Wanting Advice On Best Species For Me And My Family

Hi everyone, this is my first post on here.

I am looking into getting a parrot/parakeet next year as a family bird and I am looking for some advice/guidance as to what species might be best for us. My kids are 7 and 4 and are very good with animals however I would be the main carer of the bird and the kids will not be allowed to get the bird out without supervision.

I used to keep rescue birds - greys, amazons and conures a long time ago before I had a family so I do have experience with parrots.

I don't want a bird that will just attach to one person so I know greys are not really an option. I am not too worried if they are good talkers or not but what I want is a friendly, fun bird that will fit in with a family well. I am willing to put the time and effort into handling, playing with and spending time with the bird. I have space for up to a medium sized bird - around Amazon sized. I'm open to suggestions of what species might be best for us.

Thanks in advance, Lauren

Hi Lauren! Nice to meet a fellow islander on this forum

I am only familiar with a few species, so someone with more experience will hopefully chirp in. However, off the bat I would rule out for you eclectus and lorikeets. Eclectus because I've read they have a tendency to stress plucking and I feel like a house full of reptiles would perhaps be stressful for them, lorikeets because they're really messy due to a nectar diet and with two young kids, you probably don't want to add to that

As you've handled conures before maybe you could consider one again? Particularly a bigger, more robust subspecies that handles kids well? You might also consider a caique?

IMO cockatiels do great with kids. My cockatiel will go to anyone and my little cousin who is 5 can handle her and my cockatiel doesnt even mind. A couple other species is Princess of Whales parrakeet(they are on the larger size of the parakeets) and a Kakariki. These are both very gentle and typically the females are more gentle and if you plan to add another bird these will be less terratorial.

Of course, I am partial to Eclectus parrots and in your case, I would suggest a male because thay are more docile than the female. They also seem to love everyone in the household but may lean towards you a just a bit more if you are the sole caregiver. Regardless, they are known for their gentleness with children. The other thing to consider though is that they have strick diet, so you must moniter everything your kids might feed him/her. We had an Yellow-Naped Amazon before (which is a good species) but he seemed to more partial to me, but we got him at an older age from a male owner, so that could be a reason. Otherwise, those are the 2 breeds I suggest... They are both talking breeds, especially the Eclectus. You said it doesn't matter but I think your kids would enjoy teaching him to say fun things and cool songs. It may pay off to consider a more talkative breed to bring your family together even more! Good luck on your search! I'm sure you'll find exactly what you need for your family!

kalypso123 said:

A couple other species is Princess of Whales parrakeet(they are on the larger size of the parakeets) and a Kakariki. These are both very gentle and typically the females are more gentle and if you plan to add another bird these will be less terratorial.

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My mom has a male Princess of Wales. He talks, is cute, funny, and active, but IMHO they are best as aviary birds. The aviary lifestyle goes along better with their natural characteristics. Shows off their tails too. Over twice as long as the body!

Is there any characteristic or traits, or size of bird you might be thinking of? Let us know some specifics that might aid us in helping suggest for you .

Parrots are usually not very well suited with homes with little kids, but you can always give it a try since you have experience. I'm not any expert on birds and kids, but I think cockatiels and/or budgies should be good choice. I would avoid any bird that can bite hard or get aggressive. It's a big difference if you are getting a bird for yourself or for your kids.

I just re-read your post, and I'm thinking that maybe a young hand fed Budgie or two would be perfect for your kids to learn about keeping and handling birds. Is that a little smaller than you were hoping for?

Budgies are very cute in their antics, and besides the screaming, they make cute little sounds that always make me smile. I've had parrots for years, but got my first Budgie less than 2 years ago. He's not handleable, but I love him all the same. I bet a super tame hand fed would be an adorable and wonderful little pet. I'm not sure if you commonly have both types where you live? English and the smaller American?

That's my suggestion good luck whatever you decide.

EnglishMuffin said:

Hi Lauren! Nice to meet a fellow islander on this forum

I am only familiar with a few species, so someone with more experience will hopefully chirp in. However, off the bat I would rule out for you eclectus and lorikeets. Eclectus because I've read they have a tendency to stress plucking and I feel like a house full of reptiles would perhaps be stressful for them, lorikeets because they're really messy due to a nectar diet and with two young kids, you probably don't want to add to that

As you've handled conures before maybe you could consider one again? Particularly a bigger, more robust subspecies that handles kids well? You might also consider a caique?

Click to expand...

Nice to see you on here too I think eclectus may be a big big for us - they are stunning birds however if they did bite they might remove a finger on my kids . I am thinking a conure might be a good idea - particularly the Pyrrhura species. I love caiques - however I have read they can get quite nasty when they hit 'puberty' - is this right?

kalypso123 said:

IMO cockatiels do great with kids. My cockatiel will go to anyone and my little cousin who is 5 can handle her and my cockatiel doesnt even mind. A couple other species is Princess of Whales parrakeet(they are on the larger size of the parakeets) and a Kakariki. These are both very gentle and typically the females are more gentle and if you plan to add another bird these will be less terratorial.

Click to expand...

I don't really want a cockatiel, as lovely as they are I would prefer something a little more unusual in looks. I haven't seen Princess of Wales as hand-reared over here so I ma not sure on the availability of them

AvianLover80 said:

Of course, I am partial to Eclectus parrots and in your case, I would suggest a male because thay are more docile than the female. They also seem to love everyone in the household but may lean towards you a just a bit more if you are the sole caregiver. Regardless, they are known for their gentleness with children. The other thing to consider though is that they have strick diet, so you must moniter everything your kids might feed him/her. We had an Yellow-Naped Amazon before (which is a good species) but he seemed to more partial to me, but we got him at an older age from a male owner, so that could be a reason. Otherwise, those are the 2 breeds I suggest... They are both talking breeds, especially the Eclectus. You said it doesn't matter but I think your kids would enjoy teaching him to say fun things and cool songs. It may pay off to consider a more talkative breed to bring your family together even more! Good luck on your search! I'm sure you'll find exactly what you need for your family!

Click to expand...

I think I've ruled out eclectus because of their size - they are so pretty but not for us. I do like Amazon's - I used to have an orange wing rescue - she was gorgeous but I had her long before my kids. I might consider an Amazon again but that would be the biggest species I would consider.

RavensGryf said:

kalypso123 said:

A couple other species is Princess of Whales parrakeet(they are on the larger size of the parakeets) and a Kakariki. These are both very gentle and typically the females are more gentle and if you plan to add another bird these will be less terratorial.

Click to expand...

My mom has a male Princess of Wales. He talks, is cute, funny, and active, but IMHO they are best as aviary birds. The aviary lifestyle goes along better with their natural characteristics. Shows off their tails too. Over twice as long as the body!

Is there any characteristic or traits, or size of bird you might be thinking of? Let us know some specifics that might aid us in helping suggest for you .

Click to expand...

I will certainly look into hand-reared Princess of Wales - they are very pretty birds but I am not sure of the availability of them . They sound really nice though however if they are more suited to an aviary then I would have to consider that - I will certainly do some research on them. I don't know much about kakarikis - I will look into them in more detail

veimar said:

Parrots are usually not very well suited with homes with little kids, but you can always give it a try since you have experience. I'm not any expert on birds and kids, but I think cockatiels and/or budgies should be good choice. I would avoid any bird that can bite hard or get aggressive. It's a big difference if you are getting a bird for yourself or for your kids.

Click to expand...

My kids are quite sensible and are very good with animals - my 4 year old daughter is allowed to handle (under supervision) my crested geckos and she does this very gently and with great care, she is quiet and calm around them.
I have also added at the bottom of this that really the bird will be mine but would have to tolerate the kids.

RavensGryf said:

I just re-read your post, and I'm thinking that maybe a young hand fed Budgie or two would be perfect for your kids to learn about keeping and handling birds. Is that a little smaller than you were hoping for?

Budgies are very cute in their antics, and besides the screaming, they make cute little sounds that always make me smile. I've had parrots for years, but got my first Budgie less than 2 years ago. He's not handleable, but I love him all the same. I bet a super tame hand fed would be an adorable and wonderful little pet. I'm not sure if you commonly have both types where you live? English and the smaller American?

That's my suggestion good luck whatever you decide.

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I used to have budgies as a kid myself, I love them but I wanted to get something a bit larger - I was thinking a minimum of a Pyrrhura conure size tbh.

Thanks to everyone who has replied I should have added more details on the original post. I would prefer something a bit more unusual than a budgerigar or cockatiel - these are lovely birds though. The parrot/parakeet would be cared for by me predominantly however it would have to tolerate the kids and interact with them without freaking out or attacking them. I know a lot of the larger parrots tend to bond with one person which wouldn't be right for us. I would only be buying a hand-reared bird as I feel that would be better for us, especially if it has been brought up in an environment with kids already.

My kids are good and well behaved however they would not be allowed to be getting the bird out without supervision. Size-wise somewhere between a Pyrrhura conure and an Amazon would be ideal. I have posted this on a UK forum as well and had suggestions on there as well - it is such a hard decision!

The species I have been suggested on there have been:
Green cheeked conures, ringneck parakeets, quakers, caiques, Pionus species, Australian king parrots, Senegals and Meyers.

I have been looking at videos on YouTube and reading on websites and I think I like the sound of a ringneck, caique or another conure - has anybody got any reasons why these wouldn't be suitable for me and my family? I would rather have honest opinions than just reading the 'rose tinted glasses' versions that YouTube and some websites portray. I will certainly consider the species I have been suggested on here though and do my research carefully before purchasing any bird as I know this is a lifelong decision and needs to be 100% right.

All parrots can turn nasty during puberty- conures included. I'd recommend getting a rehome or a rescue parrot that's a little older and more sensible.

A ringneck was my mother's second choice. They are supposed to have a good temperment. Definitely consider this breed... I don't know much else about them, but they are a bit larger than the common parakeet but smaller than the parrot breeds.
Looks as though you're having a hard time deciding, you have found pros and cons for every breed... You may have to consider no one breed is entirely perfect! Everyone will have to make adjustments.
I hope you do get a bird you all love, that is the main thing!

EnglishMuffin said:

All parrots can turn nasty during puberty- conures included. I'd recommend getting a rehome or a rescue parrot that's a little older and more sensible.

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I do realise that birds can turn a bit naughty during puberty but at least the smaller birds cannot do as much damage if they do bite. I had considered a rehome but I am a bit scared that I will end up with a problem bird and wouldn't want to re-rehome if it was.

AvianLover80 said:

A ringneck was my mother's second choice. They are supposed to have a good temperment. Definitely consider this breed... I don't know much else about them, but they are a bit larger than the common parakeet but smaller than the parrot breeds.
Looks as though you're having a hard time deciding, you have found pros and cons for every breed... You may have to consider no one breed is entirely perfect! Everyone will have to make adjustments.
I hope you do get a bird you all love, that is the main thing!

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I do realise no one species will be perfect and I will have to compromise on something. I am more inclined towards the ringnecks, from what I have read as long as they are hand reared they tend to be pretty good birds

I am going out this weekend to 'meet' some birds to help me make my descision :09:

Well, I definitely hope that you find what you're looking for and with your past history with them, you should easily be able to bring your list down to a minimum. Let us know what you decide! Again, good luck and have fun searching! Your kids are going to be so excited!!

Uroplatus said:

The species I have been suggested on there have been:
Green cheeked conures, ringneck parakeets, quakers, caiques, Pionus species, Australian king parrots, Senegals and Meyers.

Click to expand...

That's quite a diverse list! Lots of different characteristics there .

Do you prefer a species which has the best potential to be handled/petted? If so, most "parakeet" species including Princess wouldn't be the best bet. They are definitely more suited to an aviary (I've had experience over the years with 4 types) plus study on these species. The Australian Kings are bigger but pretty much the same way.

Ringnecks (and Psittacula family) too, some can and do become adjusted to being pettable but the natural tendencies go against this.

Pionus are pretty easy going for their size, however, not all like cuddles and petting especially males. Males also have a reputation of being mildly dangerous during hormonal seasons (close relatives of Amazons). For a Pionus family pet I'd recommend a female.

Senegals and Meyer's (and Poicephalus family) can be cuddly, but can be very temperamental especially when mature, and they are known to bite extremely hard for their size. One person tendency too. I do not recommend the Poicephalus parrots to families with young children.

IMHO, how about looking more into a conure of the Pyrhurra family like you said? I don't have conure experience, but with some good training, I've heard they make wonderful pets. Good luck!

I don't know if you have considered one, but Alexandrines are wonderful birds
One would be in the right size you are thinking of, and they canl speak clearly, though not all do talk. We rescued a 12 year old this past Feb. and he is just amazing. He does like scritches, but is not a cuddly bird. I find him to be much easier to work with than our IRN, but the IRN was wild when we got him, and Xander (the Alex) was just starved for attention.

RavensGryf said:

Uroplatus said:

The species I have been suggested on there have been:
Green cheeked conures, ringneck parakeets, quakers, caiques, Pionus species, Australian king parrots, Senegals and Meyers.

Click to expand...

That's quite a diverse list! Lots of different characteristics there .

Do you prefer a species which has the best potential to be handled/petted? If so, most "parakeet" species including Princess wouldn't be the best bet. They are definitely more suited to an aviary (I've had experience over the years with 4 types) plus study on these species. The Australian Kings are bigger but pretty much the same way.

Ringnecks (and Psittacula family) too, some can and do become adjusted to being pettable but the natural tendencies go against this.

Pionus are pretty easy going for their size, however, not all like cuddles and petting especially males. Males also have a reputation of being mildly dangerous during hormonal seasons (close relatives of Amazons). For a Pionus family pet I'd recommend a female.

Senegals and Meyer's (and Poicephalus family) can be cuddly, but can be very temperamental especially when mature, and they are known to bite extremely hard for their size. One person tendency too. I do not recommend the Poicephalus parrots to families with young children.

IMHO, how about looking more into a conure of the Pyrhurra family like you said? I don't have conure experience, but with some good training, I've heard they make wonderful pets. Good luck!

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Thank you for your input it is much appreciated I would like to be able to handle easily when needed and yes if I could give it a cuddle now and then it would make me happy So I think you might have reduced my list for me thankfully The parakeet types might not be suitable then if they are more suited to an aviary. I think I will also keep away from the Poiceophalus family then! I will probably leave Pionus too, I would probably end up with a male knowing my luck! I do have Pyrrura at the top of my list at the moment - probably a mutation green cheek - something like a pineapple or yellow sided) or maybe a crimson breasted - it depends on the availability. I am still considering a ringneck, they seem to be getting recommended a lot.

Terry57 said:

I don't know if you have considered one, but Alexandrines are wonderful birds
One would be in the right size you are thinking of, and they canl speak clearly, though not all do talk. We rescued a 12 year old this past Feb. and he is just amazing. He does like scritches, but is not a cuddly bird. I find him to be much easier to work with than our IRN, but the IRN was wild when we got him, and Xander (the Alex) was just starved for attention.

Click to expand...

I love the look of Alexandrines but I haven't ever 'met' one - they sound quite large from what I have read? I will have to go out and see if I can see one in a local petstore - I wouldn't buy one from there but if I could see one that would help me decide on their size.

I am feeling a conure would be a good bird. I have a pineapple conure,great bird. A cockatel are great birds also but their beaks are rather sharp and if they nipped your children would feel it. As a conure has a bigger beak and it isn't as sharp so if the bird did nip you it most likely wouldn't hurt.
Conures are more playful birds and interact better then a cockateil. A cockateil will sit on your finger and all that but won't actually play with you.