Newbie - bird selection

[DazBat]

Hello!

This is my first post so be gentle !!

I am looking at getting my first parrot and after lots of advice and spending time with breeders (in the UK) I have decided to get a senegal.

Last week though, I visited a parrot santuray and they adviced that when keeping any parrot you should always purchase two, they told me that this helps keep the bird company while we are at work but also prolongs the 'pet life' of the parrot.

Can anyone confirm that this is true ? We were looking at just one parrot but would consider getting 2 if that was best for the parrot and us.

If two is best, are we better with 2 senegals or can I maybe mix ? we were looking at maybe another senegal or yellow sided conure ???

Your help and advice would be appreciated.

Darren

[Tiki]

Parrots are flock creatures and do get lonely if left alone during the day. Some people have success with leaving a tv or radio on. I have 12 birds who share a large indoor aviary so they are never lonely. If you do get two birds, make sure they are the same sex so they don't breed.

[poi_lover]

As long as you provide a large cage, toys, a play area, and one-on-one time with a bird on a daily basis, it should be fine by itself. If you get two Sennies and keep them in the same cage, there is a good chance they will bond very closely to each other you will lose a pet. If you decide to get two, you should really keep them in separate cages and let them out to play together on a playstand. I would recommend only getting one if that's all you feel you are up for. You will have to spend individual time with each one if you get two.

[MiniMama]

I got a mini macaw, and four months got another. Boy and girl. They share the same cage, have bonded, but yep- they really like me too. It's much better to have two, because it takes the pressure off as being their only source of entertainment. I really lucked out, though, in that they play wonderfully together and still play nicely with me. (However, as I type, they are fighting over a toy... so not always play nicely together.)

[DazBat]

Thanks for the advice, still not sure which way to go but will def get 2 at the same time (prob from the same batch) if we go for two, at least then they will grow up together and have more chance of liking each other !

The liking only birds does worry me but I'm sure they will be not spending much time in the cage once the kids and the rest of the family get home so hopefully that should not be a problem.

Thanks for the info !

[Monica]

I've heard of some countries that have rules such as you can only have a minimum of two birds at a time or else they wont be happy, and that they must have a large cage/aviary to live in... I don't really agree that it's a must to have two birds of every type that you'd like to keep, especially how some birds don't get along together in the first place! For ex, I have a female cockatiel who hates other birds, and tolerates human interaction. I already have other tiels which she's currently living with, and she 'forces' them out of the way. I am hoping though that they will be able to teach her some necessary skills.... but other than that she's really "fine" on her own! I also have a cherry head conure and her best buddy is a cockatiel!

All I'm saying though, is don't get pressured into getting two birds if you really only want one. Yes, birds can benefit from being around others, but they too can benefit from the interaction they get from their human companions. It's likely that two birds are more likely to bond together rather than their human counterpart(s), but at the same time if given plenty of daily interaction they can enjoy being with people too.

As for getting two birds, if you want to get two from the same clutch, please be sure that they are the same sex as you wouldn't want any siblings mating together in the future. If you get two birds of the opposite sex you might want to consider keeping them in individual cages from the start to reduce any possible breeding when they mature.

[Buteo]

If this is your first parrot, I'd say try only one at first.
Senegals are very nice birds, but can be a bit of a handful too - 2 might overwhem ya.

[DazBat]

Thank you for all the advice .... I will stick with just one parrot .... just wanted to do whats best for the parrot