Hi there! I currently have a green cheek conure, a male that is around 8 years old. We are moving and considering getting him a friend because we plan on being away from our home more and don’t want him to be lonely. As it is now I am able to give him a lot of attention, but unfortunately this will not be the case once we move ?. My fiancée and I are considering moving forward with getting another green cheek to keep him company, but of course we have some concerns. One being that we will be living in an apartment complex we are already concerned about the noise level and Mango can be quite loud on his own. We are hoping that with the addition of another baby, he may be distracted and more quiet? Also will the addition of another bird keep him more entertained so that we may be away from the home longer? My last question is should I be trying to find a bird that is the same age range as Mango or is a younger bird ok?
Answer:
Hi Lauren,
These are some great questions and it is good that you are thinking ahead. A lot of bird owners have the same idea about getting their bird a companion to deal with loneliness, noise or both. I always say if you want to double the noise level, get another bird! Birds are loud but they make noise in order to communicate. The loud calls are very useful in the wild, since they can live in expansive areas. Two birds will vocalize even more, so if noise is already a concern, I wouldn’t add another bird – definitely not another conure. Also, when you get a companion for another bird, and plan for them to share a cage, you have essentially added a mate, even if the birds are the same sex. In most cases, when birds share a cage, they end up bonding and eventually they no longer want to be handled by people. So you end up with two loud birds that bite you and when that happens, the birds often end up in a parrot rescue. Birds can do fine with less attention as long as they have enough to stay occupied. Make sure Mango has plenty of toys and maybe even a mirror. A mirror can be a good companion as long as the bird doesn’t become obsessed with it. Music or TV can provide company when you are away. Cartoons are bright and have fun music, so they can keep a bird interested. Usually a PBS kids channel is good. Nature shows can be good, but if they show a predator, the bird can get very stressed. Foraging is one of the best ways to keep a bird busy. In the wild, a parrot spends most of his day foraging for food. Bird owners are learning to offer all food through foraging instead of just in a food dish. This is something you build up to – first Mango needs to learn how to forage. We recently hosted a foraging webinar and we also have several foraging videos, so I will provide the link to that playlist below. If you do get another bird, and want to keep Mango tame, then you should have a cage for the new bird and they can interact through the cage bars and be out together when you are at home to supervise. Otherwise, I would go with adding ways for Mango to stay busy when you are away.
