Hi Jamie,
Getting a pet bird another as a companion is a common mistake. The thing is, we are a substitute for another bird as a companion. Adult birds don’t have multiple companions or mates in the wild. Once they bond with a mate, they stop interacting with others in the flock. So your male is bonded to you, and as far as he is concerned, this new bird is an intruder. She is also much younger than he is, so he doesn’t even view her as a potential mate. You need to be careful with having them out together, because if he gets hormonal and does show interest in her, he may get very aggressive with her since she is much too young to breed. Even if you had gotten another male, you would have the same issues. It is best to keep them separate for more than one reason. If they do bond, they will end up no longer wanting to interact with you. She is way too young to lay eggs – she should be at least 2 before being introduced to a male. So if they get too close and her hormones get triggered, she might try to lay eggs, and at her age, she is at a high risk of becoming egg bound and dying. I would keep them pretty much separate until she is at least two, because of the risk of her trying to lay eggs while she isn’t physically ready. At that point, if you allow them to bond, you will lose them as pets. I would handle them at different times, not allow them out together, and just let them talk to each other from their cages. Your intentions were good, but since these are still a wild species, they act on instinct. They aren’t like a domestic dog or cat that enjoy having another dog or cat around.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
