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What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

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What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Mona » Sun Oct 04, 2009 2:33 pm

Many species of parrots evolved in flocks. They have sophisticated social networks and the flocks serve many, many purposes from helping to identify and evade predators, raising young and finding resources. When we have multiple birds in our home, they tend to view their role in the household as they would their role in a flock.

This can create a problem if you have different species of parrots because some species can be more aggressive towards each other than others. This behavior has a function because it is probably why that species survived to evolve in their specific ecological niche. You can modify these behaviors but it is difficult to completely eliminate them. To understand behaviors, it is always a good idea to read as much as you can find about how that particular species survived in its wild environment. This background reading may not give you answers, but it will help you understand certain behaviorial tendencies which also may help you learn how to modify those tendencies.

For those of you with multiple birds, how do you manage flock compatability? Do you think that same species or same continent species do better together than multiple species? What species of birds do you think do well together and what species do you think are incompatible? :cockatiel:
Mona in Seattle
Phinneous Fowl (aka Phinney) TAG
Babylon Sengal
Doug (spousal unit)
Jack and Bailey (Gremlins)
Kiri (CAG)
http://www.flyingparrotsinside.com

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Mona
Poicephalus
 
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Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrots, Congo African Grey, Timneh African Grey
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Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Michael » Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:11 pm

I don't really know, my :senegal: seems to hate my :budgie: :?

But I was wondering where you learned about wild Senegals from? As far as I'm concerned, besides a short blurb in the parrot encyclopedia, the Senegal Parrot Guide, and a couple internet sites, there isn't anything out there about them! If someone wrote a 500 page book all about Senegals, their habitat, flock dynamics, social aspects, pet ownership, etc and sold it for $100, I'd still be all over that. But there just doesn't seem to be anything good out there!
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Natacha » Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:32 pm

Mona wrote:For those of you with multiple birds, how do you manage flock compatability?


I'm lucky, my birds get along reasonably well and can come out together.
When I got my lovebird, I was still living at my parents and she got put in the same room as my parents' two lovebirds; they all had their own cages but were aloud out at the same time and played together. She was immediately placed in a flock environment (other than her family) and this might have helped make her who she is now.

I was also living at my parents' when I got Shade. My parents took her brother so they had each other to play with (they both had their own cages). Shade and Nemo were placed in my parents' birdroom for larger birds. At the time, I *believe* there were two African Greys and one Sulfur crested cockatoo (that flock has since grown in numbers). So her, like Piper, was used to seeing other birds in her entourage early on, even though I didn't allow her to interact one-on-one with my mom's bigger birds.

When I moved into my apartment, I was a little afraid of how the transition would go since even though they lived in the same house, Shade and Piper rarely saw each other as they were on totally different floors in the house. To my surprise (and delight), things went really well, Shade wanting to be friends early on (trying to get her head groomed by Piper). To this day, Shade will protect Piper if any of the other birds tries to go after her.

Then came Joey. While I was pondering getting him or not, my biggest fear was that I would undo the nice balance I had between Piper and Shade. My boyfriend said we should get him and we did and things did go well. Shade occasionally would play with him, but most of the time they did their own thing. There wasn't any sign of discord between Joey and Piper either.

Petey was the next to join. This didn't go as well as the other previous integrations. She was older and set in her ways and didn't appear to have been social with other birds much prior to coming here. It's been hard at times, but she's slowly seems to be coming around and wanting to be a member of the flock rather than being alone in her corner. I'm hoping things will continue to go this way.

Zuri came to live with us last January. Her and Shade seem to be becoming really good friends. She likes flying after Joey but not to attack. It seems to be in good fun. Because when he stops being chicken and flying away and stays put and she lands next to him, she either just stays there or flies away to do something else. Which really makes me think she wants to play.

Mona wrote:Do you think that same species or same continent species do better together than multiple species? What species of birds do you think do well together and what species do you think are incompatible? :cockatiel:


This is an interesting question. I want to say that yes, same continent birds might do better together. Based on what I've seen here, it seems to be true. My mom has birds from African (3 Greys, one Sennie and a Meyer's) and birds from Australia/Indonesia (namely 4 cockatoos) living in the same room and there seems to be some clashes between some of them at times. Two of the Greys definitively don't seem to be big fans of some of the cockatoos.
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
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Natacha
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1277
Location: Ontario, Canada
Number of Birds Owned: 7
Types of Birds Owned: PF Lovebird, Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied Parrots, Meyer's Parrot, Cape Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Michael » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:17 pm

OMG 3 greys and 4 cockatoos!!!!!?????
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Natacha » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:26 pm

My parents' flock as it is now..
2 PF Lovebirds
1 Senegal
1 Meyer's
3 African Greys
4 Cockatoos (2 Sulfur crested, 1 Moluccan and 1 Umbrella).
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
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Natacha
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1277
Location: Ontario, Canada
Number of Birds Owned: 7
Types of Birds Owned: PF Lovebird, Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied Parrots, Meyer's Parrot, Cape Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Michael » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:35 pm

I don't know how they could deal with that many! All this because you got her started on a lovebird???
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Natacha » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:40 pm

Yeah that Lovebird started it all.
She did have budgies growing up though. And one of those budgies was a real good talker.

Anyways, to get back on topic ( ;) ), her birds are actually not too bad together, but there are certain of them that she has to keep separated.
The harmony isn't the same as what I have.
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
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Natacha
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1277
Location: Ontario, Canada
Number of Birds Owned: 7
Types of Birds Owned: PF Lovebird, Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied Parrots, Meyer's Parrot, Cape Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Michael » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:42 pm

But 4 cockatoos.... the kind of noise and attention, phew. :cockatoo2:
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Natacha » Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:43 pm

They aren't that bad actually. I'd rather hear 4 'toos screaming than a bunch of conures.
And they don't scream all that much.
She's got her birds on a schedule and as long as she follows it, they aren't too bad. If they should be out and aren't....well they might become more noisy ;)
My blog http://poiworld.blogspot.com/
Videos of my birds http://www.youtube.com/user/poicephaluslady
Piper ~ Lovebird
Shade ~ Senegal
Joey & Pixel ~ Red-bellied parrots
Petey & Zuri ~ Meyer's parrots
Léa ~ Cape parrot
User avatar
Natacha
African Grey
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 1277
Location: Ontario, Canada
Number of Birds Owned: 7
Types of Birds Owned: PF Lovebird, Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied Parrots, Meyer's Parrot, Cape Parrot
Flight: Yes

Re: What is flock compatability and how do you manage it?

Postby Kathleen » Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:48 pm

Are your other birds afraid to approach Petey? Have they learned to be afraid of her or they don't seem to remember that she is aggressive?
Kathleen
Amazon
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 621
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Flight: Yes

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