Conure v Hahns v Caique

Which one which one?


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Teknogeddon

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Conure v Hahns

Brace yourself, this is going to be long and I'm not sure where to put it forum wise.

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I have decided that I am going to get one bird, my future husband is cooperative, and I have a decent sized cage occupying a section of my third floor apartment. (23x24x60)

However, for the life of me, I cannot choose a bird. Indecisiveness is a terrible trait I was blessed with sprinkled with social anxiety and the irrefutable fact I am beyond help in normal society. I have tried talking to some breeders and stores locally but they all just recommend I 'research' the birds to get to know them. I do not believe in "Beginner Parrots" as no one gets a Chihuahua to later someday maybe get a pitbull, it's not fair to the bird.

This is not helpful.
However, I have came down to the final three. I came to the forum to ask for your help and get updates once I have obtained my new feathered friend.

In no order in particular I produce to you all my list:

The Painted Conure:
I love the colors. I'm not going to lie, these birds have been a pain to find, however I have located some dedicated breeders and adore the fancy feathers. For comparison sake, they have the same personality of a green cheek or black capped.
I like the fact they are smaller, and yet still playful. I regularly visit a green cheek yellow sided at Petsmart named Skittles who has became quite enamored with me, even the staff is surprised. (The trick was car keys. That bird loves keys.) He's quite the little clown and I adore his playful nature without the screeching and hollering at me.


Hahns Macaws:
Not nearly as colorful but making up for it in intelligence, I like the Hahns for its compact size and big bird personality. I've found lots of breeders with these, even one less than 3 hours away with one that is very reasonably price and from a reputable breeder. They have all the features I want in a bird and then some, but I can't seem to find much downside to them other than the noise. I found a video of one barking and just about melted.


White Bellied Caique:
They seem so much fun! Even with the downsides of a horrendous bite and shrill- cheese- grater- on- ears- screech, they seem to make up for it by being the little jokesters that they are. I'm just not sure I can keep up with such a rambunctious bird, but I tend to sell myself short in almost every way possible and come out just fine. My significant other seems to favor these, and between the two of us, we'd be able to handle one just fine. Local breeders have them too.


My concerns:

Social:
My significant other wants a bird that is personable, and I would like that too but I understand they are birds. He tends to have family over quite a bit that tends to get into everything (teenagers, young adults, and mother). In addition, my sister is only 8 years old and I would like a bird I can introduce avians with. For this, I would need a bird that can be extroverted and friendly, fun to look at, and sweet-natured. She has never had a bird before and I would be there every step of the way. I understand this is all in socialization, but a parrot that is a quick learner and able to adapt fast is definitely a plus for this reason.

Noise:
I live in the third floor of an apartment. I've already discussed with management and have written approval to have a bird, however out of consideration I don't want a bird that can literally deafen a neighbor who is unfortunate enough to stand next to our one shared wall. It's rare we have sound leaks due to the newer construction, so I can probably handle a mid-tier noise level bird. We do have a couple noisy neighbors and I'd say on a scale of 1-10 they rank about a 7 or 8 with their stereo. Something around there or lower is preferable and we plan to get a small house in a year or two.

Size:
I already have a cage, so a bird that is comfortable sleeping in that size (23x24x60) is best. Whenever I am home I will have the bird out, which brings to the next concern.

Compatibility with Other Pets:
Similar to my first concern, I need socialness with inhumans as well. I have a small dog named Rocky (Road) who has a good 6-8+ years in him. He's a miniature daschund so he's a bit yappy and opinionated but tends to get bored with whatever he cant have after a day or two. He can be trained to leave the bird alone but not after a few days of him hopping up on his back paws to look in the cage with ears up. (He has never been aggressive to smaller animals) Stubborn little brat. He's very tolerant with children, cats, and other people, but he's not yet been around a bird outside a store. Does a fiance count as a pet?




So what it comes down to is the following (tl:dr section here)

Conure:
Downsides: Social? Pets?
Upsides: Noise and Size

Hahns:
Downsides: Size and Noise
Upsides: Pets and Social*
(*my future husband is cussing a storm atm, I'd rather the bird not learn this.)



Please help me, despite the fact I wrote a novel.
 
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riddick07

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60 high right?

I've never owned a caique but they are extremely high energy. Unless you are letting her out everyday for most of the day that cage is too small. If you have the time to commit to that schedule then the cage should work. I would say the same general thing for the Hahns and conure minus the really high energy part. My mother Jenphilly on here does that kind of thing with her macaw. He is out all the time and lives roaming around the living room most of the time being obnoxious.

36x24 is the minimum cage size I go with for the small birds. But with the cage dimensions you gave the conure would be the best option.

The dog will be a problem. He needs to learn to leave the cage alone before you get a bird. If he starts up again when the bird comes home and doesn't listen to you about the jumping on the cage the cage will need to be in a closed room. And the dog locked up when the bird is out if he isn't listening. No interaction between birds and other pets should be allowed. It's not safe and everyone believes their cat or dog would never harm their pet bird. Until they have a dead bird. Plus, the bacteria of other animals can make birds sick and kill them.

Honestly I would not get a caique. They are funny and social but they do not play around when they bite. And if you are worried about that with an 8 year old it would not be a great match for birds. For example, I would much rather get bit by my Amazon or a macaw than a caique. I have been bitten by all 3 so I can say this from experience lol.

Conures are great funny little characters. They bite just like any bird but it's easier to take than the others you mentioned. If you want outgoing I'd go with a conure. Hahns make great pets too so I wouldn't take them out of the running. I just don't remember one coming in that was as outgoing as a conure. None of these guys are known to be huge talkers but if they learn one word it's the one you don't want them to learn always:p

I'd say conure. Beware maturity time can be a nightmare with a conure. Start training before it starts and pray for them to be merciful during that time. I had two monsters during maturity and then my sun that has never acted any different ever.

Edit: and yes the fiancé counts as a pet but I think he is probably safe around a bird. Just whack him on the nose with a rolled up newspaper if he misbehaves!
 
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Teknogeddon

Teknogeddon

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Rocky won't be a problem, he's barely short enough to reach the very bottom bars and not even the main part of the cage. Any interaction will be monitored. rocky is a dachshund so he's not exactly a "big" dog, me or my hubby will be around when that happens. He's lost interest in the cage now unless I'm messing with it, the he's all sit on my foot with ears up - what is thaaaaaaaat.

Thank you for the reply, I do appreciate if. I'm very conflicted.
 
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Terry57

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riddick07 said everything I would have said, so I just want to welcome you to the forum!
I would also suggest a conure, how lucky you were able to find Painted Conures, I have never even seen one:( They are beautiful.
I absolutely love my conures, so full of personality.
I would also add that an accident with your dog can happen in a split second, so please be very careful if having the bird out with your dog in the same room.
I love Dachshunds and would love to see a picture of your furry baby:)
Please let us know which species you decide on and of course share pictures after your new family member comes home:)
 

SirEdwin89

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The only thing that worries me, is the fact that while some bird species are more inclines to share certain traits, all parrots have incredibly large personalities. Getting a bird species that normally likes multiple people doesn't mean the one you get won't decide to be a one person bird, and generally quiet species doesn't mean you can't end up with a screamer, and the odds of them wanting any socialness with any other animals can be totally up in the air. At the end of the day, there simply isn't a typical parrot.

For example, saying Rocky wouldn't be a problem because he is too short to reach the bottom of the cage doesn't mean he won't be a problem. Depending on how the bird feels about rocky, even letting rocky in the same room *could* be a problem for the bird. You have to be willing to change your situation for the bird, if you expect the bird to adapt for you, you may well be in for a lot of disappointment.

I'm not trying to discourage you by any means, or saying you shouldn't get a bird because you have a dog or anything like that, just to make sure you realize that there definitely aren't any guarantees. That said, it's important to realize that it is likely not everything is going to go how you would prefer, and make sure you are willing to make the changes and sacrifices necessary in other areas of your life to potentially accommodate an un-preferred situation.

If you end up with a bird who becomes a fiercely one person bird and doesn't want anything to do with your fiance, and doesn't deal well with other people is that going to be a problem? Will family who likes to get in to everything be receptive to "you need to leave the bird alone, and be relatively quiet while you are here"? If he has a problem with dogs, are you in a position where you can keep the dog and bird entirely separated and still keep both of them happy? It's a lot of variables to really sit down and consider, because we are the ones that need to make the sacrifices, expecting the birds to make the sacrifices for us just doesn't work.
 
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Teknogeddon

Teknogeddon

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I'm going in knowing all of this, my dog is crate trained and my husband is mostly for support- however if the bird chooses him over me I won't be TOO upset. Rocky will be muzzled for a good while until the bird is completely comfortable and he loses interest completely. If it turns out the bird is not the personable flower I would like, that's ok. It's a bird, I won't blame it at all. I may be upset if it screeches Unholy prayer at the crack of dawn, but like all things I can adapt and be over it. I'm not expecting something perfect.
 

chris-md

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Ditto all. Conures are just macaws in a smaller package, so the conure and macaw will share similar traits. Neither are great talkers so don't worry about them picking up the cussing. Caique may not be appropriate. Their energy is off the charts, which if not exercised can create issues for you.

Understand that conures and macaws have a tendency towards being one person birds. This can be overcome with training and socialization early on. If your husband wants a social bird, he better beprepared to be heavily involved in handling the bird and getting it out of the house for socialization. Otherwise he will be very disappointed.

Inappropriate cage size aside, it almost sounds like a male eclectus would be a very appropriate choice for you if ou can accommodate the size.
 

CDavis

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I know you want a straight up answer and I'll give it to you but bare in mind that this is just my opinion and my opinion of these are mostly based on my tons of research of everything bird related I can find not on personal experience.

Beginner birds. I know you don't believe in beginner birds but I do and let me explain why. Birds are absolutely nothing like dogs so that is a poor analogy. Birds require so much more care than dogs you have to cook for them you have to spend a minimum amount of HOURS a day with them and there is a chance that they won't even bond to you. Some birds are much easier to care for than other and If you do not care for the bird properly you can make the bird sick,neurotic or aggressive. You should learn body language on a beginner bird like a tiel or conure because if you make a mistake you won't loose half a finger or completely lose the trust of the bird.
Caique: Bad idea the bites are crazy the noise in unbearable (at least to me they make this certain pitch and it makes your ears bleed) they are also like a 4 year old who drank a 2 liter of Mountain Dew that's how energetic they are. NOT beginner birds


Conures: painted conures are pretty rare and awesome and conures in general are AMAZING they are exactly what I feel like you want they will bite the crap out of you if you don't listen to them but they won't send you to the hospital they are the quietest of the 3 birds you listen and they are big clowns as far a personality goes. Conures are in my opinion your absolute best choice.


Hanhs macaw: they are a macaw in a smaller package they love to yell and be loud they are busy body's so you better be ready to create or purchase tons of stuff for them to destroy also are you ready to get stiches from being bit and could you not let that effect your confidence at all. Not a beginner bird.

Let me just add that I would love a camelot or hyacinth Macaw they seem awesome but I want one after I get some more experience working with birds so I can give it the best possible home.
Also let me add that I hope I didn't offend anybody with my opinions I could be completely wrong in some peoples experiences but this is just my general over view. I would get a larger cage and then get a conure but if you really want a Hahns macaw go for it they are awesome birds
 
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Teknogeddon

Teknogeddon

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Re: Conure v Hahns

I was under the impression that Hahns/ Redshouldered Macaws were great little talkers. Every video I've seen of them they've been chatty as can be. One even barks like a dog, sneezes, and coughs like a little cartoon character.
( [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY1JOpDwusw"]=Video[/ame] )

I understand they're a bit bigger than a conure, a bit bigger than a nanday, I've even ran into a hybrid between the two while searching. The breeder 3 hours from me has them already familiar with dogs in a household situation, so getting spooked by one is unlikely. I can't speak for the conure breeder I've found locally.

The choice seems to be down between the two, I had a feeling a Caique wasn't quite for me.

I'm really appreciating the feedback everyone.

Btw- if anyone needs a breeder for painted conures, I have a list.




Here is a picture of by furbaby trying to look cool and ignore me while on the vet table. For size comparison, the rabies tag is bigger than his nose and that leash is made for medium sized dogs. He's stands as tall as my ankle and actually fits inside the bird cage comfortably. He's widdle.

12961487_1086481604742197_1169960276014667170_n.jpg

10929990_886393904750969_2914442318202185774_n.jpg



Here's where I'd put pictures of my bird- IF I HAD ONE.
haha sorry.
 
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Teknogeddon

Teknogeddon

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Also let me add that I hope I didn't offend anybody with my opinions I could be completely wrong in some peoples experiences but this is just my general over view. I would get a larger cage and then get a conure but if you really want a Hahns macaw go for it they are awesome birds

You're fine! I value feedback like this immensely, but I only listed birds I am confident I can handle, even with the downsides. A painted conure seems to be my number 1 choice, but I feel myself charmed by the Hahns Macaw for reasons I can't explain.

These aren't my first birds, but they are my first birds in literally YEARS, so I consider myself a beginner with a little experience.
 

CDavis

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Dobby: Turquoise GCC
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Both choices are awesome it comes down to are you willing to hear super loud screaming for a bird that can talk if your answer is yes then get the Macaw if no go for the conure you can't go wrongwith either bird.
 

CDavis

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Goose: Yellowsided Greencheek Conure
Dobby: Turquoise GCC
Bonkers: RLA
I really wanted an African grey for my first bird but I decided to go with a conure and now I am going to get an African grey and I am glad that I got to see what bird ownership is all about and now there is not 1 single bird that I do not want ( except a caique which is kind of funny) also you should go to a bird rescue and spend some time with adult parrots that helps a lot with decisions.
 

SirEdwin89

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Talking ability is really really heavily perspective based. Not being much of a talker can mean a lot of things to different people. For example, Confetti (my CAG) knows several hundred words, and talks non-stop (unless you are trying to record her, then she is absolutely silent of course). Barney on the other hand, doesn't know NEARLY as many words. He probably has a vocabulary of 15-20, but he speaks crystal clearly, and is very talkative with those words, however compared to confetti, he isn't nearly as "much of a talker". And then Ely, only says "Night night", and only at bed time.

So a macaw not being much of a talker doesn't mean he won't talk/learn many different sounds, or that he won't be able to communicate them clearly just that the chances of him picking up the potential vocabulary of a grey or amazon is very unlikely.

That said, if there is something about the mini-macaws that just really tugs on you, that's a great reason for leaning toward them. It's easy from a purely factual standpoint to say "A is less difficult than B, because of X/Y/Z", but when option B has that extra pull for you, the technical increased difficulty can easily be overshadowed by the personal draw.

It sounds like you have a great attitude going in to everything though, and that's one of the most important things.

Also, your little furbaby is absolutely adorable. What a cutie.
 

snowflake311

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"Compatibility with Other Pets:
Similar to my first concern, I need socialness with inhumans as well. I have a small dog named Rocky (Road) who has a good 6-8+ years in him. He's a daschund so he's a bit yappy and opinionated but tends to get bored with whatever he cant have after a day or two. He can be trained to leave the bird alone but not after a few days of him hopping up on his back paws to look in the cage with ears up. He's been doing this for a week and it's empty! Stubborn little brat. He's very tolerant with children, cats, and other people, but he's not yet been around a bird. Does a fiance count as a pet? "


NO on the dog jumping on and around the cage. That is not cool. A birds cage needs to be a safe place not a scary one. You need to keep your dog under FULL control around a bird. Use the leash in the house if you must. NEVER let your dog torment your bird. Even if it is for 2 days. Thats 2 days too many.The moment you bring your bird home you need to keep the bird away from the dog. They can hear is but not see it. Once the dog is not reacting to the sounds bring the dog in ON LEASh to meet the bird. I let my dog in to meet the bird but made her sit or lay down if she got too excited. I reward the dog for being calm and ignoring the bird.

Green cheeks are just like a painted conure. They are going to be cheaper and come in all kind of colors and sizes some are big now. They are everything your want and are looking for. They also don't mind dogs much.
 
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Teknogeddon

Teknogeddon

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They are going to be cheaper and come in all kind of colors and sizes some are big now. They are everything your want and are looking for. They also don't mind dogs much.



Painted Conure Female - 500
Hahns Macaw Male - 750

Not that much of a price different to be honest. I've seen Painteds as low as 350 and as high as 1000 in my search for them.
Hahns macaws are about the same just never with that low of a bottom price.


As for my dog, he will be controlled. No worry. The bird will be safe. He's been around birds at the stores before and has never shown aggression, just curiosity. He's simply too short to see inside the cage, so he sits up and sniffs, gets bored, and hops down.
This can be easily prevented by simply putting the seed guard back on it. I am also thinking of investing in some plexiglass sheets to go around the cage to not only protect it, but prevent mess. Rocky is kenneled when I am not home and monitored 24/7 because he's got this LOVELY habit of peeing on literally every vertical surface as far as the eye can see.

Honestly I think a slightly bigger Hahns Macaw has more chance of TERRIFYING my skittish, wuss of a dog who has ran from a falling leaf and harsh glance.

(this is not an exaggeration. I was walking him, a leaf fell beside him, he jumped about a foot in the air, yelped, and ran to hide behind me. He's a total pansy.)
 

Terry57

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Your dog is absolutely precious!
I also have male dogs with that high marking drive...drives me to distraction.
 
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Teknogeddon

Teknogeddon

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Your dog is absolutely precious!
I also have male dogs with that high marking drive...drives me to distraction.

Don't let him hear you. He already has a bit of an ego. Thank you. He's asleep at my feet at the moment.
 

GaleriaGila

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Annnnnnnnnnnnd then there are Patagonian Conures. Bigger than most mini-macaws. Not sure how much they cost. They're not common... I think because of the NOIZZSZSZSE!!! Mine's a great little guy, talks and sings. He's hormonally aggressive but predictable. Check out his movie or stuff below in my signature if you'd like a look!
 
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Teknogeddon

Teknogeddon

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He's a sweetie but I think that's just a bit toooooo much nooooiiiiiseeeeeee. The mini-macaw is about my threshold.
 

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