Thinking about getting another parrot.

[Jimstark]

Hey everyone. Just for some context, I have a make green cheek conure who is nearly a year old (got him in August when he was like 5 months old) and I love him to bits. But with college and my parents starting to work again he's started to be on his own for like 3 hours or more a day. And it hurts me really bad knowing he's on his own หมวกกันน็อค. I've provided him with plenty of toys, but at this point I'd much rather get him a buddy.

I'd rather not get another green cheek as I've heard they'll breed or potentially fight. And I'd also like to get a new type of parrot.

Ideally I'd like to get a cockatiel or a sun conure, I need to research into them more but they appeal to me the most.

I live with my parents as of now and intend on moving to an apartment. So I'll probably need an apartment friendly parrot.

If I were to get this second parrot, would I need to increase the amount of food I give them? Would I need a bigger cage and more food pots? What happens if they don't get along?

I'd appreciate any help or advice

[Pajarita]

Hi, Jim, welcome to the forum (you might want to correct your profile as you have 'Australian parrot' on it when, in reality, you have a South American parrot.

Now, as to what you should get. If what you want is a second parrot, then you can get whatever species you prefer BUT if what you want is a companion for the one you have, then get a female GCC because that is what is going to make your male GCC happy. Can a sun conure or a cockatiel bond with your male GCC? Yes, they can. Will either one actually bond with him? Well, that's the $64,000 question and nobody can tell you with any certainty what the answer will be. They might bond, they might tolerate each other or they might not like each other.

You say that you do not want to get a female for your male because you are afraid they will fight but males never fight females in nature (the only examples we have are of captive animals doing this and it is ALWAYS and WITHOUT EXCEPTION because of bad husbandry). The other argument is that you don't want them to breed but that is super easy to prevent: all you have to do is keep them at a strict solar schedule (which you have to do anyway - even with only one single bird), not free-feed protein food (which you have to do anyway - even with only one single bird) and, during breeding season, if they happen to nest and lay eggs (unlikely if you don't give them a nest), switch the real eggs with plastic ones. I have been keeping parrots since 1992, have had many bonded pairs and have never produced babies. Well, actually, it happened twice: once with lovebirds that hid their nest under a piece of furniture and were smart enough to show up to eat twice a day every day so I never realized they had a nest - and a pair of budgies that made their nest in a plant pot hanging from the ceiling with a plant in it so, again, I missed the nest. But that was when I had over 200 birds and flocks of lovies and budgies of more than 30 birds flying all over the place all the time. When you keep a bird in a cage, it's impossible not to see the eggs.

If you decide to go with another species, you will need two separate cages because you cannot house birds that are not mate-bonded together. By the way, sun conures are NOT apartment birds (they vocalize often and loudly).