Adding a new bird to my one bird home

[Letticeknibs]

So I need some advice from some parrot pros who have more knowledge than myself on this. I have a Jenday Conure that has become extremely aggressive to everyone in my home except for myself. I am the only person who really spends time with him and we are together all day long Mon-Fri and then on the weekends he is on his own a bit more. He has started attacking my family members so now the weekends he is pretty much confined to his bird room for his safety and others. I know if my family members would step up and just take some time to feed and hang out with him things may calm down, but no one is interested in that. So when I can not be with him he is alone.

I took him to the vet today and she talked about his flock and how currently in his mind it consists of just the two of us. An unhealthy bond has been created because of this and he sees me as his mate, which is now causing frustration for him in other ways. I have heard horror stories of people adding new birds to their homes. I know there is no way to guarantee that he would bond with another bird or even be buddies. I am just worried about his mental health and would like to get the opinion from others. Would adding a bird to the flock most likely just end in a nightmare? Is there a way to at least guarantee the two could be in the same room without attacking one another? If he is male is there a better chance of him bonding with a female?

When I first got him he was just 9mo old and the lovebird I had at the time just terrorized him. So I am not sure how he will do with another bird after that terrible experience. I would just like to hear from others about their experiences added a new bird to a one bird home when they have been a one bird home for several years.

Any info would be beyond appriciated

Sarah

 

[HeatherG]

he certainly loves you. I wouldn’t want to lose that!

 

[LeeC]

@Letticeknibs Hi, Sarah. Your Jenday is a fine looking parrot: nice feet, beak, feathers, etc.. I am strongly biased to getting a parrot at least one same-species companion, ideally opposite sex, but I think same-species is most important. Your vet is wise! I think she pinpointed the issue well. (I have experienced the same with a Brown-throated Conure, named Pumpkin—and also with my second Senegal, named Georgia. Both were mostly cured by other parrots joining the flock, though it took a little time, months I'd say.) I commend you for considering getting your parrot a parrot. They are flock animals. They typically do much better when there is at least one same-species parrot in their flock, versus just one or several humans.

I have four Senegals, but I started with one Senegal. The more I add, one by one, the better off they all are, and pretty quickly. They take interest in one another very quickly, when they are same-species, from my experience with multiple Senegals (in my forever-flock) and multiple Green-cheeked Conures (fosters and boarders).

It can go either way in the beginning when you first add a parrot; but, you can do many things to help it go well. Introduce them in an area where your current parrot is unfamiliar. If you put a new parrot in his "territory", however big it is, he may well be territorial. Try to avoid making him jealous of the new parrot, meaning for example, don't introduce the new parrot by bringing it to him on your shoulder.

If you use cages, try to put them in a new place (again "territory"), keep at least five or six feet between the cages, and ideally introduce them when they are both hungry (first thing in the morning, for example) and get them to eat in one another's presence, at that safe distance. That is a good, early bonding experience for them.

Beware that one of them in a cage and one out can lead to fighting through cage bars, with toes getting amputated in a flash. Avoid that situation until they demonstrate that they are not inclined to fight.

Know that there are different levels of "fighting". I once brought a Green-cheeked home to board, and I put him in my Florida-room aviary with another Green-cheeked (also a male), a Peach-fronted (male), and a Brown-throated (female). (Those three had been there for months, with no fighting and no real bonding, just coexisting.) So, the new GCC (boarder) and the existing GCC (long-term foster) march across long branches, meet in the middle, and start "banging beaks". Neither was biting, so I was watching super-closely like a referee looking for a fowl. In an instant, they were in a ball on the floor, for just a couple of long seconds. They flew back to the spot on the branch, banged beaks briefly, and went their separate ways. They avoided each other for about a week, then they were suddenly best buddies. Be prepared for some possible drama. :]

 

[Letticeknibs]

@Letticeknibs Hi, Sarah. Your Jenday is a fine looking parrot: nice feet, beak, feathers, etc.. I am strongly biased to getting a parrot at least one same-species companion, ideally opposite sex, but I think same-species is most important. Your vet is wise! I think she pinpointed the issue well. (I have experienced the same with a Brown-throated Conure, named Pumpkin—and also with my second Senegal, named Georgia. Both were mostly cured by other parrots joining the flock, though it took a little time, months I'd say.) I commend you for considering getting your parrot a parrot. They are flock animals. They typically do much better when there is at least one same-species parrot in their flock, versus just one or several humans.

I have four Senegals, but I started with one Senegal. The more I add, one by one, the better off they all are, and pretty quickly. They take interest in one another very quickly, when they are same-species, from my experience with multiple Senegals (in my forever-flock) and multiple Green-cheeked Conures (fosters and boarders).

It can go either way in the beginning when you first add a parrot; but, you can do many things to help it go well. Introduce them in an area where your current parrot is unfamiliar. If you put a new parrot in his "territory", however big it is, he may well be territorial. Try to avoid making him jealous of the new parrot, meaning for example, don't introduce the new parrot by bringing it to him on your shoulder.

If you use cages, try to put them in a new place (again "territory"), keep at least five or six feet between the cages, and ideally introduce them when they are both hungry (first thing in the morning, for example) and get them to eat in one another's presence, at that safe distance. That is a good, early bonding experience for them.

Beware that one of them in a cage and one out can lead to fighting through cage bars, with toes getting amputated in a flash. Avoid that situation until they demonstrate that they are not inclined to fight.

Know that there are different levels of "fighting". I once brought a Green-cheeked home to board, and I put him in my Florida-room aviary with another Green-cheeked (also a male), a Peach-fronted (male), and a Brown-throated (female). (Those three had been there for months, with no fighting and no real bonding, just coexisting.) So, the new GCC (boarder) and the existing GCC (long-term foster) march across long branches, meet in the middle, and start "banging beaks". Neither was biting, so I was watching super-closely like a referee looking for a fowl. In an instant, they were in a ball on the floor, for just a couple of long seconds. They flew back to the spot on the branch, banged beaks briefly, and went their separate ways. They avoided each other for about a week, then they were suddenly best buddies. Be prepared for some possible drama. :]

Thank you so much for this! Very helpful for sure!!