Just curious: More than 1 bird?

[Endi]

I plan on getting my first bird in a year or so, and I'm so excited! I've been doing a TON of research, trying to learn everything I can about them. For a while I wasn't sure if I wanted an Eclectus or a Galah, but eventually decided on an Eclectus for a number of reasons.

But I still love Galahs and while talking to a friend of mine about her numerous rats, I wondered what it would be like to get a Galah (at some point in the distant future, of course!). You have to keep more than one rat; are birds the same way, being a flock animal? Should you keep more than one?

This is more for my own curiosity at this point. I'm not making any of those decisions right now. I just wanted to ask because I can't seem to find any articles with a definitive answer. Thanks!

 

[Scott]

There are no definitive answers! A solitary bird will do very well if given a comfortable environment with plenty of toys AND lots of human contact, particularly if it was socialized and hand-fed.

Acquiring a second bird depends on the species; Eclectus in my experience tend to be more independent and less tolerant of others. Various Cockatoos are more likely to freely associate with other species.

About 25 years ago I bought a pair of Ekkies from different stock. The female absolutely hated the male, so they were housed independently. The female is still with me, and barely tolerates others, though she is somewhat friendly with Gabby, a male Goffin.

 

[kq_fan]

Well, My GCC Lilo really loved being the only bird for two years. She didn't have to compete with anyone for my attention. She was the center of my world for sure. But now she shares her room with Sonic. And Lilo was very mad and stressed for a while after we got him. But I think she is warming up to her new older brother She is still my little princess and I still love her and wish she could be with me 24/7. But it was hard for a little while to share me with another bird. But if you have a first bird and you treat them like your child and then get another one, you need to still have alone time with your first bird. Like I bring Lilo places with me and I don't bring Sonic so Lilo has me all to herself for a while. And I think she is better now and knows that she is still my favorite little diva princess!

 

[Minimaker]

Sounds like my situation right now kq fan. My little green cheek is losing his marbles over my new parrot. I have to spend time with him alone in the kitchen because if he sees her he freaks out the whole time. Even inside his cage he's upside down pacing the top cage bars and making little alarmed noises most of the time he's in there. My husband bends down and asks him "How you doing, Batman?" everyday because he's always hanging upside down and squeaking while he stares angrily in the direction of her enclosure like she's his nemesis.

 

[strudel]

You can have more than one, but you need to be adaptable as to how you deal with any "issues" because there are no guarantees that they'll like each other enough to "hang out" together. You can still have them and shedule their together time with you, but obviously you'll need to put in more time and effort and it's a bigger commitment.

 

[Endi]

So it sounds like definitely a case-by-case basis if you want more than one, but there isn't any rule about birds needing the be in a flock, the way some animals need to definitely be in pairs and definitely solitary. Good to know! I guess if I feel like I have the extra time in my life and I know my first parrot's personality well, I might invest in a second. But that's far in the future! Gotta get the first bird before I can get a second

Thanks for the replies. your stories are cute >w< I'm glad your kids are starting to get used to each other :O

 

[strudel]

So it sounds like definitely a case-by-case basis

Absolutely. My first bird was a budgie. I got her home and she sat there looking so woebegone that I went straight up the shop and got her a friend [EDIT: she perked up immediately she had company]. Maybe she'd have got tamed and focussed on me, but she didn't look happy in the cage alone (she'd been in with others at the shop, so suddenly being isolated was obviously strange for her).

I got a budgie when I got my weiros and she seemed perfectly happy on her own. I considered whether to get her a friend but decided against it. She'd been used to being on her own, and didn't seem to want one the way my other one did. She ended up going in with others (not just one, a group) and she adapted quite well to that. The budgies seemed to like being in a bigger group.

With the bigger birds, my galah has never really shown much interest in my other birds. She doesn't talk to the weiros or show any interest in visiting with them (other than to get to their food). I don't think she needs a friend although I'm still keeping an open mind about whether she could accept or benefit from a bird friend of her own.....

Yep, I think it depends on the birds concerned and how you feel about it...

(dogs are pack animals, and my little dog would probably be happier as an 'only dog'. It depends on the individual. Like us, some are gregarious, others are happy on their own.)