Birds by difficulty?

Can someone give me a general idea of common pet birds by difficulty (from time, care, cost)?

I know budgies or finches might be some on the easier and macaws some of the hardest but what about in between?

Kay said:

Can someone give me a general idea of common pet birds by difficulty (from time, care, cost)?

I know budgies or finches might be some on the easier and macaws some of the hardest but what about in between?

Click to expand...

Hmmm, perhaps you could tell us more about your preferences and time availabilty?
Available space and noise tolerance too!
There are so many species available that what you ask is tough.

I cant give you a huge list, because many parrots common overseas (parrotlets, a few parakeet species, etc) are not found at all in Australia due to import laws. So maybe someone with experience with these species can put them in.

Of course it varies from bird to bird, how they're trained, how they're raised, etc. But generally...

Easiest:

Budgies. Can be nippy.

Cockatiels. Can be nippy.

Lovebirds. Can be nippy.

Pyrrhura conures (Green cheek, maroon bellied, etc). Can be nippy and possessive.

Ringneck parakeets (including mustache, plum-head, etc). Can be nippy, go through adolescent 'bluffing' phase.

Pionus parrots. Male can be especially aggressive during breeding season, need proper socialisation, can sometimes be a bit nervous or flighty.

Poicephalus parrots (Senegal, Jardine, etc). Can go through 'nippy' stage, need to be socialised properly.

Lories/Lorikeets (rainbow, red-capped, etc). Need specialised diet, can be messy, painful bite.

Caiques. Very nippy if not handled properly, can be very stubborn. Males tend to be bossy.

Aratinga conures (sun, nanday, etc). Can be very loud/shrill voiced. Can be nippy. Will try to boss you around if not socialised properly. Not particularly independant, will crave your attention.

Alexandrines. Large size can intimidate beginners. Can be nippy. Can be very stubborn. Need a large cage so tail feathers are not broken. Go through 'bluffing' phase.

Eclectus. Need specialised care, don't tend to form strong bonds, prone to feather plucking. Can be easily startled.

Small macaws (Hahn's, severe, etc). Very intelligent and boisterous. Need strict training to prevent unwanted behaviours. Can be nippy. Can be prone to plucking if bored.

Amazons (blue-fronted, yellow-crowned, etc). Very intelligent. Need strict training to prevent unwanted behaviours. Can be nippy. Require a high level of interaction to prevent boredom.

Small cockatoos (galah, corella, etc). Need large cage, very needy and crave interaction. Can deliver powerful and painful bite. Tendency to pluck, very loud, mischievous. Some species such as the Major Mitchells can become aggressive if not socialised properly.

African Grey parrots. Very needy and require constant entertainment and enrichment. Incredibly intelligent and known escape-artists. Can develop behavioural problems. Prone to plucking and screaming if bored.

Large white cockatoos (sulphur crested, umbrella, etc). Need large cage, very needy and crave interaction. Can deliver powerful and painful bite. Tendency to puck, very loud, mischievous. Can develop habitual screaming and self-mutilation if bored. Can become very jealous of other pets and humans. Prone to behavioural problems. Love to chew and destroy.

Black cockatoos (red-tailed, palm, etc). Need large cage, very needy and crave interaction. Can deliver powerful and painful bite. Prone to behavioural problems. Need to be socialised correctly. Can be loud if bored. Love to chew and destroy.

Large macaws (scarlet, blue and gold, etc). Need large cage, very needy and crave interaction. Can deliver powerful and painful bite. Very intelligent, need a lot of challenging toys. Love to chew and destroy. Prone to behavioral problems. Prone to plucking and screaming if bored. Need to be socialised correctly.

I've probably forgotten a lot of things, but this is a basic list at least. It is very general, there are vast differences even within groups. A gang-gang cockatoo is much more aggressive and nippy than a galah, although they are both 'small cockatoos'.

The cost of the bird in particular depends on a lot of things, the species of parrot (hyacinth macaw vs. scarlet macaw), the colour mutation (wild-type indian ringneck vs. buttercup ringneck), the cost of food and services (the food for a long-lived bird will be much more than that for a short-lived bird). Generally the larger and more intelligent birds will cost more.

:red:

Bourkes said:

Kay said:

Can someone give me a general idea of common pet birds by difficulty (from time, care, cost)?

I know budgies or finches might be some on the easier and macaws some of the hardest but what about in between?

Click to expand...

Hmmm, perhaps you could tell us more about your preferences and time availabilty?
Available space and noise tolerance too!
There are so many species available that what you ask is tough.

Click to expand...

I know it's kind of difficult to answer since there are so many to cover and 'difficulty' is relative. I guess what you recommend to be best suited to first time owners to owners with a lot of experience keeping cost, care, time needed, etc.

I'm not looking into a particular bird myself per say, I was just curious what others might think about what birds are more difficult or less difficult. I was reading a book that listed birds in a similar fashion but wanted other opinions too.

personally, i think it depends on what the individual owner can handle.


plus, some birds are little buttheads (i say this with all the affection in the world) and like to give owners a headache all the time just for kicks (like my munch!) and can really challenge a new owner, even though theyre a "easy" species. i would not recommend my female lovebird munch to a first time bird owner, but i would for mango. because every bird is different.


if you are looking into a bird, perhaps go meet a bunch of birds, look at your living situation and space and go from there. if you dont have much space and live in an apartment, then maybe look into the generally more quieter and smaller species. of course some buggers are noisier than others, but its a generalization. then if you arent sure what you'd like, go meet several species and decide on which one has the best personality or just seems to capture your heart.


if there's a first time owner who really wants a macaw or a cockatoo and knows what theyre getting into, does their research and can handle it, i'd fully support that idea because in the end, that's what they want. i dont think there's such thing as "starter" birds. just my two cents. you can take it, leave it, ignore me, or just think im some random clown on the other end of the computer spewing out random rambling (go right ahead if you'd like ), but that's just me

Oh no I'm not here to judge! I completely understand!
I'm not very knowledgeable on birds and would like a starting point I guess? lol

It doesn't compensate for personally interacting with them, I know, but it's just nice to know a general idea. I also understand all birds are individuals as well.

Thank you so much for the answers already! I'm bookmarking this to refer to it.

well, a question for you:

what do you expect from a bird?

generally, i'd recommend cockatiels to mostly anyone, mostly because they arent overly challenging, they dont often have behavioural issues, theyre smaller, not overly loud, can be happy even in apartments, and most are fairly gentle and easy going birds. but i recommend them to anyone because i love them so much


but lovebirds can be clowns, they can be hyper and love to play. theyre chatty though and can be cage aggressive. they can bond very closely to people and can be cuddly. however, i find they can be determined little birds when they want something and they forget theyre tiny--they would take on an eagle and think they'd win

I expect a bird to be itself above everything. I want it to thrive as it's supposed to. I don't expect it to be perfect, you know the cliche of a bird that talks, only saying exactly what you want, is somehow trained easily, is automatic perfection without the work? I don't expect that at all.

I have seen cockatiels and they seem like great birds but I've also heard they are very dusty? It wouldn't be an issue but I have allergies and dust is one I'm kinda sensitive to. I even have to wear a mask at work when I dremel dog's nails, blow out fur, etc because I go into coughing fits if I don't (I'm a dog bather working to become a groomer).

And LOL I didn't think Lovebirds were so sassy!

Mekaisto provided a good general guide, but as has already been said -- a lot depends on the individual owner AND on the individual bird! Can't stress that enough. Species generalizations are just that...a generalization.

Take my galah; she is a cockatoo, generally considered a much more challenging bird than a small parrot such as a cockatiel. But she is pretty much the most well-behaved and easy-going bird in the world. Super quiet, affectionate, social, but does not mind being left alone in her cage or on her play stand. Does not bite, or scream, or pluck. Her only issues are that she is a bit skittish, and a very picky eater.

A couple of my cockatiels are currently presenting me with far more of a challenge than she is, because of their strong drive to mate and the female's egg-laying. As much as I love my tiels, several of them spend at least two hours a day shrieking their heads off and being crazy. Just because they are small, "beginner" birds does not mean I always have an easy time figuring out their needs or what is best for them.

I think certain birds mesh well with certain owners, and vice-versa. Generally speaking, yes, a budgie is going to be easier to provide for than a macaw...but some people may not be able to relate to the personality of a budgie, whereas a macaw could be their "soul" bird. Some people are just very in tune with certain individuals or certain species, and that can make all the difference in whether or not things work out.

well if you cant handle dust, then cockatoos, cockatiels, and african greys will be removed from your list more than likely.


if you like the sassy spunk, then a lovebird or parrotlet may be for you.. however as the member above me posted about their tiels being driven to breed easily, lovebirds i find are wayyyy more so. but i hear of many with egg laying tiels (i dont have that issue, but i have that issue with my lovebird munch!)

i think you have the best mentality for a bird, so that leaves your options open to many species.

what about noise level for you? will your living situation allow for a loud bird, a noisy bird, or one that's quieter and makes softer noises? do you have a tolerance for high pitched noises? some birds noise some people cant stand while others the same noise doesnt phase them


(tiel screeching drives my ears nuts, but i enjoy a good amazon flock call, and even though cockatoos are loud, the sound itself doesnt bother me much--i dont like the higher pitched shrieks )

Everything I posted is based on generalisations, of course

The sweetest, gentlest bird I ever cared for was a long-billed corella named Peanut. He constantly asks for scratches, and has a little toy which plays 'A whole new world', which he dances and sings along to when there's no one around to play with him.

On the other hand, the worst bite I ever received from a bird - a beak through the upper ear, was also from a long-billed corella.

Everything depends on the bird's personality and history, but there is still a tendency for certain birds to bite, scream, pluck, etc based on their natural history, intelligence and social requirements.

My favorite part of every single description... Can be nippy

ROFL!! So true.

Parrots are Nippy, Loud, destructive, stubborn... There are ones that aren't but you have to figure that you will get one that is... Nippy, Loud, Destructive, Stubborn... LOL

See my point?