Looking for any insight/info for (future) Pionus. :)

Hey all, I'm new to the forums, but I was told this was the best place to find people who know what they are talking about.

I've recently fallen in love with the Dusky and Bronze-Winged Pionus and was looking for any good stories of them, behavior/personality, and pretty much anything else you can tell about the Pionus. (I know that seems like a broad question, haha. I'm not looking for super textbook things. Something that, as owners, you could say is valuable information. )

I'm in the midst of reading, [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Parrotkeeping-Comprehensive-Things-Keeping/dp/0793806666"]Good ParrotKeeping[/ame] which as been informative, but there isn't so much on the Pionus.

Thanks for any input!

(Also, I'm really in the pre-pre-PRE planning of getting a bird. It will be my first MAJOR bird, and I want to get my boyfriend more on board, as well as be financially ready for him/her)

I'm really curious about:

- Food types that yours eat?
- Size cage you have?
- Noise level?

etc.

My Dusky is a very good eater. She likes everything. Pellets, seeds, nuts,veggies, fruits, sprouts, bread, pasta, eggs, etc.....she will also steal anything that you are eating if you are not looking or just put her beak in it for good measure

I have a dome top cage that is 36" wide x 24" deep x 48" high.

She is VERY QUIET. Rarely a pip coming out of her....can't say the same about my Blue Headed Pionus who is more vocal.

Haha, oh gosh. My dog will have some food competition then haha. But it's good to know that they're pretty versatile with food. Even more nice to know they're 'quieter' (my boyfriend is still on the fence about a bird, "They scream constantly!" and "They're messy, and expensive!" are his favorite lines)

They don't scream /constantly/... and it depends on your definition of messy and expensive.

They're so worth it. I don't know much about the pionus so I'll stick my beak out of this one.

mysteryfoxes said:

Haha, oh gosh. My dog will have some food competition then haha. But it's good to know that they're pretty versatile with food. Even more nice to know they're 'quieter' (my boyfriend is still on the fence about a bird, "They scream constantly!" and "They're messy, and expensive!" are his favorite lines)

Click to expand...

Out of the different species that we own, my husband, who is not really a "bird person" likes the Pionus the best. They are laid back and "slow moving", pretty even in temperament, and like to "hang out". My two females adore my husband and will be with him all evening, watching TV or playing music (he is a musician) or just hang out.

I know it is not a given and people will say that it isn't so 100%, but out of my 10 birds, all the female(except my Grey) tend to love my husband and the males tend to like me best (they are all accepting of me but they have a preference)......if you wonder about gender.

PS: Parrots are messy, however, 1 parrot is less messy than 10 ! LOL

Pionus are one of the birds I don't have a lot of experience with. As for messy and expensive, that depends. My conure is quite messy as she shoots poop out of the cage bars. But, she isn't very expensive. She doesn't eat a lot, and it takes her a lot longer to destroy toys and perches. She's only been sick once in 12 years, although an illness can easily cost as much as the bird. My amazon is very neat, and since he isn't that much into playing with toys yet (he never had any in his previous home), he has so far been fairly inexpensive to provide for. My Grey came to me with all kinds of health issues and has been very expensive. I also took the grate out of her cage because she was chewing it and so she shreds the paper and shreds toys and does make kind of a mess. But, usually cleaning it up twice a day keeps things neat.

Large birds like macaws and cockatoos can be very expensive because they go through a lot of toys and perches.

They are all expensive when it comes to vet visits though and you do need to be prepared for that. A wellness check with complete blood panels will run you $250+. So if you are used to leaving your dog/cat vet at under $100, know you won't be doing that with your avian vet.

Hello

I have a Blue Head Pionus. she is very sweet and friendly. usually she doesn't make a lot of noise but sometimes ,in the mornings or evening - when she want our company and we are busy she can be a bit loud…. when we ignore her ( which is what you should do if you don't want to have a screamer ) she usually comes looking for us around the house - which is very cute. She likes our company and enjoy spending time with us.

She love her toys and play on her play top when we are home . when we are out - she plays in the cage , i rotate her toys to keep her interested and busy . she likes me best ,but will go to anyone except small kids - she is afraid of them ...

my Pionus likes vegetables : carrots (cooked and fresh) , red and green peppers , corn , peas , green beans, sweet potato.
fruits : oranges ,mandarin ,blueberries, apples. seeds , and pallets.
i also make he birdbread and she love it ....

Yay, thank you all for the great info. I've almost got my boyfriend convinced (or at least accepting) of the idea. Haha.

I can't seem to get enough info, so if there is anything else to know I'd love to hear!

One reason wellness checks are so expensive for birds is that they try to hide illness in order to not attract predators or endanger the flock. So when they go in, the vet needs to run blood tests and to check for bacteria in mouth and poop swabs. Dogs on the other hand tell the whole world they are sick. Cats usually will tell their owners, although not always. Mine will! She will throw up all over my face to tell me, unfortunately, lol!

It'll definitely be more of a shock to take the bird to the vet, I know. Haha, I barely pay anything for my puppy's visits.