Amazon, Grey, Hahns Macaw or Alexandrine??

Opinions greatly appeciated. We are a family of 4 (children 10 & 8). We are having trouble picking a pet out of these 4 breeds. I realize every bird is different. We want an interactive pet that we can call one of our family. I've done lots of reading, held them all but still cant decide. Which would you choose for us, and why?

What type of home do you live in and what is your tolerance for noise? I ask because each bird has a different noise level which may have an effect on you, your family, as well as your neighbors.

I am experienced with large macaws and amazons so I am accustomed to screaming and repetitious talking at different levels throughout the day, mostly in the early morning and early evenings. Are you or your family willing to deal with that? Many think they are and will, but after a while the noise gets on their nerves and try negative ways to shut the bird up by yelling, spraying water or throwing things at the cage. It gets to a point where the bird has to be rehomed.

Choosing a bird for somebody else is difficult because we do not know your expectations. Please keep in mind though that whatever bird you decide on may choose a favorite person and be aggressive towards the other members of the family. Birds are not like dogs and cats who will happily socialize with everybody.

If I were to pick a bird for you, based on my knowledge:

1. I would go with a much older bird so you do not have to experience the hormonal periods which offers less biting.
2. Avoid Greys because they are prone to plucking themselves. I have just seen and read about too many that have to feel comfortabale about recommending them. I do not know how they are with children. Others may come forth and disagree.
3. I like the yellow nape and double yellow head amazon for their talking ability, size and personalities, but they can be aggressive at times which is why I recommend older birds. They are more mellow.
4. I do not know much about the Alexandrine, but I do know I do not like their screeching.
5. I do not know much about the Hahns macaw either, but I would think they would be a nice pet for a young family. They are compact in size and probably have a great personality. I would inquire about noise level though.

When choosing a bird, please match your lifestyle with it. If you travel, can the bird go with you? Is your family loud? Some birds can handle higher levels of noise and activity better than others.

Where are you planning to get the bird? Rehome, breeder or rescue? Wherever you get the bird, please discuss your lifestyle and expecations with the bird's owner so there is a good fit. There are so many birds available who have to be rehomed already and to read about another just breaks the members' hearts here to see it happen again.

I applaud you for coming here for advice. Please take the time to read about each bird species you are interested in the subforums and ask lots of questions. We are here to help.

Going through the same thing. My kids are 9 and soon to be 16. My daughter wants a parrot for her 16th bday. I will say that I not only did research, but she has done research and we have spent some hands on time with birds we has access to. I wanted her to pick sensibly and not solely on looks.
I will start by saying that she is realistic. She knows she is uncomfortable with anything larger than a grey or anything with an intimidating beak size. We have had the opportunity to handle multiple alexandrines, she is turned off by their beak size and did not care for their personalities. They are a bird that quickly regresses if not handled on a daily basis. I can't comment on the amazons, they were not something that appealed to her, as far as greys, they aren't snuggle bugs as a general rule of thumb, but the timnehs are said to be the gentler of the two. What strongly interested us, based on a comfortable size for us ,disposition (remember all birds are individuals) willingness to interact, activity level and bonding were conures (there are some that have the ability to mimic more than others and may not be as prone to screaming and are larger like the blue crown conure and the Patagonian), the white bellied caiques (love them!!) and the Hahns macaw. We have a house in the country so the loudness was not a determining factor, all the candidates are known for their playfulness. We chose a Hahns Macaw, she does not know it yet and will find out on her birthday, she is content with any of the birds we narrowed it down to. Had there been a White bellied caique available at the time of me placing a deposit, I would have strongly considered it. It depends on how active your family is, age of the children or those that will be handling it, how hands on you will be, all birds need interaction, some are more content playing alone than others, the cage size you will need, proximity to neighbors and their tolerance for noise....if you have a chance to venture to a bird shop, you may want to go in and check out what is available, spend some hands on time if possible. All birds have a cranky side, you have to take the good with the bad, but if mimicking is not high on the list, check out the wb caiques, they are very active, clowns, the more activity in a family the better for this characters, and they can pick up a few words, but their playfulness is a hoot.

hi and welcome. you have come to a great place for insider knoweledge on all species of parrots that you wont find in a book. I'm not going to make a reccomendation for you as i only have experiences with alexandrines and noticed 2 posters mentioned them but only the stereotypical negatives, so im here to offer you some first hand information. i have 3 of them ranging in age from pre pubecent, pubecent and adult.

So stereotypically alex's are said to be.....

extremely noisy..... my 3 will make a few flock calls of a morning, but not usually till they know in awake. on occasions yes they do get loud when they hear a flock of wild birds calling outside. In general they pleasently chat to each other or my partner and i. Ill add in here that they do have mimicing abilities both of speach and sounds.

Not very cuddly......IMO, this is dependant on the bird and how itvwas raised, handled and socialised. My oldest prince is the sweetest bird i have ever met. he loves his pats and cuddles and will follow me where ever i go. Bruno when i bought him home was totally hands off. he would step up and give the sweetest kisses and perch on your shoulder but you could not touch him. i believe this has alot to do with his socialisation and handling. he and prince both came from the same home and belonged to the children, 2 girls aged 12 and 17. prince belonged to the 12yr old and she was very hands on with him. bruno was the 17yr olds, she was in her final years of high school, had a part time job and social life so there for bruno didnt get the attention. since being with me since february this year he has come along way, i can now pat his tail and almost pet his head and beak. he also loves now sitting on my lap playing game as do all of them. Oxy is my baby, 10months old that i purchased from a breeder at 11weeks. he is so sweet and very cuddly when he wants to be (not aggressive, just enjoys his me time). he has bonded with my partner more then myself.

Cage aggresive...... this can be true in some cases, my first alex was but she was not hand tame. oxy is happy to be scatched thru the bars of the cage when he is playing, but not when he is in sleep mode. prince will lunge at your fingers if you stick them in the cage and well bruno will just move away. in saying this tho, if i were to put my arm/hand/ fingers in the cage thru the door prince will sit there for scratches and pats with no problems and all step straight up to come out and give kisses.

Beak size...... well there is nothing you can do about that, they are born with it...lol
i have only recieved one bite from these guys, it was from bruno when i tried to catch him to put him in his carrier after he escaped. i had to put my hand over him and at this point he didnt like to be touched at all, yes it hurt. i am not in denial about getting bitten nor do i want to mislead you, as with any bird its not a case of if, but when you will get bitten. this can be avoided by reading the birds body language and i find alexs very easy to read. Now on the subject of their beautiful beak, they love using it. They are avid chewers and require lots of bird safe wood and toys to chew, if not you may discover they will start to redecorate your furniture and home.

i could go on and on, ill tell you what i love about alexs.... they are beautiful, intelligent creatures, total accrobatic clowns, they have big bird personality put in a compact easy to manage size, and another big thing you may find handy especially with 2 school aged children and if you and your partner work full time... alexs are really good at keeoing themselves occupied and playing indepently if supplied with enough stimulating toys.

Sorry fir the ling winded post, but i hope this assists you in making a knowlegable informed descision on the bird for you and your family.

Ooo, Gemini, I couldn't agree with you more!

Barney is warbling opera at me as I type and in a few minutes they'll be out of the cage and, probably, on my head. I can't wait! The time I spend with the Beaks is just so much fun and their affection for me and the family is growing every day. Even my *husband* loves them!

This morning, he came back to bed from a bathroom, visit giggling his head off. Madge had wished him a hearty 'Hellooooo' just as he opened the door. He's convinced the birds know what they're saying and can't wait to teach them to sing 'Smoke on the Water'. We'll see about that.

The only time I've been bitten (by that, I mean really chomped on) was when I grabbed Barney from behind to transfer him from one cage to another. I know better now! Oddly, Madge is the more beaky of my pair and she tries it on occasionally. I've learnt to only present the back of my balled fist to her on those occasions and she's learning that nipping doesn't really work.

Alexes are just a pure pleasure to be with and I wouldn't swap mine for anything!

PS. Dominic, the Galah I inherited from my Dad, is a vicious old so-and-so and draws blood every time he bites. I still try, but Dominic's had the taste for human flesh for 20-odd years now and I don't like my chances of teaching him the error of his ways.

Thanks for all the expert advice so far. To answer some of your questions;
We live in a house but would prefer a bird which is less noisy. We have wild cockies flying past often and I am familiar with the sound of an Eclectus and I would place these in the "too loud" category.
With regards to getting an older bird, I don't think there is much available here in Sydney for rehoming, and I do like the idea of getting a young bird.
I am planning on getting the bird from a bird store. There's 2 I know of in Sydney. I'm not sure how to source breeders direct (tried google) and not sure how to tell if they are reputable.
The white bellied caique looks interesting, thanks. I'll look into it further.
I do like the look of the Alexandrine, and have met a couple of young birds.
The Amazon looks like an interesting character but I gather they are a very loud bird. 2 separate stores have suggested the Hahns Macaw as best suited to us but to be honest my feeling was that they were just trying to sell us what was available at the time. The Grey is probably off the list but I held one last week and I was fascinated by it. The problem I'm finding with visiting bird stores is that the young birds probably don't accurately reflect what the bird will be like and sound like as an adult.

is the noise level of an ekie the only thing that deters you from them? to be honest they are not that bad. I have had the pleasure of living with 2 of them when i was younger and hear them every time i call my dad on the phone. Yes they can be loud, but so can all parrots, but atleast when they are loud its not glass breaking hi pitched.

The only time I've seen adult Eccys is at a wildlife park. There was about a dozen of them all screeching at once. I don't know how a pet would behave. I had crossed them off the list due to this memory. We met a young red and purple girl the other day and she was stunning!

There is many older birds in sydney needing to be rehomed on gumtree and other places.

Thanks everyone,
We went out and purchased a Hahns Macaw today.

dodobird said:

Thanks everyone,
We went out and purchased a Hahns Macaw today.

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Hi... So I know this is a very old post so you may not even ever see it, but I thought I would try my luck any way.
My wife and I are strongly considering bringing home a baby Hahns Macaw this weekend or next week and I am hoping I can pick your brain.... We have done TONS of research and have considered many species.. What do you think now having the little guy for a few years? How is his/her ambient noise level and is he/she a screamer at all? If so, how bad is it? Is her temperament affectionate or cuddly or etc, or more stand off ish? Literally ANY information would help us so much you have no idea, let me know what you think
Thanks so much