# Parrots and pigeons



## driph (Jun 14, 2008)

The young pigeon I took in is doing well, and I think he likes it here.

I have two african greys, and while they're just starting to become aware that there's a new bird in the house (I'm keeping the pigeon quarantined for another week or two yet), I haven't done any introductions.

That leads to my question...

For those of you with both parrots and pigeons, how well do they get along, and do they interact with each other at all?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I would be cautious. My little Senegal, nearly killed my male pigeon after getting along for 5 years. She is very jealous of him and I can never let them be out at the same time. Now, I wouldn't trust her with any other bird.


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## Insomniac (Aug 21, 2007)

I have parrots and my cockatoo would love nothing more then to grab one of my pigeons. I'd definitely keep them away from one another, the pigeons are so defenseless and don't exactly know that the other birds beak can do a lot more damage then their own.

My friends African Gray recently snapped at her Quaker Parrot as he flew past him and took off his entire beak. If it can do that to a Quaker, a pigeon would be easy.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

They didn't evolve to co-exist and they won't

John


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Parrots and Pigeons are believed to have diverged from a common ancestor about 35,000,000 years ago.

They share various physiological details not found in other Bird Species 'branches'.


I have often wondered whether they would get along alright or not...


Sounds like 'not'...



My little 'Butter Cup', a Cockateil, is technically a true 'Parrot', though of course, a rather small one.


She is happy to get along nicely with the small Doves, and the Pigeons, though the Pigeons tend to muscle her out of the Seed opportunitys instead of being cordial.


She manages well though, regardless, and is still happy to be friendly to them.

Sometimes she 'snaps' at one of them who has offended her...just 'snaps' the Air toward the I mean.



Phil
l v


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## Noisy_minor (Jun 20, 2008)

yeah you gotta be careful we used to have 2 ring neck doves in our avairy with about 20 cockateils and 2 galahs and they were all happy. but when we got given 3 budgies the budgies would attack the doves. i would never recomend mixed species in smaller cages though at least in an avairy they can fly away from any one with a bad temper.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Wow...I wasn't too surprised hearing about Amazons or Cockatoos or Senegals being aggressive towards pigeons...I have also read that Lorikeets will kill a dove.....but Budgies ? That surprises me.

Sounds like it's not a good idea to allow "interaction"...which doesn't necessarily mean you cannot keep him. Just means there should be great distance between their areas (opp. sides of room) and they should never be left out unattended...and, as I do with my parrots...leave the bird with the least defense almost fully-feathered (no wing clip), while the other two should be clipped.

I wouldn't put them together ina flight cage or aviary, even a huge one.....it is still a limited, finite space and if a parrot is out for another bird, even huge digs won't help.

Also, I will add....if the Greys are a bonded pair....this may not work out all that well.

John D & PD mentioned they evolved separately. Off the top of my head...I am hard-pressed to think of an ecosystem which psitticines and columbids share...perhaps somewhere in the Pacific islands ?????


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

I allow Cheeky my tiel out with the pigeons, so he is watched. Cheeky talks, so he walks up to them saying "Hello!", "How are you?" ,"DON"T BE RUDE!" . Cheeky has also grown up (hand raised) with them. Most of the time the pigeons ignore him, or he ignores them. He mainly likes bath time with them. 

My family also has a 6 yr old Congo African Grey (also hand raised). She doesn't get along with other animals, and only allows my mom to play, handle and interact with her. 

-Hilly


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## driph (Jun 14, 2008)

Yeah, I'm thinking interaction in the same way the dog and cats interact with the parrots... very very carefully, and never in a position where someone could get hurt.

My greys don't particularly care for each other, one is a 40-45 year old wild-caught and handicapped timneh, and the other is a 10 year old hand raised Congo, so I'm used to the segregation thing.


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## Noisy_minor (Jun 20, 2008)

Jaye said:


> Wow...I wasn't too surprised hearing about Amazons or Cockatoos or Senegals being aggressive towards pigeons...I have also read that Lorikeets will kill a dove.....but Budgies ? That surprises me.


lorikeets are one of the most aggresive birds ive ever kept we have two they only seem to pick on birds there own size the finches have raised babys and the lorikeet just ignores them but anything bigger and its war. the budgies used to get on the backs of the doves and ride them we thought it was because they were all boys so we got a couple of girls and they kept doing it.


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