Pionus not playful?

My dream bird is one that steps up every time, sits on my knee while I watch tv or do work on my computer, doesn't bite (without reason, is complacent), and enjoys head scruffs.

I was in a pet store and the employees said the pionus aren't "cuddly." It turns out what they mean is, the pionus aren't puppy-dog cuddly like cockatoos can be, but one actually said, "Pionus don't always like people."

I'm pretty sure this person isn't completely accurate. I love bronze wing pionus, and I've been reading a lot about them and even watching YouTube videos posted by BWP owners. I'm pretty sure these birds fit my above description, but can someone please verify with me - you wouldn't describe them as not "liking people," would you? Or maybe I'm wrong. To me, laid back, sitting on your knee, steps up every time, doesn't bite - perfect bird. But am I wrong? I like affection, too, so if they're even a little cuddly that's great.

I'm just having a hard time believing there's a 50 percent chance this bird is going to be stone cold. Should I not worry?

A pionus is basically "Amazon-lite."

You get a lot of the same personallity traits as amazons. They can be outgoing and display-ey, and they also have times when they just want to perch potato.

IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW WELL YOU SOCIALIZE THE BIRD.

A bird left to fester that doesn't get handled all the time, and has had little training, will tend to be more of a perch potato.

A bird that gets handled a lot, and interacted a lot, especially with strangers, will tend to be more outgoing and friendly...

YOUR JOB, in my opinion. Socialize the bird right, and you get rewarded with a great bird. Don't do your job, the bird tends to be a lot more opinionated, and tends to bite more...

Thanks! Do you have a pionus? Also, if I plan to generally have him out/handle him when I'm home (weekdays: 1.5 hrs morning/ 1-2 hrs night, weekends 3 hrs roughly) do you think I would be on track to have a well socialized pionus? If it was less, would if be a problem? I know I'm not the only parrot owner with a job. What's the minimum play time to be conscious of?

Stepping up every time is a training issue, not a species issue, as is not biting without cause.

In my experience pionus are extra sensitive to early raising blunders. Force weaning, early clipping (anything before say, 5-6 months), not enough time spent with humans early on, trauma early on, they don't seem to handle the things well at all and can become very timid. The ones I have interacted with have all been more reserved than outgoing, but ninnies have all been victims of abuse in some way. Hey are much less needy in general than w lot of the other parrots, I think a pionus seems like a good fit for you BUT it will depend mostly on you and on the individual bird. Also, I get nervous every time people start asking about minimum time you can spend with a bird. I know why you ask, it's just that there is no universal number. Birds need as much time as you can give them. Also, the less time you spend with them, the more you have to do to fill their time Hild you are away. Yes, perch potato is a good discription of a lot of them, and it takes work to keep them from being that way.

Thanks for the reply. Should I be paranoid about early month blunders? How do I know I have the right breeder handfeeding the baby?

I want to have a happy parrot who I spend time with. My fear is over thinking it.

Maxo said:

Thanks for the reply. Should I be paranoid about early month blunders? How do I know I have the right breeder handfeeding the baby?

I want to have a happy parrot who I spend time with. My fear is over thinking it.

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Yes I think you are over thinking it . I also think that you are trying to convince yourself that Pionus are the perfect bird for what you are looking for, and you are hoping to hear what you want to hear . and I don't mean to offend you by saying that. They are great birds, but they are a lot like Amazons. One really great thing is that they can be independent more willingly than most other species. Have you spend a great deal of time looking into all the different species out there?

What Birdman666 said, they are "Amazon-lite". They have MANY similar characteristics to Amazons.

REMEMBER... No matter how well socialized your baby is, he/she will be an individual. Individuals of complex animals are never predictable. Your bird might surprise you with a personality trait(s) that you were not expecting, or that you might not particularly care for REGARDLESS of socialization and bonding! Babies are already born (or hatched) with their innate personality. You get what you get, and you work with what you get.

Raven, my BW male is MY bird, yet he absolutely adores my husband. He is still not what you'd call cuddly with him, but he will "tolerate" more handling from him, and won't be as ready to bite him as he will with me. He likes me too, but he treats both of us differently. I am the one who is around him mostly since he is mine. I work with the particular boy I have, and I do love him, but he is not quite as 'nice' of a pet as the female I had who passed, even though he is a handfed, fledged, well raised bird.

Raven is a typical Pionus. He is not an extrovert. Although I got him as a baby and he was not abused, he still acts very much like what I gather SilverSage says about her Pionuses. One of the few differences between Pionus and Amazons is that Pionus are much more introverted. It might "look" unfriendly, but they are just standing back to study the situation or people to assess them. They have a cautious nature, and are not the class clowns.

I hope this didn't sound negative. That was not my intention. Just telling it like it is...

Julie, thanks a lot and no, not offended at all. Just making sure I get a good understanding from the forum, consistent answers.

Im not dead set on pionus, as I'm giving myself at least a year to find the right bird. I'll take your word for it and stop over thinking it, though. I've had four parrots pass through my house growing up and seen my mother, their caretaker, bond well with all (including a psychotic little Pacific parrotlet lol).

Maxo said:

Thanks! Do you have a pionus? Also, if I plan to generally have him out/handle him when I'm home (weekdays: 1.5 hrs morning/ 1-2 hrs night, weekends 3 hrs roughly) do you think I would be on track to have a well socialized pionus? If it was less, would if be a problem? I know I'm not the only parrot owner with a job. What's the minimum play time to be conscious of?

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No. The vast majority of my experience is with amazons, which are, in some ways more challenging, but there is enough similarity there, that the experience transfers. (You have a lot of the same personality traits, and hormonal behaviors.) I have played with a few over the years. But never owned one.

I've generally kept amazons, large macaws, conures, and a CAG. (Though I've fostered several other species including sennies, eckies, and toos.)

I'm primarily an amazon and macaw guy. The goofball birds... (We understand and appreciate each other's sense of humor.)

I have a white capped pionus that I got as a hand fed baby. He is so cute! He has a very laid back personality. He gets plenty of out of cage time, but I do work 3 days a week 12hrs so he does spend 3 days in his cage all day. He still comes out when I get home from work for an hour or two for his nightly scratches. My parents came to visit. Fonzie hasn't seen any new human for at least 6 months. He stepped right up for my mom, and kept running across the couch to hang out on my dad's shoulder. He seems to the everything in stride. I also have loud barking dogs and Fonzie is still the boss. Don't think you'll be sorry with a Pionus... Just my biased opinion 😄 love that he is also perfectly happy to entertain himself on his gym all day.

I can't answer your questions about BW pionus, but I can share my experience with my white capped pionus.

(He's a girl, but I say "he", so what I'm describing is a female. Just for clarification.)

He is laid back. Independent (to a certain degree). Doesn't care much for fancy toys, but loves cardboard and easily shreddable stuff. Especially balsa wood. He'll sit with you for hours, or he'll entertain himself.

He is VERY cuddly.. and he makes that quite clear. Loves scritches from me or hubby. I can pick him up with both hands and cuddle him against my face and he just loves it. Accepts scritches from guests, but he wont step up for them. He'll mince the heck our of their fingers though.. That's lack of socialization on our part, so he's "our" bird. Doesn't care for others.

The difference is I didn't get my WCP from a breeder, I got him at already (apparently) 6 years old, didn't spend much time around people before us. So I'm just loving him the way he is, gradually socializing him more and more, etc. He has bitten us a few times, but always at our own fault. They'll show you when they arent happy, you just have to see it.