Should I get my 'tiel a buddy?

[viviandium]

I have a male cockatiel named Flint that's a little over a year old. He's pretty feisty.

My schedule has been busy lately, and I am unable to spend more than an hour and a half with him before having to go to bed. Not every day is like that, but it's gotten me wondering about getting another bird. Probably another male 'tiel to keep him company on my super busy days.

Would you say your birds got happier with the addition of another bird/mate? And how would you go about introducing two birds?

 

[MahaSarah]

Hi!

I would definitely say birds are happier when in the presence of other birds.

I would recommend getting another handfed handtame Cockatiel so that the new bird is used to human interaction so you can play with them both when your home. Just keep in mind that you will need to spend time with them every day to maintain that bond with the both of them.

Also, keep in mind the new bird may not like your bird or vice versa. But I do know the smaller species of birds, in general, are more open to making friends with their own kind.

You would also need a separate cage for the new bird in the beginning for quarantine. Proper quarantine is about 30 days and the bird will need to be kept in a separate area than your bird. They will hear each other calling and get used to the calls. The second step is to put their cages side by side for a few days and let them see each other. Then you would introduce them in a neutral territory and see how that goes. Depending on how that goes you can put them together after a few more supervised play sessions.

Also, you might need to upgrade your current cage depending on how large it is to accommodate your new cockatiel.

And of course provide plenty of activities like shreddable toys, noise-making toys, and foraging activities.

Please do not think that just because your bird has a friend you can spend less time with them. You will still need to spend a lot of time with them every day.

 

[sunnysmom]

You should only get another bird if YOU want another bird. There are no guarantees that 2 birds will get along. They may have to be kept in separate cages, etc. (And definitely quarantine before introducing). Usually, birds do like the company of other birds and chances are the two tiels will get along but you never know. So it's important that you want another bird and aren't just getting a bird for your bird.