Is a senegal right for me? Are adult senegal that hard to deal with?

[NiR]

I really want to get a senegal. I have gone to a breeder and i fell in love with the baby senegal there. I understand that baby senegals might not accurately show how the adult senegals will be but can anyone with senegals tell me if they hate their adult, teen senegals? I want a bird that will be sweet and will like my company. Also i live in a apt so i need a bird thats quieter so i thought senegal fit the bill right. So please tell me your experiences with senegal COMPARED to other birds . Are they pleasant as birds in most ages. I understand they might go through a nippy stage when they are a bit older but is it that bad? Are you guys happy with your senegals and mostly the ones that arent babies anymore. I am still planning to wait for 4-5 more months before purchasing since i want to know every info there is to know about them. Also i own a budgie but i will keep them in different cages and supervise them since i heard senegals are 1 person birds and might attack the budgie.

please respond guys i do appreciate all the help. Tell me your experiences.

Also if there are other birds i should be looking at instead of a senegal let me know.

 

[ConureCrazy]

Hi, I have my 1 1/2 year old Senegal, Oliver. I must say, he's really nice. Except for the past couple weeks, because he's molting, so he gets a little cranky. But aside from that he's amazing. Senegals might tend to be one person birds, but sometimes they aren't, really. For example, Oliver prefers my dad over me, but he gets along just fine with me and my mom and such. He is also talkative, he says hello and hi pretty baby. He also imitates the microwave beeps and my conures' whistles. He isn't as active as my green cheek conures, but he plays alot with his toys and shreddable things. I haven't had him since he was a baby, I got him a month ago, so I haven't had ALOT of experience with senegals, but overall they're just the sweetest things, but during molting and we hormones kick on, he'll be a little nippy, but that doesn't last very long. Good luck with choosing your new bird!! =)

 

[mtdoramike]

Weeeeeeelllllllllll, this is a deep subject. Tiki, my 3 year old Senegal is something else. She started off focusing her affection on me. But about 6 months ago, she totally switched and became my wifes bird. She tollerates me, but that is about it.

She is not a quiet bird by any stretch and if I lived in an apartment, I would probably have been kicked out by now. I call senegal's the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde of the parrot world simply because their mood swings are so spontanious and will go from this sweet little ball of feathers who wants you to flip her over on her back in your hand to all of a sudden, biting your finger or hand to the bone.

So, are they cuddly, sure when the want to be. Can they be mean and bitey yep. Are they quiet birds nope. My only saving grace with her is that she is a small bird so the noise level isn't as bad as a Macaw. So eventhough, you might get a Senegal assuming she is going to be your bird, you might have a surprise coming because the bird could choose anyone.

 

[Spiritbird]

You may want to look at a Meyers parrot. They are supposed to be sweet and quiet. http://aviary.upatsix.com/ooa2/meyers.html

 

[Karigan]

My ten year old is fairly quiet, except in the mornings when she decides that I should be up. This is lessened somewhat by the cover we put over her cage, but only for a few extra hours. Birds all make noise before bed and when they get up, kind of a confirmation that the flock knows where they are and that they're all right and visa-versa. She is usually calm, but has moments of moodiness like all Sennies do. She gets irritable if the house is too busy and makes a lot of noise then as well. She doesn't bite unless given fair warning (or it I'm holding a book), and over all she has been a great starter bird.

 

[NiR]

Hi, I have my 1 1/2 year old Senegal, Oliver. I must say, he's really nice. Except for the past couple weeks, because he's molting, so he gets a little cranky. But aside from that he's amazing. Senegals might tend to be one person birds, but sometimes they aren't, really. For example, Oliver prefers my dad over me, but he gets along just fine with me and my mom and such. He is also talkative, he says hello and hi pretty baby. He also imitates the microwave beeps and my conures' whistles. He isn't as active as my green cheek conures, but he plays alot with his toys and shreddable things. I haven't had him since he was a baby, I got him a month ago, so I haven't had ALOT of experience with senegals, but overall they're just the sweetest things, but during molting and we hormones kick on, he'll be a little nippy, but that doesn't last very long. Good luck with choosing your new bird!! =)

How long is the harmonol nippy stage? Does it go away afterwards?

Also Thanks for the reply guys it's greatly appreciated. Few more questions to visualize what to expect.

How often does your senigal bite? 1 time a day? Week? Month? I heard
that as they grow older and there hormones starts to rise, they become
more aggressive and much harder to handle. Have you experienced this?
What % of the time is your Sennigal sweet and tame and what % of the
time is he agressive and bitty. I just want to visualize how often he
is going to be dr Jekyll compared to mr Hyde.

 

[Karigan]

Hmm... I'd say I get bitten maybe once every three weeks or so. She did try to bite my fingers for a while when she stepped up if she suspected I was trying to put her back in her cage, but that was easy to correct. Really, now she only bites if she's in the middle of play and I get in the way. Normally she almost fences with my fingers if she's threatening, hitting a finger from side to side like a sword while growling.

Usually she only Hydes when her routine is disturbed or if she doesn't get her sleep. Last week I took her to a day camp for five days in a row. She was tolerant of the children (5-12 year olds), but had little patience unless I was very calm around her and she had a 15 minute break every two hours. She was a gem for the most part, very nutral and distant, but content and let the children approach her one at a time. This is the most I've ever disturbed her routine and she was okay.

She was grumpy when mating season came around, so we just left her to her own devices unless she came to us. This lasted about two weeks, and occurs yearly.

She's sweet most of the time, especially when she's out of her cage. If left inside too long, she starts squawking and pacing or attacking her toys. Especially if I'm not in the room, she yells for me constantly. If she's playing, she can get a little aggressive if she gets too into it, but her snuggle and exploring time is usually when she comes to me, and then she quietly entertains herself.

 

[NiR]

Hmm... I'd say I get bitten maybe once every three weeks or so. She did try to bite my fingers for a while when she stepped up if she suspected I was trying to put her back in her cage, but that was easy to correct. Really, now she only bites if she's in the middle of play and I get in the way. Normally she almost fences with my fingers if she's threatening, hitting a finger from side to side like a sword while growling.

Usually she only Hydes when her routine is disturbed or if she doesn't get her sleep. Last week I took her to a day camp for five days in a row. She was tolerant of the children (5-12 year olds), but had little patience unless I was very calm around her and she had a 15 minute break every two hours. She was a gem for the most part, very nutral and distant, but content and let the children approach her one at a time. This is the most I've ever disturbed her routine and she was okay.

She was grumpy when mating season came around, so we just left her to her own devices unless she came to us. This lasted about two weeks, and occurs yearly.

She's sweet most of the time, especially when she's out of her cage. If left inside too long, she starts squawking and pacing or attacking her toys. Especially if I'm not in the room, she yells for me constantly. If she's playing, she can get a little aggressive if she gets too into it, but her snuggle and exploring time is usually when she comes to me, and then she quietly entertains herself.

see when i read stuff like this, i really want to get a senigal. this really doesnt seem bad at all. ocasional bites every 2 weeks or so is not bad. Nice all other times and even with others he isnt as bad as portrayed. I dont get why michael (from another site, he owns kili the senegal) from another site is telling me not to get a senigal. He is apprently saying that if i dont do everything right he will turn out to be a viscious bird. EVERYTHIGN right? sounds a bit exagerated. i have been doing research for months and will continue to do so for the next 4-5 months at least. So i will prepare myself on how to correct all his behaviors but even then i doubt i can do everything perfectly. i will be perfectly happy with a bird who is sweet and caring most of the times and dr jekyl only once in awhile.

 

[mtdoramike]

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying don't get a Senegal either. I just want to give you as honest and objective a response as possible. I'm not one of these people that will post, my bird is sooooooo quiet (only because I have learned to tune them out) or my bird is the sweetest thing and doesn't bite at all ( forgeting the vicious bite two or three weeks ago because the bird was moody, but since she's sweet most of the time, I forgot about those bad times).

I don't forget about those bad times just because I have some good times thrown in there and I sure aint tone deaf or have become used to the noise. But I also understand that this is all part of owning and living with and interacting with a bird. I love my little Tiki and would take a buck and a quarter for her.

I think you will do just fine with a Senegal.

 

[NiR]

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying don't get a Senegal either. I just want to give you as honest and objective a response as possible. I'm not one of these people that will post, my bird is sooooooo quiet (only because I have learned to tune them out) or my bird is the sweetest thing and doesn't bite at all ( forgeting the vicious bite two or three weeks ago because the bird was moody, but since she's sweet most of the time, I forgot about those bad times).

I don't forget about those bad times just because I have some good times thrown in there and I sure aint tone deaf or have become used to the noise. But I also understand that this is all part of owning and living with and interacting with a bird. I love my little Tiki and would take a buck and a quarter for her.

I think you will do just fine with a Senegal.

i appreciate the honest resopnses . I can make a better picture of everything will be if everyone gives honest opinions. But see that doesnt seem bad either. ocasional bites once every 2 weeks or so and a friendly bird most of the times. So i dont see whats so bad about this that i am being told not to get one from a respectable guy who owns a senegal.

 

[Loyal]

I've had my Senegal for a little over a month and she tries to bites a great deal. She bites if you don't offer food and she's a bit cage aggressive towards my spouse. Although, she screams when he's eating and doesn't offer her anything. From what I've been told, my Indy is roughly 3 years old. She's willing to sit next to me while I'm on the computer but she isn't into being held quite yet. She doesn't like hands. She also bite my dog for coming near me while I was reading on the couch (thankfully my dog got nervous and ran because that could've gotten ugly). She screams when we leave or whenever the front door is opened and closed (probably learned from the dog barking). I live in an apartment and my neighbors said they've never noticed her screaming sessions. I've masked her morning noises by feeding the wild birds so you can't tell who the noise is coming from.

 

[mtdoramike]

My Senegal is very possessive to a degree, especially with me for some reason. My wife can handle our eclectus and then go right over and pick up Tiki our Senegal. I on the other hand will get nailed BIG TIME if I don't allow at least 10 minutes or so to pass before I try interacting with Tiki after playing with Mac our Eclectus. This is when she really bites and I mean those vicious bites that sinks the tip of her beak into my finger until it hits bone. It doesn't happen that often since I try to remeber to count to 1000 before I handle Tiki after handling Mac. But sometimes I forget OUCH!

 

[NiR]

My Senegal is very possessive to a degree, especially with me for some reason. My wife can handle our eclectus and then go right over and pick up Tiki our Senegal. I on the other hand will get nailed BIG TIME if I don't allow at least 10 minutes or so to pass before I try interacting with Tiki after playing with Mac our Eclectus. This is when she really bites and I mean those vicious bites that sinks the tip of her beak into my finger until it hits bone. It doesn't happen that often since I try to remeber to count to 1000 before I handle Tiki after handling Mac. But sometimes I forget OUCH!

eclectus was another bird i was looking into. basically i was looking into quieter birds that has the possibility to talk and is cuddly and wants to spend time with me. How do you compare the eclectus to the senegal? Which do you prefer more. I know its a hard question to answer but be honest.

 

[Karigan]

Try looking at Meyers and Jardine's as well.

 

[mtdoramike]

My Senegal is very possessive to a degree, especially with me for some reason. My wife can handle our eclectus and then go right over and pick up Tiki our Senegal. I on the other hand will get nailed BIG TIME if I don't allow at least 10 minutes or so to pass before I try interacting with Tiki after playing with Mac our Eclectus. This is when she really bites and I mean those vicious bites that sinks the tip of her beak into my finger until it hits bone. It doesn't happen that often since I try to remeber to count to 1000 before I handle Tiki after handling Mac. But sometimes I forget OUCH!

eclectus was another bird i was looking into. basically i was looking into quieter birds that has the possibility to talk and is cuddly and wants to spend time with me. How do you compare the eclectus to the senegal? Which do you prefer more. I know its a hard question to answer but be honest.

hahahahahahaha, that is like asking a parent, which child she likes better. I will answer your question like this, Mac the Eclectus is much easier to deal with, because he's not nearly as noisy and doesn't scream for attention as much. But, he's not as cuddly as my Senegal, who loves to be petted and cuddled. If I had to choose between the two, I would have to choose Tiki my Senegal mainly because she has been with me the longest and I have become more attached to her eventhough she can be a handful at times.

 

[LauraT]

I am a very new Senegal owner, so I cannot give any thoughts on living with a mature Sennie. But Baxter is about 6 months old, so far there is not one thing I would change about him. He is silly, playful (alone in his cage and out with us), he will go to anyone (we are making sure we have people handle him at this young age to try and help with the one person issue), he is very sing songy, very little screaming and even when he does make a ruckus it is much quieter than previous birds we have had. He is trying to talk - working on peek-a-boo, says hello when I uncover him in the morning, and chatters away in his own language throughout the day. We loves to learn and we do a few sessions of clicker training each day. He loves this time together and I do believe this training is very helpful in keeping a happy bird down the road (great book by Melinda Johnson). He LOVES the dogs. He runs the bottom of his cage calling out to the dogs to get them to come up to him. Then he does somersaults, offers his foot toys, and plays with them though the bars.

So, I cannot say what the future will bring, but so far he is an incredible bird. I knew nothing about them when he picked me, it was love at first sight. I couldn't leave without him and went home with a best friend. Sadly, when I got home and started reading online, I was terrified thinking I had brought home a monster who was going to try and kill me in my sleep (from so many things written online). But I found this forum and kept reading and have tried to socialize and work to offer him the best future we can have together. I expect ups and downs, but am looking forward to a wonderful long life together.

Good luck with your decision....keep us posted
Laura

 

[NiR]

I am a very new Senegal owner, so I cannot give any thoughts on living with a mature Sennie. But Baxter is about 6 months old, so far there is not one thing I would change about him. He is silly, playful (alone in his cage and out with us), he will go to anyone (we are making sure we have people handle him at this young age to try and help with the one person issue), he is very sing songy, very little screaming and even when he does make a ruckus it is much quieter than previous birds we have had. He is trying to talk - working on peek-a-boo, says hello when I uncover him in the morning, and chatters away in his own language throughout the day. We loves to learn and we do a few sessions of clicker training each day. He loves this time together and I do believe this training is very helpful in keeping a happy bird down the road (great book by Melinda Johnson). He LOVES the dogs. He runs the bottom of his cage calling out to the dogs to get them to come up to him. Then he does somersaults, offers his foot toys, and plays with them though the bars.

So, I cannot say what the future will bring, but so far he is an incredible bird. I knew nothing about them when he picked me, it was love at first sight. I couldn't leave without him and went home with a best friend. Sadly, when I got home and started reading online, I was terrified thinking I had brought home a monster who was going to try and kill me in my sleep (from so many things written online). But I found this forum and kept reading and have tried to socialize and work to offer him the best future we can have together. I expect ups and downs, but am looking forward to a wonderful long life together.

Good luck with your decision....keep us posted
Laura

I was set on a senigal as well before I started reading more about there aggression issues towards others.

Wish someone can just decide for me on which bird to get.

 

[Brdldy58]

Please see my response to the person who posted today about her Senegal who hates men.

This isn't all senegals, based on the responses you have received, but it was my experience with two birds. I certainly would not recommend them and will never acquire another.

On the positive side, he was a good (not excellent, but good) talker. He would call the dogs and throw his pellets out of the cage onto the floor for them to eat. And he was definitely not a screamer or loud in any way.

But if you get him, definitely be warned that the horror stories are true. Keep him well away from your budgie - he will kill it. Stock up on band-aids and expect stitches.
Good luck.
Deborah