ShOuLd I gEt aNoThEr BiRd?!?!?!?!?

Question

Ok so i have a quaker parrot who is around 1 year old, he seems lonely and he is always aggressive with everybody that talks to him or touches him or even comes near him except for me. He LOVES me and is always on my shoulder. But my concern is that he seems really lonely. I was wondering if quaker parrots are agrressive towards other quaker parrots. We want to get him a female companion and maybe they'll even have babies :) Is this a good idea? Ive heard that if you buy another bird your parrot's relationship with its owner will become a bad one. If i did buy him another quaker parrot (a girl) is it prbable that they will fight? How should I introduce them to each other?

Answer 1

No. Your parrots is going threw maturity, as all parrots do, and is displaying breeding behaviors but if you indulge him & buy him a female, he will be mean to YOU, as well.  The reason he is biting everyone else is because he percieves you as his mate, since he most likely spends the most time with you and you care for him the most.  He will then percieve everyone ELSE as threats on his mate (you) or his territory (Often the cage, or the time he spends the most time).

Quakers are also known to be quite territorial, so this is not unusual, even for a socialized Quaker.  Although, my female Quaker is 3 yrs. and she doesn't display territorial behavior.. So I think it's a male-thing?

If you buy him a bird, try to get a bird of a different species, so that they won't mate and they can just have a platonic relationship. :)  You don't want them breeding. That will make their attitude even worse, as now they'll have a nest & family to defend. You think one mean Quaker's bad? Try TWO! And then try all the little babies AND the parents!  Not fun.

That myth you heard is half-way true. It all depends on how much time you spend with your parrot after you buy it the new friend. if they are in seperate by nearby cages and you play with each of them for the same amount of time each day, seperately, they will be fine. It's only when an owner buys a bird to REPLACE the human contact aspect of Aviculture that the bird turns "un-tamed" or "wild."

Answer 2

He probably is not well socialized with everyone else and has chosen you as its "mate". However, with a little effort a bird can become part of your family "flock". I wouldn't recommend another bird unless you are willing to loose some of your cloesness with him. He may turn aggressive towards you, then again he may not it is the individual in him that will let you know.

If you get a bird of the opposite s*x they may fight and the male may get aggressive with her.

If you do choose to get another bird you introduce slowly. Separate rooms.  Then separate cages in the same room. Slowly move the cages closer together until they are next to each other.  It may be a good idea to keep separate cages to reduce territory problems.

Answer 3

That is normal behavior for birds.  They tend to bond with one person.  I wouldn't get another bird unless you plan on not playing with him anymore because he will bond with the other bird and probably not be as accepting of you.