Hello from Florida Cockatiel owner(and maybe something else?)

Hello, My name is Kat. I live in Florida, and I currently have a 13 year old male Cockatiel (normal gray) named Zazu. I've had him since he was weaned, and I absolutely love him. He was quite the brat for the first eight years of his life, but for some reason when he hit that eight year old mark, he decided his days of terrorizing members of the household, and biting anything that dared come within a foot of his person were over. Strangely, I actually missed it for a while. He still isn't cuddly, but he no longer bites you, and he really enjoys coming out of his cage now. He knows how to say "pretty bird" and give a wolf whistle. He likes banging his beak on his cage bars or the nearest hard surface when I play the piano. He loves to whistle and screech in his own little made-up harmonies. He is actually quite talented at this sometimes...I call him my "little Mozart". I really do love him to bits...But he has always been rather sedate, never very curious or active. He just likes to sit and watch the world go by. Most people I talk to say this is typical for cockatiels.

I've decided I want to get another parrot. I'm planning on keeping it completely seperate from Zazu, so that won't be an issue. I'm looking for a bird that would probably be $200 or less(Nothing big like an African Gray, or Macaw, etc.) I would like a bird a little more cuddly and interactive than Zazu. I'm looking for intelligence, but it doesn't have to be a great talker. Something that is a "step up" from Cockatiel ownership. I've tried Parakeets/Budgies, and maybe I got them from bad breeders, but the one's I have owned/handled never stopped being timid/fearful of the humans around them. Noise isn't an issue. I live in the country, and I'm used to dear old Zazu letting loose his howls of joy or aggravation at all hours. Mess isn't an issue either. I'm really looking for a bird that is low on aggression, high on interaction, and is very sociable. So far I've considered Lovebirds, Quaker Parrots, or maaaaayybe another Cockatiel if I could find one a bit more active than Zazu.

The problem is EVERYTHING I find is controversial! One book/website says Quakers are the best parrot to own, the next says they are the most aggressive and likely to bite of the parrot species. I'm getting the same this with all the species I research. So is there anyone out there who has an idea what parrot would be good for me?

Where in Florida are you? If you are in the Tampa area, I can give you the names of some great breeders that can help you decide which would be the perfect bird for you and stay in your price range. Good luck.

I guess your are getting confused when reading due to the different information about species of parrots. They have different personalities even within same species. One can be quiet and the same kind of parrot in another locastion can be just the opposite. How to choose? There are generalities about the diffeent kinds. A senegal is know to be quiet, a conure is known to be a clown and on and on. Unless you adopt your price range is pretty low. There are nice adult birds just waiting for good homes (Phoenix Landing). Good luck in your search.

Adopting a Senegal or a conure would fit your budget, and they are really cuddly and interactive. However, just like SB said; adopting is the most affordable option. Very rarely will you actually see a $200 conure at a pet store!

Lovebirds are a lot of fun too, and usually pretty affordable. If you adopt; then the price is even better. Also, I've found some very affordable Quaker Parrakeets, and they are very sweet birds.

Hope this helps!

Welcome to a great forum
Good luck in choosing a lovely bird
Let us know what you decide

Welcome to the forum... I hope that you enjoy yourself here and find all you need to know.

I would not get a lovebird. You want a bird that is cuddly and most lovebirds I have seen are not. They are little trouble makers who like to run around and shred any paper left around the house. Supposedly female tiel and supposed to be cuddlier than males. My tiel is a male and is really sweet and like to go fly to people and sing to them but isn't vary cuddly.

Well, fate stepped in...or something of the like. I was talking to a co-worker, who, it turns out, knew a small breeder who had an unplanned litter(er, hatching? Clutch? Chicking? What is the proper term for birds?) from their Nanday Conures. They had one baby left(5 months). I went and looked...do I really need to go on? *sighs* Who knew a single bird could be so charming? I came home with a Nanday Conure. I've named him Camelot. On day one he was terrified understandably. Day two, I figured would be much the same...I worked with getting him to step on a perch. Once he understood that I brought him out and let him sit on top of the cage for a minute before I had him step back on the perch and go back in his cage(He was looking around jumpily so I thought he would be relieved) and he started SCREAMING at the top of his lungs. I let him come out again. Once more he began looking around in a way I thought was fearful, so I put him back in the cage. More screaming. So I opened the door to his cage to see if he wanted to come out on his own. I have never seen a parrot move that fast. With a mixture of jumping, fluttering, and climbing it took him all of one second to move from the bottom of his cage to the top.
Right now he is sitting on my shoulder, cuddling under my hair, sleeping.
I can't remember the last time I fell in love this hard

Congratulations.

Congrat's with your new bird Camelot !!!!!!
Sure he will settle down soon.
Share a pic with us !!!!

Welcome and congrats!