A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall The Critter Corner thinking of getting another bird?

I've been tossing the idea around to get a buddy for my parakeet, Lucy. some of you may remember hearing about her. (my cousins found her out in the wild when she was a baby, then they kinda neglected her for a year before I got her) anyway, she seems lonely. and lately has gotten very quiet. she tolerates us, but hasn't bonded. she still won't get on our finger unless it is hoping on to get up and over and away from us. she doesn't bite. she just flys away annoyed.
So, I was thinking of a parakeet at first. then I started thinking why not go for a cockateil?
any thoughts, or advice? I priced cages today online, it seems the cockatiel cages are a bit more. I have no idea how much the actual birds are. a cockateal should get along with a parakeet right?

Cricket around here cockatiel's start @ $69.00 and up at feed stores and pat shops are normally at least $10 to $20.00 higher. I had a parakeet one time that got along fine with a Cockatiel. but seems like this little loner might prefer another parakeet of budgie. Also have seen these real little parotlets about the size of a parakeet but more like a miniature parrot. Just my thoughts someone else may have another idea.

So, a budgie is like a parakeet but bigger? are they more inclined to talk than a parakeet? are they smarter? my little lucy is not very bright, poor thing. she doesn't like to get out of her cage, so I remove the top and swoosh her out sometimes if too many days go by that she won't come out her door on her own. she'll crawl all over the outside of the cage in a frantic looking for the open door to go back in when the whole top of the cage is open. ha ha

A budgie is about the same size as a parakeet I have never heard one talk but people have said they can. I had a Cockatiel that talked a lot and Bratbird talks but Wolfman does not even try or act like he wants to. Bare in mind that another bird wont promise yours will come out of his shell or even accept the new bird sometimes they will fight the new bird. Yesterday I saw an Congo AfricanGray wish I could have bought him but $2700 for him and cage while well worth it is way out of my budget line. I tried to talk to him to see if he would talk all he did was Cluck at me then laugh his head off.

that is too cute!

Well, that is some good points you and jimmy have about getting another bird doesn't necessarily mean they will take up with each other. and that was my main purpose. my keet has just gotten so quiet I'm worried she is just bored out of her mind. and when we mess with her she is annoyed out of her mind.
hhhmmm...

Cricket - we had all sorts of pet birds when I was growing up and this was the one main thing that we were always told, and was true for us. A bird by itself will be more likely to talk to you, while more than one will talk to each other and not so much mimic humans or other sounds.

We had a myna bird who mimicked ever single sound my mom made, because she was the one home most then. He had her sneeze, her laugh, the way she answered the phone and said goodbye on all her calls, the way she called out to my dad - it was a riot, but mom HATED that bird! I suppose no one likes to be mimicked all the time! Plus he was a messy bird - my dad would feed him whole grapes and he'd take it in his mouth and then shake his head pretty strongly, spreading grape juice all over the cage and wall it was next too - sheeeeeesh! As kids, my sister and I thought he was hilarious!

I had parakeets in college, and when I was first married - only 1 at a time. The last one I had was a real talker. As a matter of fact, I remember vividly an occassion where a friend of mine was visiting, and all she kept saying to me was... "doesn't he ever shut up???" Silly girl - we loved his chatter!

My point is... if you do get another bird, one or both might not ever talk "human" talk or whistles for you, since they would have each other to talk to - know what I mean?

funny! 'doesn't she ever shut up'!
I've never heard a parakeet say more that just one word.
I'm not so much concerned about them talking....well, I thought maybe we could teach the new one to talk? I've given up on lucy learning it, or any new whistles. it's been over a year and she hasn't learned any new whistles and one in particular we all do to her each day. my main concern is a buddy for her. I worry about her not being happy.
after reading all this, though. we may just stick with our current keet?

I just re-read what I had written - I meant that my girlfriend was annoyed with the bird's chatter - not the other way around!

I hope your bird warms up to you - some are just not that friendly I guess, but the more time you spend with it, hopefully it will come around? But as someone has mentioned, the male birds are really the "talkers", so maybe you have a female? You can tell by the color of the cere.

yes, she is a female with a brown/tan cere.

ha ha......OK, so your friend was annoyed at the bird! that is funny too, although not as funny as a yackety friend talking nonstop and a bird saying 'doesn't she ever shut up'. ha ha

my friend has a couple of parrots. if morgan gets too much attenting the other bird will say 'shut up a..hole'.

Well then since she is a female that would explain the lack of "talking".

When my bird would get too chatty, all we had to do is cover him and he quieted down MOST of the time - not always though - he really was a talker!