Pairing Wild Caught Parrots with Captive Bred Parrots

Pair bonds can be difficult to manage with birds, but once you’re educated, it can be quite easy and rewarding for your birds! Some pairs have no resource guarding of the other pair, like my two girl conure pair, but Ringo is definitely the bodyguard, which I respect, and we train a lot to build up trust.

Not every single bird can be paired. The unfortunate standard breeding practices does NOT put emphasis on socialization between birds, but rather takes them extremely early from their parents to be “hand reared” which has not shown any more benefit to the bird or long-lasting human bonds. If baby birds are “socialized” at a young age, it’s usually with other baby parrots that also do not know how to socialize. Usually, the parents and the flock will teach a young bird for many years how to socialize and find the flock dynamic. Just like dogs and puppies, you can’t take them too quick from the parents for developmental reasons, yet we do it with birds who are highly social creatures.

Ringo is wild caught before the 1992 law banning importation of wild birds into the US. JoJo is bred in captivity. I already knew JoJo did well and had an interest in other parrots because I would bring him to work with me everyday when I worked at a rescue. He really enjoyed the company of other amazons, but was very awkward and insecure. I specifically looked for a wild caught bird because these birds are better with socializing and flock settings because they grew up appropriately. Wild caught birds are not just nest raids, but they would often put up fly nets for birds of all ages to fly into. I knew Ringo, being wild caught, would be a good teacher for JoJo in learning the ways of bird.

It wasn’t an easy start. There was a lot of training that went into this to make it a success. It’s been 4 years now, and they have been perfect. JoJo has improved immensely on his social skills, and even tried to rub it off on Alfie, who is one of JoJo’s good friends. Alfie tolerates his shenanigans. Alfie also likes Merlin and Alfie also teaches Merlin, who is completely clueless as a captive bred never been around another bird for 35 years kind of dude.