Should I Get A Second Cockatiel?

Copyright © 1998 by Mary Beth Voelker
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The first thing to consider when you ask this question is "Why do I want another bird?" I can think of several reasons for wanting a second bird -- you might enjoy your first bird so much that you want to double the fun, you might have seen the most charming baby bird imaginable when you were out shopping, you might have decided that you want to breed, your bird may have bonded to another member of the household so that you feel left out, your bird may be alone all day in an empty house and you wonder if it would be better off with a feathered companion, your bird may have a problem such as loneliness, boredom, or screaming that might clear up if it had a companion. Any of these reasons could be a good one or a bad one, it depends on how realistic your expectations are about what having a second bird will be like.

Practical Considerations

You can't always count on a second bird bonding to you as closely as the first bird does. For one thing, there is another bird there already and the new bird will take an interest in it and begin to make friends even before the quarantine period is over. While the dire warnings some will give that your tame bird will "lose its tameness" and become so absorbed in its avian friend that it hates people from then on are not true, it IS true that you will probably not be first in either bird's heart. For another thing, you will not be able to give either bird as much undivided attention as the first one got. If the problem is too many people and only 1 bird, this isn't a problem at all, though there is no guarantee that any given bird will prefer any given person. If the problem is a lonely bird who is without its humans for long period due to a human career that requires periods of overtime, etc. this is outweighed by the advantages to the bird of having company throughout the day.

Caring for 2 birds is little different than caring for one. Tiels are not particularly territorial so they rarely squabble over food, water, perches, etc. Now and then you see an exception but in general you can easily house 2 tiels together regardless of sex or age (three birds in a cage is a different story). You will, however need to provide a large enough cage or 2 single bird sized cages. Overcrowding is one of the major causes when tiels fight or pluck their cagemates. 18 X 24 more or less is a generous size, you can go a bit smaller but make sure that, even with all the perches, dishes, and equipment in, there is room for both birds to spread their wings and move around a bit at the same time. Some people prefer to house their birds in separate side-by-side cages to prevent unwanted breeding or to try to prevent them from bonding too strongly. In that case you can save space and effort by getting a double breeder cage (there are some nice ones intended for budgies that are big enough to handle 2 non-breeding tiels) and using it with the divider in. This arrangement gives only one cage tray to tend, one cage to move when cleaning, and may be more stable on a small table or bookshelf.

A big question, often the first one that occurs to you is "Do I get the same sex or the opposite sex?" The answer depends very much on your circumstances and why you want another bird. If you want to breed its a non-issue . If you do not want to breed you will want to consider this point carefully. You may have a sweet, cuddlebug of a female and want to add a livelier, male who might learn to talk. You may have a talented, but standoffish male and want a cuddly female. In either of these cases the desire for a particular sex may outweigh the effort you will need to make to prevent unwanted breeding. Before deciding on an opposite sex bird I would suggest you read the FAQ "Should I Breed?" -- especially if you have not carefully thought about the breeding issue. Most of the time a mixed sex pair will try to breed at some point and you will need to do something to either facilitate it or prevent it. An advantage to getting the same sex is that while they will usually become friends, they are unlikely to form as strong a bond as a male-female pair. You needn't worry that you will be getting carbon copies either -- birds are very much individuals and you will find that even clutchmates will have distinctly different personalities.

Sometimes, if you can't be certain of getting a same-sex bird, if you want to ensure that the birds are firmly bonded to you, or for any of a dozen other reasons, you will want to have a different species companion. There are some birds who get along well with cockatiels, and others who don't. Our gentle, quiet cockatiels are often disconcerted and bothered by loud, rowdy birds such as conures or lovebirds or pestered and plagued by their impish, clown-like small cousins, the budgies. This is not to say that you should get one of these birds if you already have a tiel, just that you are likely to need separate housing and offer separate playtimes. In fact, there are few birds who can reliably be caged together with a cockatiel. Usually with mixed species separate housing is best. Many who cannot be trusted alone with a tiel will still provide friendship at a distance though. If the other species is much bigger, stronger, or more aggressive you will need to provide more physical separation than a divided double breeder cage affords so no one gets bitten through the bars. Many other species, especially lovebirds and budgies, find long, graceful cockatiel cockatiel tails utterly irresistible and pull them every time they possibly can. The other bird may not share a diet with the tiel, so be sure that you learn about the appropriate care requirements if you go this route. Usually birds of separate species, even if opposite sexes, do not bond as closely as 2 tiels will -- however you need to be aware that exceptions occur. I remember reading of a breeder who had a conure/lovebird pair who decided to go to nest and were given cockatiel eggs to raise!

Getting the New Bird

Whether your first bird was carefully selected or was an impulse buy at the pet store I recommend that you select your second bird carefully. Try to find a reliable breeder who selects his/her pairs for positive good qualities, runs a clean establishment, and keeps good records. Going back to the same place you got the first one from may or may not be a good idea. If you're looking for a breeder bird you don't want to return to a breeder who doesn't keep good records and will sell you a sibling of the one you have by accident. Look at several birds in several places and compare them. There will be one you like best. If you are uncertain, don't be afraid to wait a while. Cockatiels are readily available and breed year round so you may well find just the bird for you next month. Handle the bird to make sure that it is tame and don't buy from a place that won't let you do this. "Hand-fed" doesn't always mean "hand-tamed". Play with the bird to be sure. Don't overlook the hand- tamed parent-raised birds or the possibility of a "recycled" bird that is already adult. Such a bird may come with some behavior problems but often they don't. It frequently happens that people buy a bird on impulse without quite knowing what they are getting into and then find that a bird is a bad fit for their lifestyle. These birds, raised in loving households by people who just can't manage to keep them permanently, can be lovely pets. You may even consider an untamed bird or a rehab case. This is a job that takes a special type of personality, but it can be extremely rewarding. Don't do it if you feel at all uncomfortable about the idea or if having a semi-tamed bird who will require months or years of patient training just isn't your cup of tea -- but do give the idea enough thought to see if it appeals.

When you get your new bird it MUST be quarantined. Birds conceal their diseases so well that even a clean vet check is no guarantee that a bird is completely healthy. Not only that but, if there are any latent conditions present, the stress of moving to a new home is likely to bring them out. No matter how clean and nice the breeder or shop is you have no way of knowing that someone who was visiting a few days ago hadn't just come from the filthiest, most disease-ridden aviary in the state and brought contamination with him. In fact, many breeders will not allow buyers into the breeding area and keep babies for sale in quarantine from their other birds. Don't be surprised if you can't get in to see the chosen baby's parents - the breeder may just be protecting his breeders. Quarantine can run from 4-12 weeks, I usually quarantine 4 weeks myself but I'm flexible and adjust to a longer quarantine when I have reason -- such as having a bird from a pet store rather than a breeder who's practices I know or having a bird who was outside. If any disease or suspicious condition showed up I'd start the quarantine over from the time the new bird was healthy again. During quarantine the new bird should be kept in a completely separate area, preferably one with separate ventilation. Give all care separately and tend to your current bird first. Wash your hands every time you attend to the new bird. Make sure that there is no contact at all between them. I prefer to wear a smock so that I don't have to change clothes and I am investing in a shower cap or hospital cap next time since I have long hair and its really annoying to have to stop and shower mid-day because the new bird ran onto my head during training. Even when cleaning use a separate rag and separate broom/dustpan so that you don't carry possibly infected feather dust from one room to another. If your house or apartment is too small to have a proper quarantine you may want to see if you can quarantine the new bird in the home of a birdless friend or relative.

During quarantine the 2 birds will begin to get to know each other as they call back and forth. When its time to introduce them do it slowly, first bringing the new bird's cage into the same room for a time, then letting them meet each other on neutral ground. Your body is probably not neutral ground. If possible introduce both birds into their new, larger cage at the same time so that neither can have claimed territory already. As I said before tiels are rarely aggressive so trouble at this stage is uncommon. If the new bird is going into the current bird's current cage you will need to watch more carefully but even then trouble is rare. Chances are they will have a few minor squabbles as the birds sort out their status in the flock but real fighting is almost unheard of. Watch them closely for a few weeks to make sure that both birds are getting to the food and the water (you may want to give treats such as seed in separate dishes so one can't hog it all), and that neither is plucking the other. A second bird CAN multiply your joy in birdkeeping -- if you take care to head off trouble by making thoughtful decisions.

One final note

If you haven't had your first bird for very long you may want to wait a while before buying a second one. This will give you time to establish a good bond with your first bird and see to its training before you have the demands of caring for two birds and dividing your attention between 2 feathered friends.