First Bird Trouble Deciding?

[jaimmorr]

Hello! I am new here and trying to decide on what kind of bird I want. It will be my first bird, but I grew up around my friend's birds. They have a Cockatoo, an African Grey (Not sure if it was a Congo or Timneh), and lots of little ones like Parakeets. I want a bigg-ish bird, probably more medium sized, one that doesn't need to be out ALL day long, but of course I plan on spending time with it in the mornings and in the evenings. (I'm planning for about 4-5 hours of out of cage time total a day) I want one that is friendly, would prefer one that can talk or learn tunes but that's not a deciding factor, etc.

I do not want a small bird that I can't spend quality time with, like a Parakeet or a Finch. I want one that I can talk to, sing to, and spend time with by holding it, it sitting on my lap or shoulder (with my permission, of course), training it (clicker), and all around loving it. I am prepared to do as much research as needed before even attempting to purchase one.

I live in a house, not an apartment. It's a 3 bedroom (we knocked out a wall, now it's 2) house so it's pretty spacious. I have 3 dogs, a double rex rat, and a Bearded Dragon. I have had animals my whole life including 3 dogs, 5 cats, 4 rats, 2 Beardies, 3 Guinea Pigs, a blind hamster, and fish. I know how to take care of animals and know that animals are a lifetime commitment and not to be taken lightly. I foster dogs and cats occasionally and am involved in rescue, so I have experience with ignorant people that get an animal, don't do the necessary research, and then just get rid of them when they aren't convenient anymore. Animals are a part of the family here.

Space (for the cage and play stands) is not an issue. Money for the cage, toys, food, other supplies, etc, and the actual bird is not really an issue. Granted, I do not want to pay 2000 dollars for the bird. My price range for the actual bird probably goes up to around 700-800. I'm not the richest person, but if I have to wait longer to get the bird that I want, no big deal, I'll just save up!

Some that I am interested in:

Senegals
Hahns Macaws
Indian Ringnecks
African Greys
Blue Crowned Conures
Amazon Parrots** They are lovely birds and very neat, but I haven't done much research on them just yet to establish if I really would want one as a pet and what exact kind I would want.


I need some guidance! If someone could please just point me in a direction, that would be awesome. Really, the two I am most interested in are the Senegals and the Indian Ringnecks. I would LOVE to have a Ringneck, but some places say that they are aggressive if they aren't out all day with their person.

Thank you to anyone who replies! Any and all comments are welcome, I like constructive criticism! :]

 

[mellykyitus]

i have a blue crowned conure and she is great. she is a great talker, very friendly and happy to sit on you. conure's can be quite noisy though.
lots of people on here have senegals and ringnecks so can advise you on those species.

 

[mtdoramike]

My vote would be for the following in this order:

Green cheek conure
Meyers
Senegal
Pionus

Now if you want a medium sized bird, there are the African Greys, Timnehs or Eclectus parrots, which might make a first time bird with a lot od research.

You notice that I didn't include Macaws & Amazons. In my opinion these are not first time birds. You will also notice that I didn't mention Cockatoo's. These really aren't first time birds either.

But it mainly comes down to what YOU really want. If you really want something, you can always find a way to make it work.

 

[upcgirl]

Hello! I am new here and trying to decide on what kind of bird I want. It will be my first bird, but I grew up around my friend's birds. They have a Cockatoo, an African Grey (Not sure if it was a Congo or Timneh), and lots of little ones like Parakeets. I want a bigg-ish bird, probably more medium sized, one that doesn't need to be out ALL day long, but of course I plan on spending time with it in the mornings and in the evenings. (I'm planning for about 4-5 hours of out of cage time total a day) I want one that is friendly, would prefer one that can talk or learn tunes but that's not a deciding factor, etc.

I do not want a small bird that I can't spend quality time with, like a Parakeet or a Finch. I want one that I can talk to, sing to, and spend time with by holding it, it sitting on my lap or shoulder (with my permission, of course), training it (clicker), and all around loving it. I am prepared to do as much research as needed before even attempting to purchase one.

I live in a house, not an apartment. It's a 3 bedroom (we knocked out a wall, now it's 2) house so it's pretty spacious. I have 3 dogs, a double rex rat, and a Bearded Dragon. I have had animals my whole life including 3 dogs, 5 cats, 4 rats, 2 Beardies, 3 Guinea Pigs, a blind hamster, and fish. I know how to take care of animals and know that animals are a lifetime commitment and not to be taken lightly. I foster dogs and cats occasionally and am involved in rescue, so I have experience with ignorant people that get an animal, don't do the necessary research, and then just get rid of them when they aren't convenient anymore. Animals are a part of the family here.

Space (for the cage and play stands) is not an issue. Money for the cage, toys, food, other supplies, etc, and the actual bird is not really an issue. Granted, I do not want to pay 2000 dollars for the bird. My price range for the actual bird probably goes up to around 700-800. I'm not the richest person, but if I have to wait longer to get the bird that I want, no big deal, I'll just save up!

Some that I am interested in:

Senegals
Hahns Macaws
Indian Ringnecks
African Greys
Blue Crowned Conures
Amazon Parrots** They are lovely birds and very neat, but I haven't done much research on them just yet to establish if I really would want one as a pet and what exact kind I would want.


I need some guidance! If someone could please just point me in a direction, that would be awesome. Really, the two I am most interested in are the Senegals and the Indian Ringnecks. I would LOVE to have a Ringneck, but some places say that they are aggressive if they aren't out all day with their person.

Thank you to anyone who replies! Any and all comments are welcome, I like constructive criticism! :]

I have had Amazons as my first parrot. I once rescued a Conure, and now, I have a Senegal. I strongly would encourage you to start small. All birds have moments of being unpredictable (and Amazons have several, especially during their adolescent years), and if you have a smaller bird, you won't be as intimidated by it when it decides to have those moments. And you may want to reconsider the red print in your quote. You see, birds have personalities, and they also have their own wants and needs. Sometimes, it isn't about OUR permission, it is about THEIR permission. Birds are trainable, but you first have to gain their trust and respect. And it doesn't happen overnight. To adapt to you may take days or weeks with these fellas, but to really have a BOND, to really know what makes that little guy tick, takes YEARS. And they DO give body language cues, so please observe them

I say this because I see people at pet shops (or other bird owners' homes) who think that they can just stick their hands in a bird cage and expect the bird to want to be petted. And then I see those same people scream when the bird lunges at them and decides to attempt to bite...

I am not trying to sound mean. I am just wanting to clarify because I see a lot of people who want these exotic, beautiful birds and have NO clue as to what they're doing! Research is wonderful, but don't think every bird is textbook. They have their own personalities, their own likes and dislikes, and their own habits--just like we do!

A few rules to remember:

Every bird can be messy. Some are messier than others. I know some people at this forum who have Senegals and would say that their bird doesn't make much of a mess when it eats. My Senegal, though it has cage guard, can AND will fling food around and make a mess, especially if his food is too big or if it is something he doesn't like.

Every bird can be loud. Some are louder than others. Personally, Max, (my Senegal) rarely screeches. Most of the time, he whistles and chirps. He also says "Pretty bird." He will screech if I take his food and water bowls and go out of the room to refill them. He will also screech if you leave the room, but only for a few seconds. And his screech is not even as loud as the smoke alarm or my alarm clock.


In my opinion, a Senegal is a great first-time bird. They're small, but yet big enough. They aren't as nippy as the Conures or Amazons I have had--but they CAN bite. Max has nipped me a couple times and it is more of a pinch, which for a first-time bird owner is a lot better than having to get stitches from a Conure or an Amazon's bite (which can happen). In my experience, Senegals are quieter as well--and your neighbors will Thank You for that. My Senegal, Max, also isn't a single person bird. The conure I had and the Amazons I had were very attached to one person and that person only. My Mexican Red Headed Amazon wouldn't allow anyone but me near his cage. The Conure I rescued, wouldn't allow ANYONE near her cage, even after 6 months. I am the third 'flock' Max has known, and I have only had Max for 20 days. The day I brought Max home, he allowed me, my boyfriend AND my boyfriend's 10 year-old daughter to pet him. Max refuses to step up, (though the foster taught him how to do so). Instead, I open the cage door and allow Max to come out when he decides to do so. I also allow Max to decide if he wants to perch on me. I had Max for less than two weeks when he decided to land on my shoulder for the first time. And then he decided to climb up on top of my head a few days later. In the experience I have had thus far, I have allowed Max to make the decisions, and in return, I am gaining his trust and respect a lot quicker than I would if I just stuck my hand under him and said 'Step up' and forced him to do so. I am saving my fingers and hands too!

Also, when you do get your bird, please remember to wash your hands after touching every animal before you touch the next animal. I have seen a lot of people who lose their bird because they cleaned their reptile's cage, or their cat drooled on their hand, etc and didn't wash their hands before they cleaned their bird's cage or petted their bird and the bird became sick and died.