Newbie thinking about getting a parrot/macaw

[thekarens]

No, salt is bad for birds. Sunflower seeds should only be given as a treat.

 

[aether-drifter]

Birds need a varied diet -- definitely not just seed! And yes, salt is bad for them. But unsalted sunflower seeds would make a good treat.

I know you have probably made up your mind to get the green cheek, and I hear they are great birds, but I personally would recommend a cockatiel. They're actually a tiny bit bigger than green cheeks, and so sweet and laid-back. Mind you, they all have their own individual personalities...but I have seven and I love them all to bits.

I've read that green cheeks can be a bit feistier, and go through a nippy or aggressive hormonal phase. They also have more of a tendency to be cage-territorial. And recently, I've read several stories from greenie owners lamenting that their bird has "turned on them" (again, onset of hormones). Not trying to totally discourage you, but I think they can be a little more challenging.

Another type of bird to look into might be a pionus. Not too big, very pretty, and I haven't read much negative about them.

 

[Dtlwheels]

Birds need a varied diet -- definitely not just seed! And yes, salt is bad for them. But unsalted sunflower seeds would make a good treat.

I know you have probably made up your mind to get the green cheek, and I hear they are great birds, but I personally would recommend a cockatiel. They're actually a tiny bit bigger than green cheeks, and so sweet and laid-back. Mind you, they all have their own individual personalities...but I have seven and I love them all to bits.

I've read that green cheeks can be a bit feistier, and go through a nippy or aggressive hormonal phase. They also have more of a tendency to be cage-territorial. And recently, I've read several stories from greenie owners lamenting that their bird has "turned on them" (again, onset of hormones). Not trying to totally discourage you, but I think they can be a little more challenging.

Another type of bird to look into might be a pionus. Not too big, very pretty, and I haven't read much negative about them.

Thank you. Unfortunately, the local store doesn't have pionus. With that in mind, what bird, cockatiel or smaller, (that's about the biggest I can have in the 20x20 room I will be in), with a budget of $400 or less, do you guys think would be the best starter with combination of social behavior with other people, hormonal phases, and cage territorialness? I am very sorry if I am annoying or sound completely uninformed, but I find the best research is to talk to people with hands on experience and I am truly trying to do whats best for both me and the bird.

 

[Freespin]

Cockatiel sounds perfect for you =)

 

[Dtlwheels]

Yea. My main concern is powder down. What is the best what to keep it to am minimum. If I bring them in the shower, how hot or cold should it be?

 

[faeryphoebe1]

My Sun is quite sweet and cuddly but he is loud. I bought him hand raised (from a breeder) not hand tamed as a 3 month old baby. My GCC is feisty and nippy but I adore her too, although I believe she was hand tamed (local pet shop at approximately 1 yr age).

 

[Dtlwheels]

Has anyone had experience with crimson bellied conures?

 

[emmy414]

I have to agree with whomever mentioned the linneolated parakeets (actually a parrot). My 2 are absolutely wonderful! they will sit on my shoulder! snuggling on my chest and under my chin! will step up easily! they use their little feet to pick up things like the bigger parrots. They are so pretty and come in many colors. My female loves scritched and being touched all over. My male loves to be with me, sits anywhere on me. They both speak clearly and say several words and phrases in their little voices. They are quiet compared to other parrots. I truly enjoy interacting with these birds!

 

[Meldara]

Green cheeks are amazing and so sweet. After I got my green cheek Petri one of my sisters and my brother in law decided they needed them as well. They are fairly quite most of the time, can learn to talk, in context. Petri tells me c'mere and step up when hes ready to get off his play stand and makes water running noises when hes ready for me to change his water or a bath. He likes to bathe in a sink or in the shower with me while the keets like a spray bottle or wet kale leaves. All birds have their preferences Hes the loudest of our little group, but my sister has both of her in an apartment with no issues. They also don't have near the amount of dust as they have an oil based feather coating thingy.
He also will quite happily sit on me all day if i let him and Usually lets me know when he has to poop. That being said when hes annoyed at me he poops everywhere and pretends hes scared of my hand. the need lots of toys that being said petries favorites are usualy the ones i make my self .His bite is a bit harder then my Parakeets or a cockatiel but his energetic clownish personality more then make up for it.

As for sleep, Quiet is better. Petri and the keets sleep in my room and are out on the play area in the living room all day, noise doesn't really bother them as much as constant movement. They adjust fairly well to their environment. That being said all birds are different and some take better to noise then others.

Now as i said before they do bite harder the keets and teils and go through nippy fazes. After you get to know your bird though its easy to tell when hes not going to want company Most of the time. When petri starts getting hormonal though he can sometimes be sitting quietly on your shoulder on second then decide you hands are evil and drop them and start nipping the next. The best thing for those times is training. No matter what mood hes in if i ask him for a hand shake hell give me one and we can transition that into getting him away from people an somewhere he can calm down.



Goodness this post got long sorry about that. XD I just wanted to put in a recomendation for them.

 

[MangieSun]

I have a cockatiel, bare eyed cockatoo, and a sun. They all love to be misted with a spray bottle and it keeps the powder down on the too and tiel. My sun loves the spray but loves to dunk herself in a dish to bathe also. If you find a good cockatiel, you won't be disappointed. I find I enjoy my sun a little more because she is hilarious and quirky. She is sassy and fun. The cockatiel is actually my 10 year olds bird and is a sweetheart and easy for her to handle.

 

[jenphilly]

Green cheeks or suns are both amazing choices... and if you like the macaw type bird, a sun is a big bird in a little body

And comments about green cheeks getting feisty thru puberty... every and any bird can be a handful thru maturity. If you socialize well as a baby and have a good relationship, you can work thru the maturity headaches, but that is true of any type of bird.

I am a big fan of the conures, they are just awesome personalities and beautiful little birds! As for cockatiels, I'm not a fan... my daughter has 4 and not that they are bad birds and a single cockatiel might be a wonderful companion, I'd definitely throw a vote for a conure over a cockatiel... okay cockatiel lovers, go ahead and yell at me

Good luck with whatever choice you make!!

 

[WesselG]

Hi Dtlwheels

I'm in a wheelchair as well (have been my entire life) and as much as I love the big parrots like Macaws and Cockatoos there's just no way I can keep one, simply due to physical constraints.

The problems you might encounter in your situation is the following:

1. As a previous poster stated most parrots are lightning fast climbers/flyers so if your bird decides it perches on a curtain railing or some other high spot you can't reach and you're alone you've got a problem unless the bird is recalled trained. Even if it is recalled trained there's zero guarantee that it will always come to you when you call it.

2. The sheer size/weight of a macaw/cockatoo is daunting if it's perched on your shoulder and you have to propel a wheelchair around. I've had a few cases where macaws wanted to sit on my shoulder but then decided it's more fun to explore my arms and the wheelchair. That means you have to have someone around that can help get the bird off you.

3. Cleaning a birdcage, except if it's the very smallest and therefor only fit to house a flea, is difficult, if not close to impossible, if you're in a wheelchair. I have someone I pay to clean my two cages regularly so if you don't live with someone that's willing to help clean the cage regularly you might have to consider paying someone to do it which would obviously leave a dent in your budget.

Considering the previous two points I would suggest you get a smaller species and get it as a baby. That way you can bond with it from the start and spend a lifetime with one of the most amazing friends you might ever meet.

Please understand that I am not trying to persuade you to not get a big bird. All I am saying is that some species like Sun Conures and Indian Ringnecks are a lot more manageable for someone like you and me that have certain physical challenges. I have had Sun Conures, Indian Ringnecks, Budgies and Cockatiels so I have never let my disability stop me from getting involved with birds and animals in general.

At the moment I have a flock of 5 IRN's and I wouldn't exchange them for anything else.

I hope this helps.

 

[Dtlwheels]

WesselG, thank you very much for your post. It really helps to hear from someone who not only knows, but has experience with the issues that I would have

 

[RavensGryf]

Thanks. I was told that a budgie would be able to sit on my shoulder and talk, sing and whistle. In another thread I read that for macaws and other types of parrots, you should never let them sit on your shoulder without a strong trust bond because you can't see the signs it's about to bite. Is this the case with budgies, also. I'd be concerned about getting nailed in the ear or back of the neck.

If you get bit by a Budgie, it's not a big deal. Unless you have super thin skin, it won't make you bleed. I don't even bother 'training' my budgies not to bite, because the little bites are not of consequence. It may make you say ow, like a little pinch but no biggie If one is tame and not afraid of your hands, it shouldn't try to bite often anyway. I LOVE my Budgies. They're entertaining adorable little birds, and are smarter and have more personality than a lot of people think. MANY gorgeous color mutations out there too.

I'd like to share one thing I've noticed regarding parrot "mess"...
I noticed the larger the cage in proportion to the bird, the less apparent mess, since it is not concentrated in a smaller area.
ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The more ACTIVE species no matter how small (my budgies for example) are going to mess up a cage much more quickly and more widespread all over the room, than a more sedate species (my Pionus) who sits in one place more

 

[WesselG]

Dtlwheels,

I forgot to mention another factor you would have to keep in mind.

As other posters stated you would need to get the biggest cage your budget/space allow. Since space/accessibility is always an issue with a wheelchair I would suggest putting the cage somewhere out of the way but close to some activity but leave at the VERY least the length (not the width) of the wheelchair open around the cage on three sides to give you comfortable access to the bird/s. If you simply leave the width of the wheelchair in space open it would mean trickier handling to get to the side of the cage you want to be on.

Me and my family had gone through some rocky patches while I tried to make it clear why I don't like chairs or any other furniture within a certain distance from my birdcages but now they finally seem to understand. I don't have a problem with family/visitors giving my bird's some attention...my only request is don't block my access route to my cages. Or I'm likely to end up like an Indian Ringneck in full bluffing mode combined with a good dose of PMS, lol.

 

[RavensGryf]

I was just thinking about this... I think you mentioned the bird will be in your room? Keep in mind if you get a powder species, even with misting and baths, that powder will be intensified in a smaller space. Keep us posted on your thoughts about getting a bird :- )

 

[Steveh537]

I'm a new member of the forum, I've had pet parrots for 45 years. I currently have a scarlet macaw and a Latino cockatiel. I originally started with a cockatiel and very glad I did. In my opinion a cockatiel is a very good choice for a newbie, relatively inexpensive, very social, relatively quiet and a bite won't send you to the hospital.
Every new bird owner needs to learn how to read a birds behavior and is going to make mistakes, with a cockatiel your mistakes won't be so painful.
I love cockatiels and have always kept them.
Hope this helps

 

[Dtlwheels]

How apt are green cheeks to pick up whistles and tunes compared to cockatiels? I know from that cockatiels do fairly easily

 

[Dinosrawr]

I have a green cheeked conure who has just started to say words and vocalize sentences or words that I've said to her. She turns one next week. Every green cheek is different when it comes to the time they vocalize... I've read some members having their conures speak as soon as five months, (if not earlier) whereas others - such as as myself - have waited awhile to hear those cute little words out of their beaks. Green cheeks aren't very good talkers to begin with though, as their voices are gravelly and it takes a lot of time and knowing your bird to distinguish what they're actually saying. And they don't particularly pick up whistles or beats as well as cockatiels, but they can obtain an impressive repertoire of sounds and phrases depending on the individual. Overall, though, I would say a cockatiel is the better bet if you're looking for a bird to pick up sounds. I never expected Avery to be a talker because it was my last thought... I love her natural squawks and chirps, soft beak purring and little duck noises, haha!

 

[Dtlwheels]

Overall, though, I would say a cockatiel is the better bet if you're looking for a bird to pick up sounds.

Honestly, I was asking for the opposite reason. I knew a cockatiel that picked up a tune from a video poker machine and after listening to it every five minutes for a couple hours, it can get annoying.