The right parrot for me?!

Hello everyone :

I am in the process of finding a parrot that would be perfect for my household. Let me give you a little bit more info about our little family :

` I am newly married (3 months!).
` Live in an apartment, pretty big compared to others.
` I have no children, but do have a niece who is just as much mine as she is my sisters! She just turned one in October!
` My husband works at nights (sometimes, lol!) and is home the majority of the time.
` I have a small chihuahua, who has free rome of the house (sometimes)
` Do have some experience with parrots, but it's been many years since I have owned one.

I am looking for one who will be a great talker, playful, affectionate, but is independent as well.

Maybe a few of you out there can help me find the perfect parrot to add to our family!

I would suggest looking into the poicephalus. Medium/small with loads of personality. My red belly loves attention, but given lots of toys he is also very independent. He is really quiet, learning to talk and has been easy to train. He has been a great first-time parrot for me.

Minus the apartment, you are in the exact same position as me when I got my first bird! I started with a senegal and she was a great choice. I would highly recommend a Jardines or a Meyers over one just because of their jeckel/hyde nature, but Pois are a great way to go!

You are asking for alot in one bird. LOL. Great Talkers are Amazons & African Greys. They are the best in my opinion. I have a Congo Grey and he is very quiet, does not scream. They need people around them. Amazons not such a good choice. They are my favorites, especially the Yellow Napes but they can be moody and aggressive. I also have a Solomon Island Eclectus and they are the 3rd best talkers. He is sweet and quiet most of the time and gorgeous. Almost any bird alone needs companionship. And they all make noise from time to time. If it is independent it is not going to be as sweet and affectionate as what I think you are asking for. I would recommend an Eclectus. Females are red, males are green. If your budget allows you will love these birds. I do believe the most affectionate birds are Cockatoos. You can cuddle some of them in your arms like a baby and they are absolutely just beautiful birds. BUT, they can drive you crazy screaming, very very loud and monumental chewers and I would not think they are suitable for an apartment. I would never start out with a Cockatoo. I have never owned the smaller Cockatoo, The Goffin, but I understand from other people they are just like their bigger Cockatoo relatives, just in a smaller package and can be very noisy too. Just a warning in case you fall in love with one.

One of my personal favorites is the Pionus, I love these beautiful small to medium parrots. They can learn to talk a little and are generally considered great apartment birds.

Here's a video of a white capped pionus saying hi and showing off it's stunning colors outside.
[ame="http://youtu.be/YWTnUpN1MAA"]Sophie Says Hi - YouTube[/ame]