Wichi Dude asked if we I am going to replace Katie, our recently departed cockatiel. That is a good question, and although the answer is a simple "yes", With what and when I will replace her is still up in the air.
First, the timing has to be figured out. There are a couple of components to consider - chiefly, when I believe the room will be safe for a new bird to inhabit it. I will need to disinfect everything in the room, not just the cage. I will have to make sure the walls/windows, flooring, toys and food containers harbor no germs that any new birds would contract. That also includes everything of O'Hara's, since she was sick a couple of weeks ago. There are also some plants in that room, which I will have to decide whether they need to be removed or will be okay to keep in there. Anyway, all the cleaning will take some time.
Another component of the timing is that I will be working 3rd shift for the next two weeks (and who knows after that). That means that I get out of work at 6 AM (why, yes our 3rd shift is a little weird on the timing). The aviary opens at 9 AM. Since the aviary is about 3 blocks from work, and work is a 45 minute drive from home, the numbers just don't add up for picking up any birds in the next 2 weeks.
Second, what type of bird I will get is in question. My main reason for replacing Katie is to give O'Hara, the lory, company during the day. She has never been an only bird, and I don't think she will thrive with just a radio for company during the day. If she is unhappy, she will start screaming continually, and then WS and I would be very unhappy humans.
I've thought about getting another cockatiel, but doubt that I will do that since I would rather get something that needs a little less interaction with humans. Katie's cage is big enough for 2-3 small birds (2 cockatiels have plenty of room), so I am tossing around the idea of getting a couple of finches, some lovebirds (probably not), budgies (parakeets) or canaries.
I'm really looking for something cute, that will add interest to O'Hara's day and not be too loud - along with not needing a lot of human attention to be happy. I am open to suggestions, but I will most likely get the birds from Wingsong, the local aviary, so it will have to be something that they raise and currently have in stock.
Just checked Wingsong's site for inspiration (not that you asked for an opinion - please remember, I'm a recoving moron!) and noticed I would rule out sun conures (beautiful and LOUD). My husband was not fond of Quakers until one tried to adopt him (literally would not let go of him!) - me, I've always found them to be gentle and fairly quiet, tho they do like human companionship. Then again, so do tiels. Finches may be too small to be of companionship for a lory; lovebirds are very aggressive (surprisingly so); canaries are not particularly sociable yet our canary is best friends with our budgie (they don't share a cage, and can't reach each other, but they "talk" to each other all the time!). I'm sure you'll find the bird who owns YOU when next you visit the aviary :D Looking forward to hearing about it!
Posted by: Essay Canajun | December 01, 2003 at 01:34 AM
Size is not really an issue for a companion bird (except for what the cage will comfortably fit). Katie was not so much a companion to O'Hara as a source of amusement for her. So I am only looking for birds that she can watch (the cages are well away from each other) and that she can yell "Shut up" or "Turkey Bird" to.
Sun Conures are beautiful birds, but as you mentioned, need a lot of interaction to be happy. I gave away my other two cockatiels to a friend that had more time to spend with them (plus she had lost one of her birds and was devastated). But Katie was different because she was happy as a loner (she wouldn't even socialize with the other 'tiels). She only enjoyed human company on the rare occasion (or when she had gotten herself somewhere that she didn't want to be, like behind the couch).
Posted by: bogie | December 01, 2003 at 02:27 AM
I was sorry to read about Katie, Bogie. Good luck in your search for another small companion. How did O'Hara get her name?
Posted by: Cop Car | December 01, 2003 at 07:07 AM
O'Hara got her name because she is a brilliant "Scarlet" red. Since I didn't know if she was a male or female at the time, I figured O'Hara was a nice, neutral name that would be suitable for either gender.
Posted by: bogie | December 01, 2003 at 11:20 PM