May be getting a sun conure.

[suncon97]

Hi I am new here. I have always had interest in birds and stopped the hobby about 7 years ago when my canary died. I took a trip to the pet store the other day and seeing all of the birds made me want another one. I have been doing lots of research and I don't plan to get the bird until at least another 4-5 months. I was going to go with something like an african grey but I realized that they are not the right bird for me. First of all I don't have the money to go spend 1200+ on a bird. I have decided to start with something such as a smaller parrot like a conure.I have been researching all of the types and like the sun conure. I need to do a lot more research. I was going to get the cage in advance. It's 22"L X 24"W X 51"H. I am hoping this is big enough. It opens up at the top and you set a perch there. I was also planning on buying lots of toys. I was going to put it in the front room. Unfortunately it's right as you walk out of the kitchen but it is well ventilated. My biggest concern is that we use hard anodized non-stick cookware by kenmore. Is this going to be an issue? I can put the bird in a different part of the house while cooking. We have a small dog that's kind of yappy but gets over new animals being in the house relatively quickly. We do use perfume/cologne but will not have contact with the bird after putting it on for a while later because of our schedules. The candles and air fresheners are about gone so no more will be bought. So my concern is if my house is suitable for a sun conure.

Thank you

 

[birdmama61]

Sun conures are extremely loud . So if you live in an apt I would say think again . The kitchen might be a problem being so close as well . conures are chewers as well some of them anyways . So have you factored that in ? well that is all I have to say I hope some others on here come along and give you more info .

 

[suncon97]

Okay. I live in a regular house. Is it true that green cheeked conures are quieter? That was my second option. I completely understand the kitchen issue too. I could move the parrot to my bed room and shut the door. He will probably be where I am most of the time which is in my room on the computer/watching tv or in the family room. Also how about the quaker parrot? Thanks for the advice.

 

[Pedro]

Look i know the issues that have been written about non stick cook ware & for almost 30 years of owning parrots & using this cook ware i have never lost a bird or had one get sick from it. That said my house is always well ventilated & i never, never cook on a very high settings. I have read that extremly high temperatures to the point of the pan burning would give off toxic fumes.

Sun can be noisy but if trained early enough & while still young can make an enjoyable pet. GCC can be noisy but not as bad. Personally i think it's all in the training. I have 5 suns at the moment & for the most part they are OK. And they are aviary birds.

 

[Abzeez]

I personally can't handle the scream of a conure, and no matter how well you train them, they will scream, it is their nature.

Nonstick cookware; A friend of mines parrot, perfectly healthy, fell over and died when it flew onto the kitchen counter while she was cooking. Very sad. We don't use nonstick here. My parrots are also very close to my kitchen, as we live in an apartment.

Conures can make great little pets, and are clownish and cuddly if you can get past the noise. Best of luck.

 

[birdmama61]

My quakers are all on the quiet side but that does not mean that all of them are depends on the bird . I dont think quakers are quite as loud as suns of course I dont own a sun and again it most likely depens on the bird as Pedro says . Yep the cookware i use I have used for ages but dont cook on high settings either and have never lost a bird either or had a bird gotten sick .

 

[suncon97]

Thanks for clearing that up. Are the quaker's or conures better talkers? That was another thing I was wanting in a bird. I know that not all birds that are supposed to talk don't but what birds have a greater chance of talking? I guess to make it safer to the bird I can keep it in my room. This is a chance for me to reorganize.

 

[mtdoramike]

Quakers & Sun Conures have extremely loud screams. If I were you, I would look at the green cheek conure, Senegal, Meyers and Pionus. But if you can handle the loud screams, both the Sun Conure and the Quaker make wonderful pets. But they are also two of the most rescued species in rescue centers no doubt from the loud screaming.

 

[suncon97]

Thanks. I have found a different cage. Is this is a good size for a quaker? I think I'm gonna go with that one. I even found a breeder near me that has them. Here is the cage: Select Series Casa Cage: Bird cages for medium size birds at Drs. Foster & Smith

But I'm still going to do a lot more research before I get the bird.

 

[Pedro]

Thanks for clearing that up. Are the quaker's or conures better talkers? That was another thing I was wanting in a bird. I know that not all birds that are supposed to talk don't but what birds have a greater chance of talking? I guess to make it safer to the bird I can keep it in my room. This is a chance for me to reorganize.

I would have to say the quakers are the better talkers, suns don't always talk. My quaker is a very good talker & learns new words & sentences very quickly, where i have only been able to get my suns to say up or hello.

Personally i think it all boils down to the birds nature & mostly the training from day 1. I have taken a huge interest in my birds behavior & how to keep their noise to a minium. So far so good. At last count i have 30 parrots, I live on a 1700 mtr block. I have never to date had any complaints.

Good luck

 

[suncon97]

Thanks for the advice everybody. Does anybody know any really good links to parrots in general or maybe just about quakers? Also will the cage I left a link to work?

 

[mtdoramike]

Thanks for the advice everybody. Does anybody know any really good links to parrots in general or maybe just about quakers? Also will the cage I left a link to work?

Yes, it will work. It will give it more than enough room.

 

[birdmama61]

That is a nice cage and yes I do check out quaker parakeets or monk parakeets same name .com and i m sure you will fine something . Now only one of my quakers talks out of three and that is okay the other two dont have to talk and I was and will be fine with that . Just do tons and tons of research . Yep quakers and suns are on the top lists of being re homed because of their loud screams .

 

[Abzeez]

I love Drs Fosters and Smith, but their cages are over priced. Here's a link to a store that has better deals. Make sure and look at a lot of different places so you can find the best deal for your money.

View All Bird Cages | CSN Stores

 

[suncon97]

Ok good. Thanks for the link about the cages there are even nicer ones for a lot cheaper. I thought Drs. was a good price but that proves I need to look around more.

 

[suncon97]

Well the whole family discussed the bird thing again and we took a vote. They wanted the african grey and we even found a breeder close so it looks like we might be going with that. We talked to some nearby african grey owners too and they gave us some tips. They also said that if we wanted a really good bird the african grey is worth the extra money. Would this cage work? Blue Ribbon Pet Avian Premier 68" Play-Top Bird Cage in Forest Green | CSN Stores

 

[Abzeez]

Yup that cage will work for a grey. I just bought a grey a few months ago. She is a love.

 

[suncon97]

Ok great I'm really glad we're going to get a grey now. I went to the petstore tonight and they had one that was so nice. It has been there for months and months and when people walk by it puts it's body up againt the cage and wants to be petted. I've watched some videos on youtube and they seem like a person!

 

[Xenthius]

I understand from people that have sun conures that they are very loud. We have a Patagonian and he is a screamer, especially in the morning. If you are interested in African grays you should check with local breeders as you can get them for less than $1,000. Senegal Parrots, Pionus, Caiques and Amazons are great mid sized parrots as well. I heard some states aren't keen on Quakers Parrots due to wild feral flocks having moved in.
I don't know what state you live in but if you are in NY, Austin, TX, Miami Fl, you can go and see flocks of them wild.
Also check with local Parrot store that carry a wider variety of birds for you to interact with. Good luck.

 

[suncon97]

I called a breeder yesterday. If I go pick the bird up he'll give one to me for $850. I live in the midwest. Unfortunately nothing like that here. So I found the cage that I'll probably get(here's link again) Blue Ribbon Pet Avian Premier 68" Play-Top Bird Cage in Forest Green | CSN Stores

I'll get the toys too. But what are some of the small things that they need other than cuttle bone and a mineral block?