Elizabeth

I honestly don't know why she doesn't think that she can get the dog and cat under control. Howard and our Borzoi (a really big hunting dog) get on very well together. All I know is that she has made the decision to give up the parrot. Howard is very social with dogs and people and I think he would like more of a pack to interact with more of the time. As you say though, no way to know whether he would like that particular AG or vice-versa :-( So it is probably not practical.

I don't know that Howard is bored or unhappy. He doesn't piuck out his feathers or show any of the standard signs of boredom or depression. He engages not just with the dogs but also with a bewildering variety of wild birds throughout the day: he does many different bird calls. He overall has a good life. I hadn't considered getting him a companion, but was recently confronted with this offer. It seems that the owner is determined to give up the bird after 8 years because she now has both a cat and a dog with strong prey drive that are going after it. It is hard therefore to know what other choices this bird has. Howard and it might be very happy together, even with limited person time (because yes you are right, there's only so much to give.) At any rate without some reasonable way to see if they would enjoy each other's company, which as previously noted is quite difficult to do logistically, I do agree with you that it is too risky. I don't agree that the two birds could just be bored together, even if they got along. What do they do in the wild?

Yes, I have had Howard since he was weaned. While he has always been an only bird, he has two canine siblings, a borzoi and a whippet who he enjoys ordering around and who he is not the least bit afraid of. Howard is cautiously curious about both dogs and people. But the one time I took him on a play date with another AG a few years ago it was a disaster: he started to cry and waddled back to me as fast as he could repeatedly. That was the only other contact he has had with a parrot since he was a baby. Trying to arrange a few visits is hard, as the other bird is a few hundred miles away. But you are right again, the current owner is a friend of a friend. Because I work a lot and sometimes travel, Howard is often alone, and my friend thought that his life might be enriched by having a constant companion. Howard is very attached to me - in fact, he is sitting on my shoulder preening as I write this - and I suspect would be very protective of his quality time with me and hence jealous of an interloper. But if - and it is an if - the two birds really got along, maybe it would be good for both. On the other hand, I do see your point about the other parrot being traumatized if rejected. Thank you for the thoughtful responses. I will try to post a couple of pictures of Howard and respond to other posts over the weekend.

I have a 21 year old AG named Howard. Someone recently offered me an 8 year old AG to keep him company as he is often alone, and the current owner doesn't want her anymore. But Howard has been an only bird his whole life, and is not socialized with other birds. The only reason I would even remotely consider this is if it would make Howard happier. It has been suggested that we put the two birds' cages next to each other for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks!