Introducing two Senegals

[Laurie Feldman]

Very helpful info as my first instinct would have been to see if she were eating. Toilet is covered at all times. I will keep the sink DRY!

Yes, he is a good, good boy and we're so proud of him. His early months were not so happy and I'm just glad he's adjusted to be a happy, tranquil, and loving bird. Even after she drives him nuts and I take her out of his cage he seems SO happy and calls me all his sweet names for me ("amore" and "Sweetie pie" and "sweet sweet sweetie").

You suggested using the natural time clock for them. Interestingly enough, as they've gotten to know each other, they are BOTH getting sleepy earlier, as the light fades. He used to be a total CLOCK and it was ALWAYS 9PM that he called to go to the bedroom (other than the few days around daylight savings time). Now, he is calling to go to bed about an hour earlier - when the light fades. So fascinating. She is still wanting to stay up late and cuddle, but I'm limiting that and getting her into her cage shortly after he goes to bed. Before, she would fuss and fuss. Now, she goes right to her sleeping position and fast to sleep. You have been very helpful

[Pajarita]

Yes, that is exactly what is supposed to happen - and it's soooo cool when you think about it, isn't it? I usually only explain the sexual hormone production or non-production when I recommend the strict solar schedule but, in reality, it's so much more than that because photoperiodism governs both the circadian AND the circannual cycles. The different seasons (courtship, nesting, breeding, molting, resting) fall under the circannual cycle and it relates directly to the different lengths of daylight that happen during the year (longer days after the winter solstice - equal lengths at the equinoxes - and shorter after the summer solstice). But the different spectrum of the light as the sun rises, reaches its zenith and then descends into sunset is what sets their circadian cycle and this cycle also governs their behaviors (or daily routine). As you had already noted, they stop for a nap smack in the middle of the day (sun zenith) but the sunrise makes them hungry and avid for exercise while the waning light of the sun setting first makes them hungry for their dinner and then makes them drowsy. And this knowledge is very useful for us, bird keepers, because a bird that follows a normal bird routine is a content bird.

You are VERY observant and that is an essential quality of a good birdkeeper - kudos to you for that!

[Laurie Feldman]

An update on little Mimi, (female Senegal), who is now 9 months old, and her big "brother" You-You, 13 year old male Senegal. When we're home (which I often am for extended periods), they are in the same cage. She sleeps in her own cage (her preference), and when I go out I put her in her cage, separating them. They are now deeply bonded. They groom each other, play, feed each other, and chat all the time. She is no longer quite so "all over him" as she was when she was tiny, though certainly she can get exuberant and also a little aggressive about taking his treats from him. His "punishment" is not to bite her, but rather to "bonk" her beak with his beak. The breeder she came from says it's time to feel ok about leaving them together even when we're out. What are your opinions?

[Pajarita]

Awww, what great news, Laurie! You guys are doing a fabulous job of it! Personally, I would do it gradually (I ALWAYS do everything gradually with any of my parrots, no matter how long I've had the bird and how much I think I know how it would react - better safe than sorry!). Like, I would put them together and run a very short errand (maybe one hour?) and keep it an one hour for a while, then increase to two hours for a while, and so on and so forth. She is not yet sexually mature so there is really no danger of her laying fertile eggs and he seems to be very restrained with her so there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of danger to doing it - but I would still take my time and observe their reactions.

[Laurie Feldman]

Thanks, Pajarita. The only time they've been alone has been when her cage fell apart and I HAD to go get another one, leaving them alone. Which was about 45 minutes. I'll do another test of about an hour, and build it up, as you suggest, gradually. We were concerned he might hurt her, but that seems very unlikely to me, given how he looks at her and how he treats her. He does some "dancing and grunting", regurgitation, with her, (well, she vomits for him, too!!), but has never jumped on top of her. I was afraid of him becoming aggressive with frustration at her exuberance, but he's not made any attempt to mate. We'll go slow with it. They do have SUCH a great time when I get home and put them together - as if they'd not seen each other for YEARS, so sweet.

[Pajarita]

Yes, there is nothing that enriches a bird's life more than having a companion of their own species! Unfortunately, there is this myth that is still going around that you need to keep a bird single in order to bond with it - which is NOT true! - but anybody who has seen two birds that like/love each other together can easily see how happy they are with one another.

[Laurie Feldman]

He had a very solitary, sad life before he came to us at 11 months, and has overcome many many behavior issues. He just gets more and more stable and healthy as the days with her pass. When I see the love in his eyes as he looks at her, I only wish we'd brought a baby home sooner for him. Their love is so sweet. One day we'll have to decide about the mating issue. I have no idea what to do when the time comes, or what is best for them. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

[Laurie Feldman]

Update - they have been spending more and more time together in his cage. Last night, she fell asleep in his cage, so I let her stay there. If she is not happy, she cries immediately, but she was very calm and tranquil. They sleep in our room, so I knew I'd hear her if she protested. They were roosting on perches across from one another. At some point in the night, I heard rustling and looked. He had crossed the cage and was sleeping pressed up against her, very close. That's how they spent the night. They woke up this morning happy and doing their usual morning things: him, talking to us, saying "amore", and making kisses, and her crying for cuddles, as she does every morning. So we'll see if she wishes to stay with him tonight....

[Pajarita]

That's GREAT news, Laurie!!! Birds that roost together are usually VERY comfortable with one another - I say 'usually' because there are cases (mostly in aviary species) when one of them wants he closeness but the other one doesn't and just puts up with it.

[Laurie Feldman]

Dear Pajarita, what do you mean by aviary species? By the way, we just had another comfy, tranquil night.