intense cuddle hogs. In complete honesty, I really want pets that want affection. But Cuzco isn't really very interested in it at all. He's gotten a little bit better, but he's just not into it. He'll preen at hair for a couple seconds, but his idea of interacting up close is to nibble incessantly at skin until he pinches and we get completely sick of him being around. He's started to enjoy scritches a bit since he started molting, but he still is more likely to get nippy randomly in the middle of them or just start to look for a way to pick at skin somewhere.

He's actually really good at playing with his toys and entertaining himself most of the time. He's good at ripping stuff up and I am probably going to have to get him a more difficult foraging toy, because he's so good at the ones he has! I stuff paper and things in there to keep him busy for longer, but he's good! Very intense.

I just realize after having him that I really miss having a peaceful loving bird that was happy to just hang out with me and be petted. Cuzco's very busy, which is okay, but he gets very pissy and bitey at times, and is almost never up for being petted for more than a few moments at a time.

There's nothing really WRONG with him, minus the biting and screeching, which have both already improved to at least some extent... and I never expected him to be exactly like my tiel was. She was pretty special. But I often feel like I'm getting more grief than enjoyment from Cuzco. And I feel crappy and guilty about it. I love him on no conditions, of course, but this is the first time I've had a pet like this that even though I love, I kind of wish I hadn't gotten in the first place. Now that he's here I feel completely responsible and will only do what is best for him, but the little sense of regret I have makes me feel very guilty.

I guess it feels like I'd probably be more patient and happy about the animal situation if I had that peaceful, calm, affectionate presence as well, if that makes sense. I DO love Cuzco very much and want to keep working with him. He changes all the time. But that feeling of being "stuck" with him would, I think, be balanced by having another animal around that sort of filled my need for a mellower companion that would be happier to hang out and get scritches. I feel like I'd be better able to work with him.

There's no simple answer to this. I love the little guy and I'll keep working with him even when I'm frustrated. I'll probably end up with a tiel sooner or later as well - I guess the real question is, if I wait til later rather than sooner, what are the drawbacks? I worry that waiting until Cuzco's older will make it much more likely that he'll be intolerant of the other bird and having two will potentially be difficult. But maybe it doesn't matter that much? Has anyone successfully introduced a tiel to an adult GCC? How many people have had luck introducing them both as youngsters?

Are GCC's known to be territorial? Of course it can vary with the individual, but unless Cuzco is already territorial, it's always better to introduce when young. Most birds are more tolerant of each other before maturity. If they're going to get along, that's when they'd have the best chances.

I prefer the "hands on" appeal of a pet also. As I mentioned before, I had a female BW Pionus who was touchable and tolerant, and sweet as can be. Too bad she died . Raven my BW Pionus will tolerate touching about 10% of the time. He also has more of a stubborn personality that takes way more training and effort than my Poi's. I've also had a female Eclectus and Slender Billed Too that were easier to handle than Raven. Sometimes it just comes down to individual personality regardless of species.
I don't doubt that you love Cuzco, like I love Raven, but "something" was just missing, right? It's never a guarantee of lcourse that ANY bird is going to be cuddly, even of a so called "cuddly species". Still I decided to go with another Poi when I got Griffin my Ruppell's parrot, even though a bit smaller than I had initially wanted, but it was a good choice, as I adore the Poi family, and he IS cuddly.

One thing GREAT about having a more hands off bird, is that it frees up more time to cuddle the other(s), while giving the more hands off guy some quality 'ambient' time around you. I go up to Raven and "talk with him" a lot. He's a funny guy... He's just a little 'different' in a quirky but loveable way. Reminds me of being a little nerdy (in a bird sort of way). He makes me laugh every day!

For right now, focus on finding something uniquely "funny", or charming, or quirky, or extra cute about Cuzco that no other bird does. Make that "his thing" that you can enjoy and smile about when you see him. Does that make sense?

Thank you SO MUCH for the responses, RavensGryf! I really appreciate it; it is nice to hear from someone who has kind of experienced the same thing.

I suspect Cuzco may even enjoy another bird. I feel fairly optimistic that he would at least play nice to the point of not being an aggressive butthead. But I do worry about that window closing. My partner and I have talked about the cockatiel idea, and he feels like it's too soon, like we'd be jumping into it because of our disappointment with Cuzco. He doesn't like the idea of having to do it soon, because he'd rather wait. And I don't really blame him; it is pretty soon. But I wish there was a way we could kind of do a test run or something, see if another bird would work.

Yes, it's totally just that "something" missing! And I feel so guilty about it, like I should totally adore Cuzco - it feels somehow childish to feel like something's missing. I feel like I'm whining because he's not perfect. But yeah, it's just that something missing. I don't need a bird to be the perfect buddy Tsuki was, but I was thinking about how my sister's tiel Skittles was, and realizing that even a slightly less cuddly tiel like her would be awesome. She was very chill and happy to sit on you and be a fluffy, preening lump, nestle her head under your nose, and be petted. Man, I'd love to have a bird like that. (My sister has actually offered Skittles to me, but as Skittles is 9, semi-feral now, and 1000 miles away, I'm not sure it's really a viable option. xP )

And yes, I was thinking about how nice it might be to have two birds around, so Cuzco could do his thing and I could sort of help him stay entertained without always feeling like I just want to pet him, because I'd have someone else to sit and chill out.

Sounds like what you have with Raven is what I would like to have with Cuzco. I feel like I would be more content with the "play, play, play, but don't touch too much!" relationship we have if my need for giving affection was being fulfilled... does that make sense? If I had another bird around that would relax a bit more, hang out, and be petted, it would be way easier to be content with Cuzco and enjoy him fully without feeling stressed or disappointed.

And oohhh, he has no shortage of unique, funny, charming qualities! He definitely has some awesome qualities that even my beloved Tsuki didn't - he's crazy smart and has intense focus with training. He'll actually try to start training sessions himself! He's sassy and bold; I love how eagerly he runs up to new people (though he did chomp my friend's face the other day - not aggressively, he just loves how delightfully chewy skin is). He plays rough with bells and balls, which is endlessly funny, and he loves baths, which is just great! He even came in the shower with me for a bit today, and did that "hold still and bliss out" thing. Sooo cute. He's also a pretty good eater. He loves red pepper. All these things are things I love about him that I've never had in a bird before. In many ways, he's very excellent and a fun, ever-exciting pet to have.

He just doesn't fulfill what is one of the most important things in a pet, for me at least - just appreciating affection. That's why I don't buy fish or reptiles, as much as I LOVE snakes and lizards. I'm even a little leery of getting a cat, because they can be so standoffish. The best thing about pets, for me, is having a buddy that wants to be with you and be petted and hang out.

So I guess I have some more thinking to do. In some ways, it doesn't seem like adding another bird should be a big deal, but in other ways, it seems like a really risky endeavor. It's a really hard call, and of course, I have my partner who needs to be on board too and seems less positive about the idea than I am.

I think the tactic I would like best would be to keep my eyes open for cheap used cages and pick one up when I get the chance, and then take a look at all the tiels I see around, and if one just... clicks... go for it. (I don't know if my partner will agree to this tactic, though. )

Any other advice? Thanks again, everyone, for all that you've said so far. This forum has been such a big help to me. <3

First of all, I agree that your partner needs to be on the same page. Maybe try to have him go with you when you see Cockatiels? Tell him 'only going to look, just for fun'. See what he says. Can I ask, what is his reason for hesitating on a second small bird?

Raven and I have actually gotten 'closer' since we moved. He seemed more standoffish when he was in a corner of the living room at the old place. Now in closer quarters I see him more, I'm closer to him in the room physically, and it's helped our bond. He still doesn't like being handled, and a lot of the time still won't step up unless bribed, but that's just his personality. I can tell that the change in environment changed the dynamic between us for the better. I can tell he just likes being in the room with me, and he talks to me. Is it a possibility you can move Cuzco's cage to a different location and see if it creates a change like it did for Raven? It didn't make him more cuddly, but it did make him a bit more friendly if that makes sense.

Good luck... Keep us posted.

Yeah, I really don't want to pressure my partner too much. He's not 100% opposed to the idea, but he says he is opposed to it right now. He just feels like it's too soon, and I guess he worries about bringing in another bird that might add to our stress without being the pet we're looking for.

He also cited a concern about space. We live in apartment that, IIRC, is about 550 sq ft. We have one bedroom and a living room in addition to the kitchen and bathroom. Not a lot of space. But I don't really feel like space is a legitimate concern. We have extra space already and we aren't making the best use of it. I think another birdcage could fit next to Cuzco's no problem. But I think he just feels like he'd be crowded around animals with two birds in the small apartment. I don't quite get it, but I respect his feelings about it.

My partner isn't really that big on pets in general, though. I don't think another animal has much of a positive side for him. He said he'd think about it. I don't want to pester him too much, but it would be nice to have a better plan of action. I am just not sure whether I should agree to wait until later to get a tiel, or pressure him toward doing it sooner to give the birds a better chance at being friendly toward one another.

I don't know if I really could move Cuzco any closer. He's in the living room where we spend most of our time. He's really a pretty friendly little guy. He's grown to really want to be around us. He steps up well and is only nippy sometimes. He seems to like being out and around with us. He just doesn't want to be touched or cuddled much. :c Mostly what I want to do with him is keep working on improving the biting and screaming. I may have to find him some more difficult toys to keep his attention.

I'm just not sure what stance or direction to take on the cockatiel idea. :/