What is a friendly inter-parrot relationship?

[Michael]

Ok, we've heard lots about aggression problems in multi-parrot homes. What I'd like to know are the success stories. When someone says that their parrots get along, what exactly do they mean? Is this just the absence of fighting or is there something good actually going on between the birds? I'm particularly interested in inter-species relationships and how this was achieved.

[ptuga72]

I think I am in the beginning of what will be a success story. Scarlet can be territorial and aggressive towards my husband and myself, but for some reason she sweet as pie to Jake. When we first moved them into the same room, she hated him. But after a few weeks she began to sing and whistle to him. When he cries (as in wants to be with me but can't) she'll tell him to step-up and "good boy jake!". At night she whistles the golden girls theme song to him and talks to him until they both fall asleep. They are not allowed to share playtop/playtree space or be in close proximity (out of cage) yet, but I am now able to trust her out of her cage with out me hovering over her.
What I think is a success here is that while it may never be really safe for them to share playtop space, they do like each other. It has started to become more than just tolerating the other one. They contact call each other, she yells at me if he is mad or nervous about something (usually just needed the blinds closed), and he does what he can to reciprocate.
I think that it all boiled down to my birds' personalities. Jake wants to play with everyone and everything, he's not afraid of anything. Scarlet can be a hard nut to crack, but when she starts to trust you, you can see she's really just a big softy.

[Kim S]

A succes to me is where two birds dont attack oneanother and kan live with eachother outside of their cages without agression. They dont need to be 'best friends' since thats what I'm there for

Kika and Guus get along on that level. Kika always wants to groom Guus, but Guus thinks: "bugger off". He first tries to beak Kika off and then, if that fails, flies away. Since Kika is still clipped he can't follow. They can sit on the same perch without fighting (a litlle beaking is fine with me, just establishing peckingorder again), they can play with me and they can eat out of the same bowl without fighting.
I wonder if this could change when Kika is flighted again?

All I need to keep an eye on is when Kika is in his cage and the little cockatiels are out. They tend to sit in Kika's cage and Kika will snap at their toes

[Natacha]

Personally, I'm happy with lack of fighting. In this case, I do say they've learned to get along (let each other be), but I wouldn't say they are friends.

I do have two of them which I think are friendly together.





They will often preen each other, stand close to each other, play together. Now, occasionally they still have a little tiff but it's short lived and think about it, it does occasionally happen that you will have a small fight with someone you care about.

I have no problems leaving these two together out in a room with limited supervision. Wouldn't do that with the others.

[Rue]

I agree. If they don't hurt each other you're doing well. If they actually groom each other you've won the lottery!

My Pi and the Amazon tolerate each other. They can be together and I'm not worried about anyone hurting anyone else. They squabble like my kids do.

The CAG - she's not so nice. She won't go out of her way to go after the others, but I don't trust her not to injure one of them if she could, so if all three are out at once, I make sure there's space between them.

The Pi bullied my old male 'tiel...but never to the point of a 'fight'. The 'tiel held his ground! But I tried to avoid those. No one bothers the hens.

The budgies (when my daughter used to bring them to the family room, she doesn't anymore) would bully the 'tiels, but again, no real aggression. They also liked to 'dive bomb' everyone.

We could, and have had, all 7 of them out at once - keeping a close eye out just in case...

But mostly I'll have either the 'tiels out, or the larger parrots out...just keeps things simpler...

[lzver]

They will often preen each other, stand close to each other, play together. Now, occasionally they still have a little tiff but it's short lived and think about it, it does occasionally happen that you will have a small fight with someone you care about.

If you take away the 'They will often preen each other' it sounds like you could be talking about kids as well.

[Natacha]

They will often preen each other, stand close to each other, play together. Now, occasionally they still have a little tiff but it's short lived and think about it, it does occasionally happen that you will have a small fight with someone you care about.

If you take away the 'They will often preen each other' it sounds like you could be talking about kids as well.

I thought the same thing as I was writing it