Should I get him/her a friend?

Question
QUESTION: I have a 19 year old african grey. He has not been sexed so I don't know his sex. He has three diet coke cans that are his "babies". He feeds them and sings to them all the time. If I take them away from him he becomes a very angry bird and bites. He has never laid an egg but he has "mated" with these cans until I just started to let him keep the cans. Then he just takes care of them.
Way Cool is an only bird and always has been. Should I get him a mate? Do you think this behavior means he wants to mate?


ANSWER: Hello Jacquie and thank you for your post.
It does sound like he is actually a he, and it is coming towards the end of mating season.  It is strictly up to you if you want to get him a mate, but please keep in mind that it takes a lot of time and money to raise baby birds, and if you do not have the time, then he'll be fine with his Diet Coke cans.  It is something that he feels that he can take care of.
On another note, if he is thinking of these cans as a mate, he might actually reject a real mate and this could really cause problems.

Good luck and God Bless.
Dianna

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Why do you think this is male behavior, because he doesn't lay eggs? Do you think he would enjoy the company of another male gray?

Answer
Hello again Jacquie.
It is usually the males that will try to take care of its "mate", even though this may or may not be another bird.  
Bringing another male Grey could cause problems, as he may reject a new friend.  And if he does not reject the new friend, he may become too attatched to the other bird and less attatched to you.  This can cause him to be less friendly to you.

God Bless.
Dianna