Update on Simo the ringneck! :)

[Wolf]

:budgie: It may be that tiels are too sweet for their own good! Perhaps an adopted budgie would do better then? It's just that I'd really rather adopt than get a new one if a bird needs a home; we're also home a lot so at least I can keep a keen eye on them!

That is all I am trying to say. I think that while ringnecks may be very sweet birds, I don't have any of this species, they also have a very large and powerful beak. The very first thing that I have found to be recommended when adding birds to one's flock is to take into account the birds size and personality, also pay attention to the size and strength of their beaks. From there it seems that the sky is the limit.

In most situations, as long as they are not confined to the same cage, a smaller bird can escape from a larger bird as it is faster, but a cockatiel will not always run as it wants to join the other birds flock so it risks its life to do so. Almost any other bird would be a better match for Simo.

[liz]

I definatly agree with Wolf.

[Pajarita]

Hmmm, tiels are very mild-tempered, no doubt about that! But I don't see IRNs as been aggressive to other birds... they are aviary birds and like birds better than they like people. In any case, I would not get a budgie. It would be unfair to it because they need another budgie to be happy.

[Wolf]

I can't say how aggressive IRN's are, but I do know that if one decided to be aggressive towards a cockatiel that the cockatiel would be vastly outmatched and would very likely keep trying to join the other birds flock. I have read that IRN's in the wild are often seen in the company of other birds including crows which are not parrots and even roosting with them. This does say a lot in favor of the IRN. But I do notice that these are also birds that could defend themselves from the IRN if it came down to it. They may well be gentle enough to accept a cockatiel, but I don't know this so I am only saying that one would want to be careful and keep a close watch to prevent any problems.

[seagoatdeb]

Cockatiels are very different in that they do not need much in the way of boundaries, and other parrots like to know how their realtionship with the flock is and like their routines, so when cockatiels do not respect routines the same way it builds up resentments in the other parrots. Any parrot with a bigger beak is a threat to a cocktiel. It doesnt matter if the other parrot is a flock type of parrot, they like to have a relationship with established boundaries, and the cockatiels do not understand those boundaries. Cockatiels tend to be instantly forgiving and do not expect the resentment the other parrot species can have. That is my opinion anyway.

Liz, I sure hear what you are saying. Sunny and Gaugan have a realtionship where Gaguan makes the rules. When she thinks Sunny is not respecting her boundaries she will chase him off things. But they are very close and have a close realtionship with each other. There have the same size beaks, but Gaugan is a slightly larger bird, and more experienced and is a very determined character. Sunny just wants to get along with everyone, and is very forgiving.

[Pajarita]

Hmmm, I don't know if I agree that some species have boundaries and others don't... I don't think it would work for a social species not to have boundaries. I would be chaos if they didn't and flocks are always very organized groups with no in-fighting unless we are talking about breeding behaviors. In my personal experience with tiels, if they have another tiel, they don't bother with any other birdy and only try to get close to another species if they are alone - and it's the same with budgies and lovebirds, they just stick together and ignore the other birds.

[seagoatdeb]

Hmmm, I don't know if I agree that some species have boundaries and others don't... I don't think it would work for a social species not to have boundaries. I would be chaos if they didn't and flocks are always very organized groups with no in-fighting unless we are talking about breeding behaviors. In my personal experience with tiels, if they have another tiel, they don't bother with any other birdy and only try to get close to another species if they are alone - and it's the same with budgies and lovebirds, they just stick together and ignore the other birds.

I dont agree that some species have boundaries and others don't either, and I never said that.....lol
I said some have less. The OP is wondering if he should add a cockteil with his Ringneck, so thats what I was talking about.

[liz]

While looking for a home in FL I checked out any property with at least an acre of land. One of the homes was also an avian shelter. He had big flight cages even for the Macaws. There was only one IRN and he was in with the cockatiels. I considered getting the IRN and putting him in the Cockatiel room but I was still traveling and did not get him. I wish I had. He seemed to be part of the flock until a human came near. He would then try to communicate while hanging on the side of the cage. He wanted human contact even though he had Cockatiels.

[Wolf]

Cockatiels may be wonderful birds, but I believe that given how defenseless they are in comparison to other parrots, and given their need to join in to the other birds flock that they may be their own worst enemy as the effect of their constantly trying to become part of the other birds flock is cumulative. The longer and more often that it tries to become the other birds flock mate the more annoying that it becomes to the other bird causing the other bird to develop a more intense aversion to the cockatiel gradually the longer that it continues, resulting in a bird that originally did not mind it too much to begin with to reach the point where it absolutely despises cockatiels. That is my biggest concern with having cockatiels with other parrot species that are more aggressive than cockatiels.

I do not mind having to keep an eye on my Grey's responses to other birds when they are out together because as long as they keep some distance from her she will not attack them, so it is not too difficult to manage. I believe that it would be much more difficult if one of my birds were a cockatiel. And Greys are not known to be very aggressive toward most other parrots. They tend to ignore most other parrots as long as the other parrot keeps a little distance between them.

Simo is of a species of parrot that tolerates other bird species with little or no aggression, so it may indeed work out well enough with a cockatiel, I don't know. I am just trying to say that I would be careful and keep a close watch over such a pairing, due to the cockatiels defenselessness in regards to other parrots as well as to the cockatiels own nature in trying to be a part of the group/ flock. It is the cockatiel that I am concerned about getting injured.

[Pajarita]

I think that it would be OK if she gets two cockatiels... especially if they are a male/female pair. I think they will stick together and not bother much with the IRN BUT, at the same time, it would provide Simo a bit of a flock 'feeling' which I am sure he would appreciate.

The thing is that Viatrixa has little choice in the species of birds she has available and that cockatiels and budgies seem to be the only two she can adopt...