Introducing a new budgie to a female who lost her mate a moth ago

by Chanty
(New York, NY, USA)

In mid November, I wrote asking what to do about my male budgie who was sick. You advised me to take him to an avian vet. Sadly, he died before I could do so. I took his mate to the vet and she advised me that the female seemed to be in good health but gave me an oral antibiotic as a precaution. The female has seemed sad but in good health. She has just begun to return to her normally active life.

I was gifted another female last week. Female #1` has been trying to get the attention of the new bird but the new bird has pretty much ignored bird #1. Is that normal? The pet store has a 7-day return policy and I'm afraid this new bird may not be a good match for the first bird. I hate to return her but she has done nothing but sit quietly with only a few chirps per day.

When bird #1 met her late mate, they both took to one another immediately and seemed overjoyed to have a new friend. This is not the case this time around.