New Parakeet Scared the Existing One

User Question
Hi Lisa, Thank god i found your page. Hello, I was looking for information about parakeets and found your email. I found a green budgie last week in my backyard and my kids decided to keep him as a pet. I bought a cage, food and some toys.

After a couple of days I bought another one and put him in the same cage. The fist one stop singing and is acting very strange. He open and close his mouth as if he is short of breath. He looks very scared. Do you have any idea about was is going wrong? Is he sick? Should I separate them?

Lisa's Answer
I have a set of pages on how to introduce a second bird into an existing situation -

http://www.lisashea.com/petinfo/articles/bird_company.html

certainly the new bird sounds like he is feeling threatened by this newcomer. I would start both birds out in their own cages so they feel safe and secure. After you hand train the birds and they are comfortable going out of their cages, they can start to visit each other and you can see how things go.

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