# Introducing adult Senegal Parrot to a new bird: Possible?



## SadRocker (Feb 3, 2008)

So I own a senegal parrot. Leo is 6 in September. My query is about introducing him to a new parrot. Before anyone jumps the gun here, let me point out that I haven't decided yet if I am or am not going to be buying another bird! I am just carrying out research at the minute.

I should point out that while Leo has a cage, we never lock him in his cage. He has free reign of the house and has various perches around the house where he can go to when he wants to get away from his cage. Most of the time he just sits elsewhere, goes back to his cage for dinner time and then goes walkies again before returning to his cage for night time. We keep a cloth over his cage after he wants to go to sleep until 8am in the morning. Don't tell me that this causes him to have any issues cos that is BS... He is perfectly ok to be locked in his cage for a few hours if ever we have guests who are scared of birds but I do not believe in having him locked up at other times. His wings are clipped also. 

Aside from when Leo was with his breeder, he has not spent any time with any other parrots. I kept my friends' African Grey and Cockatiel one time for a month while they were away on holidays and Leo was very curious by them! He would sit on their cage and try to get close to them, all the while trying to nip them ha. Not aggressively mind you, he was just curious and didn't know how to react around them. A couple of times he did try to nip the cockatiel quite hard but I didn't allow that to happen. Not for lack of trying though haha.When I had those birds out and on my shoulder, Leo would try his hardest to join us! I kept him on my knee and he would just slowly edge closer. He was curios and not aggressive. But he didn't chill with them. For fear of attacks by him to the other two, I didn't keep them together much and as such I can't really use that experience to gauge how he'd be if we did get a new bird as he wasn't around them much when they were out of their cage. 

He's very attached to me but, unlike most Senegal's, he's also attached to the rest of my family. He gets on well with everyone but best with me. My parents are perfectly adept at taking care of him, as are my two siblings. And, more importantly, he is happy to be hanging out with anyone in the family. Although when he's cranky and I've been away, as soon as I come home and he see's me then he will not stay on whomever's shoulder is on to join me. 80% of the time though, he is fine to be without me.

The family really wants a new bird but only if Leo'll be ok with it and if the new bird'll be ok with Leo. I'd again go with a young bird. Our options are either another senegal as we love them or an Indian Ringneck. 

I was wondering what experience people have with introducing an older senegal to a younger bird? I am not asking for techniques of introducing new birds, I am well aware. I have kept ring necks in the past and I had to introduce two of them to each other. They belong to my grandmother and are now perfectly adept to one another. At first it was a bit hairy though.

I am just asking if you think an older senegal would ever be ok with a new parrot. If not, then why not? I think with a few months training of them being around each other and getting used to each others cages and each other presence that they can be integrated fine into the family. As for keeping them in one cage... That will only happen once I know that BOTH of them are 100% comfortable with each other. If that never happens, then they will never be in the same cage but have their own cages. I would ideally like the new parrot to have free reign as well. 

So any experiences to share? Would another senegal be better than a ring neck in terms of Leo getting used to it? Will Leo ever be ok with another bird? He is a very sweet, very tame bird. But he also stands his ground and doesn't back down. He's a bit wary of strange men but he adores women regardless of how many times (or if at all) he's met them before. He doesn't bite (aside from when he's getting his nails cut ha). when he's cranky and doesn't want to be handled he will utter a tiny growl and we know not to disturb him until he comes out of his funk (which usually is about 10minutes ha). I think I can integrate him with a new bird, but I will be doing my research until I do decide. I don't plan on getting a new bird (if I do decide to) until June 2013 at the very earliest. 

So please any help would be greatly appreciated! I am new to this forum so be easy. I have a few years experience with parrots and years and years experience with other pets. I adore my little guy and don't want to do anything that would endanger him in any way.


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