What our customers are saying:

Hi Karrie,  They love the 8' rope!  Me too.  I'll get more photos for you soon".
-Ann Brooks, Phoenix Landing.

Multiple Bird Households

This article examines the way we typically acquire and house our pet parrots and considers if perhaps there is an alternate approach to keeping psittacines. 

     I remember the day quite vividly when I decided I was going to buy an aquarium.  I had the money set aside and excitedly went down to the pet shop to acquire my new treasure of the deep.  I didn't know how big of a fish tank I could get as I was just going to get the largest I could afford and fill it with fish that I liked.  Upon arriving at the large store I milled through the aisles looking at all the beautiful fish, making a mental list of all that I wanted to put in my tank.  When the salesman approached I thought I had a pretty good idea of the fish, and tank, that I wanted.  When I told him of my choices he laughed out loud.  He then explained that I had to think about what I wanted and plan accordingly to accommodate their special needs.....what a concept!  Did I want fresh or salt?  Then there are fish who need tall aquariums and fish that need long aquariums - which did I want?  There were aggressive fish that could not be kept with docile fish, there were fish that could be dangerous if housed together because of their size difference.  Did I want a few big fish or lots of small fish?  Some species, such as the rays, needed a sandy bottom where other fish preferred gravel.  There were fish that did better in schools and fish best kept alone.  There were fish that needed certain types of lighting to thrive and certain PH levels.  What did I want?  He also spoke quite frankly about the dangers of overcrowding.  How many fish did I want or what size aquarium could I afford and he would tell me how many fish I could put in it.  At this point I had no idea what I wanted and left the store empty handed to re-evaluate my purchase.  I really had to research and PLAN my future tank and fish colony. 

     Many of those same questions and considerations are valid regarding parrots.  Do you want dusty (old world like cockatoos and greys) or oily (new world parrots like macaws and conures)?  Big beaks or small?  How much space do you realistically have?  Chatty parrots constantly or ear shattering twice daily?  Are the parrots you are thinking of acquiring compatible?  Male cockatoos, female eclectus, and lorikeets can be very aggressive to each other - do you have enough space to keep the peace?  After you pick a species, how many do you want?  How many can you reasonably take care of?  Do you want 2 cockatiels or a small flock of 10?  If you want 10, then start with a cage that can easily house 10 happy parrots.  Maybe you want 2 amazons and 4 cockatoos.  Great!  Allot the space and the cages first, then start researching through species compatibility, gender preferences, and dispositions to fit your lifestyle, resource availability, and personality.  What is your favorite species?  If you could only own one species of bird - what would it be?  Focus on that.  Be an expert at your chosen species.  Take time to research your desired species well and factor in gender, space, and common personality traits and reputations.  Very few aviculturists stop at owning one parrot.  Owning similar species not only makes life easier for you, but can also encourage parrot to parrot interactions and provide natural enrichment and a higher quality of life for social animals naturally inclined to live in flocks and family groups.    

     Not only are there numerous benefits to having similar or same species of parrots together, but there are also disadvantages of having a stamp collection (or one of many different species).  Larger species can easily injure smaller species, and often times do not relate well to one another.  The dust of old world birds is often times irritating to the respiratory system of new world birds.  Are you prepared to accommodate your two birds separately for the rest of your life?  Many birds have specific dietary requirements.  How many breakfasts' do you want to make each morning or does a 'one bowl fits all' sound easier? 

    If you have very different sized birds, then many of their accessories are not interchangeable.  It is an easy and wonderful source of environmental enrichment to rotate bird cages, play gyms, and outdoor aviaries between your birds.  This idea also applies to toy and perch rotation as well.  When you buy a toy that one bird doesn't like, you can trade it to a different bird or a fellow cage mate might enjoy it.  Obviously you are not going to be able to do this with your budgie, cape parrot, and large macaw.  Do you want, or can you afford and accommodate 3 play gyms, 3 aviaries (with different bar spacing, toys, perch diameters, and gauge thickness) 3 bird cages, etc? 

    If having multiples of the same species is really unappealing to you, try to at least stay in the same genus.  A good general rule of thumb is the more closely related the better the compatibility, although there have been reports of cross species bonding.  Many success stories for housing parrots together started with acquiring young birds from a reputable breeder that are well socialized (i.e. raised with other parrots).  For example, if you are a pionus fan, then consider mixing a blue headed, coral billed, dusky, or a maxi.  If you like calmer amazons, how about a mealy and a red lored?  If conures are your love, consider mixing different species of the Aratinga genus or the Pyrruha genus to create your flock of pets.  How about a Timneh and Congo grey duo? I have experienced several "flocks" of African Greys that immensely enjoy being housed together, interacting in the most fascinating ways and talking up a storm with each other.

  Large macaws that are well socialized typically mix well.  Consider a greenwing, military, and blue and gold large macaw combination? I know of several Umbrella/ Moluccan combinations that work out very well as these two species generally enjoy large amounts of physical contact.  Do small cockatoos steal your heart?  Consider a lesser sulphur crested, citron, and a major mitchell.  Parrots are extremely social creatures in the wild.  Is it fair that we isolate them from other birds all day just for our entertainment?  If we are going to keep them in captivity, then we need to work hard at fullfilling all of their needs, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. 

 Chewing, climbing, flapping, sunshine, fresh water, and parrot interaction, socialization, and companionship are the basics.  

     Being an "expert" of your chosen species is also wonderful for those difficult rescue situations.  If there was a phobic, plucked, rose breasted cockatoo in a poor situation, who and where would be the better placement?  A home with 4 other happy rosies to interact with and an owner with 10 years of experience with cockatoos.  Or would being housed alone in a cage next to a scarlet macaw and an eclectus be better?   So I ask again, what is your favorite bird species?  I know it's difficult to decide, but narrow it down to one or two and see what fits into your lifestyle, your budget, and your future plans.     

     If you already have birds that you acquired before planning as many of us, including myself, have done.  Then we have a more difficult job in front of us, but not impossible.  Each new bird must be a well thought out addition and must be a good fit with your current birds and household. If you already have a variety of birds, take care to only add species you currently already own and that they are a good fit with your lifestyle and the other parrot personalities in the house. Take the time to PLAN your final flock?  Do it right now!  How many is too many?  How much money, time, and space are you realistically going to have available for the next 4-8 decades, depending on the species you choose?  I know very few parrot owners with a PLAN in mind for their long term flock.  Perhaps it may change along the way, but it's good to start with the end in mind.

    Many people just take in what comes by.  Often adorable babies in pet stores, flea markets, or bird shows end up as impulse buys.  As the "bird bug" bites, new owners are usually looking at adding their next parrot within a year after their first.  At this point the vast majority of people decide that their new addition should be something different from their existing pet! For example, they already bought a talking african grey, so now they want a cuddly cockatoo to add to the mix or vice versa.  Now they seek to find a playful macaw and a comical caique to bring home. They soon have a household filled with a variety of different parrots each housed in separate cages, alone.  But is this really the best way?  We might have to consider the possibility that it may not be in our, or the birds, best interest to have one of each of what we want.   

     We've already examined the massive benefits of multiple bird communities, the disadvantages of owning one of many different species, and recognize that in the wild parrots are extremely social creatures.  We realize now that the old cautionary tale of "if you house parrots together they will bond and hate you" is not accurate.  This applied when we first imported wild parrots who were frightened and preferred the company of other parrots immediately; however, with hand raised babies this no longer applies.  So with these new practices and information, the way we view keeping parrots can begin to shift. 

     Just like the aquarium, be realistic about the space and money you are able to allot for your feathered friends. PLAN to have compatible "flocks" of birds, become an expert on your chosen species, exercise control when tempted to impulse buy, and provide your current flock with the optimal environment.  In doing these things you will be setting yourself up for long term success!  And you may find that you enjoy watching the interaction between your pets just as much as you enjoy interacting with them yourself!