Please help me choose a bird

oompaloompa

New member
Mar 15, 2016
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Hello,

I am considering adding a parrot into my life.
I have experience with birds before - first budgerigars, then a cockatiel, then a sun conure, and I have experience handling larger birds (blue and gold macaw and a sulfur-crested cockatoo). These birds are not with me currently.
The larger birds were somewhat unsocialized pets - not the Margaritaville birds used to being handled every day.

In my home - I have a few other pets. I've got a dachshund, a pair of iguanas who live outdoors (but are allowed inside), a reef tank, and I am considering adding a large vivarium for dart frogs in the room with the reef tank. I am no stranger to keeping exotic animals, lol. I've kept far more than this, but this is what's in the house now - I prefer spending time with a few animals I am really passionate about rather than trying to keep everything under the sun.

So, in a bird - there are some things I am looking to have, and some I'm looking to avoid. Those are:
  • My biggest thing I want to avoid is an overly loud bird. Talking or quieter "chitter-chatter" I don't mind - but constant screaming all day isn't something I am prepared to handle (ie most macaws, cockatoos, etc)
  • Feather plucking is something I'd like to avoid. Species that are particularly prone to this are not of interest to me
  • Now what I do want in a bird - the most important to me is a companion. I want a pet that will snuggle or cuddle with me, and enjoy laying on the couch. If he/she will get along with the dog too, even better
  • I generally just want a sweetheart of a bird. Something playful would be great too, but not necessary - if I end up with a bird that would rather just kind of chill than play, that is perfectly fine
  • A more intelligent bird (even one that could eventually learn to talk) is a positive for me as well. Again, not necessary - but it would be nice to have

Those are definitely the biggest things for me.
Size is not important - I'm considering some picket-size birds, up to some macaws. I can give whatever bird I choose all the space they need, and they will be out of the cage very often.
As far as time commitments - I am home often, I do not work from home but my schedule is flexible enough that I can swing by at almost any point in the day if I need to. I would have an hour or so in the morning to spend with my bird before I go to work. Then I'd have work, and once I'm home around 4 or 5, I'd have the rest of the time. I don't go out super often, maybe once a week, twice at most. I do go on vacations for about 3 weeks out of the year - so I would have a bird-sitter. On vacations that I could bring him/her along, I certainly would - as I have done with my dog too. But that's not all the time, and I am out of the country for two weeks out of the year.

So hopefully that gives you a bit of information about my lifestyle, and what I'm looking for in a bird. I have looked through many species and loosely narrowed it down to a few dozen that I'm considering - I'll keep narrowing it down. I'll post those next, and hopefully everyone here's got some great suggestions too.

Thank you,
Drew
 

Tami2

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2017
5,088
2,454
New Jersey
Parrots
Levi - 6 yr old CAG

DOH-4/2/2016
Hi 👋🏻

Have you considered going to a bird rescue or sanctuary and adopting an older bird? You might find exactly what you’re looking for already out there just waiting for someone like you to come along?

Good Luck.
 

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Sounds like you’re deacribing a medium to medium-large size parrot.

You might consider the following

Male eclectus
African grey
Red fronted macaw

Understand with plucking, it happens often times because the bird is not being well cared for - poor diet, ignored, stressful environment full of predators or excessively noisy children running amuck. If you intend to induce a situation where plucking could occur, NO parrot is for you. Even if they wouldn’t pluck, it’s still the wrong home for any bird.

If not, species prone to plucking shouldn’t be a criteria of concern.
 

ChristaNL

Banned
Banned
May 23, 2018
3,559
157
NL= the Netherlands, Europe
Parrots
Sunny a female B&G macaw;
Japie (m) & Appie (f), both are congo african grey;
All are rescues- had to leave their previous homes for 'reasons', are still in contact with them :)
I am probably going to sound rude (sorry for that / it's thinking, translating and typing etc.)


All your animals are species that do fine without a lot of interaction.
(Yea on the dartfrogs - they are so much fun! Pick them on bases of sound as well!! Not just colour and size.
I've had people practically chucking the o. pumilio's in the freezer because the small-stones-grinding-into-each-other matingcall drove them insane. The canary-sounds of the e. anthony are not my cup of tea, but I have those at work, so that is fine.)

Even dachshunds are a fairly independend minded breed afaik-

so....would you really go for something that demands the same amount of time and attention as a todler, who will (if not properly socialized) pairbond with you like crazy (to the point of attacking anyone else), does *not* come with "want to cuddle" or "never cause problems" guarantee ?


If so... shop around, not a few weeks I am talking more like a few years!
Find out about different species, read this forum from now till the beginning, go see them for real.
Visit (if you are able) a few birdshelters of birdymarkets (leave your wallet at home to prevent 'accidents' / they are the worst places to buy birds), visit petshops if they have larger birds (and make sure they are the "good guys" before you buy there).


If you want a bird with 'cuddleguarantee': go for an adult bird - they have a formed personaliity and will not change (much). (rescues are teeming with them/ beware of craighslist! 90% percent are lying bastards) .
ALL babybirds are cuddlebugs (it an inborn survivalstrategy) - and lots of them will 'grow out of it' - so don't fall for that one.
(The large macaws can be considered 'babies' till they reach puberty at 5-6-7 years. The smaller parrots can start to breed as early as 7 months - so there is quite the difference)



Grinn: we all know that eventually the bird chooses you, not the other way around. It is a lot like dating- sometimes: it looks promising, but the click will be missing, and what you thought you wanted... well you'll be surprised!
 

Owlet

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Oct 27, 2016
2,750
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Colorado
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Lincoln (Eclectus), Apollo (Cockatiel), Aster (GCC)
I agree with Chris. If you're worried about potential plucking i wouldn't get a bird at all. I'd also like to add dogs and birds should NOT interact PERIOD. Most mammals have bacteria in their saliva that is lethal to birds. Not to mention it could go wrong in a whole host of ways no matter how well the dog and bird may get along.
 

lplummer52

Member
Apr 19, 2016
386
13
Indialantic, FL
Parrots
"Birdie". Sun Conure
What happened to the Budgie, the Cockatiel and the Sun Conure? Unlike a dog or cat, this bird is for life. What you get from a bird is in direct proportion to the amount of time and energy you give to the bird. Parrots are freakishly smart and intuitive. You can never fool them. Think long and hard, do a lot of research and then hope for the best. We'll all be waiting to hear what you decide.
 

Kiwibird

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2012
9,539
111
Parrots
1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
Did the birds you had experience with actually belong to you? If so, what happened to them? If not, what was the nature of your 'experience' with them? Just meeting them/holding them for a minute or did you care for them for any period of time or what? How did you feel about the conure? They are generally a good bird for someone who seeks the qualities you describe in a bird. Keep in mind though, your bird will be more like your frogs than your dog in terms of domestication. They are wild animals, even hand reared babies aren't much more than 1 or 2 generations out of the wild. As such, they very much retain their wild nature and have their own opinions, preferences, annoying behaviors etc... and haven't been bred down for thousands of years to be obedient people pleasers like dogs have. There is never any guarantee any individual parrot will tick any boxes off a list. We kind of just have to accept them for who and what they are and can't be disappointed if they aren't the perfect, obedient, faithful companion.

I too am a bit concerned about the feather plucking requirement. It indicats further research on your end may be required so you understand the many factors across many species that can drive this behavior. Feather picking in and of itself is not species-specific, rather certain species have more advanced care needs than most and when those advanced needs are not met, feather plucking/self mutilation can happen. Perhaps you just meant you wanted a bird who did not have particularly special diet requirements or extremely high attention needs by comparison to other parrot species? Further clarification on this point would be helpful so we can help guide you better.
 
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oompaloompa

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Mar 15, 2016
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Hi 👋🏻

Have you considered going to a bird rescue or sanctuary and adopting an older bird? You might find exactly what you’re looking for already out there just waiting for someone like you to come along?

Good Luck.

I have thought about it, and I'm somewhat open to it. There is something special about having a pet from nearly the beginning of its life though. I am on the fence about this - but generally trying to get an idea of a few species to narrow it down to, right now.

Drew
 

itzjbean

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2017
2,572
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4
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Iowa, USA
Parrots
2 cockatiels
Hi ����

Have you considered going to a bird rescue or sanctuary and adopting an older bird? You might find exactly what you’re looking for already out there just waiting for someone like you to come along?

Good Luck.

I have thought about it, and I'm somewhat open to it. There is something special about having a pet from nearly the beginning of its life though. I am on the fence about this - but generally trying to get an idea of a few species to narrow it down to, right now.

Drew


I am also one of those people that given a choice, would rather get an animal early on when they're young and weaned from a reputable breeder then from a rescue. Just personal preference, and nothing wrong with that!

What I suggest is to keep doing research. Go to pet stores, bird rescues and bird fairs in your area to get an idea of the noise different birds create, and their different personalities.

Every bird is going to be different, so remember that just because you want a bitd that is cuddly, talks, doesn't pluck, it all depends on the bird and how they're raised. If you want a cuddly bird that is affectionate to you, you will have to spend a good couple hours every day with your bird to maintain your bond. Lots of out of cage time, and if you have pets, it's going to mean possibly separating them from each other to keep your bird safe. Never let your bird out and walk away from him while your other pets are in the room, or it WILL end in bird getting into trouble. I have a huge Doberman who doesn't pay much attention to the birds as well as two cats who are kept separated from the birds if they are out of the cage. Remember, just because you want your animals to be friends, doesn't mean your dog won't see a flying bird and go for it without a second thought. If left alone with my birds, one of my cats would absolutely snatch him and kill. So you must take precautions because birds are prey animals!
 
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oompaloompa

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Sounds like you’re deacribing a medium to medium-large size parrot.

You might consider the following

Male eclectus
African grey
Red fronted macaw

Understand with plucking, it happens often times because the bird is not being well cared for - poor diet, ignored, stressful environment full of predators or excessively noisy children running amuck. If you intend to induce a situation where plucking could occur, NO parrot is for you. Even if they wouldn’t pluck, it’s still the wrong home for any bird.

If not, species prone to plucking shouldn’t be a criteria of concern.
Yes, I am thinking something a bit bigger. The budgies were too small for me, the sun conure and cockatiel were a bit smaller than I would like as well. The B&G and cockatoo were a nice size but I would certainly not mind going smaller.

African Grey has been nixed because of the dust, I've got a buddy with one and he's a sweetheart but the dust is just too much. I love their intelligence, but they aren't super cuddly it seems either. My friend's will tolerate handling, but he's strict about it - when he's done, he's done.

I have thought about an eclectus (male), and I'm on the fence. They do seem to be an interesting species, they seem to be loud though. How is yours with handling? I've seen very mixed reviews on them - of course it's based on the individual animal (as with any species).

A red-fronted macaw is on my list, close to the top. I have seen the good with this species, but what would be the bad things to look out for with them? The good is important, but to me the bad is more important to see if I can afford to give the animal a proper life.

Sorry - I should've been clearer when I said plucking. I meant that I didn't want a particularly sensitive bird, plucking is what it came out as.
Luckily, my house shouldn't be stressful for a bird at all - no kids, I can afford to give a nice-sized cage, can afford to spend time with a bird, and I'm overall devoted to giving my animals the best life I can give them.
For example - my iguana pair lives in a 180 square foot outdoor enclosure, they get fed fresh greens and a vegetable/fruit salad mix every morning and more fresh greens in the evening, and they are handled on their own terms often - they also get to come out of their enclosure any time we're in the pool, it's enclosed and they are free to roam around.

Drew

I am probably going to sound rude (sorry for that / it's thinking, translating and typing etc.)


All your animals are species that do fine without a lot of interaction.
(Yea on the dartfrogs - they are so much fun! Pick them on bases of sound as well!! Not just colour and size.
I've had people practically chucking the o. pumilio's in the freezer because the small-stones-grinding-into-each-other matingcall drove them insane. The canary-sounds of the e. anthony are not my cup of tea, but I have those at work, so that is fine.)

Even dachshunds are a fairly independend minded breed afaik-

so....would you really go for something that demands the same amount of time and attention as a todler, who will (if not properly socialized) pairbond with you like crazy (to the point of attacking anyone else), does *not* come with "want to cuddle" or "never cause problems" guarantee ?


If so... shop around, not a few weeks I am talking more like a few years!
Find out about different species, read this forum from now till the beginning, go see them for real.
Visit (if you are able) a few birdshelters of birdymarkets (leave your wallet at home to prevent 'accidents' / they are the worst places to buy birds), visit petshops if they have larger birds (and make sure they are the "good guys" before you buy there).


If you want a bird with 'cuddleguarantee': go for an adult bird - they have a formed personaliity and will not change (much). (rescues are teeming with them/ beware of craighslist! 90% percent are lying bastards) .
ALL babybirds are cuddlebugs (it an inborn survivalstrategy) - and lots of them will 'grow out of it' - so don't fall for that one.
(The large macaws can be considered 'babies' till they reach puberty at 5-6-7 years. The smaller parrots can start to breed as early as 7 months - so there is quite the difference)



Grinn: we all know that eventually the bird chooses you, not the other way around. It is a lot like dating- sometimes: it looks promising, but the click will be missing, and what you thought you wanted... well you'll be surprised!
No problem about sounding "rude" - you didn't sound rude at all! I know what you mean though, the computer has a funny way of distorting things to sound opposite what they mean. Case in point - when I said plucking (although that was my fault).

I've kept auratus before, likely going to go with leucomelas this go around. Bigger viv too - before I had a 24" cube on my desk with them, now it'll be a 6 foot viv. At least 180 gallons, might go all the way to 450 gallons though. Big maybe on this though - not 100% sure about it. Some of the pumilio are beautiful, but I like my frogs a little bigger :)

My dachshund is plenty independent, she doesn't mind being alone but she certainly wants to spend time playing or just resting whenever I'm home with her. Something like this in a parrot would be ideal...

My plan for figuring out what species I want was to narrow it down to a few species, then go to breeders and meet individual birds in person. Meet the adults, see how I like them - and then try to narrow it down to one species. Past that, I would meet individual babies in person and see who I "click" with, not rushing that part at all. Once I found a bird I really "clicked" with (like you said - one that chose me), that would be my bird.

That is a good reason to choose an adult bird though, a guarantee of the temperament. It is something I am on the fence about - on one hand knowing the bird would be a great thing, on the other it would be great to have the bird from a baby and form a bonded relationship with him/her throughout his/her life.

Thanks for your reply
Drew

I agree with Chris. If you're worried about potential plucking i wouldn't get a bird at all. I'd also like to add dogs and birds should NOT interact PERIOD. Most mammals have bacteria in their saliva that is lethal to birds. Not to mention it could go wrong in a whole host of ways no matter how well the dog and bird may get along.
Sorry - please read my reply to Chris about the plucking thing. I understand that it is from stress and can happen in any bird, I moreso meant that I don't want something super sensitive. My home should be pretty stress-free for a bird - no kids, just me (girlfriend every so often), and the dog.
The dog and bird wouldn't interact - but I don't want a bird that's going to scare my dog, or vice versa. I don't want hostility.

What happened to the Budgie, the Cockatiel and the Sun Conure? Unlike a dog or cat, this bird is for life. What you get from a bird is in direct proportion to the amount of time and energy you give to the bird. Parrots are freakishly smart and intuitive. You can never fool them. Think long and hard, do a lot of research and then hope for the best. We'll all be waiting to hear what you decide.
Budgies were way back when I was a young kid, not even 10 years old - the male lived to be 7, the female 8. My cockatiel unfortunately only lived to about 4.5 years, she passed due to psittacosis.
The sun conure - he is still alive and well, he is going on 16 years this year. When I went to college, I could not bring him along, so he lived with my aunt, who had the B&G and the 'too. He is still living there today, and he was always nasty with me - but he loves her. He hates my uncle, so I think he just has it out for men - but regardless, he formed a great bond with my aunt, and he lives with her now - but is doing great, and still pretty much hates me :)

I am more than committed to my animals, and their wellbeing. For example, my iguanas live in a custom-built 180 square foot outdoor enclosure, and frequently get to leave that to roam even further. They also get two fresh-prepared meals a day - my bird's meals would be mixed in with that, most likely.
I'm more than willing to put in time and effort to bond with this animal - again with the iguanas, that was quite the process to get them to the level of interaction they're comfortable with now (and even seek out), but it was well worth it - same with a bird for me.
 
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oompaloompa

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Did the birds you had experience with actually belong to you? If so, what happened to them? If not, what was the nature of your 'experience' with them? Just meeting them/holding them for a minute or did you care for them for any period of time or what? How did you feel about the conure? They are generally a good bird for someone who seeks the qualities you describe in a bird. Keep in mind though, your bird will be more like your frogs than your dog in terms of domestication. They are wild animals, even hand reared babies aren't much more than 1 or 2 generations out of the wild. As such, they very much retain their wild nature and have their own opinions, preferences, annoying behaviors etc... and haven't been bred down for thousands of years to be obedient people pleasers like dogs have. There is never any guarantee any individual parrot will tick any boxes off a list. We kind of just have to accept them for who and what they are and can't be disappointed if they aren't the perfect, obedient, faithful companion.

I too am a bit concerned about the feather plucking requirement. It indicats further research on your end may be required so you understand the many factors across many species that can drive this behavior. Feather picking in and of itself is not species-specific, rather certain species have more advanced care needs than most and when those advanced needs are not met, feather plucking/self mutilation can happen. Perhaps you just meant you wanted a bird who did not have particularly special diet requirements or extremely high attention needs by comparison to other parrot species? Further clarification on this point would be helpful so we can help guide you better.
A quick overview of the birds I mentioned:
-The budgerigars were mine, purchased back when I wasn't even 10 years old yet. The male lived 7 years, the female 8. Passed of presumably old age.
-The cockatiel was mine as well, she was a sweetheart but unfortunately only lived about 4.5 years, we lost her to psittacosis
-The sun conure was mine, he is still living on. He moved in with my aunt when I went to college, and formed a bond with her (he never liked me too much), so when I was finished up, he got to stay there. I still visit time to time, he's 16 doing well but still hates me :)
-The B&G and 'too are/were my aunt's. The too is still going strong, he's got to be at least 30. The B&G unfortunately passed a few years ago, I cannot remember why. I interacted with these birds for a few hours at a time, more times than I can count. I helped care for them and got acquainted with large birds through these two. The B&G was a sweetheart and she loved me, the 'too was a lot moodier. Wouldn't tolerate my aunt, loved my uncle, and with me it depended on the day, lol.

Yes, of course they are still wild animals - even with reptiles (I work with boa constrictors and leopard geckos, mostly), when we get them several generations in, they still have wild instincts. They have "tamed" (I hate to use that word) down a lot, but still have the instincts of a wild animal.
And definitely not looking for "obedient" - I'm looking for a friend in an animal, a companion not something that's going to do whatever I tell it. If I wanted that I'd have kids ;)

The sun conure was loud, and he never really got along with me. He was a bit smaller than I'd like too, something with just a bit more size I think would be perfect. But as far as personality goes, I can't give him a fair review because no matter what I tried, he generally did not like me.

Yes, that is my fault on the plucking - I meant one thing and typed up another. You pretty much hit the nail on the head, I'm not looking for a bird that's super sensitive - rather, something hardier. I will be keeping a pretty stress-free environment for my bird, I have the one dog who is pretty calm, the iguanas are outdoors, and I have no kids - so it's me, oftentimes the girlfriend, the dog, and it will be my bird if all goes well.

Thanks for your reply
Drew
 
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oompaloompa

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Hi ����

Have you considered going to a bird rescue or sanctuary and adopting an older bird? You might find exactly what you’re looking for already out there just waiting for someone like you to come along?

Good Luck.

I have thought about it, and I'm somewhat open to it. There is something special about having a pet from nearly the beginning of its life though. I am on the fence about this - but generally trying to get an idea of a few species to narrow it down to, right now.

Drew


I am also one of those people that given a choice, would rather get an animal early on when they're young and weaned from a reputable breeder then from a rescue. Just personal preference, and nothing wrong with that!

What I suggest is to keep doing research. Go to pet stores, bird rescues and bird fairs in your area to get an idea of the noise different birds create, and their different personalities.

Every bird is going to be different, so remember that just because you want a bitd that is cuddly, talks, doesn't pluck, it all depends on the bird and how they're raised. If you want a cuddly bird that is affectionate to you, you will have to spend a good couple hours every day with your bird to maintain your bond. Lots of out of cage time, and if you have pets, it's going to mean possibly separating them from each other to keep your bird safe. Never let your bird out and walk away from him while your other pets are in the room, or it WILL end in bird getting into trouble. I have a huge Doberman who doesn't pay much attention to the birds as well as two cats who are kept separated from the birds if they are out of the cage. Remember, just because you want your animals to be friends, doesn't mean your dog won't see a flying bird and go for it without a second thought. If left alone with my birds, one of my cats would absolutely snatch him and kill. So you must take precautions because birds are prey animals!

At one point in time I was going to move to Virginia (glad I didn't do that, lol), and there was a bird shop - when I stayed in VA for two weeks, I visited every day for at least an hour, and got a lot of experience with individual birds. For instance, there were a few scarlet macaws at the front of the shop who were not at all friendly. But there was the one greenwing, who was a sweetheart. The african greys were smart but didn't really like being handled. The amazon at the front would grab your finger and shake it like a handshake, then try and bite it if you looked away (he was a character). The umbrella cockatoo would sit on your head and just scream and flap his wings and you couldn't stop that. There was a female eclectus who seemed to like me, she was a sweetheart. And so on, and so on.

I plan on visiting breeders that work with a few species I can narrow my interests down to, and working with their adult birds, hopefully letting me narrow it down to one species. Then, I'll meet babies and wait until I find one I "click" with - at least, that's my plan as of now. Life has a funny way of changing those up, though.

I do not plan on leaving my dog alone with my bird at any point - there may be times when the bird is out and the dog is out, and I'm right there with the bird, so the dog will probably follow - but they won't have interactions with one another. The bird will be caged unless I am there - and when I'm home, he'll mostly be out with me, or on top of his cage.

Drew
 
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oompaloompa

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Now, as far as species I'm interested in, and species I'm definitely avoiding:

-Cockatoos are off (and cockatiels - I can never "replace" my baby) - cockatoos are way too toddler-like for me, and I don't want to handle all the dust either.
-African greys are out for the dust, and they tend not to be super cuddly.
-Caiques are out, as much as I love the antics, the mood swings scare me. Getting bit doesn't scare me, of course I wouldn't enjoy it but it's part of bird ownership. But caiques are off the table
-Most conures are out because of the noise - I'm looking into two of them though.
-Most macaws are out too due to the constant screeching - again, I'm looking at a few.
-Parrotlets, linnies, lovebirds, and other pocket parrots are out too - too small for me personally, I'd be worried about accidentally crushing him/her
-Amazons are out, I don't want to have to constantly worry about being the "boss" of the bird. The few Amazons I've had experience with would take advantage of you in the blink of an eye if they got the chance, and that's not something I want to worry about

So that leaves some, not a ton, of parrots. A few that have really piqued my interest are
-Greenwing macaw - the one I have met was a sweetheart, although I've heard the horror stories of bigmacs turning sour with age. Still, these birds are big beauties, and seem to be hysterical

-Hyacinth macaw - big money, big bird, big rewards. These seem to be like an expensive greenwing, I have heard nothing bad about them - which scares me. The only things I've heard that are remotely bad are that they can and will break basically anything you give them, which could get expensive - but I'm honestly not that worried about costs

-Red-fronted macaw - this bird has really captured my attention, they look to be a really nice size and super friendly little birds. Anyone know about the bad sides of these birds?

-Golden conure - these seem to be a VERY cuddly bird in general, the one thing I'd be concerned about is that I couldn't provide the bird with the level of socialization they seem to need - maybe someone could confirm or deny that

-Half-moon conure - these seem to be like a toned-down version of the golden conure in size, activity, interaction, etc - just enough that the average keeper could easily manage one. Beautiful too

-Jardine's parrot - this looks, on paper, like the ideal bird for me. They don't need 24/7 interaction, but they will certainly want it when you're home. They want to be with you, but also enjoy time alone. To me, this sounds like a great bird

Those are a few I'm interested in, and a bunch I'm not. Hopefully anyone with experience with those species could share them!
Drew
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
How do you feel about amazons? Specifically small species amazons, like lilac crown or green cheeks, orange wing etc...? They're a bit bigger than conures but not too big. Unlike their larger and feistier amazon cousins (DYH, YNA and BFA are the notorious members of the amazon family that give everyone a reputation), the smaller species tend not to get as bad of hormonal issues upon reaching adulthood, are typically a bit more friendly and easier going overall than larger amazons, aren't as attention needy as some other species and generally make good companions. As my vet put it, amazons are pretty indestructible birds. Do be aware, they are prone to obesity and obesity related health issues. They aren't diet-sensitive like eclectus, more avian garbage cans with a penchant for human junk food. Easy fix: don't feed them junk food (you'd be surprised how many people do because the bird gets excited over it) or let them gorge themselves on fatty foods in general.
 

Owlet

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Oct 27, 2016
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Lincoln (Eclectus), Apollo (Cockatiel), Aster (GCC)
I highly suggest to finding a bird rescue near you and volunteering there. Regardless of if you want to adopt or buy from a breeder you get the opportunity to interact with a variety of species hands on and figure out what might work best for you. Usually what you read online is a best case scenario or just a generalization that doesn't apply to every bird.

And who knows, you might just find the bird for you.
 

GaleriaGila

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May 14, 2016
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The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
Welcome!

I admire your open-mindedness and planfulness. You've gotten some GREAT input, advice, and questions already.

I got my bird in college, and I'm now retired. That's a long time! So even if you did acquire a mature/grown bird, it might easily be with you a long time (depending upon your age). I really hope I outlive the Rb. The idea of his living on at the mercy of the Universe worries me. And even a young bird can succumb to an accident or illness. I guess I'm just musing on the fact that there are no guarantees as far as length of relationship.

Anyway, I'll look forward to following your journey.
 
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oompaloompa

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How do you feel about amazons? Specifically small species amazons, like lilac crown or green cheeks, orange wing etc...? They're a bit bigger than conures but not too big. Unlike their larger and feistier amazon cousins (DYH, YNA and BFA are the notorious members of the amazon family that give everyone a reputation), the smaller species tend not to get as bad of hormonal issues upon reaching adulthood, are typically a bit more friendly and easier going overall than larger amazons, aren't as attention needy as some other species and generally make good companions. As my vet put it, amazons are pretty indestructible birds. Do be aware, they are prone to obesity and obesity related health issues. They aren't diet-sensitive like eclectus, more avian garbage cans with a penchant for human junk food. Easy fix: don't feed them junk food (you'd be surprised how many people do because the bird gets excited over it) or let them gorge themselves on fatty foods in general.
I love the looks of amazons - the only one I have experience with was a ~10 year old male, I believe he was a yellow-lored - he had a sense of humor. He would grab your finger to shake it like a handshake, and the second you looked away he would bite it. Not a particularly hard bite, just a quick nip then let go. He was a funny guy.
I am open to them - but the main thing I was worried about was that they seem to be a bird you need to constantly assert control over. Although it sounds like the smaller birds don't require so much of the control.
So lilac-crowned, green-cheek, and orange-winged tend to be calmer and generally better pets, that's good to know. They're good looking birds, very cute, and they look to be about the size range I'd really like to go for. Anything else you could tell me about them? What are the main negatives associated with them? Are they known to generally enjoy handling, or are they more content to just be out of the cage watching you?
Simple enough plan for keeping them healthy - all my animals are on strict diets and no "people food" except produce, so that wouldn't be a problem.

I highly suggest to finding a bird rescue near you and volunteering there. Regardless of if you want to adopt or buy from a breeder you get the opportunity to interact with a variety of species hands on and figure out what might work best for you. Usually what you read online is a best case scenario or just a generalization that doesn't apply to every bird.

And who knows, you might just find the bird for you.
This is true - I will see what is nearby.

Welcome!

I admire your open-mindedness and planfulness. You've gotten some GREAT input, advice, and questions already.

I got my bird in college, and I'm now retired. That's a long time! So even if you did acquire a mature/grown bird, it might easily be with you a long time (depending upon your age). I really hope I outlive the Rb. The idea of his living on at the mercy of the Universe worries me. And even a young bird can succumb to an accident or illness. I guess I'm just musing on the fact that there are no guarantees as far as length of relationship.

Anyway, I'll look forward to following your journey.
I appreciate the advice I've gotten so far - it's very helpful.
34 years, wow that's a long time! Beautiful little guy.

Drew
 

EllenD

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Aug 20, 2016
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Senegal Parrot named "Kane"; Yellow-Sided Green Cheek Conure named "Bowie"; Blue Quaker Parrot named "Lita Ford"; Cockatiel named "Duff"; 8 American/English Budgie Hybrids; Ringneck Dove named "Dylan"
Can you explain what you mean by "I don't want a bird that is too sensitive"? I guess you related plucking to "being sensitive", but sensitive to what, in what way are you talking about? I guess I just don't understand what you mean by that, as all birds are "sensitive", actually, all birds are extremely sensitive, as this is exactly why all species of birds in captivity are prone to plucking/self-mutilation. And when I say "all birds are sensitive", what I mean is that they ALL are extremely intelligent, regardless of the species of parrot they all have the intelligence of a 3-4 year-old human toddler; some species are much better "talkers" than others, some don't "talk" at all, but that has no bearing on their intelligence. Actually Disco, the Budgie (if you don't know who I'm talking about you can search him on YouTube) is one of the best talking parrots in history. The point is that all species of parrots are going to be the equivalent of having a perpetual 3-4 year-old child for decades, and all parrots are going to be extremely "sensitive" to level of attention and interaction they get, how much time they are locked inside of a cage, how many different toys/foraging activities/"jobs" that they have at all-times to keep their brains and their bodies occupied at all times, and then also sensitive to their environments as well.

Each bird is also an individual, just like human beings are, so there are going to be some birds that are more sensitive to your other animals than others as well, and this is always a worry with birds, as they are prey to both dogs and iguanas. So you obviously cannot allow your pets to interact unsupervised, not ever, and as a former Green Iguana owner for 10 years in a house that bred-birds, I can tell you that you cannot allow your iguanas around your bird at all. My Iguana, which I got as a baby and who I had until he was 11 years old, was the sweetest, friendliest Iguana you'd ever wanna meet, he slept on my bed and cuddled on the couch to watch TV, etc. But when he even heard the breeder-parrots downstairs he got anxious, and the few times he was in the same room with my mom's African Grey he became immediately extremely aggressive, and would have attacked him in an instant, which I thought was odd since he was an herbivore, but he didn't want to eat him, he wanted to kill him.. (I had to re-home him when I went away to college because my mom was a bird-breeder and I wouldn't be there to watch him and give him the attention he needed)...Just an FYI regarding your Iggies.

The other thing you need to keep an open-mind about is obviously going to be the noise/screaming thing. Yes, there are certain species of parrots that are known to be louder than most, the Sun and Jenday Conures being right up there with the Cockatoos, but for different reasons. I don't suggest that you even consider a Cockatoo, as not only are they loud, but they are truly like having a human-toddler in most every way, and you are truly their parent in every way. This is why a lot of Cockatoos are pluckers, as well as why there are so many needing to find homes, unfortunately. You mentioned Macaws, which I absolutely love, but again, you need to keep an open-mind about the noise, as Macaws can break your eardrums if they want to. That being said, so can a little Quaker parrot (mine is having a little tantrum as I type this). So the point is that no matter what species of parrot you end-up choosing, there are going to be many compromises you're going to have to make in-regard to your "wants", or rather your expectations of what you want your bird to be, because the minute that you try to "change" a parrot's personality or natural character to fit your own expectations, that's when things like the screaming get out of hand, and it's also what often leads to self-mutilation and plucking. You have to accept whatever bird you get for what they are and who they are, and live with it for decades, even if they are not meeting your expectations. So as long as you realize this and you can change your own idea of what you think your bird should be, then you'll be fine and be a very good parront. If you end-up with a bird that isn't meeting your expectations and you are rigid and not willing to change those expectations of what you want your bird to be like, then it's not going to work. This is exactly what most people don't think about before getting a parrot and it's what causes them to be re-homed.

So just think long and hard about whether or not you are going to be okay with whatever individual bird you bring home ending-up to be the exact opposite of each of those "wants" that you listed , because no matter how much research you do, and no matter how many birds you interact with prior to getting one, if you go and buy a young baby bird from a breeder or pet shop then you have no idea what they are going to be like, and they may very well be the exact opposite of what you think they are going to be. That's why adopting an adult bird from an avian rescue is such a great idea in a situation like this, where you have a list of expectations and wants for whatever bird you bring home into your life, because you are able to spend a lot of time interacting with the adult bird before actually adopting them, so that you can get a pretty good feeling of what they are going to be like...and even then, once you get them into your home and living with you, they can suddenly be a totally different bird than they were in the rescue...so just think long and hard about how you will handle the unknown...
 

ChristaNL

Banned
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May 23, 2018
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Sunny a female B&G macaw;
Japie (m) & Appie (f), both are congo african grey;
All are rescues- had to leave their previous homes for 'reasons', are still in contact with them :)
You are really giving this some serious thought....

the problem is if you want a supercuddly bird - you also get a needy one (in terms of time and attention)

Yup, greys are dusty and messy and cuddly on their own terms (thans goodness otherwise I could not keep up with the demand) but easy-peasy compared the my current macaw (not so dusty, but very demanding, wanting attention alsmost 24/7)

I read you love to give your pets all the space they might need (I applaud you!!)- so forget about cage and go straight to indoor aviary ;) - if your bird is spending the day amusing him/herself let it do what birds do best: fly (a bit) and forage away.
Giving them space wont make them an ounce less tame, but a lot less frustrated because of all the pent-up energy.

(Oh macaws that scream non-stop is just an not-raised-right issue / of maybe hormones in some cases/ The funny thing is that some people have 12 of them and never a *peep* and other have one and the whole neighbouhod knows it. Traditionally they make some noise around waking and going to sleep / so sunrise and sunset, but they will adapt...Saying that: they belong to the more pairbonding birds - socialize their babysocks+ adolescent sneakers off!-> that is a boatload of work the first 7-8 years before you can easy off a little bit)

LOL@ "the girlfriend" ...but - how does she feel about being a co-parront?
My manly-manly friends were somewhat intimidated bij the greys (beaksize mostly)
-it took them a few years, and now they see the macaw they wonder what the <somethings> they were worried about :D

(just asking because some parrot-keeping-men find the girls in their life do not look kindly to being usurped by a chicken-like being)
.
 
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oompaloompa

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Can you explain what you mean by "I don't want a bird that is too sensitive"? I guess you related plucking to "being sensitive", but sensitive to what, in what way are you talking about? I guess I just don't understand what you mean by that, as all birds are "sensitive", actually, all birds are extremely sensitive, as this is exactly why all species of birds in captivity are prone to plucking/self-mutilation. And when I say "all birds are sensitive", what I mean is that they ALL are extremely intelligent, regardless of the species of parrot they all have the intelligence of a 3-4 year-old human toddler; some species are much better "talkers" than others, some don't "talk" at all, but that has no bearing on their intelligence. Actually Disco, the Budgie (if you don't know who I'm talking about you can search him on YouTube) is one of the best talking parrots in history. The point is that all species of parrots are going to be the equivalent of having a perpetual 3-4 year-old child for decades, and all parrots are going to be extremely "sensitive" to level of attention and interaction they get, how much time they are locked inside of a cage, how many different toys/foraging activities/"jobs" that they have at all-times to keep their brains and their bodies occupied at all times, and then also sensitive to their environments as well.

Each bird is also an individual, just like human beings are, so there are going to be some birds that are more sensitive to your other animals than others as well, and this is always a worry with birds, as they are prey to both dogs and iguanas. So you obviously cannot allow your pets to interact unsupervised, not ever, and as a former Green Iguana owner for 10 years in a house that bred-birds, I can tell you that you cannot allow your iguanas around your bird at all. My Iguana, which I got as a baby and who I had until he was 11 years old, was the sweetest, friendliest Iguana you'd ever wanna meet, he slept on my bed and cuddled on the couch to watch TV, etc. But when he even heard the breeder-parrots downstairs he got anxious, and the few times he was in the same room with my mom's African Grey he became immediately extremely aggressive, and would have attacked him in an instant, which I thought was odd since he was an herbivore, but he didn't want to eat him, he wanted to kill him.. (I had to re-home him when I went away to college because my mom was a bird-breeder and I wouldn't be there to watch him and give him the attention he needed)...Just an FYI regarding your Iggies.

The other thing you need to keep an open-mind about is obviously going to be the noise/screaming thing. Yes, there are certain species of parrots that are known to be louder than most, the Sun and Jenday Conures being right up there with the Cockatoos, but for different reasons. I don't suggest that you even consider a Cockatoo, as not only are they loud, but they are truly like having a human-toddler in most every way, and you are truly their parent in every way. This is why a lot of Cockatoos are pluckers, as well as why there are so many needing to find homes, unfortunately. You mentioned Macaws, which I absolutely love, but again, you need to keep an open-mind about the noise, as Macaws can break your eardrums if they want to. That being said, so can a little Quaker parrot (mine is having a little tantrum as I type this). So the point is that no matter what species of parrot you end-up choosing, there are going to be many compromises you're going to have to make in-regard to your "wants", or rather your expectations of what you want your bird to be, because the minute that you try to "change" a parrot's personality or natural character to fit your own expectations, that's when things like the screaming get out of hand, and it's also what often leads to self-mutilation and plucking. You have to accept whatever bird you get for what they are and who they are, and live with it for decades, even if they are not meeting your expectations. So as long as you realize this and you can change your own idea of what you think your bird should be, then you'll be fine and be a very good parront. If you end-up with a bird that isn't meeting your expectations and you are rigid and not willing to change those expectations of what you want your bird to be like, then it's not going to work. This is exactly what most people don't think about before getting a parrot and it's what causes them to be re-homed.

So just think long and hard about whether or not you are going to be okay with whatever individual bird you bring home ending-up to be the exact opposite of each of those "wants" that you listed , because no matter how much research you do, and no matter how many birds you interact with prior to getting one, if you go and buy a young baby bird from a breeder or pet shop then you have no idea what they are going to be like, and they may very well be the exact opposite of what you think they are going to be. That's why adopting an adult bird from an avian rescue is such a great idea in a situation like this, where you have a list of expectations and wants for whatever bird you bring home into your life, because you are able to spend a lot of time interacting with the adult bird before actually adopting them, so that you can get a pretty good feeling of what they are going to be like...and even then, once you get them into your home and living with you, they can suddenly be a totally different bird than they were in the rescue...so just think long and hard about how you will handle the unknown...
Okay on the sensitive thing, allow me to elaborate. It's not coming out exactly how I mean it, and that's my fault - I'm far more used to discussing fish and reptiles/amphibians.
In cold-blooded animals, when we say sensitive - it means something more along the lines of being vulnerable to changes in the environment, or parameters that aren't what they should be exactly. It would be the opposite of hardy, meaning they can tolerate a variety of conditions and external things/changes don't affect them as much.
In a bird, I don't want a bird that will be vulnerable to too much stress, caused by changes in scenery, etc. The stress would be caused by a sensitivity, and would lead to plucking - so perhaps I needed to explain it in terms of stress levels.
I want a relaxed bird - not one that's going to be stressed with interaction or anything like that.
Of course there are always things that can stress any animal, I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about handling, interactions, other animals coming near them - I don't want them to be stressed by these things and have their health suffer because of it.
Hopefully that helped clear things up a bit?

As far as many other things on there - I touched on a lot of them.

Iguanas - I don't keep green iguanas. Personally, wouldn't wish them on my greatest enemy. They are like cockatoos IMO, they take a very special person to truly care for them.
I keep rock iguanas (Cycluras) - much calmer, mine seek out interaction with humans. Not arboreal, they're strictly terrestrial. They also don't swim - I wish they did, but it's their tendency as a species - and I certainly can't fault them for that.
Oh, and omnivorous with about a 99% focus on plants. I've never heard of them taking out rodents or anything - insects, sure but it's rare. They are not fed rodents at all. I think they would be inquisitive of a parrot, but they wouldn't get close enough to touch - certainly wouldn't bite them.
They wouldn't be interacting, either - same for the dog.

As far as cockatoos, I said in a post that any kind of cockatoos are off the table. I've worked with them before, they're definitely for a special type of person that I am not.
Same for quakers - didn't post it, but no interest in them. Or any of the parakeets (other than two conure species), really.
Conures - not interested in sun/nanday/jenday/etc conures. Half-moon and golden conures are under consideration though - seem to be quieter.
Macaws, I'm leaning against but something about the beautiful gentle giants is bringing me back. It seems as though the calmer macaws (hy, gw, red-fronted, etc) tend to be quieter - but can certainly be loud if they want. It would be interesting to see if anyone could weigh in on this that has one or more of the calmer species and one or more of the more raucous species (scarlet, b&g, military, etc).

Yes, I am aware that pets sometimes don't turn out exactly how you expect - but that's not the animal's fault. I agree, there's no reason you should rehome an animal because it didn't live up to YOUR expectations. I have rehomed exactly one animal in my time - and it was my sun conure, it was supposed to be a temporary arrangement and it ended up being permanent because he formed a bond with my aunt.
I am with my animals until the day they're no longer with us.

This is making me lean slightly towards the side of rescuing an adult bird, whose temperament is known. Something about having a baby from baby to adult is appealing, but I think I would rather know thefinal temperament of the animal than take a shot in the dark.
And it would save me from people trying to guilt me over buying instead of adopting, been down that road before. Not that anyone else's judgements are going to make me sway one way or another - but it would be a plus.

Drew
 

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