Do Green Cheek Conures Get Along With Cockatiels?

I’ve been thinking about getting a second bird for a while.

I have fallen in love with my green cheek conure and was thinking about getting her a buddy.

I have always thought cockatiels were so cute, with their little cheeks and sweet, adorable whistles.

They are super popular pet birds, so I got to thinking.

Do green cheek conures get along with cockatiels? 

The answer to that is, unfortunately, conures and cockatiels probably will not get along. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but the only way to know for sure is to introduce the two birds. With the possibility of catastrophic outcomes, it simply isn’t worth the risk. 

 

What is a green cheek conure?

First, let’s discuss what a green cheek conure is.

A green cheek conure is a parrot from the Pyrrhura genus that inhabits the forests of South America.

They are very social, lively, and active birds.

They grow to around 10 inches and live for 20-30 years in captivity.

They are the quietest of the conure birds and make great pets for apartment dwellers.

 

What is a cockatiel?

A cockatiel is a parrot from the Nymphicus genus native to Australia.

These birds are known for their distinct whistle and love of mimicking songs.

Their docile and friendly nature makes them a popular choice with their owners.

They grow to about 11-12 inches and live for 16-25 years in captivity.

Cockatiels are the second most popular pet bird to the Budgie.

Cockatiels produce large amounts of dander and may not be suitable for those with chronic respiratory illnesses or allergies. 

 

What are the potential problems of having a cockatiel and a conure together?

First, there are compatibility concerns.

In general, there is no way to know if putting two birds in one household would end in love or war.

Conures are naturally more dominant than cockatiels.

If the two birds don’t get along, this could result in dangerous bullying behavior.

If you work and are away from home for many hours during the day, the bullied bird would have no way to escape if they were trapped in a violent attack.

It’s difficult to monitor behavior constantly, so there are reasonable safety concerns with pairing two unrelated birds. 

Second, if you bring a bird into an established household where you have already bonded to one bird, you might experience significant problems with jealousy.

It’s important to bond with your birds, and this may cause considerable problems when one bird gets jealous of the time and attention you give to the new bird.

Jealousy can lead to bullying and violence with the same safety concerns as above. 

Bringing more than one bird together will require more attention from you in many ways.

Sometimes bullying is done by physical violence.

Other times, the more dominant bird will bully the new bird by preventing it from eating.

You’ll need to make sure that both birds are eating food and the dominant bird is not starving the other one out.

Sometimes If one bird gets sick, it may be difficult to tell.

Birds disguise their illnesses very well.

Sometimes, the only way to know if one is sick is by looking at the poop and weighing our bird.

Well, with two birds, how do you know who’s poop is who’s?

It becomes critical to weigh your birds daily if you have more than one.

If the illness happens to be communicable, then you’ll have two sick birds. 

Having two birds requires strict supervision for all interactions, even if you keep them in two separate cages.

Though cockatiels are slightly bigger than green cheek conures, the conure beak is larger and more powerful.

Conures have a more dominant personality, and if they wanted to hurt a cockatiel, it wouldn’t be difficult for the conure to do so. 

Even though these two birds are popular and very friendly as birds go, it is not recommended to keep them together. 

 

What birds are a good fit for a green cheek conure? 

What if you still want my green cheek conure to have a friend to keep him company while you’re at work?

Well, it is usually best to pair green cheek conures with other conures.

Conures are most likely to get along with other conures because they have similar quirks, tendencies, mannerisms, et cetera.

They would naturally be flocked with other conures in the wild, so if you must have two birds, you’re most likely to succeed with two green cheek conures. 

There is no guarantee, however, that two birds will get along.

Bringing a second bird into the home requires a period of quarantine, separate cages (at least initially), slow introductions, supervised interactions, and a whole lot of patience. 

Many bird owners have successfully paired all kinds of birds.

However, pairing birds that weren’t raised together is a gamble, and pairing different species is an even more significant risk.

If you are lucky and have a good match, you have to contend with other potential problems.

When two birds live in the same cage and get along, there is a risk that they may bond.

If they bond, they may decide that they don’t need you and become less friendly toward you because their flock no longer accepts you.

Many birds are sent to rescue when this happens because bird owners don’t know how to undo this situation.

They feel stuck with louder birds biting them, and they think they have no choice but to get rid of them. 

There are so many problems associated with trying to have two birds together it is probably best for most bird owners to stick with one bird, bond well with and take good care of that bird.

You can give a bird a long and happy life without needing to bring home other birds for them to be around.

Some people get a second bird because they feel guilty, which is never a good reason to risk doing so much harm. 


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