How do you choose the perfect buddy for your parrot or parakeet?
Let's be honest, we humans also want to be able to choose our own mates and not just be "stuck" with anyone. It's no different for a parrot or parakeet. They either like each other or they don't. So, they should be able to choose their own mate. In nature, mate selection isn't a given. In nature, the female determines which male is chosen. The female assesses the male's health and vitality to ensure the health and vitality of the offspring. This means that males in the wild must be at their best and in top condition in the hope of being chosen. So, mate selection in a domestic setting or at a breeder's is not comparable to the natural, free choice of partners in nature.
We also need to realize that when aggression occurs between birds, it almost always involves members of the same species. Darwin also described this in his famous book on the origin of species, written in 1859. It aligns with what I, as a bird watcher, constantly see in nature. Territorial, aggressive behavior is almost always directed at members of the same species, while non-birds are left alone.
As an avian veterinarian, it was a reason for me many years ago to advise keeping two birds of different species together as pets. What I've seen happen for many years is the development of "unlikely friendships." No different from the relationship between a person and their dog/cat/horse, etc. These relationships/friendships can be very close. I see this between Dorus, my 72-year-old Yellow-fronted Amazon, and Tommie, my 28-year-old African Grey Parrot, and with all those owners with different species.
We give a few tips:
- Do not place a man and doll of the same species together. If it doesn't click, there is a big problem. If it does click, there is also a big problem if the birds start to show partner behavior and the female even starts laying eggs. Under these unnatural conditions, birds develop insecurity, territorial behavior/aggressive behavior and therefore also welfare problems.
- Do not place two dolls of the same kind together. The chance that they will influence each other hormonally is high, both birds can lay eggs, with all the misery that entails.
- The advice is to keep birds of different species. For example, a budgerigar and a cockatiel or an amazon and a gray redstart. The chance that things will go well between different species is much greater than between conspecifics. Unlikely friendships arise, as can happen with friendships. Never force birds to sit together in one cage. Give them each their own cage and offer them the opportunity to visit each other outside the cage. The outcome may be that the birds still want to be in the same cage together and that is nice, but if they do not want it, then that must be fine too. They probably get along well together outside the cage.
Other pets and especially children can also be ideal companions for the birds. This can also create invaluable relationships, which can often be better than between 2 conspecifics.
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