Need help deciding on second bird for the family...

[yavorssj]

Hi all... First time poster, which means I am asking for advice.



My wife and I are seriously considering adding a second feathered friend to the family. We currently have a three year old Sun Conure (Poofita, AKA ----> FIFA) who has been with us since he was 11 weeks old. He is the typical velcro bird, loves bacon for some reason (he might get a nibble about once a month, and only if he steals it off the table...), very affectionate, likes his evening battle and cuddle routine, etc... In fact, he is living "halfway-in-my-shirt" as I type this...



Our family also includes (more importantly) two beautiful daughters: six and four years old. Additionally, our third child is due this coming June (2014). FIFA has finally gotten around to loving the girls. He will let our four year old pick him up and give kisses. FIFA will also chase our six year old around the house begging for attention. I guess you could say that even though my wife and I are still his favorites, he still likes to play with other members of his flock.


Outside the house, FIFA is also very friendly with strangers. However, the little bugger becomes the “destroyer of worlds” when strangers come over to the house. He is VERY territorial in the ENTIRE house and puffs up to about three times his normal size. He then has NO problem going after the strangers to “protect” the rest of us. He has the typical Sun Conure “guard dog” trait...


Anyway, regarding adding another bird, My wife and I are concerned about two things: how FIFA will react, and will number two be as much of a companion for all of us as number one (FIFA)? We do not want FIFA to be alienated with an an addition to the flock. I think introductions outside the house will help with the adjustment, but I would still like opinions... But regarding the second point, what kind of bird should we look at in the first place?


Both my wife and I have been very succesful in raising FIFA to be a happy well adjusted member of the family. He can be trying at times, but it goes with the territory and the results are more than worth the effort. We are confident we could do fine with another Sun, but I would like to go larger. We have plenty of space, so cage size is not an issue. Our major concerns are how well the new bird will react with the girls. We are leaning towards a Blue Capped Conure, a Meyers Parrot, or an Eclectus. Or a Hawk Head, or, or, or... Heck, a Greenwing is not out of the running. However, ONE person birds like Greys and Amazons are out.


Any advice on clearing up our mental confusion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[yavorssj]

By the way, I travel about 25% for work, but when I am home, I am "home." Meaning, I work out of the house...

My wife is pretty much a stay at home mom.

Does that mean someone is at home ALL the time? No, of course not. However, someone is "almost" always around to at least provide company. So TOOs are being considered by us as well...

Figured I would throw that out there.

 

[Freespin]

I have recently added an eckie to my family and I will be honest it has turned my barraband into a monster. He is insanely jealous and has become progressively worse. I'm not sure if it will get better but I am learning to work with it. I dont want to put you off, a lot of people very successfully have more than one companion bird =)

I will however recommend an eckie! My guy is so sweet and lovely although still a mega goofy little baby =)

 

[yavorssj]

Here in Cincinnati, we have “The Bird Shoppe.” The Bird Shoppe - Home The lady who owns it is a dedicated “bird person" and is absolutely stellar in her personal and business relationships. We have left FIFA there a few times when both my wife and I have been traveling... FIFA had no problems “making friends” with nearby cages, and when socialized periodically during the day, he actually jumped over to say hi and started preening the B&G next to him. The B&G was also somewhat possessive of FIFA as well... When I was told about this on my way to pick up the little guy, I was somewhat shocked and skeptical, but, I have to admit, it was the sweetest thing to see in person.

My plan is to actually duplicate the situation for a few days before “number 2” moves in, and bring them home at the same time. That way, they are buddies before the territory is “invaded.”

I figure it can’t hurt...

 

[Merlee]

I think you are doing great. I hope you are aware that when your bird reaches puberty, there is a good chance he will change. By bringing in a second bird, there is also a chance it will bond to it instead of to the human flock. Many members have multiple birds, as I, but you must be careful of the differences of size and potential bonding to each other or the possibility of aggression after the honeymoon period is over.

 

[yavorssj]

At what age do Sunnies reach puberty? He is a little over three years old now, and based on his behavior, we figured he is at least already there, if not done with it. Actually, during the past year, we were tempted to change his name to Obnoxious...

 

[Merlee]

I think birds go into puberty around 5 years of age. Maybe somebody who has more experience with a conure will speak up. I have more experience with macaws and know that when March or April rolls around, he turns into a demon for 8 weeks.

I have had smaller birds in the past and they can become quite possessive of their "chosen" one and attack anybody who becomes between them. Many people who have multiple birds may say different but each bird is different.

If you decide to get another, just be prepared for changes.

 

[Echo]

I think you are doing great. I hope you are aware that when your bird reaches puberty, there is a good chance he will change. By bringing in a second bird, there is also a chance it will bond to it instead of to the human flock. Many members have multiple birds, as I, but you must be careful of the differences of size and potential bonding to each other or the possibility of aggression after the honeymoon period is over.

Yes I was gonna mention as well that your Sun could really fall in love with the second bird and while you want them to get along, sometimes they bond too much. I had a female Caique who took to a male Jenday I was fostering and would refuse anyone from touching him and was very protective. She gradually wanted less and less from us and was obsessed with him. We eventually found him a home and she returned to her old self.

Opposite sexes may form a stronger bond, so maybe find a bird of the same sex who gets along with your Sun but wouldn't form such a strong bond?

 

[Arwyn1313]

I have a 9 month old Meyers and she is great with my boys. They are 7 and 9 years old and she is patient with them for the most part. Of course she can get irritated with them at times but for the most part they live in peace. As for getting along with your other bird,we only have Arwyn so I can't give any advise. Meyers are great little birds I highly suggest them as family pets.

 

[thekarens]

Just wanted to add that any bird could end up with the traits you don't want. For example a conure being a one person bird, etc. Socialization would be the key for preventing that. I've never personally heard of greys being one person birds (though I've heard of them being phobic) Our grey could be handled by anyone. He preferred my partner, but he would step up for anyone.

On the flip side poicephalus are known for becoming one person birds, but again, with socialization you can deal with that. My concern would be how beaky they are/can be, not to mention feisty. I have a young sennie and a friend of mine has a 15 year old meyers and they are both on the beaky/feisty side. For me they are the perfect bird, playful, not too big, relatively quiet and can entertain themselves when needed.

When my boys were your kids age I never let them handle any birds without supervision because you just never know.

 

[yavorssj]

Oh, believe me, the girls are supervised around FIFA. It is just a bit amusing to see how attached he is getting with our oldest daughter.

The girls know what NOT to do, and are getting pretty good at reading bird behavior on their own. Keeping the two kids safe and able to enjoy their feathered friend has been a big deal for us. And in spite of some “moments,” my wife and I are rather proud of ourselves at how good the little bugger turned out.

Which is why we are thinking about adding a second member to the flock...

 

[yavorssj]

Not to pester... But the general consensus is no? In general?

The only reason I ask is that I got the same response locally when I said I wanted a Sunny and had a one year old daughter... Things have turned out pretty well so far, mainly because both my wife and I are pretty decent parents, and that we are BOTH bird people...

Fifa is a somewhat important part of our family's life.

The idea of adding another feathered friend does not intimidate us, and we know (more than generally) what to expect.

We would like another feathered companion who is a bit bigger than "inside the shirt" size, and has a bit better talking ability than a Sun. Because of our family situation, we know CAG'S are out, as well as Amazons in general... That being said, with one of us being home MOST of the time (better than normal life), what is the hive mind opinion as to the bird we should lean towards...? We have a line on a Harlequin who is less than a year old. Also a baby Goffin... And a baby Hawk Head (believe it or not)... Heck, I have considered putting in for a permit on a pair of Golden Conures (I spent a portion of my high school years volunteering with Gary Denzler at the Cincinnati Zoo).

We FULLY understand the implications of a second bird.

We are just looking for the best advice as to the best bird for our situation (for both our and the bird's sake). Just please, don't say "no" bird and leave it at that. Just because we have kids...

In advance, I thank the forum for it's advice...

Stephen

BTW, I apologize in advance for sounding testy... I know the advice so far is not totally in the negative... It is just that (locally) we have been consistently told to stick with our Sun and leave it at that. BELIEVE ME, we understand the perspective, but like most true bird people, we are not a typical family... Getting "pigeon holed" is getting old...

 

[aether-drifter]

You mentioned talking ability, and a parrot that is not a one-person bird. In this case, I would HIGHLY recommend adopting an adult from a rescue! (Or Craigslist, if there are no rescues near you). No matter how well you raise a bird, they can change at puberty -- pick one person, go through an aggressive dive-bombing hormonal period, etc. Also, no bird is guaranteed to talk, not even if you choose a species known for its potential. If that is a factor, best to adopt one that is already talking.

Not all Amazons are crazy and unpredictable; I've heard the females can be very sweet and social. I've read hawk heads can be a challenge. Certain cockatoos could be good choices, but it really depends on the bird. Macaws are often one-person birds, and I don't think letting a child handle a large macaw would be a good idea.

But really, I would focus less on species, find a rescue and just meet some birds that might have the personality traits you're after. A mature bird is not likely to change, and what you see is probably what you get. In my area, there's a rescue that is just a network of foster homes. They get to know each bird before listing them for adoption, that way they can try to match prospective adopters with the right bird.

As far as your sun's reaction, there's no way to predict that! Just prepare for the worst and hope for the best, if you really want a new bird for yourself. It's possible he and the newcomer would require separate out of cage times. Or, it's possible they could bond and have no use for you. You have little control over how they feel about each other, so it's good to prepare for all outcomes (negative or not).

 

[gizzygirl]

The answer is totally up to you. Just be aware that you may get a bird and they get a long with each other and a month later they could hate each other or really bond and then you have to keep them seperate. We have a larger flock and love it. We rescued our 2nd macaw so Lucy could have a friend but they want to bond or pick on each other (we're confused about which it is really) so they have separate play stands and can play together for only short times. Our first bird was a Cockatiel and I wanted a friend for him, turns out he wanted to be an only bird and they barely tolerate each other. We rescued our 2nd goffin who hated other goffins but wants to be friends with ours. Perfect! However she was plucked by a large bird she shared a cage with and then started plucking on her own. Now she thinks that's how you preen your friends so until she stops they have to be separated also. We have 7 play stands that we rotate them on. I think we suck at picking their friends lol. Hopefully it goes better for you but if it doesn't this could be what it's like for you for the rest of their/ your life. We wouldn't trade it but we realize that this wouldn't work for everyone. Some other flocks can't even have them out at the same time even if they are on separate play stands because some will fly over to fight. (I think one I remember is MikeTN who could further elaborate, if I'm not mistaken, if so I apologize). Just be aware of the possibilities and get your 2nd bird . Btw I highly recommend a goffin baby! Ours is sooo cuddly and is amazing with kids of all ages. Gizzy rode around on my 3 yro nephew for about 30 mins the other day!

 

[thekarens]

I don't see why you couldn't get a CAG or a zon. I had a CAG when my boys were little and I taught them to leave the bird alone unless supervised. When they got older they could hold her, in fact anyone could hold her (though she did not like being pet.)

My childhood friend grew up with a nape and her parents to this day still have Fred. Originally that bird would only have anything to do with her parents and now he will only tolerate her father.

Even if you get a too, which is known for being more friendly and family oriented there's no guarantee. From what you've described it sounds like a too might be a good choice for y'all. Just be aware that it might not turn out the way you want and be prepared if it doesn't.

 

[yavorssj]

What about this?

2 Y/o Male Goffin Cockatoo in Peebles, Ohio - Hoobly Classifieds

He is only an hour away, and to be honest, I really would prefer to re-home and help out a bird in need...

All of the Goffins I have met seem to be "social butterflys" and love to be around kids. Also, just from the ad, Rocky would seem to be a good fit.

I am going to reply to the ad and investigate further... I will take the whole family to see how we get along.

Wish me luck

 

[thekarens]

Good luck!

 

[yavorssj]

Well, no response to my enquiries... I have a line on a young Galah, so again, wish me luck...