A Buddy for My Male IRN

[RubyTusmiel]

Hello there,
Can I please get some advice on what kind of bird I should get as companion for my 2 year old male IRN?
My IRN is very tame and can be very cuddly at times.
Unfortunately I am away for 10h a day during the week and feel that my little friend would profit from having a companion.
He is very attracted to his reflection and gets sometimes a bit too friendly with my hand, but only in front of the mirror.
Recently I have had a pair of Lorikeets coming to my balcony to feed on pieces of apples, which I leave out for them.
My IRN is very interested and watches them. He used to be a bit jealous before when he saw Lorikeets land on my balcony, but now mainly watches and would like to get close to them.
Can you please let me know what bird would be best suited as a companion for my buddy?
My avian vet tells me I should get another male. But I have been reading online that I should get a female for him.
However I certainly do not want any breeding happening, even so my buddy can be a bit randy.
I am a bit at a loss. And wonder whether I should get another species of bird like a Plumhead.
I should probably mention that I had adopted another male IRN last year (from someone who probably had enough of the bird and never knew how to deal with him).
He was one year old same as my buddy was at the time.
But he was a bit bigger and not properly socialised, so was aggressive towards my IRN and bullied him quite a bit.
It was really hard to give the other IRN away. So I really want to avoid this happening again.
Well, what shall I do?
Any suggestions are highly appreciated!
Thanks heaps!
Dorit

[MissK]

Hi Dorit,

I well understand the situation. I cannot help with predicting how any pair will get on, but I can say that I assessed my male IRN with non-IRN birds and he seemed friendly. Then I placed him in a few situations with IRNs and he again seemed friendly, though sometimes shy. I worked up a list of my own wants and deal breakers with regards to another bird and then I just took him to see every bird who looked like he might fit the bill.

I finally, FINALLY settled on a mature bird who had lived with a mate in the past (among other experiences he had). I acknowledge this was a gamble, but it paid off in Spades. The two birds adored each other practically from the get-go. I think identifiable factors in this success are the fact that the established bird had already demonstrated a friendly inclination and the new bird both had good experience living with another IRN but little comfort with humans. He went into a strange and scary new place where he saw an instantly familiar face. My first bird had been pleased with other birds, but it seemed very clear he was much more delighted with another IRN.

If I were to project a guess about the future, I would guess my new bird will never bond so well with me as with my established bird. This doesn't really bother me because, like you, my intent was primarily to provide my bird with the company I felt he needed. I would like the new bird to be more comfortable with humans, and I expect in time he will be. If he never changed from how he is right now, that would still be just dandy with me.

That's my story about getting the second bird. There were actually many layers of choices to make to end up in this spot. I would say the first choice I made was to get a male bird, and (of course) the last was to select the actual bird I got. The process took two years and I gave up more than once. However, it was more important to me to get the right bird than just another bird. It was worth the wait.

If I were making a recommendation for you, I would advise you to strongly consider a second male IRN, and to carefully assess both birds before finalizing the choice. Pay attention to their histories and facts known about their prior situations. Pay attention to how they interact in various situations. You probably wouldn't marry someone without getting to know them first, so let the birds get acquainted. There's no guarantee but you might be able to rule out instant hate.

I'm sure other will be by with their own stories and opinions. We have forum member with male-male pairs and male-female pairs. No so sure about female-female pairs, and I hear this is potentially quite dicey anyway. I wish you the best of luck and caution you not to choose in haste.

[RubyTusmiel]

Hello there and thanks a lot for your advice.
I have been told to get a young bird as a companion, so he would adjust more easily. What is your opinion?
Also, my avian vet put the fear of God into me and said to keep new birds away from my bird for at least 8 weeks before introducing them to avoid any deceases spreading.
This makes it impossible to find out whether the two birds like each other or not. I can not always wait 8 weeks before I can see whether they are friendly.
Plus where could I actually find any birds to match up?
I have contacted a few breeders, but they have only young birds this coming breeding season.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated?
Dorit

[MissK]

Dorit, I cannot suggest you place your bird in danger, but for myself I decided we could not live in a bubble.
Regarding the age of the birds, I cannot address youngsters. My birds were 12 and 16 when they first met.
I located birds to try using Craigslist, local ads, and my bird club. Of note, I was specifically NOT looking for a young bird, but I did see ads for younger ones that I did not pursue.

[InTheAir]

I'm afraid there is no easy answer.
I think a male friend is a good idea. Boys don't lay eggs.
If you are going to get a young bird, I think it is important to get one that has been well socialised with other irns and fully weaned. I'd try a slow introduction, because we didn't and our birds don't get on well!
I have limited experience with socialising irns. We have friends with irns and have play dates and the boys are all pretty easy going. My female seems to have a thing for bossing the boys around and our friends female pretty much ignores everyone except her mate, unless someone gets in her personal space.
If you can get a secondhand male that is good with other irns, it might be a good idea.

I knew the breeder that I got my second bird off and had visited his aviary numerous times, so I just quarantined untill psittacosis results came back.

[RubyTusmiel]

I wish there was an easy answer!
Anyway, my IRN has been with me since he was 3 months old (I adopted him from someone and are not 100% sure where he comes from) and has apart from the short stint with the other IRN last year, who was a bit of a bully, not been with any other birds.
However after my IRN got over his initial jealousy with the new bird he started to do things at the same time the other IRN did. Unfortunately the other IRN was always trying to bite or chase my buddy away. He sadly had been kept singly and seemed to never have gotten too much attention from his previous owner.
Anyway, would you think that getting another spieces of bird is a good idea?
I was thinking of a male plumhead baby, since they are also Asiatic and live in the same environment and cohabit it with IRN in the wild.
Or is another IRN definitely a better choice and if I could trace the breeder of my IRN should I get another one from them?
Thanks heaps for all your feedback!
Dorit

[Melika]

I wish there was an easy answer!

You basically summed it up- there isn't one. Hane and his own brother from the same clutch didn't get along! I mean, they could hang out on the same playstand most of the time but definitely couldn't share a cage. That never changed (Hane is just too pushy/aggressive and Tsume was too demure). Hane seems perfectly happy to be the only bird now. He used to harass the cockatiel that passed recently. Now he has both cages and gets to hog everything, just how he likes it!

Now my dog? Different creature altogether. He needs a playmate.

[Wessel Gordon]

Dorit,

I fully agree with all the statements that everyone, but especially MissK made. Another IRN male is definitely a good option. A bird that needs a better home and is happier with company of his own kind than with humans is also a good option.

As for another species: I have housed a mature IRN male and a juvenile Sun Conure in the same cage for quite a while without the least bit of trouble. The only drawback with a Sun Conure as far as I'm concerned is the fact that they are a lot louder and a lot more vocal than IRN's tend to be so depending on your housing arrangement (apartment or close to neighbors) and your own tolerance-level of noise a Sun Conure might be another option to consider. The biggest attraction of a Sun Conure to me is their bright colors and their outgoing (sometimes cheeky) personalities.

Having said all that: some of my favorite companion birds flew into my life at the most unexpected times and from the most unlikeliest of places so perhaps you just need to wait for that to happen.

Wessel

[RubyTusmiel]

Hey,
Thanks again for all the feedback and thoughts.
I just have to go with the flow and with my gut instinct I guess.
I like to believe that my buddy - Ruby - is not pushy and not aggressive, just a bit of a manipulator.
But hey I love him.
I will definitely try to get another boy for him whether it is another IRN or a Plumhead I don't know yet.
Cheers, Dorit

[Wessel Gordon]

Dorit,

Trusting your instinct and gut feeling is a good approach. When the right bird show up you will know it...after all you know Ruby's personality and quarks.

I've learned over and over with birds (and life in general) that instinct can be trusted 99.99% of the time. My only advice is to not rush your search.

Wessel

[RubyTusmiel]

Thanks, Wessel.
I will let you know when i have made a decision.