New to 'toos

[DonnaBudgie]

That earlier post was early morning me, so here's another from more awake me with some actually information
NOISE: In a way I consider my galah quiet... but I also put zero limit on his noise. He's an outdoor "aviary bird", so he gets to be noisy and as loud as he wants. This is generally normal noisy galah times, morning, evening, before a storm, whenever a flock of wild cockatoos is around, etc.
Here's a clip of one of his louder times (I don't think this is his loudest).

(Also he is quite a good mimic, but birds are individual and some may have no interest in mimicry)

Cockatoos scream for fun. That's something 'too owners have to accept. It's not entirely fair for us to expect them to never scream.

 Dust: Anyone who tells you a galah is not dusty either doesn't own one or is just plain lying! If you want to go ahead with getting a galah please ensure both you and your roommates are aware and educated on the effects of bird dust to  your health.

I feel like I had a third point I wanted to comment on but can't remember what it was 😅

Cockatoo dust is pretty epic! Your dark clothing will have hand marks from wiping your hands.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

One thing for sure- don't count in being able to control the noise with training.
Do you live in a place where if you get a job after you graduate living at home with your bird would be a possibility? I say that because your family home is close to your college. Is it also close to jib opportunities? I was a medical lab science major in Boston when I was in college and if my folks lived close to Boston where there were lots of job opportunities it would have been ideal when having a somewhat difficult to house pet bird. Once you graduate and get a real apartment you won't have the ability to get special permission to have a loud pet bird and many landlords don't allow pets at all and a loud parrot is hard to hide from neighbors.

That's good. If you must inflict your noisy parrot on someone, sometimes parents with a house are great to have within commuting distance to your school or job, as long as they can tolerate the noise.

 

[MorganKay]

That earlier post was early morning me, so here's another from more awake me with some actual information
NOISE: In a way I consider my galah quiet... but I also put zero limit on his noise. He's an outdoor "aviary bird", so he gets to be noisy and as loud as he wants. This is generally normal noisy galah times, morning, evening, before a storm, whenever a flock of wild cockatoos is around, etc.
Here's a clip of one of his louder times (I don't think this is his loudest).

(Also he is quite a good mimic, but birds are individual and some may have no interest in mimicry)

Cockatoos scream for fun. That's something 'too owners have to accept. It's not entirely fair for us to expect them to never scream.

 Dust: Anyone who tells you a galah is not dusty either doesn't own one or is just plain lying! If you want to go ahead with getting a galah please ensure both you and your roommates are aware and educated on the effects of bird dust to  your health.

I feel like I had a third point I wanted to comment on but can't remember what it was 😅

I planned on getting an air purifier or two for wherever the bird would end up hanging out most often, so hopefully that would help with the dust. My house also has air purifiers running in many rooms simply because it's healthy. I really love galah sounds, but I recognize that neighbors might not lol, so I suppose I'll plan on commuting from home instead of living on campus if I decide this is the right way to go. I've seen the videos of grey and 'too dust, it's really something XD

I wouldn't want to inhibit screaming entirely, it's natural behavior and suppressing natural behavior is never healthy. I just figured I'd try to give my bird another way to call me while we're in the same house rather than screaming or loud contact calls.

Moving back a step, would a grey potentially be a better choice for me? I know they can be phobic and need plenty of socialization and desensitization, but they also seem to favor mimicry over yelling or contact calling, and from what I've seen and read they can usually do well in an apartment or similar situation which may be beneficial in the long run. I also know they need a whole lot of mental stimulation because of how smart they are, but that's actually an attractive feature to me; I'd love devising increasingly difficult puzzles for one!

 

[Keet_Krazy]

I just figured I'd try to give my bird another way to call me while we're in the same house rather than screaming or loud contact calls.

This is perfectly understandable, now that I think about it I unintentionally did that with Quarter. He knows a whistle that he knows I will reply to 90% of the time, it's not the only sound he uses to grab my attention (the latest is goat bleating... 🤣) but it is our "contact call".

I know they can be phobic and need plenty of socialization and desensitization

Honestly this is basically a Galah too. I believe it's not uncommon for Galahs to be phobic, mine definitely is. This has improved a lot over time with patience and being an outside bird has possibly contributed to desensitization, Quarter probably has a lot of fear for all the household objects he has never seen 😅. Clothing can be touchy topic for him sometimes...
I don't have any experience or knowledge with greys so hopefully someone else can chime in about that.

 

[MorganKay]

This is perfectly understandable, now that I think about it I unintentionally did that with Quarter. He knows a whistle that he knows I will reply to 90% of the time, it's not the only sound he uses to grab my attention (the latest is goat bleating... 🤣) but it is our "contact call".

Honestly this is basically a Galah too. I believe it's not uncommon for Galahs to be phobic, mine definitely is. This has improved a lot over time with patience and being an outside bird has possibly contributed to desensitization, Quarter probably has a lot of fear for all the household objects he has never seen 😅. Clothing can be touchy topic for him sometimes...
I don't have any experience or knowledge with greys so hopefully someone else can chime in about that.

Interesting to hear that about galahs, that's not something I'd come across before. Very good to know, thank you! Of course, I plan to socialize and desensitize any bird I get because it's better for them in the long run to be used to change and many environments.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I planned on getting an air purifier or two for wherever the bird would end up hanging out most often, so hopefully that would help with the dust. My house also has air purifiers running in many rooms simply because it's healthy. I really love galah sounds, but I recognize that neighbors might not lol, so I suppose I'll plan on commuting from home instead of living on campus if I decide this is the right way to go. I've seen the videos of grey and 'too dust, it's really something XD

I wouldn't want to inhibit screaming entirely, it's natural behavior and suppressing natural behavior is never healthy. I just figured I'd try to give my bird another way to call me while we're in the same house rather than screaming or loud contact calls.

Moving back a step, would a grey potentially be a better choice for me? I know they can be phobic and need plenty of socialization and desensitization, but they also seem to favor mimicry over yelling or contact calling, and from what I've seen and read they can usually do well in an apartment or similar situation which may be beneficial in the long run. I also know they need a whole lot of mental stimulation because of how smart they are, but that's actually an attractive feature to me; I'd love devising increasingly difficult puzzles for one!

I'm no expert on Greys but I don't think they are as needy as Cockatoos. They are such intelligent, dignified parrots. They need attention and stimulation but they aren't velcro birds like 'toos can be. As for noise, I think Greys are quieter but I'd love to hear from Grey owners on this.
I do love Galahs- they are kinda my dream bird, too, but after having had a Goffin's I know a cockatoo is too high maintenence for me. Plus I'm too old to commit to a bird that will live that long.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Interesting to hear that about galahs, that's not something I'd come across before. Very good to know, thank you! Of course, I plan to socialize and desensitize any bird I get because it's better for them in the long run to be used to change and many environments.

Totally agree that getting birds used to change, new objects and new people makes for a happier bird.

 

[Keet_Krazy]

Interesting to hear that about galahs, that's not something I'd come across before. Very good to know, thank you! Of course, I plan to socialize and desensitize any bird I get because it's better for them in the long run to be used to change and many environments.

Honestly I am a bit surprised you haven't come across that they can be phobic!

 

[MorganKay]

Honestly I am a bit surprised you haven't come across that they can be phobic!

Most things I've read and seen have them painted as very social and outgoing, curious birds, though there have been a few videos in which I saw some startled "new object, who this" behavior, which I'd consider fairly typical for a prey animal (suspicion of the unknown). Didn't think that qualified to the degree I've heard greys can be though, what with some greys deciding an object that's always been there is now Dangerous And Scary, XD

I wonder if it has something to do with AG's incredible capacity to learn. They're likened to children, intelligence wise, and children also go through fear periods. If a child, or grey, gets used to something that is always presented or received the same way, a slight deviation from that sameness might trigger fear because there's no explanation for the shift they can understand and the thing they've come to expect one way and only one way is unfamiliar... now I'll be thinking of this all night haha, wonder if there have been any studies done comparing the two in this capacity.

 

[Tinabell]

Hello! I've been scrolling through this forum for a few days now reading anything I can find relevant to galah cockatoos, but decided joining the discussion myself will likely be more productive in the long run, so here I am XD

I've been in love with galah cockatoos for years now, they're one of my dream birds alongside African greys, and I'm finally at the point of craving a feathered friend in my life again after the loss of my gcc Woodstock. I'm in l my 20s, which most will consider young, but I'm also not getting any younger. My dream birds live decades, both having the capability of reaching 70 (even if it doesn't happen regularly!) I'm willing to make that lifelong commitment, but if I want a younger bird I can't wait much longer without risking leaving them behind when I pass, and that would break my heart.

To my questions: would I be a suitable home for a galah or grey?
- I'm a student at the moment and work part time as a tutor (I'm allowed to schedule my available hours)
- My courses are scheduled so that I'm never in classes longer than 3 consecutive hours, and most of the time I have an hour to return between classes to spend time with a bird and eat (1hr class, 1hr break, 1hr class, 4hr break, 1.5hr class is how most of the week is set up)
- I usually have three hours worth of class a day, five twice a week due to labs, so plenty of time to spend with a bird. One of my lab classes is also scheduled later at night after I'd like to have put said bird to bed.
- Mornings and weekends are free, though I might schedule my work hours late in the day on weekends, again after I'll have set the bird's bedtime. I know quality sleep is especially important for 'toos, as well as a proper diet. On that note,
- I have access to a supermarket quite close by so I can have fresh produce for chop and healthier treats, and I'm fairly crafty so I'm sure I can make some foraging and shreddable toys and perches.
- I have roommates, but everyone is willing to accommodate (and excited to, actually) a bird, and they have different hours than I do so they could likely keep the bird company, though not hands-on attention.
- I live close to campus (~20 mins) so I could commute from home to classes if necessary rather than live in the dorms, though that would cut out those one hour intervals between classes to return home and check on them.

I realize that galah can be loud, but I'm hoping I can emphasize mimicry over screaming contact calls as a way to get my attention, I'm even considering teaching a sort of "phone ringing" sound as a way to call me over to replace a standard contact call, I saw a galah in one of the many videos I've watched making such a sound and thought it would be perfect to utilize.

I know this is not a commitment to jump into, nor consider lightly, but my fear is that waiting longer will cut me off of this opportunity. Rescues exist (though uncommonly in my area), and they're a wonderful option to give a bird a second chance at living a happy and healthy life, but unless I find a miracle 'too or grey with very few behavioral problems to work through, I couldn't feasibly handle one at the moment. I plan on getting exclusively rescues later in my life, since adopting a baby would just set them up for heartbreak later on, but at the moment I have my heart set on a younger bird and I'd really love a galah. I know puberty tends to be rough, especially for 'toos, but I would never abandon or give up on my bird no matter how much they might decide to hate my guts during the teenage years. Sorry for such a long post, but I'd like to hear what everyone has to say with this information in mind!

They have two baby galahs in Portland Oregon at the “ Bird Hut” being weaned now. One is spoken for I think the other is still available. I am getting a baby African grey Timneh from him. I think he does a great job with his birds.

 

[Tinabell]

They have two baby galahs in Portland Oregon at the “ Bird Hut” being weaned now. One is spoken for I think the other is still available. I am getting a baby African grey Timneh from him. I think he does a great job with his birds. I wanted to mention this to you as galahs can be hard to find .