Which species are off-limits w/Greys?

[MnGuy]

I know macaws are not supposed to live with African greys due to their dust and respiratory issues. Are other species off-limits, too? If so, which ones?

I have a CAG and am just wondering in case I ever decide to add a second bird down the line. My grey lives in my living room and I always have an air filter running there and another in my dining room since the space is pretty open. If I were to ever add a second bird it would probably live in the dining room. I have a spare room that I've previously used as a bird room and were I to adopt a second bird, it's possible I would revert to that arrangement again, so both birds would be in one room in much closer proximity to each other than the living/dining room arrangement.

Thanks!

 

[Zara]

Are other species off-limits, too? If so, which ones?

Yes. New world parrots should not be housed with Greys and other Old world parrots.

 

[Mizzely]

The biggest one that we know for SURE is macaws. However, conures are pretty closely related, and Pionus and Poicephalus seem more prone to repiratory infections, so I would avoid personally all of those species with a grey.

In theory, all parrots from South America could be susceptible to their dust.

 

[Sparkles99]

I would personally suggest budgies, but then I am biased...

 

[MnGuy]

Thanks for the information, everyone. Appreciate it.

 

[Destiny]

African Geys, cockatoos, and cockatiels all produce powder-down. There might be others, but those are the ones I know about.

All birds produce some dust. Powder-down birds produce a LOT of dust.

You should generally avoid housing powder-down birds with any non-powder-down bird, due to the risk of lung disease. This issue is most often documented in macaws, but any non-powder down bird is theoretically susceptible. The Old World/New World distinction is helpful, but not perfect. All parrots native to South America (New Worls) are not powder-down, but some parrots from Africa/Asia/Australia (Old World) are also not powder-down birds and may be at risk if housed with a dusty bird. For example, budgies are not powder-down, even though they are native to Australia and hang out cockatiels in the wild.

It is also worth considering that even if all birds in your household are powder-down, YOU are not a powderdown bird and could be susceptible to the dust. Frequent cleaning, good ventilation, and use of an air purifier are all recommended.

This doesn't necessarily mean you CAN'T keep other parrot species with an African Grey or cockatoo ... but you should know and understand the risks before mixing species. There are things you can do to lower the risk, but not everyone has the space or inclination to provide separate air-spaces for their birds.

Personally, I would consider any macaw species to be a hard No. And other new world species, like conures are a softer No. For Old World birds, they might work, but do your research. Size, temperment, and other factors are very important too. Safest bet is going with another of the same species.

 

[Parrot89]

Hi, I just joined this forum a few minutes ago. Glad to be here and after reading the above "no" birds with an African Grey, all I can say is "Oh No!" I can safely say I do not have a Macaw, but just about all of the others with my AGC. They are in a very large room, with a high ceiling and recently I added a large filter unit. Most of these birds have been together for 10-17yrs. So basically I guess I've been lucky but should keep up with cleaning and have a watchful eye.
I actually joined to discuss my African Grey plucking. I'm relatively new to forums, so I suppose I'm to start a new thread. Thanks for previous info.

 

[SumitaSinh]

Hi, I just joined this forum a few minutes ago. Glad to be here and after reading the above "no" birds with an African Grey, all I can say is "Oh No!" I can safely say I do not have a Macaw, but just about all of the others with my AGC. They are in a very large room, with a high ceiling and recently I added a large filter unit. Most of these birds have been together for 10-17yrs. So basically I guess I've been lucky but should keep up with cleaning and have a watchful eye.
I actually joined to discuss my African Grey plucking. I'm relatively new to forums, so I suppose I'm to start a new thread. Thanks for previous info.

Welcome to the avenue... You can discuss your problems in behavior by way.