Ask Lafeber

I’m thinking of getting another bird

Hi this is Verde’s owner I used to ask a lot of questions here when I had first got her but now she has settled in and has become a wonderful part of our family, she is very sweet loves to dance and can say “hullo” and “Yeah!” She also screams my name and my dads name when we are not in sight.
But now I think I want another bird maybe a love bird or a budgie maybe even another conure a brown throated one to be exact.
Do you have any tips on how I should prepare verde for another bird in the house of course the will not be placed in the same cages especially if they are not the same species, but I was wondering what should I do if they don’t get along?verde’s cage is in my room and I was going to put the other bird’s cage there as well should I put it in a different room? Also how do Introduce them and according to the birds I have listed there which one would be best for my yellow sided red green cheek conure….Oh! And I almost forgot to say, Verde is now a year old ?

Hi Morgan,

It’s so nice to hear from you and get an update on Verde! I think of you when a young person writes needing help with their first bird. Verde was certainly a challenge for you, and you had to do things the hard way since you didn’t have her wings trimmed. But you stuck with it and now you have a wonderful pet – and that makes the hard work and frustrations worth it! I’m glad she is in your room with you now. I hope her feather issues are cleared up now.

Of the birds you mentioned, I think the conure would be the best choice. This is based on your household and knowing Verde has a lot of freedom to fly around. I agree each bird needs their own cage, but Verde is more likely to interact with another conure and get along with it. Budgies are fragile, compared to a conure, and if a budgie landed on Verde’s cage or got too close to her, Verde could seriously injure or kill a budgie. The same goes for a lovebird, but if Verde landed on a lovebird’s cage, she just might get her toes bit! Any time there is the possibility of birds coming into contact with one another, I recommend having similar species and beak sizes – and coming from the same continent is a plus. Budgies are from Australia, and lovebirds are from Africa. While they are from different regions, both green cheek and brown throated conures are from South America. They are also very close in size and have similar personalities. Do keep in mind that a second  bird means twice the noise, twice the care and twice the amount of attention needed. Make sure you have time for two birds. They may not get along, and Verde is likely going to be very jealous to begin with. You have a lot to consider, but whatever you decide, I’m sure you will know what to do this time around!

Happy First Birthday to Verde!

Thanks for the update,

Brenda