EllenD
New member
- Aug 20, 2016
- 3,979
- 68
- Parrots
- Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
I've had Duff, my female Cockatiel, since she was 8 or 9 weeks old, and she's now over 4 years old. And I've always felt badly for Duff, because my Green Cheek, Quaker, and Senegal all tolerate each other, and the Green Cheek and the Quaker are actually very closely bonded, while Duff can't even go anywhere near them. With the exception of Bowie, my Green Cheek, who will at least sit near Duff without going after her, Duff can't even go near the Quaker or Senegal, and doesn't. So I try to spend as much time with Duff as I can, she's always with me or at least close to me when I'm home. I usually play guitar for a few hours every night in my master bedroom, which is also where the bird's huge PVC play-gym is located. So I always put Duff on the play-gym with some treats and let her play and chew toys while I play. I've had my juvenile Ringneck Dove, Dylan (a male) for about 5 months now, he's about 6-7 months old, and I decided to put his main-cage in my bedroom instead of the living room with the other birds, as he has no interest at all in having anything to do with them. So the way I have it set-up in my bedroom is that his very large cage is actually located on the floor, underneath the play-gym, and Dylan loves it. He's has taken the play-gym as his territory, and generally just goes inside his cage when the other birds are on it, or he hovers around my room until they leave.
For the last few weeks, I've noticed that Duff hasn't been leaving the play-gym while Duff is on it, he's been sitting up on the tallest parts of it, watching Duff play with the toys on the gym, or eating, just staring. And Duff hasn't cared, where she usually screams and squawks at the other birds whenever they get close to her, with Dylan she hasn't made a peep...
Last night I fell asleep while watching TV in my room, and Duff was on the gym, so I didn't put her in her sleep cage and she spent the night sleeping on the gym. When I woke-up this morning, I found Duff and Dylan snuggled together on the gym, sleeping!!! Dylan is my first experience with a pet/tame Dove, and I had no idea that they could be "friends" with a parrot, at least not to this point...I decided to let Duff eat her breakfast upstairs, as she really didn't want to go downstairs to her own cage...Now they are snuggled together and she is preening Dylan, which I'm thankful for because he's been molting like crazy for the past few weeks, their are Dove feathers floating all around my bedroom...The sad but hilarious thing is that Duff is a nut for head-scratches, constantly putting her head down for you to scratch her, and she doesn't have another bird who will preen her...So while they're snuggled together and she is preening Dylan, and Dylan likes it, she's then putting her head down for Dylan to preen her, and Dylan is looking at her like "Why the hell do you keep doing that? Stop it. Put your head up." I don't think Duff understands that Dylan doesn't have a beak yet, though Dylan does preen himself, so maybe he'll take the hint eventually...
So now Duff is playing with a toy on the gym, and Dylan is keeping within about a foot of her, watching her play, I think he wants to cuddle again, or get preened again, I'm not sure...Has anyone had a parrot bond with a Dove/Pigeon? I'm happy for both of them, but I would have never thought to put any of the parrots together with Dylan. Goes to show you never know how they are going to get along, for good or for bad, you just can't predict it...
For the last few weeks, I've noticed that Duff hasn't been leaving the play-gym while Duff is on it, he's been sitting up on the tallest parts of it, watching Duff play with the toys on the gym, or eating, just staring. And Duff hasn't cared, where she usually screams and squawks at the other birds whenever they get close to her, with Dylan she hasn't made a peep...
Last night I fell asleep while watching TV in my room, and Duff was on the gym, so I didn't put her in her sleep cage and she spent the night sleeping on the gym. When I woke-up this morning, I found Duff and Dylan snuggled together on the gym, sleeping!!! Dylan is my first experience with a pet/tame Dove, and I had no idea that they could be "friends" with a parrot, at least not to this point...I decided to let Duff eat her breakfast upstairs, as she really didn't want to go downstairs to her own cage...Now they are snuggled together and she is preening Dylan, which I'm thankful for because he's been molting like crazy for the past few weeks, their are Dove feathers floating all around my bedroom...The sad but hilarious thing is that Duff is a nut for head-scratches, constantly putting her head down for you to scratch her, and she doesn't have another bird who will preen her...So while they're snuggled together and she is preening Dylan, and Dylan likes it, she's then putting her head down for Dylan to preen her, and Dylan is looking at her like "Why the hell do you keep doing that? Stop it. Put your head up." I don't think Duff understands that Dylan doesn't have a beak yet, though Dylan does preen himself, so maybe he'll take the hint eventually...
So now Duff is playing with a toy on the gym, and Dylan is keeping within about a foot of her, watching her play, I think he wants to cuddle again, or get preened again, I'm not sure...Has anyone had a parrot bond with a Dove/Pigeon? I'm happy for both of them, but I would have never thought to put any of the parrots together with Dylan. Goes to show you never know how they are going to get along, for good or for bad, you just can't predict it...
