A bird that would get on with Lorenzo?

hahaha Lorenzo is that cute that he's allowed to be on my offical work photo hehehe.
Who can resist the little bugger. Thought to share the photo of me with him:)

How well do you think a conure would do with an Amazon?
Ive been very very keen on getting an amazon when I move to Switzerland later this year, me and my fiance watch videos all night long on youtube of Amazons singing and we are in love!
but not to make Loro jealous- he's used to be out most of the day, I'd hate to take shifts with the two.
what birds can a conure be out and happy with? anybody have any experiences?
He'll be turning 2 in April and is a spoilt only child. He's even jealous over some shrimp I'm trying to hatch and raise--- he is after them all day long if I don't watch him!

I do want another bird, a larger, calmer more talkative one:) to balance out the crazy over-energetic Lorenzo which won't sit still and can't talk.
I was hoping another bird would keep him company, even play with him. but I'm scared one of the 2 will attack/harm the other!

Very, very hard to say. Can't make generalizations. I've had conures get along with U2, M2, tiels, bourkes. Currently Minion (sun conure) and Xavier (IRN) are BFFs. But Ducky (sun) really doesn't care for Xavier. Really can't predict until you get them around each other.

Also, I do notice the spoiled only children have a hard time accepting anything in "their" home. And, yes, your concern of them harming each other is legit. Even birds of the same size and species can and do kill each other if they don't get along.

would it be hard seperating the 2 if they don't get on? Say if lorenzo is locked up while I play with the new bird, and he sees me
I'd hate for him to feel like he's been replaced. Or the other way around by having him out the rest of the time because he's so used to it, and the new bird locked up.
Although there is a chance lorenzo would like him because they'd always be home together when I'm out, hopefully talking to eachother or something until they grow to like eachother.
But lorenzo can be naturally agressive, I don't know how amazons behave? if they are agressive at all or if brought into the home as a baby- would adapt to a little conure flying over to "his" cage assuming everything in the house belongs to him....

When you get a new bird, you need to be prepared for them to hate each other's guts. Like people, some individuals just don't get along.

I'd probably go for a similar sized conure.

I really never cared if my birds got along or not. I don't let them attack each other. Back when I had pets of assorted sizes - M2, U2, G2, CAG, jenday, 2 tiels - the ones that got along could be near each other (M2, U2, jenday; jenday, tiels). CAG didn't really like anyone else so she was across the room from the others when she was out. The G2 "got along", but was a pest towards the others - pulling on tails, tweaking, etc. so she was kept away from the others. I could have all of them out together on their stands or cages in one room (apprx. 15'x15' room); just not all of them were allowed to interact with each other and they weren't allowed to fight or pick on each other. Mine got individual attention on a rotating basis. I didn't have jealousy issues.

You'll have to figure out if you can manage them if they hate each other. This may include sticking your hand into a fight and getting severely bitten so they don't hurt each other. I think a lot will depend on your temperament and if you can deal. If Loro exhibits jealousy can you emotionally deal with it and not coddle him so he can learn to deal? It's really hard to describe.

a while back my GGC and amazon were getting along then all of sudden they started a fight and my GCC lost an eye...i nursed him back to health and he is fine with one eye, but now i don't ever let them out at the same time...it may just be a fluke experience, i don't know but i wouldn't take the chance...keep them separated...


dusty

Hey Jess, knowing a little about Lorenzo , i wouldn't have high hopes.I'd plan on worst case.(timeout/Jake say's it's play time). If Loro is still free flighted then the zon would need to be also. I think the zon could handle it but Loro might become aggressive,regardless of size difference. Has he befriended your SO yet? , that would help.If he has expanded his circle to where he can tolerate other people and make friends, it might work. Could you foster another large parrot for a short time and see what his reaction is?

>>>>I'd probably go for a similar sized conure.<<<<
Yes it would be the best compatability, just that I'd prefer a larger calmer bird, not keen on another conure particularly. Still thinking of a mate for lorenzo (again assuming they'd get on) and then maybe if lorenzo and a mate keep eachother company, I could have a large parrot too, kept separately from them.

@patbunny:
>>>> I think a lot will depend on your temperament and if you can deal. If
Loro exhibits jealousy can you emotionally deal with it and not coddle
him so he can learn to deal? It's really hard to describe.<<<
Well if it's possible for a 2 year old parrot who's used to being an only child, to get used to jealousy and deal with it, then yes I'm willing to go with all the other risks.
End of the day he would just have to adjust to a new routine.If your birds were all out together, were they flighted? If so, how do you stop them flying ove to each other's perches, maybe to steal food or toys, pick on the other bird etc.

It's kind of like having a rottweiler and a small new jack russel puppy. The jack Russel is extra active and tried to intimidate the rotty, he doesn't notice the size difference and thinks he can take on a buffalo by himself. If he annoys the rottweiler enough, he could just snap at him once....and just that one snap could kill him.

So I'm wondering lorenzo, also thinks he's bigger then anything and can take on anything, would try to aggravate a larger bird and that the large bird would take a snap at him. through or out of a cage, if I look away for just a second. or is it full time supervision and then if they do tolerate each other, it's safe enough for them to get used to it, that I could leave them alone together?

@Dusty
Wow to the fact your GCC lost an eye! that scares me. I would definitely keep them separate.
but what if lorenzo is out on fly time and flies to the amazon's cage for example. Would the amazon be territorial and try bite lorenzo through the cage bars. or visa versa even.

do amazons get agressive or territorial?

@captain
>>>>If Loro is still free flighted then the zon would need to be also.
I think the zon could handle it but Loro might become
aggressive,regardless of size difference. Has he befriended your SO yet?
, that would help.If he has expanded his circle to where he can
tolerate other people and make friends, it might work. Could you foster
another large parrot for a short time and see what his reaction is? <<<
That's really interesting that you say both would have to be flighted if one is. Wouldn't it make it more dangerous if both are flying around?
Or maybe it's safer to clip Lorenzo at that stage and for him to get used to that.
sorry what do you mean by "SO"? He loves meeting new people, mostly men (or blonde women), he always flies right onto their shoulder without me doing anything and tries to test them if they are a bird person or not. He scoffs them out. If they respond nicely, loro will be their best friend or he will start regurgitating.
If they get freaked out (random parrot just flew onto them), he might bite their faces! He loves it when someone doesn't like him (my fiances nephew for instance which is terrified of him), and he actually torments him! stalks him in the room. and once he flies onto someone, I can't even take him down because he gets very brat-like and possesive, biting me if I try to get him to step up and come back to me. He just wants to do what he wants, when he wants with nobody able to say otherwise. Obviously not everyone is keen on a parrot on their shoulder, but lorenzo otherwise is ok with new people and everyone in the building. He thrives off attention.

I LOVE the idea to try fostering another parrot to test everything out, see how he reacts. I'm definitely going to look into that. Of course then I would come back for more advice how to introduce the 2, etc.
Maybe I can't do that yet as there is not enough space for a large bird.

Thanks for all the comments:)

idlepirate wrote:

@patbunny:
>>>> I think a lot will depend on your temperament and if you can deal. If
Loro exhibits jealousy can you emotionally deal with it and not coddle
him so he can learn to deal? It's really hard to describe.<<<
Well if it's possible for a 2 year old parrot who's used to being an only child, to get used to jealousy and deal with it, then yes I'm willing to go with all the other risks.
End of the day he would just have to adjust to a new routine.If your birds were all out together, were they flighted? If so, how do you stop them flying ove to each other's perches, maybe to steal food or toys, pick on the other bird etc.

No. Mine were not flighted. Through repetition of being returned to their place they learned not to leave their playstands/cagetops and go bug others. Flighted birds can be taught the "place" command, similar to the "stay" command for dogs. I believe if you want them out together you will need to do a lot of training and enforcing commands.

idlepirate wrote:

It's kind of like having a rottweiler and a small new jack russel puppy. The jack Russel is extra active and tried to intimidate the rotty, he doesn't notice the size difference and thinks he can take on a buffalo by himself. If he annoys the rottweiler enough, he could just snap at him once....and just that one snap could kill him.

So I'm wondering lorenzo, also thinks he's bigger then anything and can take on anything, would try to aggravate a larger bird and that the large bird would take a snap at him. through or out of a cage, if I look away for just a second. or is it full time supervision and then if they do tolerate each other, it's safe enough for them to get used to it, that I could leave them alone together?

And extremely dog savvy people know that is a very high likelihood if you mix something as small as a JRT w/ a rott and they don't leave them alone together without supervision. I have a chihuahua and 4 other large dogs (45-80 pounds). The chi is never left alone with the others unsupervised. One snap and she's dead. One scuffle and she's maimed. The 4 others playing too hard and knocking into her and she's crippled.

agreed about the extra training....Lorenzo anyway would need to learn these commands now, the way he's living on the border of being completely out of control.
I just need to learn how to train him:) flighted dilemas with him being out of his cage 90% of the day.
I suppose I should still write that long problem list I have with him and post some videos, just never get around to it!

Yes with dogs I always had more experience to grouping them knowing together...introducing them and keeping them happy together. As well as knowing what breeds get on better etc. this is why I wanted to ask about parrots as I have some conure experience but know nothing about amazons. nor have I ever had 2 parrots together to know how to introduce them or keep them together and do a good job at it:)