I currently have a very well bonded what I believe to be male cinnamon green cheek conure, I am wondering if it is ok to house a Nanday with him? I would only ever do this if they got along, and I wouldnt put them together right away. Is this a possiblilty or is there too great of a size difference, right now someone is trying to rehome a Nanday in my area so we will go meet them soon. Please let me know opinions and dont prosecute me for asking the question please.
Definitely get a second cage suitable for the Nanday first. When all is well, use the larger cage for both birds and keep the smaller as a 'time-out' cage.
Your points are correct - it is technically possible, but only if criteria are met in favor of all involved.
How well-acquainted are the Nanday and GCC currently? (sounds like the nanday is going to be a new addition)
Keep both birds in separate cages - adjacent to each other but sufficiently put apart so that neither bird can be of beak's range of the other. Or talon's range... This process is called, if I recall, "howdying". Study the birds' body language and see by their reactions if they are trying to get to know each other, are indifferent, or act defensive in the sight of the other.
If you know the birds behave with each other on a playgym or other neutral territory, then you can - very slowly (MONTHS) - get them to co-habitate.
Each bird considers his/her cage to be the prime territory as well, and just putting in the Nanday might be seen by the GCC as a 'threat'. One thing that helps, when the time comes to put them in the same cage, is to rearrange the toys and perches in the cage. It effectively becomes a 'new home' to the the other bird as well. That will have to be done at the proper time, down the road, if it looks like both could cohabitate, without abandoning their bonding toward you in the process...
So let the Nanday bond to you as well, before trying this.
Do keep in mind:
* birds do establish a pecking order - dominant and submissive types
* two parrots have two different personalities and may not like one another. Just like two humans can loathe each other. So what you are trying might not be possible at all.
* keep a close eye on the birds, they might try to pick fights or worse with each other.
* the birds might bond and then ignore or hate you.
* this process takes a long while, especially if the birds came from different sources.
I would take things very slowly -- and if there was any sign of aggression from one toward the other, or signs of lesser interest toward you by either bird, I'd nix the prospect and keep them in separate cages forevermore.
I have two birds that cohabitate, Rusty and Scooter, but both were bought at the same pet store and were in separate partitions at the time. Scooter took longer to bond with me, but for this scenario it's been good luck. Situations CAN work, but not always. Do note that Rusty loathes Rosie and vice-versa, but Scooter is submissive to Rosie...
