My lonely, aggressive budgie. Should I get another budgie or parakeet?

If Harley is used to having a friend I think it would be a good idea to introduce a new buddy for him. Budgies are social birds and having a friend may help with his depression over the loss of his previous one. Make sure to introduce the birds slowly, and that both will have access to food, water, perch spaces, etc without competition to ensure it goes smoothly.

Thanks for reaching out about Alfred. Not sure if there is one distinct answer for your situation. Trying to keep the whole group together should be attempted first as budgiergars are social animals. Provide multiple feeding and water stations, perching areas and hiding spots. This can hopefully decrease aggression. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Tweety. Many bird owners have only one budgie, and the vast majority do well as long as there is mental stimulation. These parrots don't like to be along, so either bird or human company. The problem with adding another bird, is not all birds get along and in a cage there is no escaping aggression. If you have a return policy and get the birds as a trial run, that could work. Also, new birds should be quarantined to limit transmission of infectious agents. Good luck.

Poor Greenie, though bonded birds do often show signs of grief after losing a mate, not all do. While you are not seeing signs of grief in Greenie, it can be extremely difficult to determine whether a bird might be interested in another cage mate. In the wild, birds often do pair up and many of them live in large flocks so it makes sense that many house birds would want a friend, however, in the wild birds (even bonded mating pairs) do not live in such close quarters as they do in cages in our homes. Because of this, I always tell my bird owners that if they are considering adding another bird to their family, prepare for what you might do if the two do not end up getting along (you may need space for two cages, as well as twice the number of cages, bowls, toys, etc.). Even if two birds will ultimately get along I recommend owners introduce their birds on neutral territory (do not stick the new bird immediately into your other bird's cage). Spend a few days with the two birds getting to know each other outside of a cage, try different scenarios (feeding, toys, bathing, etc.) and always be on hand to make sure if they do not get along, you can be available to keep everyone safe. If things go well you can introduce them into a more neutral cage, such as the one the new bird has been in for only a few days, for short periods of supervised time, separating them at night. After a few days, if this goes well you can try them in the cage you want them to be in together long term. The key is slow a introduction, patience, and lots of praise and rewards for good behavior. Good luck, I hope this helps!

So sorry to hear things are not working out. I think this article will help you more than what I can write in this small space. I hope this helps. If you have more questions you are always welcome to post again. Best wishes. ( http://www3.sympatico.ca/davehansen/grieve.html )

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your bird. It is possible the male became frustrated, or there was competition over shared resources such as food, water, bedding, etc, that led to a fight and the death of your female if it appears she was attacked by the male. Making sure birds have enough space to move around and access food and water safely is always needed, as well as slow introductions when two birds haven't been together before or in a long time. It would probably be best not to introduce another bird to your male, and to instead focus on enrichment in other ways such as adding in puzzle toys, treats, fun things to interact with, etc, instead of adding a new bird that may stress him out or cause competition.

Hello. If the cage is large enough and there are enough food and water dishes around to eliminate competition, then this should be a fine arrangement. You should monitor their behavior closely when they’re first together for any signs of aggression, though budgies are naturally gregarious birds that live in very large flocks so I suspect this won’t be the case. Good luck!