birdie friends

[cant_have_just_one]

I keep seeing pictures with multiple birds some of different species. How do birds get to become friends? How do keep them from hurting one another if they don't like one another once you introduce them? How do introduce them? Are all species capable of being freinds? If they have a bird friend will they loose interest in me?

[Tiki]

I have 9 cockatiels who all get along, in fact they are all related to each other except for Manu and Koro. Tiels are pretty peaceful birds and won't be agressive to other species. Quakers are territorial but I have been getting them used to each other slowly. Sometimes I put Chaska in the tiels room, sometimes I bring the tiels in where Chaska's cage is. SHe no longer tries to run them off which is a good sign. She doesn't play with them either but its early days, I have only had her for 2 months!

[Monica]

There are some species that should never be put together, such as lovebirds with any other species (though there are some exceptions), parrotlets, or even macaws with any type of dust bird (cockatoos, greys, cockatiels....). Bird's generally become friends when one takes an interest in another (a lot like humans), however some species shouldn't be together because of a major size difference.

The best way to introduce two birds is either in a neutral area or slowly via cages coming closer and closer together. I use to have my budgies and bourkes together, though the bourkes went downhill so to speak (racing hormones, for one!) so it was better to just keep them seperate (or atleast untill they are no longer starving eachother and breeding season is over.... not sure how that's possible with one flirty little budgie!!!!). I do however have two birds that are currently living cage-free, Noel and Casey.

I got Casey in Nov 01, as a 5-6 month old cockatiel that was fully handraised and loved attention. Noel I got in December of the same year, and she just hated humans! She bit, screamed, and mutilated herself. With Casey it was instant love as she couldn't keep away from Noel (no matter how afraid I was that Noel would hurt Casey). To say the least bit, I needed Casey's help to get Noel into better condition and for her to atleast accept handling and being around humans. Casey still LOVES, no ADORES her attention (even if I've been gone for a while, as long as she can get her scritches she's happy!), and Noel allows handling, occasional headscritches, and kisses! If I take Noel away, Casey screams till Noel is back in her site. If I take Casey away, it's fine unless it's been far too long or if Casey is stuck somewhere (i.e. a cage!) and must come back that instant!

However, giving this circumstance, I don't recommend housing cockatiels with the larger conure species (quakers included) because these birds have much larger beaks than the tiels. However, there will ALWAYS be exceptions, and to say the least, Noel and Casey have been living together for about 3 years now (the first thing that they had to get fixed in the 'relationship' was Noel falling from her perch in the middle of the night scaring Casey half to death.... Luckily, Noel doesn't lean forward as far anymore to fall off a perch!)