Senegal and red-bellied parrots getting along?

[jackblack]

I cannot seem to find any research on this. I have a senegal parrot and was looking to introduce a red-bellied parrot to the family.
Can these birds get along, can they hurt each other if I put them in the same cage?

 

[JamesC]

I don't think that you can ever tell if two birds will get along. And Senegals seem to be a little more anti-bird than other species. My Senegal has never gotten along with my Blue Crowns. But he has mellowed a little with age, passing 10 years this July. He can sit about a foot away from the male Blue Crown without aggression. Though it eventually will end up with one or the other making a bit of a lunge which can result in beak fencing which I will immediately interrupt because the Senegal will eventually full out attack.

For keeping them in the same cage, I would advise against that. Even birds that are well bonded with each other can get into a fight and if you are not there to stop it, injuries or even death could result. My Blue Crowns are well bonded but when I'm not home, they are separate. I placed their cages right next to each other so they can be together but can't interact.

 

[jackblack]

I don't think that you can ever tell if two birds will get along. And Senegals seem to be a little more anti-bird than other species. My Senegal has never gotten along with my Blue Crowns. But he has mellowed a little with age, passing 10 years this July. He can sit about a foot away from the male Blue Crown without aggression. Though it eventually will end up with one or the other making a bit of a lunge which can result in beak fencing which I will immediately interrupt because the Senegal will eventually full out attack.

For keeping them in the same cage, I would advise against that. Even birds that are well bonded with each other can get into a fight and if you are not there to stop it, injuries or even death could result. My Blue Crowns are well bonded but when I'm not home, they are separate. I placed their cages right next to each other so they can be together but can't interact.

Oh wow. Must have been nerve racking. It sounds like you know what you are talking about but what if the birds were introduced to each other at a young age? My Senegal is only 9 weeks old. My bird is hand tamed and is not afraid of me or other people. Obviously it is still very young and I am no bird expert but I feel like I’m going to have a strong bond with her. Also, I find red belly parrots fascinating and I was considering buying one. I’m thinking maybe I could build a relationship with them and simultaneously reinforce or encourage a positive relationship between the two.

I searched the web but could not find anything. No research, no observation. Nothing. Would a male red belly get along better with a female Senegal or vice versa? Can they be seen in the wild together? These are some of the question I have. I don’t know if you know of any articles or research papers that were done on this matter. If you do then the help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading.

 

[JamesC]

I've learned to adjust to Sidney's aggression towards the others. Unfortunately that means he spends more time closed up in his cage than I would like. Though some of that locked up time is from him being a very independent bird that wants to explore the house, chew on things and get into the trash.

I would not say that your Senegal and a Red Belly would not become friends. But based upon my experience with Sidney (and my first Senegal, Kelly) and comments on this forum from other people with Senegals it is unlikely. Seems to be a species trait that they don't get along with other birds all that often. Kelly was a very friendly bird, would never bite and was happy to play with anyone that picked her up. But then she saw a pair of budgies in their cage and she wanted to kill them. That level of aggression from her really surprised me.

I have seen photos of Senegals snuggled up to other birds so it can happen. I don't know if they were introduced young or not.

If you want to bring the Red Belly into your home, go into it with the expectation that you will have two separate cages (which I would recommend anyway) and you might not be able to have both birds out at the same time. If it works out that they get along, consider it a great bonus.

 

[jackblack]

I've learned to adjust to Sidney's aggression towards the others. Unfortunately that means he spends more time closed up in his cage than I would like. Though some of that locked up time is from him being a very independent bird that wants to explore the house, chew on things and get into the trash.

I would not say that your Senegal and a Red Belly would not become friends. But based upon my experience with Sidney (and my first Senegal, Kelly) and comments on this forum from other people with Senegals it is unlikely. Seems to be a species trait that they don't get along with other birds all that often. Kelly was a very friendly bird, would never bite and was happy to play with anyone that picked her up. But then she saw a pair of budgies in their cage and she wanted to kill them. That level of aggression from her really surprised me.

I have seen photos of Senegals snuggled up to other birds so it can happen. I don't know if they were introduced young or not.

If you want to bring the Red Belly into your home, go into it with the expectation that you will have two separate cages (which I would recommend anyway) and you might not be able to have both birds out at the same time. If it works out that they get along, consider it a great bonus.

I greatly appreciate your time and your knowledge. Thank you and I’ll consider everything you said.

 

[MonicaMc]

Considering that a red belly and a senegal can hybridize, yes, it is possible for them to get along.

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/2c/7e/a5/2c7ea560d3c9605a0113e8b41b3b13e5--parrots-red.jpg


That said, I agree with JamesC advice. There's really no guarantee that two birds, even of the same species, will ever get along.

 

[jackblack]

Considering that a red belly and a senegal can hybridize, yes, it is possible for them to get along.

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/2c/7e/a5/2c7ea560d3c9605a0113e8b41b3b13e5--parrots-red.jpg


That said, I agree with JamesC advice. There's really no guarantee that two birds, even of the same species, will ever get along.

Oh, I never knew they can hybridize. Are the hybrids fertile and are they generally healthy?

 

[MonicaMc]

Unfortunately, that information is unknown to me. I haven't heard of any health issues with any of the poi hybrids, but then again, poi hybrids are pretty uncommon to begin with.... except for senegal subspecies hybrids. I know for a fact those are extremely common and no known health issues.


I don't know about fertility, but I imagine that they would probably be fertile.



I mention this info not to encourage hybrids, but rather, to discourage them. If you are going to allow two separate species to share a cage, either be prepared to discourage any breeding behavior between them, or make sure you get two birds of the same gender.