Ask Lafeber

Cockatiel companion

Hello, i have a male cockatiel thats 2 1/2 years old and is an only bird, ive been thinking of getting him a friend, but im not sure if i should get a male or female and if he’ll be aggressive over them, ive gotten a female in the past and he loved her, unfortunately she died due to severe sickness, And everytime i leave the room he keeps calling and wanting company, and when hes left alone he doesn’t eat, play or do anything other than wait for someone to enter. Should i get a company for him?

Hi,

If the bird is tame, I would not get it a “friend”. Birds do not have other birds as friends. They eventually form a bond and lose interest in people. Even if you got the same sex bird, they will bond if kept in the same cage and you will lose your bird as a pet. If the bird is not tame, then getting another mate is a good idea, however, there is no guarantee the bird you pick will get along with your bird. All you can do is put them in cages next to each other for a few weeks to see if they show an interest in each other. If they do, you can introduce them in the same cage, under close supervision. If you do not want to deal with breeding, it’s best to get the same sex bird. Also you need a bird around the same age. If you try to put a young bird with a mature bird, the mature bird tends to pick on it and can get very aggressive or even kill it if the younger bird doesn’t respond the way the older bird expects.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda