Lovie or GCC?

Honeycomb

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So Iā€™m new to bird keeping. I have done a ton of painstaking research, found which shops sell tame parrots, made a list of items Iā€™ll need etc. After several weeks of switching between birds, Iā€™ve narrowed it down to these two: Lovebirds and Green Cheek Conures.
Some info:
This will be my first bird, though I have some experience as i took care of a friendā€™s bird for a while.
There are children younger than 10 in out house, however they will be taught to respect the bird and the door to the birdā€™s room will be locked when Iā€™m not home.
I have school from 8 to 4, but can give the bird my undivided attention for at least 4 hours a day.
I would like a bird who is relatively cuddly, very trainable and ok with being an only bird.
Volume is not a huge issue, but we do have neighbours so anything above Sun Conure levels is too loud.
So which of the two is more suitable? If thereā€™s any others that match some of my criteria please let me know!
 

Allee

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Hello and welcome! Thank you for joining us! I admire you for doing your research and asking questions before making a decision.

Green cheek conures have a reputation for being adorable and lovable, they are not as loud as sun conures but louder than lovebirds. Lovebirds aren't generally as noisy as GCC's but they aren't really known for being hands on birds. A cockatiel also fits the criteria for the bird you're looking for.

If you do keep your future bird behind a locked door while you're out please be certain an adult has a key and access to the bird's room in case of emergencies.

Best of luck choosing your new companion or being chosen by a new companion. Enjoy the journey.
 

ChristaNL

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Lovies tend to get a bit 'unbalanced' when they grow up and get hormonal (not saying each and every indivudual will! there some adorable cuties amongst them, but also a lot of die-hard "female dogs').
Of course GCC also have their terrible two's and puberty- but on the whole I get the impression they are a lot more 'cuddly' than the lovies.


If you want to avoid all that mess and get a nice stable bird...why not adopt an older one?
What you see is what you get (no huge changes in temperament anymore), parrots can be taught tricks till they die of old age and will (eventually) learn to fit in.


Good thinking ahead when it comes to children...although a parrot really belongs in the livingroom, in the middle of everything.
(not locked away like a princess in a tower)
That is where most will thrive and enjoy life the most.

So.. maybe put a padlock on the cagedoor en tell your kids "hands off and not pushing anything through the bars" ...
(if they are very small -> put the cage high --- that whole "if a parrot is higher it lures him into dominance" is just an old wives-tale.)


Anyway if I had to choose between a GCC and a lovie... I would go GCC all the time.
(even though I've met some darn cute lovies along the way)
 
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clark_conure

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green cheeks can be quite quiet, depending on how their environment is.

If I'm downstairs I can't even hear their contact calls...

If you want entertainment, you can never go wrong with a green cheek. They are very social-able BUT they will all test your nerves in trying to get attention once they build up complete trust.

The biggest thing i'd caution is (besides keep an eye out on the floor if the bird is out its cage, is don't let the kids feed the conure candy or chocolate or etc. If a bird has a taste for it they will do ANYTHING to manipulate a child to get more of the treat which could lead to bad health or .......worse.


Just like any bird a newborn will have sharp toenails and beak but over time and after a vet visit that can be minimized.

Also green cheeks in my experience can be quite clingy....they will always want to be on someone....or pooping on someones homework as they hang out with a kid.

SO make sure you and the kids can handle the time involved...neither of these species is a "cage pet" expect them to be out most anytime anyone is home.
 

Laurasea

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O I vote GCC, or Cockatiels, GCC are pretty quiet in my experience, and so are cockatiels, GCC very lovie but can be very nippy too, and you have to learn to deal with that sharp tipped beak . My first GCC of 17 years only bit some the first year then never again for her life, but my current GCC bites once a week ish, she didn't used to, but with my new birds she is now. But she also wants head scritchs for hours, or just sits on my shoulder.

You also want to let the parrot choose you. It makes a world of difference if they do. I think you can tell they choose you, if they come right up to you, are willing to jump right on you. Are interested in watching you and listening to you talk. That's how all my birds acted when I met them, and are still great with me.
 
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EllenD

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If you're looking for a "hands-on" bird. Lovebirds are probably not the way you want to go...

Green Cheeks are cuddly, loving, want attention, etc. and would fit the bill for what you are looking for...HOWEVER...

***The one thing you said you were planning on doing is not at all appropriate for ANY parrot, and that's keeping their cage in a "bird room", as already mentioned by Christinal...This will not work for any parrot, and if screaming is a problem it definitely won't work...

Parrots are "Flock" animals, meaning that they need to be among their "flock" at all times...That "flock" will be you and everyone else that lives in your home...You need to keep your bird's cage in the "main room" of your home, the room where the action is, the room where you and everyone else in your family spends most of their time when they are at home...This is typically the living room, family room, den, TV room, etc.

If you keep your bird's cage in a spare bedroom or a room away from where the action and people are in your house, a lot of problems will ensue...First of all, the bird will not feel secure, not feel comfortable, and not entertain itself inside of it's cage at all because it will be preoccupied every time it hears someone but can't see them...Whenever someone is at home they'll know, and this doesn't mean that this person or people have to have the bird out of the cage or be directly interacting with the bird, however the bird's cage does need to be where those people or that person are...It's called "Passive Interaction", and it also helps to socialize the bird as well...So when you or whomever is at home and they're watching TV, reading, playing video games, eating a meal, you're talking with each other, etc., your bird needs to be in that room where you do this..And then because he's actually a member of "the flock", he'll feel safe, secure, comforted, and he'll not only not be screaming 24/7 like he will be if you keep his cage in a "bird room", which sounds great but it's a horrible idea if you only have one bird, but he'll also want to entertain himself, playing with his toys inside of his cage, etc. And with a Green Cheek Conure, trust e, you'll want to buy or build a portable T-Stand of play-stand so that you can move it from room to room with you, and train him using only "Positive Reinforcement" to stay on his stand when you're at the table eating dinner, or you're on the computer, or doing something that he can't be a part of...But don't keep his cage in a spare room designated as the "bird room", as this is a mistake that many people make, and then they end-up asking why their bird won't stop screaming, why they're aggressive, etc.

It's best to think of a parrot with the intelligence of a 3-4 year-old child, like a Green Cheek Conure has, not like a pet or a bird, but rather like another child...They are not at all like owning a dog or a cat, or any other type of "pet" for that matter...They are Flock-animals that are extremely social and extremely intelligent, and if they aren't included as a part of the "family" or "flock", that's when things like screaming and plucking start...So having his cage in your living room where he's among you even if you're not interacting with him directly is the best way to have a happy, healthy, social bird.
 

FlyBirdiesFly

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If you're looking for a "hands-on" bird. Lovebirds are probably not the way you want to go...

Green Cheeks are cuddly, loving, want attention, etc. and would fit the bill for what you are looking for...HOWEVER...

***The one thing you said you were planning on doing is not at all appropriate for ANY parrot, and that's keeping their cage in a "bird room", as already mentioned by Christinal...This will not work for any parrot, and if screaming is a problem it definitely won't work...

Parrots are "Flock" animals, meaning that they need to be among their "flock" at all times...That "flock" will be you and everyone else that lives in your home...You need to keep your bird's cage in the "main room" of your home, the room where the action is, the room where you and everyone else in your family spends most of their time when they are at home...This is typically the living room, family room, den, TV room, etc.

If you keep your bird's cage in a spare bedroom or a room away from where the action and people are in your house, a lot of problems will ensue...First of all, the bird will not feel secure, not feel comfortable, and not entertain itself inside of it's cage at all because it will be preoccupied every time it hears someone but can't see them...Whenever someone is at home they'll know, and this doesn't mean that this person or people have to have the bird out of the cage or be directly interacting with the bird, however the bird's cage does need to be where those people or that person are...It's called "Passive Interaction", and it also helps to socialize the bird as well...So when you or whomever is at home and they're watching TV, reading, playing video games, eating a meal, you're talking with each other, etc., your bird needs to be in that room where you do this..And then because he's actually a member of "the flock", he'll feel safe, secure, comforted, and he'll not only not be screaming 24/7 like he will be if you keep his cage in a "bird room", which sounds great but it's a horrible idea if you only have one bird, but he'll also want to entertain himself, playing with his toys inside of his cage, etc. And with a Green Cheek Conure, trust e, you'll want to buy or build a portable T-Stand of play-stand so that you can move it from room to room with you, and train him using only "Positive Reinforcement" to stay on his stand when you're at the table eating dinner, or you're on the computer, or doing something that he can't be a part of...But don't keep his cage in a spare room designated as the "bird room", as this is a mistake that many people make, and then they end-up asking why their bird won't stop screaming, why they're aggressive, etc.

It's best to think of a parrot with the intelligence of a 3-4 year-old child, like a Green Cheek Conure has, not like a pet or a bird, but rather like another child...They are not at all like owning a dog or a cat, or any other type of "pet" for that matter...They are Flock-animals that are extremely social and extremely intelligent, and if they aren't included as a part of the "family" or "flock", that's when things like screaming and plucking start...So having his cage in your living room where he's among you even if you're not interacting with him directly is the best way to have a happy, healthy, social bird.

I know a lot of people will probably disagree with me, but I do keep my birdsā€™ cages in a bird room. That thing you call ā€œpassive interactionā€, I donā€™t see how that would benefit the bird. When I walk into the bird room and donā€™t take my birds out of their cages, they start screaming, pacing, and begging for attention. I think being able to see me but not being able to reach me causes them distress. Kermit even starts chewing on his cage bars to get my attention if he sees me in the room but Iā€™m not taking him out. My birds contact call when I first leave the room, but they really donā€™t scream much when theyā€™re in their cages in the bird room without anyone there.

Keeping their cages in a separate room is also for their own safety, because I have a cat. I lock the door to the bird room when Iā€™m not in there so my cat canā€™t get in and cause the birds harm. Not that heā€™s interested in the birds at all, but itā€™s always better safe than sorry and the presence of a predator in the area can cause a lot of stress to the birds. I know that cats and birds donā€™t mix in the same home, so I wonā€™t get another cat after Milo (who was there before the birds). Thatā€™s the only time I can even consider keeping my birds downstairs in the living room, but I donā€™t think they would like that as much because they would be watching me pass them by and they would feel ignored.

Also keep in mind that I have multiple birds so they can talk to each other when Iā€™m not home. Theyā€™re not isolated or alone because they have each other, even if theyā€™re all in separate cages. Theyā€™re also out of their cages at least 4 hours a day like they should be.

Feel free to respectfully disagree with my opinion, because we can all learn from each other including myself. Iā€™ve kept my birds in a separate bird room for as long as Iā€™ve had them, but then again, I only have around 5 years of bird experience.
 
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LaManuka

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If you have kids in the home you may actually be better off with a cockatiel. Green cheeks certainly have a much-deserved reputation for being very cuddly and loving but they do have a tendency to become ā€œone-personā€ birds and can be quite hostile towards non-favoured family members. Plus thereā€™s no way you can guarantee which family member the bird will gravitate toward, it may be the one person in the home who really isnā€™t interested in the bird! And when they bite they can bite really hard and draw blood when theyā€™re really cranky, and that includes biting the ā€œfavouredā€ family member. Cockatiels have a much more family friendly reputation.

Like the previous members I advise keeping the bird in a more high-traffic location as they are flock animals and need to be around the rest of their flock/family.

Whichever way you choose to go you will find plenty of support and useful advice here:)
 

MMARC234

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I second LaManukaā€™s advice about green cheeks! Everything described fits my boy to a T, biting and all. That ā€˜one person birdā€™ saying isnā€™t a lie, Leo absolutely cannot stand any other people except for me 99.7% of the time. He even actively tries to bite anyone who attempts to touch me! We just keep working on it, but I donā€™t have much hope for it. I guess Iā€™ll just keep myself healthy enough to outlive him. :eek:
 

LaManuka

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I second LaManukaā€™s advice about green cheeks! Everything described fits my boy to a T, biting and all. That ā€˜one person birdā€™ saying isnā€™t a lie, Leo absolutely cannot stand any other people except for me 99.7% of the time. He even actively tries to bite anyone who attempts to touch me! We just keep working on it, but I donā€™t have much hope for it. I guess Iā€™ll just keep myself healthy enough to outlive him. :eek:

Your Leo sounds exactly like my baby Baci the GCC whom I very sadly lost last year, he did not like my husband one little bit! Hubby was just lucky that Baci was not a keen flyer or he wouldā€™ve chased him all over the house to get at him Iā€™m quite sure of it!
 
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FlyBirdiesFly

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Kermit must be unusual ā€” he is not a one-person bird at all. He readily steps up for strangers, and even tolerates children. He is very cuddly and loves to spend time with me, and he always demands to be the center of attention. Kermit loves to snuggle up to my hand and get scritches, and he loves to nuzzle against my cheek when heā€™s on my shoulder. Heā€™s also very trainable and does a good number of tricks. He can be a little nippy sometimes but he very rarely draws blood. He is fairly quiet for a conure but definitely louder than my cockatiel and budgies. Kermit is also an acrobat and a clown ā€” he loves to hang upside down and play with toys and throw his little balls around as hard as he can. Heā€™s also an amazing flyer, very fast and maneuverable, and he can squeeze through the tiniest cracks in the doorway. ā€œI thought I closed the door!ā€, I say as I hear the fluttering of wings and a bird swoops out of nowhere and lands on my head, strutting proudly.
 

noodles123

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Please research Teflon/pfoa/ptfe (and where it hides in AND outside of the kitchen)+ the changes you will have to make to cleaning (no Lysol, Bleach, air fresheners or chemicals), personal hygiene, candle burning etc (before getting any parrot)---Sorry I am not answering the original question! As a first-time parrot owner, lifestyle changes will be essential and rather overwhelming.
 
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Honeycomb

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Thank you all so much! I've decided to get the conure, which will be in the living room as you suggested. I'm getting it after I move to a bigger house, so there should be more room in a high traffic area for the little guy!
 

clark_conure

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I cannot disagree with LaManuka because when I had cockatiels the cockatiels were a family bird. I live alone at the moment and both conures are strongly bonded, not sure how they will be with my next gf/vegas wife. lol
 

EllenD

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I know a lot of people will probably disagree with me, but I do keep my birdsā€™ cages in a bird room. That thing you call ā€œpassive interactionā€, I donā€™t see how that would benefit the bird. When I walk into the bird room and donā€™t take my birds out of their cages, they start screaming, pacing, and begging for attention. I think being able to see me but not being able to reach me causes them distress. Kermit even starts chewing on his cage bars to get my attention if he sees me in the room but Iā€™m not taking him out. My birds contact call when I first leave the room, but they really donā€™t scream much when theyā€™re in their cages in the bird room without anyone there.

Keeping their cages in a separate room is also for their own safety, because I have a cat. I lock the door to the bird room when Iā€™m not in there so my cat canā€™t get in and cause the birds harm. Not that heā€™s interested in the birds at all, but itā€™s always better safe than sorry and the presence of a predator in the area can cause a lot of stress to the birds. I know that cats and birds donā€™t mix in the same home, so I wonā€™t get another cat after Milo (who was there before the birds). Thatā€™s the only time I can even consider keeping my birds downstairs in the living room, but I donā€™t think they would like that as much because they would be watching me pass them by and they would feel ignored.

Also keep in mind that I have multiple birds so they can talk to each other when Iā€™m not home. Theyā€™re not isolated or alone because they have each other, even if theyā€™re all in separate cages. Theyā€™re also out of their cages at least 4 hours a day like they should be.

Feel free to respectfully disagree with my opinion, because we can all learn from each other including myself. Iā€™ve kept my birds in a separate bird room for as long as Iā€™ve had them, but then again, I only have around 5 years of bird experience.


You said you keep your "birds" in a bird room...Plural, correct? That's a different situation all together, especially if your birds are bonded to one another, or have been together for some time...We're talking about a very young, probably just-hand-raised/weaned baby bird coming into it's very first home, and putting their cage in a room away from the "action", by themselves...Think about that for a minute....He's going to be constantly hearing his "flock" in the house, hear their TV, stereo, talking, eating, etc., but he won't be able to see them, he'll be completely by himself, and all he knows are the people in the house as his "flock"...no other birds in the room with him that are ALSO A PART OF HIS "FLOCK"...That's the difference here..Well, that and that he's most-likely going to be a very young, baby bird who was hand-raised and needs to be among his people and kept social...

And as far as "Passive Interaction" goes, it's a very real thing, especially with single birds who only have the people who live in the house as their "flock" members...Passive-Interaction is exactly the reason why a single-bird (or a bird who is not at all bonded with another bird in the same "bird room") who is kept alone, by itself in a "bird room" or a room away from "the action" will often simply sit and scream, or just sit in it's cage all day long, every day, and not even touch their toys, not move, not play at all, not swing, they simply go to their bowls to eat and drink and then the rest of the time they sit there, bored to tears, and this is also usually how Feather-Destructive Behavior starts...They don't want to entertain themselves because they are too preoccupied with what the rest of their "flock" is doing out in the living room...However, if the bird's cage is simply moved into the living room where the flock-members are all sitting, talking to each other, watching TV, eating a meal together, etc., the bird will usually be happily playing with their toys, climbing around the cage, swinging, or talking/singing...That's "Passive Interaction", and all it means is allowing a Flock-Animal to be among it's Flock, as it should be...Now if there are other birds in the house that are also a part of the "Flock" and they are in their own cages back in a "Bird Room" or a spare room away from the main-room of the house where the action is, then those birds are not away from their Flock, not their entire Flock anyway...

It's a pretty simple concept really, it's all about "Letting a Flock-Animal be among it's Flock and with it's Flock-Members, and how this brings them security, comfort, and contentment"...

EDIT: Something else that was mentioned to me by a new Volunteer at the Rescue a while ago was about comparing parrots being "Flock Animals" to how you want to try to "Socialize" new puppies, kittens, ferrets, pigs, etc. by taking them out among different people as much as you can...It's important to note that this concept is not at all the same thing as "Socializing" another type of pet so that they aren't aggressive and don't bite/growl at strangers, etc. Parrots are like people in the sense that you can't really "Socialize" them in a general kind of way; they either like a person or they don't. Sure, taking your birds out in public with you often will make them less-frightened about being out of the house and among stranger, different sounds, different sights, moving vehicles, etc. But the concept of keeping your bird's main-cage in the "main room" of your home, the room where the Flock-members who live there spend their time when they are home is not done to "Socialize" your bird; socialization may happen as a result of them being among visitors when they come over, or hearing and seeing new things on TV, etc., but that's just a secondary-effect...Having their main-cage out in the "main-room" of your home is very much simply allowing your bird to be the Flock-Animal that they are, instead of keeping them alone in a room away from where the rest of their Flock spends their time, like you do with pets who are naturally/innately "Solitary" animals, such as Bearded Dragons. Bearded Dragons are "Solitary" animals/reptiles, they want to be by themselves all the time, and are most-content when they are alone, and this is why you typically cannot keep Beardies together or even allow them to be out of their enclosures together, because they attack each other, dominate each other to the point of starvation/emaciation, and usually one ends up killing the other one, one way or another...So they should only be put together for a male and female to mate/breed, and only for the time it takes them to mate, then they should be separated immediately again...That's how "Solitary Animals" or pets work...

So bottom-line is that if you want to keep a Flock-Animal as your pet, and a highly-intelligent Flock-Animal at that, you need to remember that YOU ARE THEIR FLOCK NOW, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE HOUSE WITH THE BIRD ARE THEIR FLOCK, AND AS SUCH THEY NEED TO BE LIVING AMONG THEIR FLOCK!
 
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dhraiden

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Third-ing the point of GCC's being 1-person birds. My Mochi was pleasant and sweet with all people and with Mango right before puberty; after it hit, she will attack Mango at any time, for any reason, and also bite anyone who not is the one person's she bonded to (my SO). It quite nearly literally happened over night. She went from being fine snuggling up to Mango, to trying to rip his feathers out! We have to keep them separated by an arm or pillow pretty much at all times when they're out, and he basically just runs away anytime she gets too close to him now :(
 

clark_conure

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well my conures get along; and both get along with me.....it's only other "human" people I wonder about.
 

FlyBirdiesFly

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Kermit is a little over one and a half years old, so he should be going through puberty right now. Heā€™s still very friendly with everyone (he can be a bully to other birds though). I wonder if that will change...
 

EllenD

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Kermit is a little over one and a half years old, so he should be going through puberty right now. Heā€™s still very friendly with everyone (he can be a bully to other birds though). I wonder if that will change...

At one and a half years-old, Kermit should have already started to go through or already gone through puberty...Maybe someone else can chime-in here, but I've not ever seen a Green Cheek who didn't hit puberty when they were somewhere between 6 months old and a little over a year old...And I bred them for about 11 years, and owned a total of 6 breeding-pairs of Green Cheeks that I purchased as parent-raised babies...I'm sure it's possible that it could take longer for a Green Cheek to hit puberty, but it's definitely not the norm...

It's possible that Kermit already went through puberty and you just got extremely lucky in that it didn't cause him any issues at all...Honestly, my Green Cheek, Bowie, who will be 3 this coming summer and who I brought home at 12 weeks-old, didn't really have much of an eventful puberty either...He didn't start biting or have any aggression at all, the only differences I noticed were the changes that were apparent AFTER he had already gone through puberty, such as him regurgitating/trying to feed me, and him wanting to go into small, dark places like under the furniture and such. He also went through his first big molt at the same time, so his colors changes drastically too (he's a Yellow-Sided), but other than that, he didn't really have any of the aggression either...Every individual bird is different...
 

FlyBirdiesFly

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Kermit is a little over one and a half years old, so he should be going through puberty right now. Heā€™s still very friendly with everyone (he can be a bully to other birds though). I wonder if that will change...

At one and a half years-old, Kermit should have already started to go through or already gone through puberty...Maybe someone else can chime-in here, but I've not ever seen a Green Cheek who didn't hit puberty when they were somewhere between 6 months old and a little over a year old...And I bred them for about 11 years, and owned a total of 6 breeding-pairs of Green Cheeks that I purchased as parent-raised babies...I'm sure it's possible that it could take longer for a Green Cheek to hit puberty, but it's definitely not the norm...

It's possible that Kermit already went through puberty and you just got extremely lucky in that it didn't cause him any issues at all...Honestly, my Green Cheek, Bowie, who will be 3 this coming summer and who I brought home at 12 weeks-old, didn't really have much of an eventful puberty either...He didn't start biting or have any aggression at all, the only differences I noticed were the changes that were apparent AFTER he had already gone through puberty, such as him regurgitating/trying to feed me, and him wanting to go into small, dark places like under the furniture and such. He also went through his first big molt at the same time, so his colors changes drastically too (he's a Yellow-Sided), but other than that, he didn't really have any of the aggression either...Every individual bird is different...

Kermit has probably already gone through puberty and just never got bitey/aggressive or become a one-person bird. He went through a really big molt recently where he molted all his body, flight, and tail feathers. It sounds like Bowie was similar in that puberty didnā€™t cause him any issues. I guess I just got really lucky with Kermit as well!!
 

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