SO YOU WANT TO ADD TO YOUR FLOCK?

Written by Sal Salafia, Certified Avian Specialist, Founder of Exotic Pet bird

Which bird is the best next pet to add to your home? Who’s going to get along with who? Can your existing bird cohabitate with your new bird? Let’s address the above!

For starters I am a strong advocate for homes with more than one bird in them. Birds are flock animals they feel more comfortable in settings with more than one bird and they thrive as a result. That said what’s the next best bird to get? Does it have to be the same species? Not necessarily. A lot of people make their next bird a different species and find great success. Often we see people scale up in size or level of difficulty for care.

The question I’m sure you are asking yourself is what’s right for you? So to answer that you must first figure out who you are getting the new bird for. Is it for you or for your pet? Most birds live better with their own species. Though there are so many examples I can think of where similar sized birds hang together perfectly well. That said, if you have been desiring a larger bird which is often the case, you can accomplish this. It’s just important to know that two completely different sized birds require that much more monitoring.

Beak size differences can give the larger bird an unfair advantage should an argument break out. Regardless of the bird you decide to add, I always recommend getting a second cage. This is because the cage is the “bedroom” for your bird. It gives the bird space alone to decompress. If you are the common denominator when play time for the birds happens outside of the cage you have a much higher probability of remaining a member of the flock. Caging birds together leaves them growing a closer bond together where you are further removed “from the family”.

So what are my recommendations for second bird? Well that’s a case by case situation. Come on in or call us and we will be happy to learn more about you and your situation. After learning more we can make a much clearer recommendation. The beauty about this company is that we are specialists in pairing birds with people and we work very hard to ensure you are getting a bird you will be successful for. Unfortunately, that can’t be done with a cookie-cutter response based on this short article. The great news is if it’s time to make the next step in your Aviculture Adventure; then you already have the perfect resource to help you!