Deciding on a Species

[AnimalAnimeLover]

I have been birdless for a few years and am finally in a position to be able to own a feathered friend or friends again. However I am undecided on a species. I've only ever owned Parakeets/Budgies however I have also helped care for Cockatiels, Macaws(Blue and Gold), African Greys, Electus in the past but never lived with them. One of my jobs is at a veterinary office where we see birds so I've helped handle Conures, Quakers and larger parrots when they come in. So I am looking for feedback on how one decides on which species to get and which will best fit their lifestyle. I have been doing research but am having a difficult time deciding on a species. Any feedback appreciated!

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

Well, I would suggest a cockatiel. They aren't too loud, and that would be better if you have any neighbors living close by. Of course they are vocal but it's not too loud.

Of course there are bird species that are also not that loud (parrotlets, lovebirds and budgies to name a few)

Macaws, Sun Conures, Cockatoos are some species that come on the loud side. Cockatoos are also destructive and from what I've read, need lots of attention.

I haven't actually owned a bird bigger than a cockatiel and going on what I have read and a few interactions with some birds. If I have gotten a few things wrong, please correct me.

 

[AnimalAnimeLover]

My only interaction with the species I've helped care for has just been helping to feed or restrain at work I never actually lived with them so I wouldn't be able to say if your wrong or right. My only personal owning and living experience has been with Budgies. My current setup housing wise is in an average house length distance apart from neighbors. They never had any complaints with my Budgies but they weren't that loud so I'm unsure how getting a louder noisier species would fare with them. Can you tell me a bit about Cockatiels? I'm not new to them or birds in general but I'm having a terrible time deciding on a species and I want to make sure I'm properly updated on everything as well before bringing home a new addition.

 

[LeaKP]

I. Love. Cockatiels. They’re sweet and have the loveliest vocalizations. They’re a real pleasure and can do well when you’re at work as long as you make time for them before and after. I would get one now but there aren’t any here where i live.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

My only interaction with the species I've helped care for has just been helping to feed or restrain at work I never actually lived with them so I wouldn't be able to say if your wrong or right. My only personal owning and living experience has been with Budgies. My current setup housing wise is in an average house length distance apart from neighbors. They never had any complaints with my Budgies but they weren't that loud so I'm unsure how getting a louder noisier species would fare with them. Can you tell me a bit about Cockatiels? I'm not new to them or birds in general but I'm having a terrible time deciding on a species and I want to make sure I'm properly updated on everything as well before bringing home a new addition.

Well I hope I can be of some help in choosing a feathered companion for you.

Cockatiels can make loud sounds which are only loud when your in the same room, in a another room though, not so loud, but still audible.

They can get nippy when in a bad mood, but from my experiences, it doesn't hurt too much and the pain only lasts for a bit. They can still draw blood and that can hurt like any bird's bite will.

They are of course adorable. The males are more vocal and more likely to talk than females.

A 5x5x5 cage or maybe a little smaller/bigger is a good cage size. 4x4x4 can also work.

Also you can tell if they are female or male when they are around 7 months old (after their first moult). If they have vertical lines on their tail its probably a female. If they have no vertical lines, probably a male. Oh and this works with almost every color mutation but, lutino and albino . Also on white face cockatiels the male will have a whiter face with the female with a more grayish one.

Hope that helped you.

 

[Cardinal]

I. Love. Cockatiels. They’re sweet and have the loveliest vocalizations. They’re a real pleasure and can do well when you’re at work as long as you make time for them before and after. I would get one now but there aren’t any here where i live.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am bit intrigued. Burundi must be a fascinating place.
I find it difficult to believe that the city or place you live does not have cockatiels . I have assumed that all the major cities and towns of the world that have say a 100,000 people or more would have a pet shop or breeder with Budgies, Cockatiels and possibly the Rosy faced, (and for bigger towns Fischer's and Yellow collared_ lovebirds.

 

[ChristaNL]

LOL *none* of my friends would ever consider a cockatiel because they are so bloody noisy!
So dutch cockatiels must be a lot louder than in every other country? I do not know!

(One of my friends grew up with a 'tiel, she was his sisters bird and he actually prefers the macaw yelling! Of course it is a lot louder but the rest of the time she is blessely quiet/ mumbles and hufs.)


I am going to be all "the universe will take care of it" (with a big wink) in this: if you decide there is room in your life for a bird...one will find you (sometimes they even come in multiples).
Usually it is not the bird you want, but the bird you need (and it will need you as well).


(I would not have chosen a macaw, but there she is... and she is a wonderfull teacher.)

 

[ParrotGenie]

LOL *none* of my friends would ever consider a cockatiel because they are so bloody noisy!
So dutch cockatiels must be a lot louder than in every other country? I do not know!

(One of my friends grew up with a 'tiel, she was his sisters bird and he actually prefers the macaw yelling! Of course it is a lot louder but the rest of the time she is blessely quiet/ mumbles and hufs.)


I am going to be all "the universe will take care of it" (with a big wink) in this: if you decide there is room in your life for a bird...one will find you (sometimes they even come in multiples).
Usually it is not the bird you want, but the bird you need (and it will need you as well).


(I would not have chosen a macaw, but there she is... and she is a wonderfull teacher.)

Cockatiels loud? Are you sure they are talking about Cockatiels and not Cockatoos? I never heard a Cockatiels that louder then a Macaw. I grew up with Cockatiels and use to raise and breed them back in the day and currently have 5 of them. I can say 5 of them singing and screaming don't equal one Cockatoo, or Macaw.

Cockatiel are pretty friendly and only time I was bitten to the point of one drawing blood was with Pepper and due to he was mishandled at the pet store and hated hands period. After he got over the fear of hands he stop being nippy. Cockatiels in general are not anywhere near as nippy as other birds. They love to be handle and out of cage and less likely to put up a fight, or be nippy. Hence why they get along well in groups. Yes they do at first fight with each other over food bowls and perches and usually work out who is first and ETC and usually just a lot of yelling at each other and pushing. Just don't put a couple, or more males to a female in same cage and usually you will be fine. Where larger birds can severely injure, or kill each other if they wanted to and take a lot longer to introduce them to each other and only allow next to each other in play area, or if mates, but never can keep in same cage unless they are a mated pair and even then you have to still watch out for aggression.

Cockatiels are pretty forgiven and very social. They make great companions for most people and have the personality equal to larger birds while being only medium size and don't get into nearly as much trouble, easier to handle and way less louder then larger birds.

 

[SilverSage]

Of course I’m personally a huge cockatiel advocate (are all Dutch cockatiels noisy?? That’s really odd to me! We have 21 and they are all pretty quiet...)

But actually helping people choose a species is one of my favorite things, though I usually do it on the phone. But I can give you the general ideas of what I ask

-what is your MONTHLY budget for care? Not your initial set up budget, because that can be saved for, but how much can you afford to spend in an ongoing manor?

-In your daydreams about owning a bird, what are you are your bird doing together? Does your bird need your attention every second? Puppy dog style snuggles? Talk? Do tricks? Hang out on the play stand by your desk while you work? Go hiking with you?

-How important is it to you that your bird accept strangers? What about a significant other? Do you want a bird who loves you above all or would a bird who bonds easily to multiple people be best?

-do you have other pets? Do you plan on getting more than one bird in the next 30 years? If so, how important is it to you that the birds interact?

-how offended are you by being bitten? If you do get bitten, how important is it to you that the bite not be too hard?

-What sort of noises do you hate? Constant noise? High pitched noise? Grading noise? How close are your neighbors? How many dogs I. Your neighborhood bark?

-what do you do for a living? How many hours a day will you spend at home on an average weekday? What are your weekend hobbies?

-how likely are you to have to move in the next 20 years? Do you rent or own? Do you have a roommate? Spouse? Children? If you don’t now, do you think you will in your lifetime?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ChristaNL]

ParrotGenie:
Yup, cockatiels and budgies are "kiddies birds" overhere, so a lot of schoolchildren (7-14) are given one as a "less demanding than a dog or cat and not as stinky as a rabbit or hamster"-animal so nobody is really prepared for the non-stop whistles and schreeches for attention of the semi-neglected bird.
Unfortunately they are not seen as real parrots (parakeets are not considered parrots by most people) and also not treated as such, they are in the catagory "small dumb birds kept in cages" like zebra finches and canaries.
(they cost about the same too)

I personally really prefer a few loud screeches once in a while (none would be better, but hey...parrot!) and mostly silence to the non-stop tweeting, twittering, whistling and schreeches.

That is probably why there is a fad about the Pyrrhura (you call them conure) going on: they are the grown-up persons budgie...
Once we are grown up and settled we miss the funny little birdy we had when we were young(er) so we get an "adults-birdy".


(people are crazy and very into 'following the group')



SilverSage:
great questions!

 

[ParrotGenie]

ParrotGenie:
Yup, cockatiels and budgies are "kiddies birds" overhere, so a lot of schoolchildren (7-14) get one as a "less demanding than a dog or cat and not as stinky as a rabbit or hamster"-animal so nobody is really prepared for the non-stop whistles and schreeches for attention of the semi-neglected bird.
Unfortunately they are not seen a real parrots (parakeets are not considered parrots by most people) and also not treated as such, they are in the catagory "small dumb birds kept in cages" like zebra finches and canaries.
(they cost about the same too)

I personally really prefer a few loud screeches once in a while (none would be better, but hey...parrot!) and mostly silence to the non-stop tweeting, twittering, whistling and schreeches.

That is probably why there is a fad about the Pyrrhura (you call them conure) going on: they are the grown-up persons budgie...
Once we are grown up and settled we miss the funny little birdy we had when we were young(er) so we get an "adults-birdy".



Silversage:
great questions!

I grow up with tiels and a blue-streaked lory. Cockatiels are way underrated. They are like larger parrots as they are very sociable and love to play like larger parrots do and pretty smart. They sure not be in the catagory "small dumb birds kept in cages" like people think they are? It is sad pet stores sell them as such pretty much. They literally make the perfect companion pet for most? If given the chance, they bond to owners strongly and highly intelligent and playful, while not being as demanding as larger parrots. "like you some what stated most people are sheepish unfortunately and follow tend". People sure go to the pet stores, or rescues and see for themselves how different species birds are and loudest and see which one they adapt to, or the bird that picks them and go from there? You know how many time I use to see people come to rescues wanting a Macaw and dead set on a MACAW claiming to watch tons of videos and online research on a Macaw and then end up leaving with a completely different species, like a lory, or a eclectus, or a Cockatiel? Quite a bit.

Even me I was dead set on a Congo African grey and ended up meeting Baby my umbrella cockatoo that ended up picking me as only one at the time as only one she would step up on without severely biting and she ended up bonding to me and literally would climb down stand and look for me. She literately picked me.

 

[ChristaNL]

Oh I agree completely.
Every animal has its own unique rule-set and some really resonate with you and some dont.
That is why this OPs question is such a great one! (And so hard to answer)


"The general public" is a scary beast
I much prefer individuals.

I wish everybody had the luxury of meeting different species before finding 'the click'.
(I got lucky with some of mine, though my first budgie was an abolute psycho)

I havent had a 'tiel of my own, but the ones I met usually where high-screeching in ears for all they were worth (in homes) or sitting frightened in a corner of a sales-cage.
You almost make me want to pick one up and try
(I have an offer "to get them -out the nest- before the mice eat them" from someone. That is how undervalued/ extremely common they are around here.)

 

[LeaKP]

I. Love. Cockatiels. They’re sweet and have the loveliest vocalizations. They’re a real pleasure and can do well when you’re at work as long as you make time for them before and after. I would get one now but there aren’t any here where i live.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am bit intrigued. Burundi must be a fascinating place.

I find it difficult to believe that the city or place you live does not have cockatiels . I have assumed that all the major cities and towns of the world that have say a 100,000 people or more would have a pet shop or breeder with Budgies, Cockatiels and possibly the Rosy faced, (and for bigger towns Fischer's and Yellow collared_ lovebirds.

Yes very different here indeed!!!

I’ve not yet seen a cockatiel I hope to!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SilverSage]

Wow. In my experience a happy and healthy cockatiel is a very quiet friend, especially if female. If they are screeching something is wrong (such as belonging to a child and being neglected; most parrots scream when neglected). Budgies on the other hand sing for joy so a happy budgie is quite noisy often!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ParrotGenie]

Wow. In my experience a happy and healthy cockatiel is a very quiet friend, especially if female. If they are screeching something is wrong (such as belonging to a child and being neglected; most parrots scream when neglected). Budgies on the other hand sing for joy so a happy budgie is quite noisy often!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agreed as never had a loud one even my males are not loud at all. They do sing and chirp every so often, but usually when they want to come out and playing around. They are usually well behaved and don't scream. Plus only was bitten once by Pepper when I first got him, but haven't been bitten again since and handle them daily. They are usually very friendly and love attention. Only time seen one that gets aggressive, or bite a lot is when neglected and not handled much?

 

[ChristaNL]

I really like to hear that - I always hoped/ feared those birds were noisy because of the way they were treated (and not because they are a noisy species).

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Loud cockatiels?? Ducky is very quiet. The only noises she makes are little chirps and contact calls when I first leave the room.

I totally agree — cockatiels are extremely underrated. I adore them. Cockatiels are literally my perfect bird. Ducky cuddles, loves scritches, does tricks, flies to me, and sits on my shoulder for hours. I don’t understand why they’re often grouped with budgies as “starter birds” or “children’s birds”. They are just as lovable as any of the large parrots. Cockatiels have nothing to do with budgies except for the fact that they both live in Australia.

 

[SilverSage]

Loud cockatiels?? Ducky is very quiet. The only noises she makes are little chirps and contact calls when I first leave the room.

I totally agree — cockatiels are extremely underrated. I adore them. Cockatiels are literally my perfect bird. Ducky cuddles, loves scritches, does tricks, flies to me, and sits on my shoulder for hours. I don’t understand why they’re often grouped with budgies as “starter birds” or “children’s birds”. They are just as lovable as any of the large parrots. Cockatiels have nothing to do with budgies except for the fact that they both live in Australia.

And of course I have to say that a tame budgie is a truly delightful companion. File under “playful, adventurous, intelligent, males have great talking ability, very active” though the English budgies are much calmer and seem quieter as well.

My own Darlin’ Carlin is adorable and such a joy to live with

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Inger]

I really like to hear that - I always hoped/ feared those birds were noisy because of the way they were treated (and not because they are a noisy species).

Christa, if you’re on Instagram, follow some cockatiels. My personal fave is @enzothecockatiel305 She’s always posting videos of him clowning and he chirps and whistles a lot in the videos, but they’re very happy sounds, and she probably doesn’t take video when he’s just sitting around being quiet LOL. I’m totally enchanted by cockatiels.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Loud cockatiels?? Ducky is very quiet. The only noises she makes are little chirps and contact calls when I first leave the room.

I totally agree — cockatiels are extremely underrated. I adore them. Cockatiels are literally my perfect bird. Ducky cuddles, loves scritches, does tricks, flies to me, and sits on my shoulder for hours. I don’t understand why they’re often grouped with budgies as “starter birds” or “children’s birds”. They are just as lovable as any of the large parrots. Cockatiels have nothing to do with budgies except for the fact that they both live in Australia.

And of course I have to say that a tame budgie is a truly delightful companion. File under “playful, adventurous, intelligent, males have great talking ability, very active” though the English budgies are much calmer and seem quieter as well.

My own Darlin’ Carlin is adorable and such a joy to live with

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, of course I never meant that budgies deserved that reputation as a “starter bird”, but I do feel like cockatiels are a little more of a companion bird. I have budgies as well and I personally just feel much closer to Ducky and Kermit (GCC). Ducky is closely bonded with me, loves to sit with me and cuddle, while my budgies mostly prefer doing their own thing. Pearl was hand-fed as a baby, is a great talker, and very very hyper. Pearl almost fits your description perfectly! But she is simply not that interested in people. She spends a lot of time pestering Kermit to be her friend. Bluebell isn’t very social either, and she mostly prefers to stay in her cage. I can see how budgies can be very happy with their own kind and not interacting with humans all that much.

Carlin is adorable!