Eclectus or B&G?

[chris-md]

So you did Laura. I only briefly skimmed many of the answers all of which ruminated on the best bird and not whether a bird was actually advisable. I guess I overlooked yours

Absolutely not a good time right now.

 

[bigfellasdad]

I’m surprised nobody is latching onto the fact that this is a 17 year old facing still another 8-10 years of schooling. Now is not really a good time to be owning a parrot.

This, now is really not the time for such a HUGE commitment, think smaller id say, your life will be changing dramatically over the coming years. Some parrots will not take kindly to such change although some parrots are less highly strung than others,

 

[eliholtman]

Hmm, I think what might help is if you give some insight into what you expect from a parrot companion. BnGs and ekkies are very different birds.

I'm looking for a more cuddly bird, one that will just snuggle up and watch TV with me and one that will be my companion for the rest of my life. I have all my time for them as I do online school at home. I'm okay with noise and mess and would love to be able to just talk with my bird and them talk back. I want one that would be more likely to like people, dogs, and other birds. I want an endearing, funny, playful, smart, loving, and affectionate bird.

Blue and gold definitely for the cuddly ness factor



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[charmedbyekkie]

Tbh, I wouldn't recommend getting a bird just yet. And definitely not a macaw or an ekkie based on your requirements.

Let me paste a few questions for you to consider:

Am I really ready for that level of responsibility? The daily cage cleaning, the particular diet, the banning of non-organic cleaning supplies, the replacement of most of our cookware (do your parents know about those facts?) And after changing my entire family's lifestyle for the new family member, the little guy might turn out to absolutely hate me for months, refuse me to let me touch him for years, never take to a harness, scream for hours on end, etc. Am I prepared for that emotional input and drain?

How about the finance drain? If your bird needs to see a vet, it has to be an Avian Vet (Certified is recommended if that's an option available to you). Avian vets are expensive. And healthcare for your bird will also be expensive. Are you ok with shelling out 2k if your bird needs surgery or other expensive treatments?

And what about my friends' circle? Are you ok with forcing your friends to follow your bird's schedule? Quite a few of my friends have their first child already, and we hardly see them nowadays and they even have a nanny to help them. Are you ok with losing friends over this, prioritising of your new bird-child?

Are you willing to choose your bird over your future girlfriend/boyfriend? Or, if they ask you to give up your bird because maybe your bird might hate them or they find your bird inconvenient, what will you do?

What about housing? When you move out, will finding a parrot-friendly place be your first priority? When starting classes or full-time work, are you willing to wake up beforehand to spend time with your avian family member? Are you willing to rush home after to let them out of their cage and socialise with you? Or will you put grabbing drinks with friends first?

I see the folks here keeping an eye on their birds during the workday (yay for webcams!), and they rush home when their birds get injured (just like a parent would for a child). Sometimes they risk their jobs to take care of their parrots. Are you willing to put aside your school time for your bird? University, should you choose to go, is time-consuming with long hours and late nights. But parrots need schedules to be kept; they need stability. What will you choose?

There's a reason why the terms fid and parront are used. If you read around here, having a parrot is like having a toddler. Now if you're cool with being tied down with a human toddler, dragging a human toddler through the most transitioning years of your life, centering the rest of your life around a human toddler, by all means you might be ready for a bird I guess. Because these birds have that level of emotional and intellectual capacity - they don't emotionally bounce back like cats or dogs or horses do, they tend to self-harm instead. If you think you'll do right by that bird toddler (not for selfish reasons of 'I want a bird'), then by all means, go ahead.