by Pajarita » Sat Dec 02, 2023 11:15 am
In my personal experience, if the birds are fed right (too much protein causes aggression, and you have two species that require a low protein diet), kept at a strict solar schedule and have access to each other at will, they will not attack the human because it becomes a beloved member of the flock. My birds live either cage-free or only go into their cage to sleep - the rest of the time, they have the freedom to go and do whatever they want. Putting their cages side-by-side does 'make things better for them' but they also need physical access to each other because (and this is one of what I call my 'off-the-wall' theories -beliefs that have no scientific proof for the simple reason that there aren't any studies on the subject), in the wild, parrots that love each other are ALWAYS kissing, preening, cuddling, etc with each other. I believe that parrots (and other highly social animals like apes ans elephants, for example) actually physically NEED the PDAs. Why? Because Mother Nature is a multitasker and it's VERY seldom that an action is not 'backed' by several purposes. PDAs raise endorphins which, in turn, make the brain produce dopamine (both help relieve pain, reduce stress and anxiety and improve sense of well-being) and my theory is that parrots need a higher level of them than other animals. And parrots in captivity are usually very deficient in them because they normally have no mate, no companion and no flock. If you add to that deficiency the fact that captivity stresses them out something terrible and gives them chronic anxiety (bad diet, bad light, lack of exercise, etc) it's a wonder the poor things are sweet-tempered at all!
Mind you, it's not you or anything you do or don't do, the truth is that we do not do parrots any favors by making them our pets. As much as we love them, we give them a real bad life...
So, what I suggest is that you allow them to be together (not in a cage but free-flying) during the day and, if they get along really well, allow them to share the cage - but don't do it until you see both of them sharing PDAs.