What makes a better pet: a blue headed pionus or a Senegal?

Artist · Sep 16, 2012

I currently have a sweet cocketiel and would like to own a small parrot. After a lot of research, I decided on a Senegal parrot. I found an add for someone who has to rehome her parrots, a blue headed pionus and a Senegal. they are both about 2-3 years old. I plan to clicker train what ever bird I end up with. From my research, both species are supposed to be good fiirst time parrots. so, I wanted to find out from the experts what you think. please list pros and cons of the two species. I will be meeting the birds on Tuesday afternoon, so I would appreciate any insight you have before then.

Thanks,

artist

wenz2712 · Sep 16, 2012

Welcome to the forum

When you go to see the Senegal and BH Pionus, you will probably know straight away which one is for you.

I think the BH Pionus are supposed to be a bit calmer than the Senegals!

Eloy · Sep 16, 2012

If you want to do tricks a lot I think the Senegal fit you best.
But do as wenz2712 suggested, decide after you have seen the birds.
Pionus is much calmer, silencer and often sweeter bird then the Senegal.
But they are individuals as we..

Artist · Sep 17, 2012

thank-you Wenz and Elroy for responding to my post.

I hope that It will be that easy and I will be able to tell which bird is for me when I meet them, as you both suggested. but I am also aware that birds do not always show their true personalities when they are around strangers. and once I take the bird home, it may be a few weeks until he is comfortable enough to show his real personality. I ready appreciate your input.

If there are any other people with experience with either of thoses breeds, I would love to hear from you. I realize that each bird is an individual and any attempt to describe the personality of a species will just be a generalization. but if you have experience with either of those breeds, the more I hear, both pros and cons, the more informed I will when I am face to face with the birds and ready to make my decision. (I really hope that I will have an immediate connection with one of the birds, then it will make the decision so much easier)
Thanks

friedsoup · Sep 17, 2012

Ok never having a pionus I can only speak to the Senegal they are smart and funny determined and hardheaded they can be loving and cuddley (mine isn't ) but they can be he loves to be with me and riding on my shoulder (I don't own a shirt without holes in the left shoulder)he is loyal and sweet and very smart. We go to flea markets and he likes to people watch but not too thrilled when they want to touch but he will lay on his back in my palm and let little kids pet his belly.(this is so I can control little hands from petting too hard ) He will step-up for strangers as long as he can keep an eye on me, he will allow a beak rub from anyone. Ok I seem to be rambling so I'll end this by saying you can't really go wrong with a Senegal if he likes you and you bond with him. Oh and don't worry if a bird picks you you will know it they are not shy about showing interest in a person.

Artist · Sep 17, 2012

Thank you Friedsoup,

That was a big help!

Any pionus owners want to chime in?

MikeyTN · Sep 17, 2012

Each individual bird is different, you can ask for all the opinions you want on here. You may have a different story on your hand when you get your bird. Between the two, pionus would be a calmer bird over a senegal. I've seen many nasty mean Senegals before and I have not encountered a mean pionus yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't any....But I've also seen sweet little angel Senegals too of course....You have to make the decision on the type of bird you want depending on what kind of environment you've got and what you look for in a pet parrot companion!

Artist · Sep 18, 2012

I went to see the parrots today. Elroy and Wenz, you were right...I knew very soon after getting there that the Senegal was for me. Both birds were hand raised, but the owners have not been spending much time with the birds, so they are not as tame as they used to be. The pionus was afraid of me and wouldn't come near me. The owner told me that she was a very sweet bird who never bit anyone. The Senegal was curious about me. She is full of personality. I offered her a treat and she came over to me, more out of curiosity than for the treat. she played with my finger nails for a while, then allowed me to rub her head. The owner told me that she had not allowed him to do that for a long time. she also interacted with my husband. we are getting the Senegal. I will be picking her up on Oct 1 st. We did not get her today because we will be going out of town and it wouldn't be fair to do that to her just after we got her.

Eloy · Sep 19, 2012

Artist said:
We did not get her today because we will be going out of town and it wouldn't be fair to do that to her just after we got her.

Good decisions!

Good luck with your new bird.

mtdoramike · Sep 19, 2012

Artist said:
I went to see the parrots today. Elroy and Wenz, you were right...I knew very soon after getting there that the Senegal was for me. Both birds were hand raised, but the owners have not been spending much time with the birds, so they are not as tame as they used to be. The pionus was afraid of me and wouldn't come near me. The owner told me that she was a very sweet bird who never bit anyone. The Senegal was curious about me. She is full of personality. I offered her a treat and she came over to me, more out of curiosity than for the treat. she played with my finger nails for a while, then allowed me to rub her head. The owner told me that she had not allowed him to do that for a long time. she also interacted with my husband. we are getting the Senegal. I will be picking her up on Oct 1 st. We did not get her today because we will be going out of town and it wouldn't be fair to do that to her just after we got her.

hahahahahahahahahaha, the old sales pitch "he wouldn't let me do that". I get a laugh every time someone says that. I don't know about pionus, they aren't nearly as popular as Senegals around where I live and if you find one, they are nearly twice the price for some reason.

I hope you don't fall for that "Senegals are quiet apartment birds". I can tell you that if I lived in an apartment, I would have been told to leave shortly after getting my Senegal. My Eclectus is much quieter than my Senegal. She also can be very sweet as others have mentioned, but in the next minute, bite the living heck out of you. My Senegal Tiki tolerates me, but adores my wife and eventhough she adores her, she will still give her a good pinch every now and then.

She can also be quite jealous. If I handle Mac my Eclectus and then go over to interact with Tiki, she will viciously bite my hand like a dog attacking a bone. She has sunk her beak done to the bone on a finger a time or three. So I have learned to allow 10-15 minutes time to pass after handling Mac before picking up Tiki.

Watch this video before getting your Senegal and turn your speakers all the way up to get the full effect. By the way, this is Tiki on a normal day: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y_hzmA04Kc&feature=relmfu]This is an apartment bird??? - YouTube[/ame]

Mayden · Sep 19, 2012

mtdoramike said:
Artist said:

I will be picking her up on Oct 1 st. We did not get her today because we will be going out of town and it wouldn't be fair to do that to her just after we got her.

Click to expand...

I hope you don't fall for that "Senegals are quiet apartment birds". I can tell you that if I lived in an apartment, I would have been told to leave shortly after getting my Senegal. My Eclectus is much quieter than my Senegal. She also can be very sweet as others have mentioned, but in the next minute, bite the living heck out of you. My Senegal Tiki tolerates me, but adores my wife and eventhough she adores her, she will still give her a good pinch every now and then.

She can also be quite jealous. If I handle Mac my Eclectus and then go over to interact with Tiki, she will viciously bite my hand like a dog attacking a bone. She has sunk her beak done to the bone on a finger a time or three. So I have learned to allow 10-15 minutes time to pass after handling Mac before picking up Tiki.

I love Tiki. I just played that for Merlin and he was all eye piny, next straight up calling back. Would love to see more vids of your flock.

Senegals are tough little birds. I honestly think that it takes a lot to love a senegal. They are hardheaded, stubborn and can be outright mean. And boy does it hurt when they're being mean. I'm getting new scars on my hands on a weekly basis - not because I can't read him, but because his attitude changes in a flash. My boy is a 'typical' senegal. Phobic freakouts and all.

Personally I would have gone with the pionus, but thats just me.

I hope that this girl is right for you both. I think you're both going to go through some real tough times with this bird, but it is so worth the bites and attitude. Please update us as you go

Oh and I'd try and avoid the fingernail playing, it leads to a lot of snapped and broken nails

Just a little note, I love Merlin more than anything in the world, but I won't lie and pretend he isn't a handful. I'm blessed with the bird I have... just not always

Artist · Sep 19, 2012

Thanks for the warnings! I really hope that she is manageable for us. I love her curious nature and really believe she is the best choice between the two. I will have to keep doing my homework, so I can make this work out.

I have read that most senegals go through a particularly tippy stage around 2-3 years of age during their adelecence. after which they often will calm down a bit. Has anyone experienced this? And if so, can you elaborate?

also, could you tell me more about the "phobic freak outs" of a typical Senegal?

Mayden · Sep 19, 2012

Artist said:
Thanks for the warnings! I really hope that she is manageable for us. I love her curious nature and really believe she is the best choice between the two. I will have to keep doing my homework, so I can make this work out.

I have read that most senegals go through a particularly tippy stage around 2-3 years of age during their adelecence. after which they often will calm down a bit. Has anyone experienced this? And if so, can you elaborate?

also, could you tell me more about the "phobic freak outs" of a typical Senegal?

A lot about having a senegal is learning to not take things personally. You will get bit, she will bite hard and she will make you feel so unloved at times. But... that's just a senegal for you. She will also (most probably!) end up being some form of cuddle bug with one of you at least. Chattery, cheeky. They are big birds in short stubby bodies.

Merlin's hormones kicked in when he hit a year old. We noticed a change in him almost overnight. We're working on that by reducing daylight hours and all those fun things to stop him being so... aggressive/possesive. My bird is only a youngster, so I can't really comment too much on the changes. But it is very much toddler/teenager type attitude.

Senegals are hardy birds and sometimes known as 'fearless' as long as they're introduced to a lot of different things at a young age and this continues throughout their life. Merlin comes everywhere with me when possible so he gets to see and hear all wonderful new things... however, he can still be phobic of things randomly. Especially if he is unsteady with his balance (because of his leg). Something he was playing with one day might set him off in a fit of flying/panic frenzy the next for some 'unknown' reason.

Generally, he just hates things moving too fast near him when he's in a phobic-y type mode. Which we can spot usually, it's just our housemate who ignores it...

They are great little birds, just like I said, it takes an awful lot to be able to love one.

Loyal · Sep 19, 2012

I adopted my Senegal, Indy, in mid June of this year. I was told she's near 3 years old. She can be very nippy, extremely fearless and possessive at times. She hates my husband near her cage, but can't stand for him to leave the room with acknowledging her. Apparently when I'm at work (I work days, he works nights) she calls out to him in this insanely high pitched noise until his ready to scream (something we're currently working on). We do live in an apartment, thankfully no one has complained. Overall, Indy is a ton of work. She's messy, she has a terrible mean streak, but she's also so sweet when she wants to be. She is the typical bipolar Senegal.

Unfortunatly, I had no intention of getting Indy, I had no clue of the amount of work she would involve or the type of patience I would have to learn with her. But, I can honestly say, since mid June when she fell into my life, she's the perfect fit for me. Good luck with your new baby. Just remember, patience is a must!

NiR · Sep 19, 2012

friedsoup said:
Ok never having a pionus I can only speak to the Senegal they are smart and funny determined and hardheaded they can be loving and cuddley (mine isn't ) but they can be he loves to be with me and riding on my shoulder (I don't own a shirt without holes in the left shoulder)he is loyal and sweet and very smart. We go to flea markets and he likes to people watch but not too thrilled when they want to touch but he will lay on his back in my palm and let little kids pet his belly.(this is so I can control little hands from petting too hard ) He will step-up for strangers as long as he can keep an eye on me, he will allow a beak rub from anyone. Ok I seem to be rambling so I'll end this by saying you can't really go wrong with a Senegal if he likes you and you bond with him. Oh and don't worry if a bird picks you you will know it they are not shy about showing interest in a person.

You said yours isn't cuddly but he can lay on his back in your hand, step up and anyone can rub his beaks? Sounds cuddly to me. Can you elaborate?

NiR · Sep 19, 2012

mtdoramike said:
Artist said:

I went to see the parrots today. Elroy and Wenz, you were right...I knew very soon after getting there that the Senegal was for me. Both birds were hand raised, but the owners have not been spending much time with the birds, so they are not as tame as they used to be. The pionus was afraid of me and wouldn't come near me. The owner told me that she was a very sweet bird who never bit anyone. The Senegal was curious about me. She is full of personality. I offered her a treat and she came over to me, more out of curiosity than for the treat. she played with my finger nails for a while, then allowed me to rub her head. The owner told me that she had not allowed him to do that for a long time. she also interacted with my husband. we are getting the Senegal. I will be picking her up on Oct 1 st. We did not get her today because we will be going out of town and it wouldn't be fair to do that to her just after we got her.

Click to expand...

hahahahahahahahahaha, the old sales pitch "he wouldn't let me do that". I get a laugh every time someone says that. I don't know about pionus, they aren't nearly as popular as Senegals around where I live and if you find one, they are nearly twice the price for some reason.

I hope you don't fall for that "Senegals are quiet apartment birds". I can tell you that if I lived in an apartment, I would have been told to leave shortly after getting my Senegal. My Eclectus is much quieter than my Senegal. She also can be very sweet as others have mentioned, but in the next minute, bite the living heck out of you. My Senegal Tiki tolerates me, but adores my wife and eventhough she adores her, she will still give her a good pinch every now and then.

She can also be quite jealous. If I handle Mac my Eclectus and then go over to interact with Tiki, she will viciously bite my hand like a dog attacking a bone. She has sunk her beak done to the bone on a finger a time or three. So I have learned to allow 10-15 minutes time to pass after handling Mac before picking up Tiki.

Watch this video before getting your Senegal and turn your speakers all the way up to get the full effect. By the way, this is Tiki on a normal day: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y_hzmA04Kc&feature=relmfu]This is an apartment bird??? - YouTube[/ame]

Does he have any toys? The cage looks very empty with nothing to do. Maybe that's why he is that noisy . Also where are his perches? I just see a dowel and a ladder inside.

NiR · Sep 19, 2012

Mayden said:
Artist said:

Thanks for the warnings! I really hope that she is manageable for us. I love her curious nature and really believe she is the best choice between the two. I will have to keep doing my homework, so I can make this work out.

I have read that most senegals go through a particularly tippy stage around 2-3 years of age during their adelecence. after which they often will calm down a bit. Has anyone experienced this? And if so, can you elaborate?

also, could you tell me more about the "phobic freak outs" of a typical Senegal?

Click to expand...

A lot about having a senegal is learning to not take things personally. You will get bit, she will bite hard and she will make you feel so unloved at times. But... that's just a senegal for you. She will also (most probably!) end up being some form of cuddle bug with one of you at least. Chattery, cheeky. They are big birds in short stubby bodies.

Merlin's hormones kicked in when he hit a year old. We noticed a change in him almost overnight. We're working on that by reducing daylight hours and all those fun things to stop him being so... aggressive/possesive. My bird is only a youngster, so I can't really comment too much on the changes. But it is very much toddler/teenager type attitude.

Senegals are hardy birds and sometimes known as 'fearless' as long as they're introduced to a lot of different things at a young age and this continues throughout their life. Merlin comes everywhere with me when possible so he gets to see and hear all wonderful new things... however, he can still be phobic of tDhings randomly. Especially if he is unsteady with his balance (because of his loeg). Something he was playing with one day might set him off in a fit of felying/panic frenzy the next for some 'unknown' reason.

Generally, he just hates things moving too fast near him when he's in a phobic-y type mode. Which we can spot usually, it's just our housemate who ignores it...

They are great little birds, just like I said, it takes an awful lot to be able to love one.

Doesn't sound like a fun bird to have. Why would anyone want a bird that will be hard to love when they can choose a easier to love bird instead? Anything Senegal has that others don't that makes it worth having them?

MikeyTN · Sep 20, 2012

Where is Sue??? She can chime in how evil her Senegal can be....lol.....My best friend's parents had one for about 40 years before Charlie passed away....He can be one evil bird even at his old age...But I've got evil bird that will turn on me, my Black Lory, he gets mad if we try to put him back in his cage, he bites and draw blood now that he did not used to do....It's either his way or no way....Over all, ANY bird can bite and be nasty and they have their loving moments too. IF you watch videos on YouTube of people clicker train their Senegals, they're actually very well behaved from what I can see.

mtdoramike · Sep 21, 2012

NiR said:
mtdoramike said:

Artist said:

I went to see the parrots today. Elroy and Wenz, you were right...I knew very soon after getting there that the Senegal was for me. Both birds were hand raised, but the owners have not been spending much time with the birds, so they are not as tame as they used to be. The pionus was afraid of me and wouldn't come near me. The owner told me that she was a very sweet bird who never bit anyone. The Senegal was curious about me. She is full of personality. I offered her a treat and she came over to me, more out of curiosity than for the treat. she played with my finger nails for a while, then allowed me to rub her head. The owner told me that she had not allowed him to do that for a long time. she also interacted with my husband. we are getting the Senegal. I will be picking her up on Oct 1 st. We did not get her today because we will be going out of town and it wouldn't be fair to do that to her just after we got her.

Click to expand...

hahahahahahahahahaha, the old sales pitch "he wouldn't let me do that". I get a laugh every time someone says that. I don't know about pionus, they aren't nearly as popular as Senegals around where I live and if you find one, they are nearly twice the price for some reason.

I hope you don't fall for that "Senegals are quiet apartment birds". I can tell you that if I lived in an apartment, I would have been told to leave shortly after getting my Senegal. My Eclectus is much quieter than my Senegal. She also can be very sweet as others have mentioned, but in the next minute, bite the living heck out of you. My Senegal Tiki tolerates me, but adores my wife and eventhough she adores her, she will still give her a good pinch every now and then.

She can also be quite jealous. If I handle Mac my Eclectus and then go over to interact with Tiki, she will viciously bite my hand like a dog attacking a bone. She has sunk her beak done to the bone on a finger a time or three. So I have learned to allow 10-15 minutes time to pass after handling Mac before picking up Tiki.

Watch this video before getting your Senegal and turn your speakers all the way up to get the full effect. By the way, this is Tiki on a normal day: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y_hzmA04Kc&feature=relmfu"]This is an apartment bird??? - YouTube[/ame]

Click to expand...

Does he have any toys? The cage looks very empty with nothing to do. Maybe that's why he is that noisy . Also where are his perches? I just see a dowel and a ladder inside.

Actually, her cage is like an amusement park. It's just the way the video was shot. I also change out her toys on a weekly basis. She is very picky about which toys she likes. She prefers anything with a bell attached and hates shreadable toys, they scare her. She also isn't in her cage all that much during the day since I'm retired, she is either with my wife, me or on her playstand.

mtdoramike · Sep 21, 2012

NiR said:
Mayden said:

Artist said:

Thanks for the warnings! I really hope that she is manageable for us. I love her curious nature and really believe she is the best choice between the two. I will have to keep doing my homework, so I can make this work out.

I have read that most senegals go through a particularly tippy stage around 2-3 years of age during their adelecence. after which they often will calm down a bit. Has anyone experienced this? And if so, can you elaborate?

also, could you tell me more about the "phobic freak outs" of a typical Senegal?

Click to expand...

A lot about having a senegal is learning to not take things personally. You will get bit, she will bite hard and she will make you feel so unloved at times. But... that's just a senegal for you. She will also (most probably!) end up being some form of cuddle bug with one of you at least. Chattery, cheeky. They are big birds in short stubby bodies.

Merlin's hormones kicked in when he hit a year old. We noticed a change in him almost overnight. We're working on that by reducing daylight hours and all those fun things to stop him being so... aggressive/possesive. My bird is only a youngster, so I can't really comment too much on the changes. But it is very much toddler/teenager type attitude.

Senegals are hardy birds and sometimes known as 'fearless' as long as they're introduced to a lot of different things at a young age and this continues throughout their life. Merlin comes everywhere with me when possible so he gets to see and hear all wonderful new things... however, he can still be phobic of tDhings randomly. Especially if he is unsteady with his balance (because of his loeg). Something he was playing with one day might set him off in a fit of felying/panic frenzy the next for some 'unknown' reason.

Generally, he just hates things moving too fast near him when he's in a phobic-y type mode. Which we can spot usually, it's just our housemate who ignores it...

They are great little birds, just like I said, it takes an awful lot to be able to love one.

Click to expand...

Doesn't sound like a fun bird to have. Why would anyone want a bird that will be hard to love when they can choose a easier to love bird instead? Anything Senegal has that others don't that makes it worth having them?

She is typically most birds. I try to be brutally honest when someone asks about a bird. I hate it when people post how wonderful, sweet, loving their birds are and that they NEVER bite or get nippy or noisy. I think either they aren't being honest or they have very short term memories. This leads to people getting birds on false pretences, which eventually leads to rehoming or birds in rescues.

ALL BIRDS ARE NOISY and have their BITEY times no matter how well behaved they appear at times or how quiet they are at times. They are still bird and still quite wild by nature and therefore very unpredictable.

But then again, I guess if I was still working and only interacted with my birds an hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening and on weekends, I would think they were little angels as well.

What makes a better pet: a blue headed pionus or a Senegal?

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Spray paint?

price of a cockatoo!

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