Friend for green Cheek Conure

[dramanea]

Hello!
I love learning about different kinds of birds, and I thought I might as well learn about one that would be compatible with my current baby, for future consideration. I have a 2 yr old Green Cheek Conure named Watson who's a real sweetie but can be nippy. Is there a kind of bird that would be a good friend for him, that wouldn't be bothered by how outgoing he is?
Thanks.

 

[Peeko]

There's no guarantee that any two birds will get along, so you should plan to house them completely separately permanently in case it comes to that. It would be awful to not be prepared if something bad does happen!
From what I've seen, people recommend another green cheek. The general consensus seems to be a 'no' to parrotlets because they can be very territorial and aggressive and are notorious toe-biters. That's about all I know, since its nothing I've had to consider with my green cheek. He has no interest in other birds.

 

[dramanea]

I think that caiques are the cutest things, though I have zero experience with them. Could one get along with a green cheek?

 

[Peeko]

Its hard to say because every bird is an individual and there's no way to guarantee that any will or wont get along. The safest bet is usually a species buddy, but even then there's potential for aggression and problems.

 

[MangieSun]

The Caiques I've met are pretty full of themselves and rough. I'd be leery putting one with a small conure. They are so darn funny though!

How about a Crimson Bellied Conure? They are just a tiny bit bigger than a GCC, supposedly less nippy, very quiet (this coming from a Sun owner. Lol), and so sweet. I've only had Poppy a couple days so things may change but so far she fits what I've read about the species.

 

[dramanea]

Hi again!
Could a Budgie get along with GCC? When I was first considering getting a bird, I learned a ton about Budgies. They're adorable.
Also, does anyone have experience with a GCC and Linnie together?

 

[Dinosrawr]

hehe, just posted in your cage post, and now here!

I've seen a GCC so bonded with a linnie that when they needed to be rehomed, they had to go together. I also have a good friend who has a quaker and GCC who love eachother. I'm sure a cockatiel and GCC have the potential to get along, too.

But once again, you have to remember that when you get a bird, it has to be for you. No matter what bird you buy, there's no guarantee. Conures can easily hate one another and love something different, too!:



I myself am getting an Indian Ringneck at the end of May, and I have no idea what will happen. They may hate eachother, they may love each other. One may love the other while the feelings aren't returned, or they could be completely indifferent. Ultimately, be prepared to spend lots of individual time with each bird in a worse-case scenario. Proper socialization is also key for this, too. If a bird is poorly socialized and strongly bonded, chances are it won't like another bird. Not always the case, but very likely.

Also, a key thing is to properly quarantine any new fids you obtain. Lots of parronts have lost their entire flock to one bird carrying disease. It's not always possible to do a 100% clean quarantine, but do get an initial vet check and don't let them interact for a minimum of 30 days, preferably 60. Here's some info:

How To Quarantine Your New Pet Bird


Hope this info helps!

 

[WhirlyBirdy]

I think it really depends on what sort of personality the bird has, if it's a bird that has bonded really closley with just one person, it probably won't matter what type of bird you add to the equation, it's not going to give it a second glance as a potential friend, it will just see it as a threat and an enemy. On the other hand if you have a bird that is not really fussed on anyone in particular, it again probably wouldn't matter to much, what the other bird was. Sinceyour bird is older it would possibly be harder to introduce another bird to it with out some problems

 

[veimar]

I'm glad you asked this question - I was wondering about exactly same thing!! My gcc is still very young and he is very interested in other birds. I think he would greatly benefit of having a feathered companion. I've been thinking for a while about getting another bird, but I want a different kind. What do you guys think about English budgie? They are about the same size as gcc (much bigger than American parakeet), but the personality is similar to parakeets. Although I'm really dreaming about a smaller too…
BTW I absolutely LOVE your picture Dinosaur!!!

 

[MonicaMc]

I think it's best to try and stick with similar species if at all possible. That is, if you have a green cheek conure and you want another bird that your conure may get along with, go with another pyrrhura conure! Black capped, crimson bellied, pearled, emma, etc.



It can be a very bad idea to mix species, even though various species can co-mingle in the wild without issues. Parrots within captivity are far more aggressive than their wild counterparts, do not have good flock mentality or control and if two are together, it's much harder for an easier going bird to escape a more aggressive bird. It's not to say that you can't have a mixed flock, but expect the worst if you do decide to go that route! That way, you wont be disappointed if two birds don't get along!


My first (and truly only) odd couple were a cockatiel (still have her!) and a conure (no longer have him). I had no intentions of ever having these two be together, considering the size differences! Both were new birds to me, and I didn't want my tiel to get hurt! But she had other ideas!

At one point in time, I did have a male budgie sneak into that conure's cage and amazingly, the conure never hurt him. Then again, they really had no interest in each other, the budgie was simply escaping from the girls and having his own little 'time out' to rest!

And here are pics of a female budgie and a different conure! I ended up rehoming this budgie because she became enchanted with Charlie, and Charlie would have probably killed her, if not seriously injured her, if he could have!

 

[veimar]

I'm afraid that if you have two conures and don't know their gender they can mate. Wouldn't they also bond with each other, not with you?
Since you have so much experience, Monica, I wanna ask you - is the "like" or "hate" attitude established between birds from beginning and forever, or can that change? Let's say if two birds hated each other in beginning is there a chance they would get along with time? Just curious...

 

[witchbaby]

I'm afraid that if you have two conures and don't know their gender they can mate. Wouldn't they also bond with each other, not with you?

You can always cage them seperately at night and let them play together during the day if you're worried about them bonding/mating. As long as you've already established a bond with your gcc, you should be fine. Just make sure you get some seperate quality bonding time with the new baby too.

 

[MonicaMc]

I'm afraid that if you have two conures and don't know their gender they can mate. Wouldn't they also bond with each other, not with you?

Since you have so much experience, Monica, I wanna ask you - is the "like" or "hate" attitude established between birds from beginning and forever, or can that change? Let's say if two birds hated each other in beginning is there a chance they would get along with time? Just curious...

Birds can hate each other for years, then one day they can get along without issues! I recall an ex-breeder of pionus had to wait 7 years to pair up two birds!


My two conures currently do not get along but I do have some ideas to try and get them to get along better. I don't really care if they ever share a cage or not, but it would be nice if the two could 'hang out' together without squabbling.