Caique and GCC

[orphansparrow]

Hello all,

It's been a while. Duckie is doing great, and all is well.

This week I have been trying to decide on whether or not to get a white bellied Caique that I met. I read the forum of the Good, bad, and ugly on Caiques, and saw that they can be bird aggressive at times.

Duckie has been my only for about 7-8 years now, and I always wanted to get another bird, it just hasn't happened yet.

Now, this Caique apparently loves me like no other. We have interacted several times, and the people who know "him" say they have never seen him take so much to someone. (Could be just a mood - who knows). He is extremely cuddly and playful as would be expected in a Caique.

My biggest concern is Duckie's happiness in this scenario. I know it's never a guarantee that two birds will like each other, but I don't want her to spend her life being stalked by a naughty Caique. On the other hand, I am willing to have my put up with a myriad of bad behaviors. I'm not one to think the animal is at fault. I know I can give him a great home, and love him despite whatever.

So I guess I'm just feeling around for some sage advice, personal stories, anything at all while I'm in the deciding process.

Thank you!!!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

You might have to give them separate out of cage times, so be prepared for that. You wouldn’t want the time you spend with Duckie to lessen. If you could swing that, then your current bird might enjoy the company of another bird when you are not home, even if they don’t get along. Of course they will need separate cages.

 

[Fritzgerald16]

Hello all,

It's been a while. Duckie is doing great, and all is well.

This week I have been trying to decide on whether or not to get a white bellied Caique that I met. I read the forum of the Good, bad, and ugly on Caiques, and saw that they can be bird aggressive at times.

Duckie has been my only for about 7-8 years now, and I always wanted to get another bird, it just hasn't happened yet.

Now, this Caique apparently loves me like no other. We have interacted several times, and the people who know "him" say they have never seen him take so much to someone. (Could be just a mood - who knows). He is extremely cuddly and playful as would be expected in a Caique.

My biggest concern is Duckie's happiness in this scenario. I know it's never a guarantee that two birds will like each other, but I don't want her to spend her life being stalked by a naughty Caique. On the other hand, I am willing to have my put up with a myriad of bad behaviors. I'm not one to think the animal is at fault. I know I can give him a great home, and love him despite whatever.

So I guess I'm just feeling around for some sage advice, personal stories, anything at all while I'm in the deciding process.

Thank you!!!

Is there any way you can introduce them before taking the WBC home?
Mine was OK until she hit like 18 months old. Now the only bird she doesn't try to kill is her sister we occasionally see at the parrot store (but caique playing still kinda looks like murder ).
I've been working on teaching my parakeets that she is a murder chicken and should be avoided. Now they can be out together as long as they stay away from her and me. She gets insanely jealous if I am holding them and not her.
She just somehow knows to steer clear of my macaw, like she knows that fight would not end well.

Everyone recommends similar beak sizes, and if you want them in contact that is true of caiques, I think a GCC is on the small side to hold its own against a WBC. It really all depends on the bird though and you'll never know until they meet!

 

[saroj12]

Don’t complicate your life. Your best option is to get another gcc.

 

[Akoni]

It's pretty likely that they won't get along. My caique came into our household when she was a baby. The cockatiel was here first, and due to those unique circumstances, at 6 years old, she is still bonded to him. I think they are an exception. She has been extremely aggressive towards the other birds she has met since then. She stayed with my friend who has a sun conure and wanted blood. To the point that she was obsessive about it.

My caique loves every new person that she meets. She was recently regurgitating for my female friend that she had just met. Not to burst your bubble, but it could be the same way with this caique.

A caique is the polar opposite of a GCC. Mine is wonderfully crazy and makes me laugh often. But get the bird for you, with no expectations that how she behaves in the store is how she'll behave in your home.

 

[Mizzely]

If you can swing the out of cage times being separate, it is doable. But having had to do that before with Gizmo (Koopa and her did not get along) it was definitely a LOT more work and the birds DID have less out of cage time because of it.

 

[finchly]

My caique is 10 months old. She has been chasing cockatiels for at least 2 months now, and she means business. If she’’s out even for one second when they are, she is after them. She is a darling with people — it’s birds she doesn’t like. I know it sounds harsh but I know exactly what @saroj12 means. You will complicate your life if you do it, and everybody’s out of cage time gets cut in half.

 

[saroj12]

My caique is 10 months old. She has been chasing cockatiels for at least 2 months now, and she means business. If she’’s out even for one second when they are, she is after them. She is a darling with people — it’s birds she doesn’t like. I know it sounds harsh but I know exactly what @saroj12 means. You will complicate your life if you do it, and everybody’s out of cage time gets cut in half.

your gcc will suffer the consequences of less time and attention and constant fear of being attacked. Please listen to us. We know what we are talking about!

 

[orphansparrow]

Thanks so much everyone. I appreciate your advice - I really do! This Caique is very young, under a year, they're not sure of the specifics, but it sounds like that might not matter. I know of a couple people who have GCC and a Caique who are bonded, but it seems to be the extreme rare exception. It's tough because I haven't felt so drawn to a birdie in years, but Duckie comes first. It was a nice experience getting to play with and rub a birdie all over who liked the affection. Ugh. Okay.

 

[saroj12]

I love it! Duckie comes first! My female caique likes my red bellied parrot. She’s not aggressive and doesn’t chase anyone. She hates one of my Quakers though. My male caique had recently started attacking my grey when everyone was out in the evening. It was getting to be very tense and he was caged quite a bit. Thanks to @DQTimnehs showing us a picture of how she enclosed a space with curtains we copied her idea and the grey has a closed off area of four or five feet by eleven feet. Now we can all rest easy and not be all tensed up waiting for the next attack. No injuries so far but it was just a matter of time.

 

[finchly]

@orphansparrow It’s always difficult to say no to a bird, especially one that likes you! If I could go back in time, I would have stopped somewhere. Definitely before the caique, which was an impulse buy and something we’d talked about for ‘later.’

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[orphansparrow]

Don’t complicate your life. Your best option is to get another gcc.

I really don't want another GCC, except for the fact that Duckie might benefit from it. I love Duckie to death, but I would like a different type of bird. Duckie, although we communicate a lot, is pretty hands off. She loves her cage and play top, and might be happy if I let her stay there forever. (I sort of try to coax her out to take showers with me, or go to the kitchen or whatever. Variety for her mental health. But she's often not into it.) I would like someone I could touch more. I know that's the nature of a lot of parrots, but I'm just saying, I've been waiting years to get another for a reason, and I haven't been drawn to another GCC so far. We shall see.

 

[orphansparrow]

@orphansparrow It’s always difficult to say no to a bird, especially one that likes you! If I could go back in time, I would have stopped somewhere. Definitely before the caique, which was an impulse buy and something we’d talked about for ‘later.’

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thank you very much! Yes. I am concerned about Duckie's happiness, and also worried for the little Caique who seems to really have bonded to me. I don't want him to go somewhere as decoration, you know? It might just not be the right fit, but I am pretty sad about it. Thank you for your nice words. <3

 

[finchly]

somewhere as decoration, you know

I do know! That’s why I have too many birds!

 

[Fritzgerald16]

I do know! That’s why I have too many birds!

This is why I don't let myself go without my husband to the parrot store anymore. He is my voice of reason saying "NO MORE BIRDS YOU CANT SAVE THEM ALL!!" Haha.
there is a lot of sound advice here, but ultimately @orphansparrow it's what your heart tells you is right!

 

[javi]

Getting a second green cheek may have the same result though. There is no guarantee that two birds of same species will get along. I have 3 pi's with a 4th coming this weekend and they will fight if out together. I think green cheeks are pretty ballsy birds and can terrorize with the best of them. I do think that having only one bird in the house makes for lonely animals. Even if they cant be trusted together, they enjoy another bird around. Just be prepared for separate play times. Oh and while my pi's all cant be near each other, they all love my old man tiel.

 

[orphansparrow]

Getting a second green cheek may have the same result though. There is no guarantee that two birds of same species will get along. I have 3 pi's with a 4th coming this weekend and they will fight if out together. I think green cheeks are pretty ballsy birds and can terrorize with the best of them. I do think that having only one bird in the house makes for lonely animals. Even if they cant be trusted together, they enjoy another bird around. Just be prepared for separate play times. Oh and while my pi's all cant be near each other, they all love my old man tiel.

Thank you javi. That's along the lines of what I'm thinking too. I actually was looking at tiels today.