"Only buy one bird if you want them to bond with you" -.-

[MahaSarah]

I am not really sure how this became a fact but I have some major problems with this statement and I am curious what you think about this.

I am speaking from experience with my Lovebirds. All my Lovebirds have cagemates, they were all hand fed and hand raised. Every day when its time to play they come running, well flying, to me. Having a cage mate did not make them any less tame. It has been about two years and my interaction with them has been the same. They want to be with me and they honestly prefer my company over each other.

I honestly think birds in general, smaller species especially, should have a friend. It frustrates me when people get a parakeet or other small species of bird and get discouraged from getting them a friend because the "bird will not bond with them". If the bird was handfed and hand raised and of course everything happens like it is supposed to the bird will bond with you because they were raised on human companionship. If someone wants to get two birds that is wonderful, please don't discourage them. I really do think a bird who has another bird friend is happier in general.

Please share your opinions and experiences. I want to hear them

 

[Garet]

Here here! A lot of my birds were afraid of people. Having friends to show them that their weird roommate's weird claw looking things aren't going to harm them actually helped making them easier to approach. I've got videos where a bunch of my lovebirds just all land on me and have fun with me and each other. I mean, budgies live in huge flocks, they don't ignore their friends when they get a birbfriend.

Having a big flock is fun, if you can afford it.

 

[SandraK]

Hubby Fred gave me a young weaned Quaker as an Xmas present in December 2006. Kiwi was the lone bird in the house for a year and then I decided she should have a companion. Total rube that I was, I bought the friendliest tiel at the closest pet store. Sunny came home and he and Kiwi hit it off immediately (lucky for me). They were BFFs until Kiwi died of pneumonia in 2008.

I've had more than 1 bird since 2007/2008. A couple bought, a couple adopted, some multiplied, some want my attention and want to be with me and some don't. Maybe my beginner's luck was that I didn't have any expectations of my birds. I didn't expect anyone to talk, bond, love only me or anything else. So there was no stress because there were no expectations to fulfill. Does that make sense?

 

[aooratrix]

Disagree. Along with many here, I have multiple companion parrots that have bonded with me.

 

[Feathered up]

I have had it work both ways actually, and the one bird who changed his bond with me was a lovebird. My darling little Cabo, (Fischer's) was never the most cuddly guy but I was his play gym. He would take treats from my hand and he was delightful. Along came Skyy bird, Cabo took one look at her and said adios mom! He only has eyes for his very much larger than he lady friend. Skyy still loves me best, but those two nap outside their cages like lovies, pinned so tightly against one another they look like one bird. He feeds her, dances for her and attempts to make conure-lovebird hybrids (which is hysterical due to the size difference). Would those be conloves or lovures? I am truly thankful such a hybrid is not possible lol.

 

[aooratrix]

I'm very thankful that Daff and Annie are bonded to me but enjoy each other's company, macaw style, with allopreening, bickering, etc. I love when Daff tells Annie to "step up."

 

[Lodah]

. I love when Daff tells Annie to "step up."

 

[kanth]

All my birds are in pairs/groups and all of them like me and interact with me. Except one, who is obsessed with my roommate. I used to keep single birds until I got my first pair. I saw the way they interacted with each other and I realized I was just not enough for my birds, I could never provide what other birds could provide, within a year they all had bird friends. It is harder, especially during breeding season, but my birds are so much happier. But occasionally I see people hear that and they go out and buy a bird right away and I wouldn't recommend that. I've never had a bird reject a friend but that's because I either get them already paired or I spend a lot of time finding the right bird for them. Like with my gcc, who was my first bird and alone for years, I had to socialize him with other birds for a few months, and find a friend that would work for him. I found one, a bird who was raised in the same room as other birds but not usually in direct contact with them, cannot live with other birds for many reasons, and likes hanging out with my bird for a couple or even a few hours a day but not 24/7. They get along great but it took a year of searching not just getting any random bird I liked. If I had gotten a bird that was in an aviary type setting or a baby still housed with siblings who is used to being with other birds 24/7, that bird would have been so unhappy with me. And I had to like the bird too, not just get a bird for my bird- every bird I have I adore, even the one who hates me.

 

[Serin]

I don't support keeping a single bird and also give mine bird companions. My experience was also that paired birds, raised with a lot of socialization as babies, stayed tame.

 

[NirAntae]

A lot of it depends on the species. Budgies are very society-birds, they like having - even need to have - companions for the most part, and it won't affect their attitude towards you (much, usually ). Parrotlets, on the other hand, are highly territorial, and having two housed in the same cage will frequently lead to having only one again, unless they are a mated pair - and even that isn't proof against it. There is no 'one size fits all' answer for 'birdy buddies' any more than there is for how to hand-tame, the best diets/food ratios, toys, etc.

 

[MahaSarah]

I don't know much about parrotlets because I have never owned one but I do remember people saying the same thing about Lovebirds. And here I am all my lovebirds get along pretty well with each other.

But I am glad to see so many other people had the same experiences as me and agree haha.

 

[NirAntae]

I don't know much about parrotlets because I have never owned one but I do remember people saying the same thing about Lovebirds. And here I am all my lovebirds get along pretty well with each other.

But I am glad to see so many other people had the same experiences as me and agree haha.

Really? I thought lovies were generally more like budgies, falling on the 'society' end of the spectrum (though more dependent on personality than budgies.) Hence, y'know, the name. Though admittedly, aside from budgies, I would rather err on the side of 'one bird per cage', just to remove even the chance of issues arising, though I'll keep cages next to each other. Out of cage time is a different story, of course - as long as they are of similar sizes. Learned that the hard way. >.<

 

[Feather]

I had Rowan out on his harness and an older gentleman struck up a conversation. He complemented the bond I have with Rowan, and then proceeded to caution me against ever getting another bird because that bond would dissolve in an instant and Rowan would have eyes only for the other bird. I responded, "Oh, he already has a girlfriend back home. I'm great friends with her as well!"

The man was flabbergasted and insisted I was "incredibly lucky" that I could actually maintain a relationship with my two parrots.

Sure, maybe I'm not the be-all-and-end-all of my parrots' world when they have each other. I hardly see that as a bad thing. I like being casual friends.

 

[Sylvester]

I totally agree. Fred, my U2 is a person's bird. He was not raised with other birds only people. And I especially think this applies to parakeets. Now I am not saying this is right, I am just saying that it is a fact.

 

[Sylvester]

I totally agree. Fred, my U2 is a person's bird. He was not raised with other birds only people. And I especially think this applies to parakeets. Now I am not saying this is right, I am just saying that it is a fact.

 

[Begone]

love only me

I can not understand that. Why? I often say that they don't need to love me, but I hope that they like me.
It is much better that they love each other, for their sake, and if you don't think so, you must be a really selfish person.

Maybe my beginner's luck was that I didn't have any expectations of my birds.

Birds are so sensitive, so I think that it was more then beginners luck. They probably felt that they where safe with you, and also that you did respect them,

So there was no stress because there were no expectations to fulfill. Does that make sense?

Yes it does!

 

[webchirp]

Having a flock...I love when they have a friend but most still include me but those with friends are less clingy. They usually rotate days on who needs a little more time. Although it would be wonderful if they all got along and could be cage free.

 

[Wasabisaurus]

Here here! A lot of my birds were afraid of people. Having friends to show them that their weird roommate's weird claw looking things aren't going to harm them actually helped making them easier to approach. I've got videos where a bunch of my lovebirds just all land on me and have fun with me and each other. I mean, budgies live in huge flocks, they don't ignore their friends when they get a birbfriend.

Having a big flock is fun, if you can afford it.

Would you post a video???? Pleeeease?

 

[Wasabisaurus]

I guess Wasabi could be bonded to me, but if I got him a companion, he would drop me in a second. That would be fine. None of the birds has to like me.
As for the tiels, when Sashimi died, I set out to find another tiel to be friends with Snuggles. Well, Mr. Peepers is pretty much oblivious, but Snuggles absolutely needed another tiel. They do seem to like to argue with each other. Neither has much use for me, but that’s OK. Snuggles used to let me hold him, but in his later years, he is getting cranky. That’s OK.

 

[TikiMyn]

Really? I thought lovies were generally more like budgies, falling on the 'society' end of the spectrum (though more dependent on personality than budgies.) Hence, y'know, the name. Though admittedly, aside from budgies, I would rather err on the side of 'one bird per cage', just to remove even the chance of issues arising, though I'll keep cages next to each other. Out of cage time is a different story, of course - as long as they are of similar sizes. Learned that the hard way. >.<

They are actually pretty similar to parrotlets from what I know Big birds in small bodies. Lovies can be very territorial as well, even to death.

I had Rowan out on his harness and an older gentleman struck up a conversation. He complemented the bond I have with Rowan, and then proceeded to caution me against ever getting another bird because that bond would dissolve in an instant and Rowan would have eyes only for the other bird. I responded, "Oh, he already has a girlfriend back home. I'm great friends with her as well!"

The man was flabbergasted and insisted I was "incredibly lucky" that I could actually maintain a relationship with my two parrots.

Sure, maybe I'm not the be-all-and-end-all of my parrots' world when they have each other. I hardly see that as a bad thing. I like being casual friends.

I love that!

My two lovies love each other, and me. They feed each other on my lap lol. They might be bonded but are also still my babies Even if they were not, I think how much happier they are together now is more important then my bond with them. When Fëanor came I didn't really expect anything from him, I just hope he would at least get along woth Henkie. He didn't need to like me, I would have been happy to be just the caretaker. But with some positive reinforcement I suddenly had two boys that loved to be with me