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Fairweather or forever friends?

Lwalker

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This is just a curiousity question.

Watson and Cricket are a bonded male pair. They have been together about three years (since they were both 1). They feed each other and preen each other and are pretty much joined at the hip. They also have their little squabbles but always cuddle up to go to sleep.

What I am wondering is if bonds, regardless of sex, are usually stable. I know bonds are not assured in any case but I do wonder if theirs is a bit of a bond of convenience. There are no others in the flock. So, if a female entered the scene, is it likely they would "divorce?" and rearrange? What about another male? It is hard for me to imagine they would as they are so close, but I just wondered.

Anyone with multiple GCCs have experience with this?
 

Feather

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There was a weird pair at my old work, a male galah and a male greater sulphur-crested. These birds had many options, including males and females of their own species. But there was no separating them. They wanted only each other.

We had several bonded pairs relinquished to us. male/male, male/female, female/female, and any jumble of species. To my memory, not a single one ever split for a new bird. The only time I saw one of our birds take a new mate was when one in a pair died.
 

Lady Jane

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Interesting question. My two have been together for almost two years now. No feeding or preening each other. They squabble over sleeping positions. Are they bonded?
 

Lwalker

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Interesting question. My two have been together for almost two years now. No feeding or preening each other. They squabble over sleeping positions. Are they bonded?
I think they are truly bonded as "mates" if they feed each other and allopreen but I am not sure to be honest.
 

LSA

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My three conures M- F- F, preen each other, share food with each other, steal food from each others' beaks, have squabbles and cuddle afterward. I do two things, inspect particularly ceres and eyes often and provide separate day cages if one needs to retreat. They still sleep together. In fact, the other day cages seldom get used. They hate any separation more than a few feet. Just be an alert owner!

There were two that spent the last year together and then a third MUCH older and bigger one moved in. Before I knew It, she became part of the conure marriage.

I started putting two sizes of chop then compromised because the larger ate both sized pieces but the smaller two ate the larger sized.

Pellets are different. Those smaller beaks can't handle the larger pellets so her (BCC) cage always has large pellets and the common cage has a dish for each size.
 

WeasleyLover

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I have a bonded female/female pair and a single female, and the pair has stuck together. However, I have had what you are worried about happen with budgies. My first budgie pair, Weasley and Hermione (both female), were together and bonded for almost a year. Then I brought Bellatrix (female) home, and Hermione totally ditched Weasley. She became a third wheel. They all still got along as friends, except for a little bit of bullying at the food bowl and swing.
 

Lady Jane

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I guess there is no specific definition of what a bonded pair means. I think M&M are cage mates. When Spring comes in 2019 will let you know if that changes.





 
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roarrry

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My Amozonian Yellow Naped, would instantly go to me from anyone it was on even after me not living at home for ten years and spending months without seeing him. I’m not particularly sure why, I always had him out as a kid, once unfortunately I lost him on a strong gust of wind, a week later he had made it to a telegraph cable outside our house and refused to fly we had to find a long piece of scaffolding for him to shimmy down, Im pretty sure this gave him a fear of flying. Still even after he would let me put him on his back and pretend to hypnotise him, I saw someone do it to a chicken, he would play along, he definitely was just pissed off. Other great things he did was telling people you didn’t like he was friendly and letting them put their fingers in the cage (only idiots put fingers in birds cages). Basically all I want to say is I have never experienced unconditional love like it from anything, it wanted nothing from me. RIP FRODO I hope your attack faces and chewing electrical cords in heaven
 

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Lwalker

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What a beautiful picture @roarrry
Thanks for sharing.

I have been asked to take on two more green cheeks, both males but I am so protective now of Cricket and Watson's relationship that I am just too afraid to impact it in any way. It's a lot to consider.
 

TikiMyn

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Henkie and Fëanor started off as aquintances, and are now bonded. Constantly feeding Each other, often preening Each other and sleeping together at night. I was worried there relationship might change when I brought Xena home, but so far they mostly ignore her. Are the two conures bonded? It indeed a difficult decision to make!
 

Serin

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I have seen pair switching only in budgies. Tiels, a dove, and most of my finches were very loyal to their mates. One of tiels and the dove formed a pair. They stayed bonded in the presence of others of both their species!

My first two budgies were males, very bonded. We eventually added a third one, and one of the original pair wouldn't let the third one anywhere near them, so he followed them around the house at a distance of at least three feet and if he got any closer the other would chase him away. Then came a girl budgie, to provide company to the loner. But the aggressive male from the first pair immediately gravitated to her, forgot all about the others, and they were a loving pair from that day on. The less dominant male from the first pair and the loner cautiously began to hang out together. Soon, they had an almost unbelievable, unbreakable bond. The aggressive male would sometimes now go and pick on his former friend but the loner now developed this confidence and he would always get in between and break it up to make sure his soul mate was safe. They had a couple happy years together and then the former loner - already a senior when he arrived, peacefully passed away. His friend was so distraught, he fell into a slump from which he did not recover. He passed a few months later, having had no interest in any of the other budgies, though we had quite a few by then and some not yet paired.

My bonded males, Sydney (blue) was the loner who became the protector of his friend Arthur.

 

metalstitcher

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It is a very intriguing question. If you decide to take on the new GCC's please keep us posted on how things go. I do think you two boys will stay loyal no matter who is brought into the equation.
 

LSA

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One thing I've learned is the difference between tribal and flock animals. Tribal animals may choose to live in a group for safety, but usually are happiest with an opposite gender mate that is often their lifelong companion. Finches and doves are perfect examples. Flock animals choose a mate each "season" but choose from within the group. (That's not saying they won't pick the same companion over and over.) Gender and species don't matter as much as companionship.

Keep in mind that this is "booklearning." HAHA That's why some birds ignore us more than others and why lone birds tend to be owner-clingy. A breeding pair aren't usually given other options than the one bird because they're "proven."
 
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