possible future parrot owner.

hi there.

some time in the future i'd love to have a parrot in my life. i know very little at the moment about parrots, and i have no idea which would be suitable for me. so its that very common question again, what parrot should i have?

i live in a block of 4 small units, and i am in almost all of the time.

i've been trying to read as much as i can about parrots, but after a while things tend to blur into one another.

i currently have a very large cage which i've been keeping my pet rats in over the last few yrs. its a 4 level cage, and if the cage was suitable for birds, i would remove 2 of the levels to create more space.
i'm not sure what it is made of, so i've just sent an email off to the place where i bought it to find out.

i suppose the most important thing i have to keep in mind regarding a bird is how noisy it would be. of course i would love a bird that enjoyed being cuddled too.

over the last few weeks, the bird that has caught my eye has been the african grey. however, from reading more about them, i gather this breed may not be ideal for a first-timer?
i find lovebirds really nice too. well actually, they ALL look lovely, don't they?

is it ok to have 2 of the same breed together? not for breeding, just so they can each have a friend of their own kind.

cheers.

I used this link as the first reference What's the Right Parrot for You?

Of course, you cannot rely on generalization. Each bird is different even within breed, and their upbringing and training is probably more important.

From my experience, two of the same breed may not be a good idea. They bond to each other and is more difficult to bond to you. I made that mistake on my first birds.

You are doing the right thing in getting that cage checked-out, your bird can get metal poisoning from being in a cage that isn't bird friendly, your cage should be powder coated or stainless steel (expensive) and personally I wouldn't recommend having a bird in a cage rats have been kept in, it will need to be scrubbed and disinfected with a bird-friendly product.

Greys are great birds and TAGs are said to be less nervous than CAGs, they are also smaller. Greys are quieter than some parrots, I can't see there being a problem with a grey being your first parrot just so long as you are well read before commiting to one and if you belong to a forum you can always run questions past the more experienced owners here.

I wouldn't advise keeping 2 parrots together, they need their own space but you can allow them out together as long as they are supervised.

Welcome to the forum.

Good on you for doing lots of research before getting your parrot. One of the issues we have here in Australia is the cost of some of the breeds which may limit your choice. Afican Grey's, Amazons, Macaws are all extremely expensive here. Most parrots are noisey at some stage during the day - they love a squawk at morning and dusk however some are noisier than others.

Get yourself a list of what you like then go from there, you can probably find an owner of every breed of parrot here.

I have read that a cage that has been previously used for Rats can never be used for birds...even with disinfecting. I think it was something to do with what's in rat urine...Can't remember all the details. Might be something to check....

Welcome to our friendly forum, members always willing to assist and give great advise. Great you are doing research, before becomong a guardian. So much to absorb and learn. AG are lovely birds. although not know to be the cuddlie bird, some are however. I have an AG Mishka, the love of my life..... she is a very demanding bird, loves being pampered, trained and lots of one on one time. I live in an apartment 18 untis, never had one complaint about Mishka, she has her moments , just like any other bird.
About the cage, I agree with Sharon 100%, don't take a chance, it's not worth the risk.
Good luck

if you want to start with a beginner bird, your best bet would be parakeets, cockatiels, conures, or lovebirds. but again, it depends on the bird's personality! Good luck!

I'll tell you my story. When I started keeping birds less than two years ago, I wanted a big bird... not because of the size, but for the intelligence and interaction level. I was advised to start small. I got two Budgies, Abbey and Sadie. I still wanted the bigger bird. I got a Linnie, because he's a big bird personality in a little body. I still wanted the bigger bird. I got Charlie, and Kirby(who's gone now)...I still wanted a bigger bird. I finally got Freddie, despite being advised that Amazons are difficult, loud, can be aggressive, and on and on. I'm now satisfied. I have what I want!

It's hard to advise. You do need to research, and make sure you're up for it...but it's possible to end up with a lot of birds on your way to getting what you want. I wouldn't give up my little guys for anything, and I love them all...but life would be simpler, with less.

i 'discovered' parrotlets yesterday and thought they sounded ideal, but was saddened when i read that they are not in australia, not fair!

i like the various lovebirds, they look lovely and sound like they are real characters too. however from what i understand they are very noisy???

I've never owned one, but know people who have. They can be noisy...and also "bitey".

spaced said:

i 'discovered' parrotlets yesterday and thought they sounded ideal, but was saddened when i read that they are not in australia, not fair!

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Aw really? I never knew that. Thats unfortunate cuz they are cute li'l buggers

I had a friend who used to have some lovebirds. From what I remember, they can be a little temperamental, but under the right conditions and care they can make really great pets.

AB you have so many wonderful birds where you live. Strange how you do not have a little parrot that would substitue for a parolette.

Just a silly suggestion, but you are in Australia, why not a nice little Cockatiel? not to noisy, come in a variety of colors, a good interactive bird, not very expensive and easy to keep, I'm sure there should't be much of a problem with availability..............

yes, i have been thinking about one of those actually. so they do make nice 'indoor' pets then?

i've only ever seen the grey with yellow face variety, what are the other colours?
male or female, which would be more friendly, or wouldn't it matter?
would it be best to have 2?

IRNs look fantastic!

They make wonderful pets, some of my best friends are tiels....lol,there are many color variations, not sure about whats available in OZ, some that come to mind are of course the greys,pieds,pearls,cinnamons,lutinos,silvers,and many different combonations of the white faced mutation, then there are mutions that cross many of the above mentioned,as far as male or female, thats more of a personal preference, males are a bit more vocal, they sing where the female doesn't, they say that males are better talkers, tho teils are not really known for their great talking ability, a single bird is more likely to bond to you, where as having 2 may bond to each other and ignore you, not always the case, but more often than not, if having more than one I suggest caging seperatly, just a few thoughts, I'm sure more folks will chime in, thats what makes this forum so great

I think Bobby has pretty well covered it all in regards to tiels. I can second that they make great pets. Many love to be scritched behind the head and on the cheeks. They are wonderful creatures and definitely quieter than many birds their size. I have a female lutino-pearl which is a beautiful mutation and she is very sweet. Tiels are Definitely not a talkers though, but if anything, the males are generally known to be better at talking/whistling than females.

AB you have so many wonderful birds where you live. Strange how you do not have a little parrot that would substitue for a parolette.

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You would thinks so lol. Having never met a parollette in person, how do they compare to say budgies?

Welcome to the forum. Lots of helpful members here.

I've learned in many areas of my life that, when at all possible, get exactly what you want. After you'd done your research, get what you want. Just as Sharon said, if you want a large bird, you'll always want a large bird.

That said, cockatiels are a wonderful choice. They're sweet little birds with lots of personality.

Parottletes are actually Parrots Ben, smallest of the parrot family, they can speak, but can't scream, which is a BIG plus in my book....lol, thay act very much like their big cousins the amazons, except without much of the attitude the big guys sometimes have, their intelegent, comical, acrobatic, come in many colors and are alot less expensive than the large parrots, easy to keep too, their only about 5 inches or so, another really cool bird with alot of the same characteristics is the Bee Bee parrot or Tovi Parakeet, I had one a long time ago, one of the most comical birds that ever owned me, rarely see them anymore here in the states.....

Another suggestion, and again I don't know about availability in Oz, is the Lineolated Parakeet or Linie, if SharonC pops in on this thread she could give you some more info on them as she has one, but their making a big splash here lately in the states right up there with the Parrotlets, their not very big either and come in many colors with from what I'm told great dispositions..........

Linnie's are great birds...they love interaction, and being with it's people. Minimal talking if that's important. Levi says Poop, Levi...Poop, but that's the only consistent thing he says, and truthfully, I'm the only one who understands what he's saying! LOL! Very messy poops, especially in the morning, but not dusty. Linnies are actually one of my favourite birds....If I remember correctly, they are fantastically expensive in Australia, and not easy to find. I could be wrong though...