how hard really is it to tame a rosella

[FutureDVM]

I agree with the lovebird recommendation. They are wonderful little birds! I used to have a peach faced lovebird that I got as a handfed baby and she was very sweet and playful.

 

[roxynoodle]

I think I'd also recommend a lovebird. Green Cheek conures (the pineapple you saw is a color mutation of that) are one of the quietest conures, along with Maroon Bellies. So if you thought that one was obnoxious, you might really hate one of the larger conures.

I will say there is never any doubt that Rowdy wants something, lol! She definitely tells me when she wants her cage covered or uncovered, when she wants the TV on, when she wants her veggies or when she wants to come out. She is definitely a communicator. And she has a variety of noises she makes other than screeches or talking. She has one when she's excited that sounds like, "Uh oh! Uh oh!" She also has loud chirps. And when she is playing she makes little humming sounds. She also tells me the phone is ringing (like I can't hear it) and she is a sentry, meaning she watches for anyone pulling into the driveway and coming to the door. And she's completely territorial over this room, and yells out whenever I bring ANYTHNG in here even if it's just a screwdriver. She yells about the broom and vacuum and any cleaning supplies even though she has seen them daily for more than 11 years. So that is life with a conure, lol! Or at least life with my conure, but I doubt she is all that different from other conures from what I read on here.

 

[rosella]

Have you ever considered any of the finches? I know they are probably smaller than what you want but some of them are very colorful, like the gouldians, and if you can find a hand raised one, I've seen some very tame finches. Also, what about a lovebird? They come in so many colors they are like skittles and a well raised one can make a wonderful pet and I've never heard a lovie scream.

Here are some videos

Hand Fed Gouldian Finches - YouTube
lady gouldian finch - YouTube
Baby Lady Gouldians Flying To Their Daddy - YouTube
Sammie, my tame peach faced lovebird - YouTube

thanks for the videos those gouldians are really well trained and lovebirds can be so cute sometimes but still too small for me. i actually own a breeding pair of gouldian finches right now {i entered it in the box that said what variety of birds do you have but it never showed up for some reason}
thanks for the ideas though.

if u don't want a loud bird then dot look at they big ones look at the finches budges cockatiels and lovebirds those look like they fit what u are looking for and plus ive heard that green cheeks are pretty quiet compared to other conures i dont think it will be as loud as u think it will be

sorry i looked it up and it wasn't a green cheek it was a sun conure that was at the bird store and rosellas are not loud i have made up my mind to go with a rosella. and thanks for the suggestions but i want something a little larger like the rosella.

I think I'd also recommend a lovebird. Green Cheek conures (the pineapple you saw is a color mutation of that) are one of the quietest conures, along with Maroon Bellies. So if you thought that one was obnoxious, you might really hate one of the larger conures.

I will say there is never any doubt that Rowdy wants something, lol! She definitely tells me when she wants her cage covered or uncovered, when she wants the TV on, when she wants her veggies or when she wants to come out. She is definitely a communicator. And she has a variety of noises she makes other than screeches or talking. She has one when she's excited that sounds like, "Uh oh! Uh oh!" She also has loud chirps. And when she is playing she makes little humming sounds. She also tells me the phone is ringing (like I can't hear it) and she is a sentry, meaning she watches for anyone pulling into the driveway and coming to the door. And she's completely territorial over this room, and yells out whenever I bring ANYTHNG in here even if it's just a screwdriver. She yells about the broom and vacuum and any cleaning supplies even though she has seen them daily for more than 11 years. So that is life with a conure, lol! Or at least life with my conure, but I doubt she is all that different from other conures from what I read on here.

thanks for the suggestions but i have decided that i will adopt a baby handfed rosella. turns out the conure i seen was a sun conure not a pineapple sided so i dont know if that makes a difference. i think the conures can make amazing pets, i have seen the videos on youtube so i believe you when you say he is amazing. but now i have officially decided that a rosella is for me.....btw sorry if i offended anyone by saying conures {or any other bird} are loud and obnoxious i dont mean to insult anyone's pets...i would rather be open with my opinion so i get peoples honest ideas.


thanks for the help everyone.....i could not have made this decision without everyones input

 

[lene1949]

Good luck with your rosella... and, please ask questions, if you have any..

 

[rosella]

Good luck with your rosella... and, please ask questions, if you have any..

thanks i will for sure, when i adopt my rosella i will post month by month progress and pictures and we'll see how far i can take it

 

[lene1949]

That will be great... I really love the Rosellas...

 

[roxynoodle]

Lol, I'll be the first one to tell you my conure can be loud and obnoxious. No offense taken One of my friends who calls her those things though wants a large cockatoo! I said take Rowdy and multiply by 10 on noise for a cockatoo!

 

[rosella]

That will be great... I really love the Rosellas...

hahah yeah for sure. they are my favourite bird

Lol, I'll be the first one to tell you my conure can be loud and obnoxious. No offense taken One of my friends who calls her those things though wants a large cockatoo! I said take Rowdy and multiply by 10 on noise for a cockatoo!

hahahahah lol if they think conures are loud and they want a cockatoo.....looool that is going to be a learning experieince. lol i hope you managed to convince them lol.

 

[roxynoodle]

She doesn't believe me, lol! She doesn't believe me about anything I've tried to tell her about cockatoos. Or she does, but thinks hers will be perfect and never scream or do any of the other things that birds do.

 

[cockatielfan17]

good luck with your rosella hope to see some pics

 

[rosella]

She doesn't believe me, lol! She doesn't believe me about anything I've tried to tell her about cockatoos. Or she does, but thinks hers will be perfect and never scream or do any of the other things that birds do.

hahahahh lol made my night, i can't wait to hear about what kind of learning experience she goes through within the first hour lol.......with cockatoos you pretty much get the same situation with every bird, she is going to go out of her mind really quick. conures are NO WHERE near as loud and i wish her the best of luck.....p.s i dont belive there is such a thing as a perfect cockatoo let her know that lol

good luck with your rosella hope to see some pics

thank you, i will for sure post pics as soon as i get him home.....or probabley a couple days after but i will start a thread about it when i get him

 

[Sungazer]

They are really hard to tame. They don't make much noise and when they do it is a beautiful sound.

The problem is their bite they don't just give you a nip or even a hard bite but they dont let go. I had to wear gloves for a long time and even then had to put up with bloodied and sometimes infections on my hands.

Even now I will get given a bite every now and then but at least now it is just a short and not so hard bite.

Good luck.

 

[LoveMyRubino]

Hello, I have a Rubino Rosella myself, and yes it is true they are hard to tame. But if your real patient, cus it does take some time, they can be pretty good companion pets.
I do not know really if gender has something to do with their temperament or not, but my pico is a female, she is in her own way a sweet, beautiful bird. I like to say friendly but to some one who's never had a rosella and only dealt with affectionate loving birds such as cocatiels may say(THINK) otherwise

i got Pico from a pet store, she was un handled, un tamed, and had already had a batch of eggs/baby birdies,who still even in the pet shop about a month prior which told me she is at least matured if not fully.

I first decided not to get her wings clipped when i first got her, but that was a mistake, because you need to let these birds out of their cages for exercise.
Knowing she wasn't tame, i wanted her to be happy and id figured she go back to cage when bored like most birds, but i was wrong, had to catch her with a shoe box for she would fly back and fourth from either side of the room when i got near.

So after three days of having here in her cage i finally decided to get her wings clipped, a lot of people say not to, its horrible or cruel to the bird, but they grow back just like hair and today she no longer needs to be clipped. just when you do make sure the vet knows to clip both wings,not just one, cus then they loose some kind of balance i read and it won't even out correctly with the wing that hasn't been clipped when it grows back, and made it easier to practice step up with out here trying to fly away, instead she would get into a protective crouch

After that i practice the step up technique with her in her cage, i had to use a perch first because she wouldn't let my hand get anywhere near her, and still reared down for the perch like she in attack mode, finally after about a week or so of practice for a couple hours a day, she was happy to step up onto the perch

this is when i introduced my hand again, but she still refused,and today still refused my hand, it seems to me that she just has an extreme fear of hands, because i offer my wrist or fore arm and she has no problem stepping up on those. My theory as to why she terrified still of hands is cus when i received her she had also recently had her tail feathers plucked out by some jerk before hand... understandable to me why she scared of hands, I'm sure that had to hurt, i mean every single tale feather was gone that i thought she may have been a lovebird kinda since the tail was gone.

But about two months have gone by, maybe a little less, and now she is wonderful. This is why i say she is friendly in her own way, She is one of those birds who just hate to be petted or touched,(Due to her hand fear i think. tho she is now letting me pet her on top of head with the index finger, then screeches a little low screech when she gets worried and ill stop) She loves to just hang out and around where i am, truth is i don't ever close the cage now, she enjoys being part of the family and hanging about. she will stand on my shoulder for hours even of until i have to get her off with a slight trudge of my shoulder for her to fly away, or from an incoming hand she so does not like. But the key to gaining her trust for me was oranges, After any kind of interaction i have with her, unless its one i don't approve of, i would feed her some orange from my hand letting her know everything is okay. There is much more to here personality like there is with every other bird, but in general she is a quiet bird, she calls in the morning to the other birds when i take the towel off her cage for a few minutes, and at night when she is ready for bed. During the day she'll only screech with reason, as if i come with a new item and she is scared, other wise she just likes to squeak when she is enjoying herself, low squeaks not noisy at all.

I love this bird and I'm sure if you have the patience you will grow to love yours, but also i am posting a link to a video of a little girl and her rosella to expel the rumors that they are bad companion pets! THEY ARE NOT, MOST PEOPLE JUST ARN THE RIGHT COMPANION FOR THEM! i only hope one day mine is this comfortable with me so i can pet her while watching tv or at other times
P.S.sorry for this book of an reply too. my bad

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgN_J44tHDc"]THE WORLDS TAMEST ROSELLA PARROT (maybe) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[RavensGryf]

That probably IS the WORLD'S MOST TAME ROSELLA!!

I know you're trying to get the word out there that this is possible, and with due respect, I also want people to understand that this level of 'tameness' isn't a natural behavior for the grass parakeet species including Rosella, and is VERY RARE for these species.
IMO it just takes starting with certain "individuals" who are the rare candidate. It just isn't as simple as "working consistently" with for example a conure, who might be skittish and hands off, but after time and persistence will become pettable. NOT ALL Rosella's will develop this level of trust even if worked with consistently for years.

Because of their natural behaviors with each other in the wild, they are programmed by nature to exhibit certain behaviors which translates into a species doing or not doing "this or that" in our homes. This bird probably just has a personality which is "INDIVIDUALLY" MORE EASY GOING THAN WHAT IS USUAL for the species. He has a unique and really wonderful personality!

I realize this is an OLD post, but since it was brought around again today I thought what the heck, I'll put in my 2 cents

 

[scarf]

Hi, I have a rosella and she is extremely tame and the best pet ever. My experience is that you get out what you put in. Rosellas will turn wild again if you don't spend time with them, but if you don't want to spend a lot of time with them, then you shouldn't be getting a bird. They don't really like being petted big time (scratched, stroked etc) but hey, neither do some cats. She follows me around everywhere I go and sits on my head/ shoulder etc for hours. If I come near her she gives kisses and nibbles and if I am sick or sad she comes and sits in my neck and won't leave till I feel better. If I cry, she won't leave me till I stop. True story. I do not clip her wings and she stays with me. Rosellas, if you read up about them, can be very devoted to their owners and become very blue if you don't spend a lot of time with them. They might not be very demonstrative but they need love just like any other bird. As you can see here Choosing an Eastern Rosella - Page 1 and here Golden-Mantled Rosella Personality, Food & Care - Pet Birds by Lafeber Co. and here http://lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/golden-mantled-rosella/
Another huge advantage of rosellas is that they are INCREDIBLY tough and resistant to disease. They are fighters! <3
However they are not a beginner bird so if you are not up for it then rather go for a sun conure; bright colouring, similar size, and easier to tame.

 

[scarf]

You can check out my two rosella videos on youtube. The first one is here: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbdBUHSsXqU"]Are Rosellas good pets? - YouTube[/ame] - about rosellas as pets in general.

The second video is located here [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb_shF_CQCE"]Stop bird biting - tame Rosella - YouTube[/ame] and tells how we trained her out of biting altogether. (The biting video applies to all birds, learned from a bird behaviourist)

I don't have any personal experience with them, but I also think they are stunningly beautiful! I'm a member of another bird forum which has a few members who own rosellas. Everything I have read so far says that yes, it is usually difficult to tame them, but it definitely CAN be done.

I would imagine that just like any other bird, you would definitely have an easier time starting with a hand fed baby. I wish I knew more, but I hope this helps a little bit.

thanks guys, i wish i could find a group but in all honesty finding a single bird is hard enough let alone a group. can you please push me in the direction of that other forum too, i would like to see what the members there have to say about their pet rosellas. its really difficult for me because here i see this insanely attractive bird thats stunning and quite possibly the most beautiful bird in the world yet it is notorious for being a terrible pet. this is the stereotypical scenario where you meet this beautiful girl but her personality sucks so shes just there but not really lol. i could probably go with many other species that would make amazing pets but my only issue here is that (no offence to anyone's birds) i cant think of anything that wont scream, is not huge, has a good attitude, REALLY colorful and wont cost an arm or a leg. any suggestions

 

[RavensGryf]

Hi, thank you for posting such a lovely video of your rosella with your voice .

I just want to clarify what I meant of my post before... I think many people (especially those new to birds - and also thinking of MYSELF when I was a newbie) expect that grass parakeet or similar species can be typically like any other 'cuddly' parrot if worked with. I only wanted to get across the message that their characteristics might be surprisingly a bit different.
Different but also in good ways as you pointed out ! I might have gone a bit too heavy on downside emphasis, where my main objective was to compare to what many people want and expect out of a well trained and socialized parrot.. a hands on cuddly bird. Thank you for showing that they can be wonderful companions in other ways.

My mother has 2 wonderful grass keet companions, a Bourke's and a Princess parakeet. They are everything that you mentioned about your lovely Rosella as far as entertaining and loveable. Just in a different way than my (non-parakeet) parrots are .

 

[Linkey]

Hello there.
I have been wondering the same thing, but never found the answers to that question. Sooner or later I finally bought a female Eastern Rosella. I personally never had trouble taming parrots and species of birds. I have had budgies and larger birds before, such as Lovebirds, Parrotlets and a Eclectus Parrot, however this kind of bird was totally new to me. When I first brought it and put it in a very large cage, where it could roam around, it was very scared, but with a bit of patience she got used to it. The first few days she obviously was not comfortable near my hand, so decided to grab a stick and slowly train it to sit on it, as she got enough trust to happily sit on the stick I was convinced that this would take a lot more patience but was obviously possible. Every day i'd train her to stand on the stick in her cage and after that she trusted me enough to stand on my hand. I have to gladly point out that Rosellas may take more patience and training, but they sure will trust you as time passes. I highly recommend a Rosella, but only for experienced bird owners. If you're willing to take the time and effort, then good luck

 

[scarf]

I am about six years late to this party, but my beloved pet rosella died yesterday at the age of fifteen. I hand-reared her and spent lots of time with her every day, as did my partner. She was a fantastic companion. You get out what you put in.
That said, I have never tried taming an older rosella.
But my baba was my best little buddy ever and I loved her to death. Rosellas will never be super cuddly - even in the wild they are not that way with their mates - but they are wonderful birds and exceptional characters, if you let them be who they are and put the time in.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I am about six years late to this party, but my beloved pet rosella died yesterday at the age of fifteen. I hand-reared her and spent lots of time with her every day, as did my partner. She was a fantastic companion. You get out what you put in.
That said, I have never tried taming an older rosella.
But my baba was my best little buddy ever and I loved her to death. Rosellas will never be super cuddly - even in the wild they are not that way with their mates - but they are wonderful birds and exceptional characters, if you let them be who they are and put the time in.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

I just saw this thread today...I'm also a few years late
I'm very sorry to read your little rosie has passed :02:


Jim