Re: Green Cheek Conures

Question
Hello, Carol.  

I hope you may be able to answer a question or two about green cheek conures.  After a lot of research and considerable thought, I decided to get a green cheek conure.  He was 1 yr. old when I got him and since he was mostly in his cage and not handled a lot, he was a very shy and fearful bird until he felt comfortable enough at home and realized that we were his flock.  We gave him time, all the time he needed to get adjusted to his new home, and learned to read and respect all his signals and he turned out to be one of the most AMAZING creatures I have ever owned, besides our two lovely cocker spaniels who he is definitely not afraid of.  He is AlWAYS supervised when out of his cage and I would say 90% of the time he is out of his cage, either on our shoulders, on his T-perch, on the top of our couch, or monkey anywhere around where he is being supervised.  My husband and I love him very, very much and there's such a bond now it's hard to explain.  I was considering getting another conure, not only his little buddy but also because we are so fascinated by these beautiful birds.  I've done a lot of research and have asked many parrot owners and I am not sure which way to go.  

I understand that if I house them together(after letting them get to know each other), they may bond and be so close that they will want nothing to do with me.  Or I guess, the best way, would seem to have them live in separate cages, next to each other and have access through rope perches for them to visit each other and play together and so on.

A friend of mine has his birds set up that way.  He has a Dusky Conure and a Cockatiel and they hang out and play together.  

I know our baby, Kiwi, gets plenty (and then some) of attention from us but I'm sure he would love to have another buddy to play with...one of his own kind.  If I look at a bird's perspective, there's two of us (mom and dad -- humans, and two dogs, but only one of him...only one bird).

If I do get another parrot, which one would you recommend.  I wanted to get a sun conure, but I undertand if I put them in the same cage, the sun may hurt the Greeen Cheek because of his size.  I was recommended by the person who sold me Kiwi (my green cheek) to perhaps consider a blue belly myers or something similar. Also, I think I remember that he said if you get two of the same kind, like another Green Cheek, they may bond too much.

Any advise will be truly appreciated.  I will take my time to make this decision so there's no hurry but I like doing my homework and learn as much as I possibly can so that everyone is happy.  I would also consider rescuing birds as I'm a true believer or helping and rescuing those who need it the most.  There are too many neglected and unwanted parrots out there.  The only thing is that most of the rescue sites are far from my home.  Unless, they may have them at the Humane Society where I believe there are rescue parrots available.

I appreciate any feedback you can give me.

Thank you so much.

Sabrina

Answer
Whatever bird you decide to get, make sure that Kiwi gets along with it! To tell the truth, I've always left my bird decisions up to my current birds! I've never been disappointed and everyone gets along right from the start.
With that said, another green-cheek may not be a good idea because, aside from the liklihood of the bond, if there is a mistake in sexing, you may end up with babies you can't take care of properly. I don't remember if Suns and Green-cheeks can reproduce, so I would suggest researching that, too. Hybrid birds, though beautiful, have lots of health problems and behavioral issues.
Indian Ringnecks are commonly kept in households with conures, and IRNs have a temperment pretty close to that of a conure.
Parrotlets, though small, have a wonderful personality and get along great with other birds. Don't worry about the size difference, parrotlets are feisty and will stick up for themselves. Parrotlets are also very hardy birds with the capacity for a large vocabulary. They also are quite quiet in comarison to a conure, so you wont end up with two screaming birds!
Rescuing a bird is a WONDERFUL idea! There are way too many great birds in the shelter because their owners couldn't take care of them properly. The workers at rescues are also very experienced and will pair you with just the right bird for your household. Humane societies usually do have parrots, though they mostly have parakeets and cockatiels (usually babies that someone gave up because they thought they could handle breeding birds). Rescues usually are pretty far away, but you can email back and forth with them, they will pick out the birds they think will most fit you and your family, then you travel there to meet the birds, decide on one, then go home to think about it. You travel back to the rescue one more time for one-on-one time (usually they'll let you have as long as you want to play with the bird-I was there for 15 hours once) and go home for one last think-it-over session. Then you let the rescue know you want the bird, they will get all the paperwork in order, and you can take the bird home. Some rescues (mine does this) will have another step before you are allowed to take the bird home-they will send one of the workers with the bird to visit your home to make sure that the bird fits in well, and that you have the items needed to properly take care of the bird. It sounds complicated and time-consuming, but it is really worth it.
Let me know if you need help finding rescues or birds.