Ask Lafeber

Adding a 2nd Cockatiel

We have a 2-yr old male cockatiel from a pet store. When no one is home he has periods of running around the cage constantly contact calling. 1 week ago we got a new 4-month old male from a breeder thinking this might help give companionship. They’re in separate cages for now. When we have them both out, original male tends to walk around displaying “heart wings” and contact calls even if the new one is right next to him. The new one is silent so far & pays little attention to him. Is the older one confused on how to interact because of coming from a store vs. a hand fed baby from the breeder? Is the “heart wings” display trying to impress him or guard him? There have been no signs of aggression. Thank you!

Hi,

A mature adult cockatiel typically has no interest in a young bird, and vice versa. It’s really too soon for them to be interacting. Any new bird should be quarantined for 30-45 days before introducing it to other birds in the home. This can help prevent spread of disease. Even a healthy looking bird can harbor illness, and the stress of going to a new home can cause the bird to get sick. A new bird also needs this time to settle into a new home and feel safe. Also, unless the breeder had a DNA test run, you generally can’t determine the sex of a cockatiel until 6 months at the earliest, but more often 8-12 months. So this could be a young female. I would not have them out together until the new bird has had time to settle in. Being silent is not normal for a young cockatiel, especially if it is a male. Most likely it is stress, so he needs time to settle in.

As for the displaying, the older male may just be curious or it could have been aggression. I would not ever plan for them to share a cage. When birds share a cage, they tend to form a bond and once this happens, they no longer want human interaction. Once the new bird is settled, you can have them out together under close supervision.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda