New to the bird world!

Hi! I am new to the bird world since never even considering a bird until I met a troubled macaw in St. Lucia in March. She and I really hit it off. She was lonely and territorial and I spent most of my vacation doing Internet research and going in her cage to be with her.

So now I am beginning my education so that I can get a bird in a few years. I am excited to learn as much as I can. I am 38. Mom of 3, do rescue work, mybullmastiff is a certified therapy dog. I also have 2 Maine coon cats and an English bulldog.

I am looking for a place to volunteer so I can get experience. I love the look of Quakers, greys and macaws. Please feel free to advise!

You might be best to start out with a budgie or cockatiel or lovebird. I started out with budgies 4 years ago and I still have budgies. They are very fun to watch and easy to tame. They don't cost much to buy, but like any parrot, they need a heap of attention and love plus fruits and vegies EVERY DAY! I can't really say much about the larger parrots, as I have never had one. Cockatiels are larger than budgies, but they have the same nature. Lovebirds can be a bit harder as they are very territorial. If not hand tamed when they are young, they can very aggressive. If you are getting a parrot do your research. Never believe anyone that tells you parrots are easy creature to look after. If any one does tell you that, they probably have never owned a parrot, and, if they do, it is probably a neglected one that sits in a tiny cage all day with nothing but seed. It is best to buy the biggest cage you can find. The tall cages look spacious, but really they are a parrots worst nightmare. Try to get one that is wider rather than taller. Good luck!

PS. Other people on this forum can advise on the larger parrots, not me.

I am somewhat new myself and recently acquired a conure.

I agree that if anyone tells you they are easy to take care of is full of it. =p

Now are they worth the hours of training each day, them screeching at you, trying to preen you aka pull your hair out? XD
YES, I find birds to be amazingly intelligent, fun and inquisitive.

I am glad that you are interested in rescue birds. <3
A lot of birds, at least in my area of florida are abandoned.

A Macaw would be a heck of a start. I started with Cockatiels and then moved ot amazons and now have a conure and African Grey will be adding another at some point. Good luck and rescue birds will also be a tough start they tend to come with a lot of baggage.

Hi there!! Pleased to meet you.

I you're new to world of parrot ownership, then I suggest getting a budgie, cockatiel or lovebird. I have read great stories of people who started with a large, high maintenance bird like a macaw or cockatoo, and it turned out great. But its still good to start out small.

Looking forward to learning more about what you do, and what parrot you decide on.

Welcome! You certainly are taking the right approach by doing so much research before getting a bird. The advice that the others here have given is sensible; the types of birds they recommend are better choices for someone new to birds. Quakers are wonderful, but are probably not the ideal choice for a beginner-- they're at least as demanding as most of the larger parrots, as I've discovered over the past month with my new Quaker. Greys and Macaws are great birds too, but again, I imagine that some prior experience with parrots would be advisable.

Welcome! You have such a great "flock" alread that a bird would be a great addition.

My husband and I were very close to empty nest with our biological children...now we have a macaw, alexandrine and CAG (on the way) so we're in this for awhile.

Welcome to a fantastic forum, with great friendly members.
Happy that you are doing research, most people have not clue, what to do when they get a bird.
I did loads of research, before becoming a guardian.
I have always be a guardian, to African Grey's, no other birds.
They require a lot of your time, as I am sure most birds would. They thrive on routine, lots of interactions, and one on one time.
It takes many many hours, to train an AG, but the rewards are so worth it.
Seen many birds that are happy to be let on their own, for long periods.
Many people, are happy to leave their birds in their cages for hours.
Mishka my AG now 2 1/2 years old) does not want to be left alone for longer than an hour.
When I go out, I leave a Cd's playing with my voice, saying words and sentences she has learnt. When I walk out a room, she starts crying.
Make wonderful companions, very talkative, love attention and keep you entertained 24/7.
Becoming a guardian to a big or small bird, is a big responsibility.
Good luck with your research

Welcome to the forum. I think volunteering at a shelter would be a fantastic way to learn and meet different species of parrots. You'll get to see how much work goes into these guys and whether it's for you.

I'm in a very similar situation.. 36, 2 kids, a Great Dane, Husky, Toy Poodle, 3 cats, 2 pythons, & an Eclectus. I think the Parrot is as much work as a young child & a lot more time consuming than any of my other guys. Lots of food prep, cleaning, training, bathing etc etc but the rewards are endless.

Two organizations for vol. with birds is The Gabrial foundation and Phoenix Landing. You can find them with a google. I have filled out the application for Gabrial. They have hundreds and hundreds of birds needing care and foster homes. Good Luck and thanks ahead of time.