Major Mitchell companion bird - are 2 males ok ??

[petergy]

Hi, I have Mitch who is a 6 year old tame, male Major Mitchell.

I have an opportunity to get another tame male Major Mitchell, same age, as a companion bird.

Wondering if I will have any issues with 2 males sharing a large cage.

Can I expect them to get on together please ??

 

[Nocturnal]

Do not get them and expect them to share the same cage. Cockatoos are well known for killing their mates, what two males might do if forced to be in close contact is anybody's guess. They might be fine. They might hate eachother. They might be fine for years and then suddenly one doesn't have a face.

In short, feel free to get one but also get a separate cage.

 

[MarciaLove]

I agree with Nocturnal and you should always practice quarantine with getting a new bird. they need to be introduced slowly to each-other and certainly NOT share a cage for a while until you are sure they are happy together I have some videos of how to do it for lovebirds on my youtube channel but with cockatoos it will take longer.

 

[MikeyTN]

It will only work in a large flight aviary, don't risk it in a cage!!! Plus anytime you get a new bird you should keep them in separate cages until they're used to one another instead of sticking two in the same cage right away. The new one will get beat up as the existing one will feel threatened as his space is being invaded. So it's not a good idea what so ever!

 

[U2gal]

No, they most likely will not like eachother right away, if ever.

 

[petergy]

Update on this ...
I obtained another Major Mitchell Cockatoo and I found that the two males (Mitch and Dave) did not get on too well at all, I tested them out first. If they came within one metre of each other they would start to carry on a bit, so they could not share the same cage. What I did was make two fairly large cages next to each other and the birds just ignored each other. After nearly 2 years I found that Mitch (my original bird) would squawk loudly at any distant sound such as a plane going over, a visitor next door, a person walking past. I couldn't stand it any more and sold him to a breeder. So my bird is now Dave (I'll use the same picture as they look the same) who is a different character, easier to handle but nowhere near as talkative. Note that when I say he is easier to handle that means my wife can do anything with him, not me.

 

[RavensGryf]

Hi, Thanks for the update . Beautiful birds MM2's.. Seems like most people I hear about who have MM are in Australia. I've seen them in person at bird stores and they are spectacular with that cresst! Hopefully in time Dave will be a bit more friendly to you. Love the name for a bird!

 

[MikeyTN]

Welcome back and thanks for the update!