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I want to get a second bird... a green cheek!

5K views 63 replies 16 participants last post by  Mezza  
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#1 · (Edited)
I love my tiel Lil' Rascal but I've also been wanting a green cheek. I didn't even know green cheek conures existed until sometime after I got Lil' Rascal. I'm not very familiar with GCC, but they seem so cool! 2 birds max for me though. It won't be for several months before I get a GCC. Even though I wish I could get one now! :)

I would be getting another separate cage of course, but who here has a cockatiel and also a GCC?

I stumbled upon this youtube video. That is CRAZY that they would allow a parakeet and GCC to be together when that parakeet appears to be harassing the heck out of the GCC. That is a disaster waiting to happen if you ask me: http://youtu.be/Nywapg2xU28
 
#2 ·
GCC are very funny, but I know they can be very nippy/aggressive. I have a Crimson-belly and a Cockatiel who get along great. I guess it would just be the birds, but my two are also still babies and were introduced to each other as babies.
 
#3 ·
Reptar is a bit of a jerk to my tiels. Even big bad Bird is scared featherless by this little demonic rainbow fuzzball. My conure's cage is on the opposite side of the room, but with fully flighted birds, this poses no separation. I allow it after watching them over an extended period of time, but theres no trust in letting them even be within a few feet of one another. Reptar was raised around my tiels from a younger age than most and they still have a lot of personal bubble squabbles. They don't harass one another without reason, and I've never seen any issues between them that gave the impression that they were trying to hurt one another.

If I even leave the room for a second, Reptar comes with me. People might say I'm wrong for even letting them be as close as they are, but it really comes down to the situation and the individual birds. Tiels are pretty big push overs, GCCs tend to be more bird aggressive. Mine can be in the same vicinity, but only because they have so much room to not be near each other otherwise. I trust mine, but its like the people who raise tigers and lions as cubs. You can pretend all you want that everything is going to be okay, but you are never going to be sure.

GCCs are one of the coolest birds ever though, I'm officially in love with them. The degree of circus clown in such a tiny body is hilarious. If you do decide to get one, you really won't regret it. They're just so different from cockatiels, in so many ways. They're a great second bird type to get if you're looking to branch out.

For that video though, lol, man, if I was that GCC, I would give the parakeet a nice solid nip to the face so that it'd leave me alone! Seems like its being so pestering!
 
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#4 · (Edited)
I too, would have nipped that annoying parakeet in the butt!

Well, all I have to say is... I would certainly be used to the the GCC being nippy!... because my tiel is VERY nippy LOL and he actually bites hard!

I am soooo excited to get a GCC. I love that it would be different from my tiel. Right now I take my til everywhere with me. After I get my GCC... I will be taking around 2 birds hehe :D

I am only worried about one thing though, I of course would not house them in the same cage... but during the day they would be together since neither would ever be in their cages (they have the entire house to play in and fully flighted). A distant family member of mine keeps his GCC and 2 cockatiels in the same large cage during the day but separates them at night. That isn't safe I told him!

I wish I was wealthy, didn't have to work or worry about money and just spend the entire day playing with my birds. I would never get bored LOL.
 
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#5 ·
One weird thing I noticed though is that GCCs use the size SMALL in flightsuits whereas cockatiels use the size MEDIUM. Why is this?? I thought GCC were basically the same size as cockatiels? As least that is what it looks like to me when I am holding a GCC? Of course, I never held one next to a tiel before to be able to compare.

http://www.flightquarters.com/bird-diapers/size-chart.html

I would be getting my GCC a flighuit as my tiel already has one so I can take him places with my tiel :)
 
#7 ·
For comparison my GCC is 67 grams... My tiel is a big girl at 124 grams!!
conures were the reason i wanted birds in the first place. lol, but they were too expensive so i got my tiels. I still want one, but my 2 birds are enough for me.

the bird place i used to go to had a gcc and it would do all kinds of tricks like rolling over and playing dead and it was so cute :love:
I paid $100 for my pineapple GCC from a breeder and $100 for my tiel a at a small bird only store!
 
#6 ·
conures were the reason i wanted birds in the first place. lol, but they were too expensive so i got my tiels. I still want one, but my 2 birds are enough for me.

the bird place i used to go to had a gcc and it would do all kinds of tricks like rolling over and playing dead and it was so cute :love:
 
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#8 · (Edited)
Wow, that is a BIG tiel you have indeed LOL. My tiel is around 80 something grams if I recall correctly.

The funny thing about GCCs is that they look HUGE in pictures/videos (or at least I think so)... I remember the first time I saw a GCC in real life I was shocked at how tiny they were!

ParriotLetsRock, you have only one GCC and one cockatiel?... and do they like each other?

I also cannot make up my mind whether I want to get the pineapple GCC or the regular GCC. I think they are both beautiful... but cannot make up my mind :)

My tiel loves being around other birds (when I have to leave town you should see how happy he is singing with the other birds the lady who watches him owns). It will be cute to see how he reacts. I want to get the GCC as young as possible, so the GCC kind of grows up along side my tiel.
 
#16 ·
Yes she is a huge tiel, but not fat.. Just big, the store charged more for her because of her size, maybe cuz of her genetics or something, I dunno...lol

Yes I have 1 tiel, 1 GCC, 1 parrotlet and 5 budgies... My tiel is very jealous of the conure and tries to bully her, I am scared the conure will hurt her so do not allow interaction between them. They do have out of cage time together but it is ALWAYS supervised to keep them at least 6 inches away from each other. My conure is very laid back for a conure and my tiel is very feisty for a tiel...lol but even a brazen as she is to go after my conure, she turns tail and runs screaming when the parrotlet goes after her!...lol
 
#13 ·
I remember you saying the CBC absolutely fell in love with your brother right? They're a lovely colored conure! Can't wait to see pictures :)

Actually just got a turquoise GCC male, either with cinnamon or pineapple, can't quite tell. Seems to have yellow under the wing but I haven't been close enough to him to tell for sure. They're so gorgeous as a mutation combo.

Aw wish you had been able to get him though, RowdyTiel. It's scary when people offer pets for free, anyone can just take them :/
 
#14 ·
Do it!! I know, I know, money, time, blah blah blah. :) I'm just all silly because I have a deposit on a GCC baby and am on the countdown to weaning. I am so in love with them it is out of control.
The best part was, when we went (bf and I) to go check out the breeder, I took him just to help me with whether it was the "right" breeder as he isn't the bird person. When we left, he asked me if i was getting one or two. Surprised, I said just one, and I told him I wouldn't bring home two birds without him knowing first....His response was, aren't two better than one? I just assumed it was two! Preapproval for the next one!:innocent::thumbu:

Let us know if you eventually get one!
 
#17 ·
I have four GCCs at the moment, may be getting another pair, but my current four each have a different personality…

Leila (Cinnamon) is my biggest velcro bird, and a real sook ‒ she loves to be with people, she will sit right against your neck and cuddle up, and she is quite happy to just sit there for hours. I can pretty much do anything with Leila too, she loves hanging upside down, laying on her back in my hand, laying against my hand while getting scritches. She also loves dancing and showing off, she is a real clown, and such a sweetie.

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Taji (Yellow Sided) is more hands-off, I used to be able to do just about anything with her also, but as she has grown up, she has decided she prefers male people over female people, she was social and would go to anyone. However, I still adore her to bits, and that doesn’t change anything, she is one of the most hilarious birds I have ever met, and she is still a sweet, lovable little girl.

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Lola (Cinnamon female) and Ozzy (Normal male) are my unrelated bonded pair who are re-homes, and I have had them for nearly a year now. They are protective of each other, but I am able to give Lola head scratches, and she will sit on my hand/arm, and Ozzy is hands-off but is happy to sit on my hand/arm/shoulder. They are a funny pair, and the typical clowny GCCs, they have been such a pleasure to have and are a real blast!

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Oh yeah, this is how they sleep too, haha.

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Overall, I would definitely recommend them! They are so much fun, and they have such personality, they are like a big bird only in a little body. :) Sure, they can go through nippy stages (thankfully I only went through it with one of my GCCs, and that was Leila), but if you do research before-hand, you will know what you are in for, and how to correctly handle it, so that in the future you will know what to do, if need be, and you won’t be stressing out about it and not know what to do. ;)
 
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#18 · (Edited)
Thanks for the photos. Oh my gosh they really are feakin gorgeous!! I just love birds :D

If my tiel and GCC get along well together... would it be STUPID to leave them in a huge room together? I would NEVER leave them inside the same cage of course... but what about in a very large room so they have entire room to themselves and are free flighted... is that ok to do?

I cannot wait to get a GCC but am driving myself crazy on whether to get the regular GCC or pineapple. For some strange reason I love it when their beaks and feet are darker in color. I LOVE this mutation shown pictured... I think it's yellow sided GCCs and not regular... or it it the regular? Whatever it is... that's my favorite mutation. So many mutations to choose from!
 

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#20 · (Edited)
My aunt says she LOVES the pineapple ones shown pictured. They really are amazingly beautiful. I don't know why I prefer the beak and feet to be darker in color though. Probably because I'm a pale albino myself hehe. They are so beautiful it's unreal.

I might just get a pineapple one... or if I see a group of them... I'll just choose the one who comes to me like Lil' Rascal did when I first met him :)

My tiel is a male... I want to at least ensure my GCC is also male.
 

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#22 · (Edited)
Ya, I actually tried and tried to get an old fashioned normal gray tiel... but it was nearly impossible! My tiel looks like the normal gray except he does have white spots on his head making him a pied gray.

... but I just love it when their feet and beaks are darker in color rather than super pale white. The funny thing is that my tiel's feet were almost white in color when I got him and speckled... they have now turned into a very dark solid gray :) You can see what my tiel's feet used to look like as a baby by viewing the pic in my sig.

I LOVE the pineapple GCC, but I'm not really liking how super pale light in color their beaks and feet are lacking pigment. I don't know. I think I'm going to just get a regular GCC. They are all beauties either way :)

... but would it be ok to leave my tiel and GCC in a large room by themselves? Both would be fully flighted and I would never do that if they didn't get along. Is this ok? Of course I wold NEVER stick them in same cage... but what about a big room?
 
#23 · (Edited)
I think it all depends on the 2 birds in question.. I personally would not risk it, some conures will actually kill other birds on purpose. One member of talk parrots had a conure go into the budgie cage and killed them all! Another members conure killed it's bonded mate.. No idea why. I keep mine all caged in their flight cages during the day and they get out for several hours each night.
Pic of my pineapple...
 
#24 ·
Everything I have found basically resorts to the same thing...depends on the bird. Most people wouldn't recommend it since greens can be nippy and are generally more aggressive than tiels, but again it all depends. I've also heard not to have budgies and tiels in the same cage, but I personally have had it work where they became buddies and cohabitated great. (And I know others on this forum have also) I wouldn't advise it unsupervised, but if it is just for play time and they get along well enough after they are introduced, I think it would be up to you. Once my baby comes home in a few weeks I will post updates after quarantine.
 
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#25 · (Edited)
ParrotLetsRock, you have such a beautiful pineapple GCC, amazing :D I cannot get over how beautiful!

I guess I will have to wait and see how it goes. This does sort of remind me of that TV series call "Fatal Attraction". You guys seen this series? people getting lions as pets thinking they are an exception... yet the lion always ends up tearing the owner to pieces!!

I would DIE of anything happened to my tiel, so when I'm not home... they will simply have to go into their separate quarters ;)

I'm taking my tiel to Home Depot now because I need to buy new blinds. He LOVES going out an about!
 
#26 ·
That is so cool that you can take Rascal to the store with you!
I also like pineapple mutation the best. There is something about those bright orange and yellow colors that make the bird look so cheery and interesting. Also, with pale feet, it's easier to clip their nails. But, everyone is different, so you go with what you like :)
If Rascal is very bonded to you, I can foresee some jealousy issues though. I hope everything goes well.
 
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#27 · (Edited)
Here are 2 photos I took while I was at the Home Depot with Lil' Rascal today. He LOVED it and was wolf whistling at the cashier LOL :)

The one thing I'm definitely NOT even slightly worried about is him bonding to the other bird and no longer being as clingy, because even though he likes other birds... he's way more into people.... and if if he did end up bonding with the other bird... I wouldn't mind because he CONSTANTLY has his head up my butt!! and follows me (flying after me) everywhere ALL THE TIME LOL. You should see him near other birds though, he is sooo happy then and singing to them etc. You can clearly see he loves it, but then had enough and wants people attention hehe.

My ONLY concern is I don't want the GCC to ever hurt him :(

He almost looks like an employee at Home Depot since he's wearing an orange suit! :D You can clearly see I hacked his wings with scissors to shorten them a little, opps.
 

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#30 ·
I wish I could get my GCC today!! lol.

I feel sorry for my tiel. I work from home (when not traveling) and all he does is sleep on my leg all day or stare at the wall LOL. He seems very bored!! :(

For those who have a tiel and GCC... do they "play" together? I hope my tiel will be more active at home with another bird around.
 
#31 ·
I do not allow contact between my GCC and my tiel, the tiel is VERY jealous of my GCC and will actually stalk her and nip at her while making her angry tiel sounds... My GCC will ignore the tiel unless she gets too close, then she wants me to rescue her cuz I will not allow her to murder the little pest...lol they do get within 4-6 inches of each other, but that is on me and I always have a hand between them to prevent accidents.
 
#32 ·
If I had enough funds to be able to care for even more birds I would get a GCC and/or a quaker! I love their little faces...probably a quaker though because it makes my day to see a quaker quaking