Hello every one

So I need some help I'm from Loveland colorado and I'm wanting to get a bird I been looking and reading about birds and I want a parrot but don't know what parrot I want. I have a dog 3 kids and a wife . I want one that can learn to talk and it's not that difficult to keep I bought a cage that's 5feet by 3 by 20 inches and have everything ready for it .. now I just need to decide if u guys can help me out and share ur experience with the birds I would like one that grows around 12inches .. thanks


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Welcome! Glad you found us!

I'll answer your questions, with just my opinion, of course.

As far as I am aware, there are no 100% guarantees that any bird will talk. Dogs and kids are a real potential danger and need direct and constant observation around a bird. I would say that all parrots are hard to keep, or at least hard to keep well. Of course, the smaller ones are easIER. Cockatiels are a popular small parrot... the males usually speak. The bar spacing is important, on the cage, to avoid awful accidents like the bird getting its head or wing caught...

More learned folks will be along to give their opinions, I'm sure. Good for you for researching and reaching out.

The spacing on the cage is 1/2 inch to 3/4 of and inch


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Rigo07 said:

The spacing on the cage is 1/2 inch to 3/4 of and inch


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Here is a decent guide for what you are looking at:

The Ultimate Bird Cage Bar Spacing Guide

Hope that helps some.

Hello and welcome to the forums! Congrats in advance! I'm curious, did you meet a parrot that made you decide you wanted one? There are so many species offering you so many choices. As GaleriaGila has mentioned, all birds are unique with personalities all their own, there's no guarantee any of them will talk, some species are more likely to talk than others. African Greys, Quakers, Amazons, Macaws top the list but all parrots have the ability to speak.

If the bar spacing is too wide it can be a danger to smaller birds. The wire gauge is important too according to the strength of the beak, some birds are avid chewers, the smaller gauge wire of a flight cage isn't strong enough for some species, just one example.

Some parrots tolerate children better than others, again there is no guarantee, with three children, I would choose a young bird, parrots adapt to new environments better at a young age. Parrots are fragile, I would be very careful with the children and with your dog.

A lot can be learned about various species by reading and even more can be learned by visiting pet stores or rescue centers where you can meet a variety of birds and interact with them. I think you'll find experienced parrot people will be more than willing to help you with your decision.

I been going to a bird store close to we're I live and been looking at all the birds they have and asking questions .. I've always liked colorful birds and wanted to have one but I use to live in an apartment and didn't have space for it . I bought a house and now I have space


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Rigo07 said:

I been going to a bird store close to we're I live and been looking at all the birds they have and asking questions .. I've always liked colorful birds and wanted to have one but I use to live in an apartment and didn't have space for it . I bought a house and now I have space


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Thats really cool that you have space for them now and you will be in a situation that you won't be moving.

You'll have to decide what the most important thing about having a bird is (size/noise/etc). Even within the conure world different breeds are very different. I had a green cheek when I was growing up and he was a really great bird. Sun Conures on the other hand require more of "acquired" taste. Not a fan of them and the screaming noises they make would make me go crazy. Same concept with Cockatoos. Some people love them, but I couldn't deal with the sound. But if you aren't worried about sounds those could talk quite well.

I've also seen someone with 2 DY amazon and one was really loud and talked really well and the other was really quite and reserved so just depends on the bird. So a specific breed doesn't necessarily mean they will talk well, just depends on the bird.

I was looking at red bellied parrot/Hahns miniature macaw/ eclectus parrot I really like the colors on the electus


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Noise it's not that big of a problem the bird is going to have its own room and i can lock it when I'm not there so my kids won't grab it the dog I have is a small dog


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Rigo07 said:

I was looking at red bellied parrot/Hahns miniature macaw/ eclectus parrot I really like the colors on the electus


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I don't have much experience with any of those, but I do believe that the Electus requires a specialized diet, I'm sure if you look on the specific tab on the forum you can figure that all out.

I don't know if you've done much looking into Conures. I loved my Green Cheek. He spoke every once in a while, but nothing like the African Greys/Amazons, a little smaller bird, so if/when it bit it didn't really do much damage.

When I was looking at getting my Amazon the Indian Ringnecks were really cool to me also and can come in quite a few colors.

Just a few ideas. The Conures and the IR tend to be a little bit on the cheaper side also if that's something of concern.

I think honestly though when I was a kid my favorite bird was the cockatiel. Small enough to ride on your shoulder and if you got a male it talked and came in a couple of different colors. I was just always intimidated by the Macaws and larger Amazons for awhile.

If your looking at starting your own flock a cockatiel or a budgie would be a cool first bird and grow into something larger. That way you could teach your kids how to handle the bird and get your dog used to being around birds as well. That's what my wife and I did is got a cockatiel and had it for a couple years and it helped with training the rest of our animals to respect the bird. Due to me being in the military and a random set of orders I wasn't able to bring it with me and we gave it to my wife's really good friends who had kids and ended up finding a really good home, but the cockatiel was a great bird.

I'm thinking of going with a male electus


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Rigo07 said:

I'm thinking of going with a male electus


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That's really cool. Best of luck to you, they were really hard to find where I live.

Out of curiosity what made specifically those stand out amongst all other birds? I haven't done much research on them when I was in the market for mine, so not sure what makes those unique amongst other species.

Well price and the color he haves I been watching videos on them ... the amazons I like are pretty expensive and the store I goo to don't have them


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I been looking a different types and what I can afford for like 2 months already


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Rigo07 said:

Well price and the color he haves I been watching videos on them ... the amazons I like are pretty expensive and the store I goo to don't have them


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Oh that's pretty cool. I only saw 1 or 2 around me and they were really expensive compared to other birds. I can't say too much because I got my amazon as a rescue or else I would probably still be looking for one. Good luck with whatever you decide to get.

Hello and welcome to the forum!
I would suggest doing a lot of research before making a decision on a parrot, as there are so many things to consider other than now having room for one. Is there a rescue you could volunteer at to get a feel for the different species of parrots?
You mentioned your cage bar spacing is between 1/2 and 3/4? That is quite a bit of difference. An Ekkie would be fine in 3/4, but not in 1/2.

Eclectus also require a fresh veggie and fruit diet, I would suggest you read up on that as well, although all parrots also require fresh veggies and fruits in addition to their other food.

You mentioned the bird having a room of it's own...would you be planning on spending a lot of time in there? All parrots needs time out of their cage every day and a lot of interaction with their humans.

Just a few other things to consider before bringing a parrot into your life

Rigo, I'm not sure I recommend an eclectus for you. As a general rule they don't really like the kind of busy environment that comes with three kids. They really thrive on living in calmer, more tranquil environment.

Combine that with a new owner who may not be up on the diet and likely to try to cut corners, what with three kids and all. I would have grave reservations in your particular case. I've owned several smaller birds in the past and I found my ekkie a bit overwhelming at first, and I don't have the pressures of a family to worry about on top of that. Having a parrot will be adding a fourth child to your family if you care for them properly.

As example: ideally the bird will be out of he cage as long as you're home, maybe on a stand or Java tree. Are you prepared to accommodate that?

I'm with everyone else here. You might be a good candidate for a conure, mini macaw, Or maybe a rose breasted cockatoo.

I know they need veggies and fruits for most of there diet and also reading on how to keep extra and have it prepare and yea the room is just for when I'm not home or till my wife gets home then I'm planing on keeping him out as much posible so and making him a stand and stuff.


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My yellow shoulder amazon hits a lot of your points:
12" long
Good talker
Pretty calm around people and animals
Not fussy with nutrisional needs ( no more so then any other parrot)

But:
Like most 'zons they are mostly green. YSA have a yellow area on the front of the head and top of the shoulder.
Bar spacing of 3/4" would be the most- 1" migh be too much
Amazons like to be in the middle of family action, meals and such.
'Amazons generally have 2 loud sessions a day ( mine has one, in he afternoon) where anything at all can come out of them, sound wise - we think he has 2 sets of vocal cords sometimes.

Like most have said - parrots are not easy care pets. All can be messy, all need interaction with people almost daily, all need $$$ vet care, and they live a LONG time, most 30+ years, some as long as 70 years or more.

Each bird is it's own personality, and a species know for is talking ability can have an individual which never says a word; or a species known for its cuddly-ness produce a individual who hates being touched.

If certain traits are showstoppers, may I suggest adopting an older bird, whose personality are a known commodity and who certainly need a loving home. Kudos for doing your research and good luck.

I'm still doing research it should take 2 months before I get one since I need to be prepare for it plus that way I can keep going and looking at them on how they behaved at the store


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