Companions for companion birds

[Wolf]

I am not sure about the others that you mentioned, but I do know that a parrotlet would not be a good choice. A parrotlet will without a doubt aggressively attack your GCC and that could be disasterous for the parrotlet, but they don't like other birds and are very aggressive little birds. If you look to see my profile you will see that I have several species of parrots and although I am able to have most of them out of the cage at the same time, I have to keep the parrotlet on me or it will attack all of the other birds whenever it has the opportunity to do so.

[Pajarita]

I would DEFINITELY go with a GCC of the opposite gender. GCCs are very needy little birds and love love love having a mate of their own with no negative consequences for the owner in my personal experience because they seem to have a very large heart that can love both humans and spouses in equal measure.

My GCC has a husband, he is an old, wild-caught, highly handicapped PeachFront conure but she spends 2+ hours on me and loves me to pieces (first thing she does as soon as she gets on my finger is climb up my arm and putting her beak on my cheek kiss me a couple of times SMACK SMACK -she also does the same every time I kiss her or whenever I say 'I love you' to her ). And I had another pair (they were rehomed together after been rehabilitated), both GCCs which came to me as both aggressive but, in reality, it was only the male that was, the little girl was just tired of been neglected and had turned bitey but she was fine in a matter of a couple of weeks and I also got more than enough love from them without a single prompting.

[Saerphe]

Cool. I'll definitely think about getting another GCC to keep Akimi company. Probably not for a few months at least, as I need to land a more permanent job and become more fully independent of my parents... I'm moved out right now, but still relying on their help, and may have to move back in again at the end of the summer.

As far as I know, Akimi is female... her previous owner brought her to a vet when she first got her, so I'm assuming she was DNA sexed at the time. I'll have to text her and ask.

[Navre]

I looked at a black capped conure yesterday. Sex unknown. He didn't seem to like me much but I did like the potential of that specials as a companion for my GCC. Seemed to be about the same size.

[Navre]

I would DEFINITELY go with a GCC of the opposite gender... .

Would one of the same gender be okay? So many in rescues seem to be of unknown gender.

[Wolf]

You can use birds of other species and of either gender to help to provide company for your bird, although you may not be able to allow them to live in the same cage. Sometimes they can't even be trusted to be out of their cages together and yet can sometimes provide company for the other bird. I know this is true as I have 6 birds of 5 different species and they can't all be out at the same time. My Amazon is fascinated by my Grey Who doesn't want to have contact with any of the others and just tries to run them off, but she talks to all of them and doesn't like it when one of them is not in the same room with her. My Senegal is the most accepting of them of the other species and tries to get along with them, especially with the Grey.
Always the best match is a bird of the same species and of the opposite gender, but that is no guarantee that they will get along very well. The complexities of avian interactions make everything we do to be no more than a guess as we have yet to communicate clearly enough to know what they want other than they don't want to be alone and that in most cases prefer their own species.

[liz]

I am not sure about the others that you mentioned, but I do know that a parrotlet would not be a good choice. A parrotlet will without a doubt aggressively attack your GCC and that could be disasterous for the parrotlet, but they don't like other birds and are very aggressive little birds. If you look to see my profile you will see that I have several species of parrots and although I am able to have most of them out of the cage at the same time, I have to keep the parrotlet on me or it will attack all of the other birds whenever it has the opportunity to do so.

When Rambo climbed their cage, two parrotlets attacked his feet and made him scream for help. When I got to him he was lifting his foot one at a time and getting bit on the other one.

[liz]

You can go to a rescue to see if there is one you like. If you do (even though I do not like taking birds out of the house) you could bring yours to look at it. Sometimes they want to be friends right away.

[Navre]

Right now I am babysitting my sister-in-laws 20-year-old cockatiel for 2 to 3 weeks. He just got here. I think it's a male. Orange cheek spots.

He doesn't have enough toys, he has a bottle rather than a water dish, and I don't like his cage, but I suppose I won't make many changes while he's here such a short time.

He is currently whistling to my GCC who is listening in silence.

Here is the bird.

[liz]

Such a shame.
Please give him a bowl of water. It takes too long to get a good drink from a bottle.
Almost anything can be a toy. A plastic clothes pin, twig from the back yard, crumpled piece of computer paper or a plastic spoon. If you get him a cat toy with the bell in it he will really make music.