Cant decide which parrot species?

[Peekabooo]

Hi everyone,

I have been following this forum posts for 6 years now but only just registered as I finally am able to own a bird! I know quite a bit about parrots, at least more than the average person, but would love advise from the members who actually own parrots here

I am limited in my choices due to my dust allergy, so dusty parrots are a no no. I know all parrots can bite and have the bluffing phases, but would prefer species that are more docile and can socialise with other people, so I've ruled Macaws out, unless someone knows of a particular Macaw species that isnt bitey (did consider Hans Macaw but not sure?)

Now my first choice was a Green cheek conure, theyre adorable but I really want a parrot that has a good talking ability, so started considering others. Currently i am choosing between mealy Amazons (from my search they are docile?), the Electus (did read about their diet, can deal with that but Im worried about the toe tapping and wing flipping how prevalent is that? And if I run out of talky parrot options Green cheek conures are still in the run. I also was considering a Pionus and Meyers but some say theyre dusty some say not?

Please tell me what you think, and add to the list if you know of any other suitable species. Looking forward to this and so excited about finally getting a parrot

 

[chris-md]

Hello and welcome! Glad your finally able to begin your dream!

I’ll be honest so that we can reset your expectations a bit here: that question and analysis proves you actually haven’t done good research. Especially if you’ve been reading this forum for 6 years.

We have some work to do to help you out. Let’s set you on the right path:

Lesson the First: you can’t prioritize talking. Thats a rookie mistake. Not every member of the talkative species will talk. You can severely restrict your options, eliminating some good candidates.

Lesson the Second: “Gets along with everyone”. If you’ve been around here long enough you’ll know that this is highly individualized that you can’t put species parameters around it. Macaws can absolutely get along with multiple people. Almost ANY bird can do that with proper training and socialization. A lot of this is under your control.

Lesson the third: green cheek conures are nippy and FREQUENTLY don’t get along with multiple people. And they aren’t good talkers. If you think these are anywhere near meeting your criteria, hit the books again.

Now for the good news: I have severe dust allergies and my eclectus doesn’t trigger them often. Only if his cage gets abnormally messy or if he’s molting. However, I don’t recommend eclectus for you. I’ve had budgies, conures, and ekkies. As I recall it only the budgies really messed with me. Dust allergy wise I wouldn’t hesitate with most bird species except greys and cockatoos; Amazon’s might be questionable. Air purifiers help, though I don’t have one personally.

 

[Peekabooo]

Hello and welcome! Glad your finally able to begin your dream!

I’ll be honest so that we can reset your expectations a bit here: that question and analysis proves you actually haven’t done good research. Especially if you’ve been reading this forum for 6 years.

We have some work to do to help you out. Let’s set you on the right path:

Lesson the First: you can’t prioritize talking. Thats a rookie mistake. Not every member of the talkative species will talk. You can severely restrict your options, eliminating some good candidates.

Lesson the Second: “Gets along with everyone”. If you’ve been around here long enough you’ll know that this is highly individualized that you can’t put species parameters around it. Macaws can absolutely get along with multiple people. Almost ANY bird can do that with proper training and socialization. A lot of this is under your control.

Lesson the third: green cheek conures are nippy and FREQUENTLY don’t get along with multiple people. And they aren’t good talkers. If you think these are anywhere near meeting your criteria, hit the books again.

Now for the good news: I have severe dust allergies and my eclectus doesn’t trigger them often. Only if his cage gets abnormally messy or if he’s molting. However, I don’t recommend eclectus for you. I’ve had budgies, conures, and ekkies. As I recall it only the budgies really messed with me. Dust allergy wise I wouldn’t hesitate with most bird species except greys and cockatoos; Amazon’s might be questionable. Air purifiers help, though I don’t have one personally.

Thank you. I was looking more for species that are known to talk? I know Green cheeks arent for instance, but some like African Greys are 'known' to talk. I am aware it depends on the parrot however but hoping for the best

Macaws I am more concerned about the bite than their ability to socialise, read their bites can draw blood and cause serious damage? But do the green cheek bites hard to the point of blood? Thats a surprise to me. Also, why wouldnt you recommend a eclectus?

Thank you so much for the knowledge, I definitely havent been reading the forum constantly for 6 years, rather followed up on it every now and then so my knowledge is nowhere near good. What species would you recommend for me?

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome.
Six years is a long wait!!!
Quaker’s are good talkers , I have one that only says one word tho, and also can be good screamers... but they are also very smart and active and will self destruct. They are rehome like crazy because they do need a lot of out if cafe time, a lot of attention, and a lot of ways to burn off everything. I’m nit sure not sure how well mine would have done if I worked..... an unhappy Quaker will scream and pluck, they even have a syndrome called Quaker mutation syndrome fir chewing off their toes and body part if they are not having mental, social, physical needs met...they also as adults at age 1-2 years become seriously cage aggressive. Out of and away from the cage they are snuggling babies. I say all the above because they are available and medium small and people do not comprehend their intelligence and contact needs... they get passed around and so many get shoved off to garages etc......


But for someone with time, dedication, they are amazing,

Parrots are messy, yiu just can’t read that yiu have to experience it, most like to be loud first thing in the morning, they are needy, destroy stuff, yiu have to change what you clean and cook with it yiu will kill them, yiu friends or significant other may not like them st all, vacation is a big problem, cleaning, making veggies, and toys, and hands on attention takes up a lot of time

 

[chris-md]

Where in this wide world are you located (you might want to update your profile to reflect this - lots of implications for advice and species depending on where you live).

Some basics we need: tell us about yourself, how old you are, what your living situation is, work situation, do you travel much, anyone in the house with you?

 

[Peekabooo]

Welcome.
Six years is a long wait!!!
Quaker’s are good talkers sbd also can be good screamers... but they are also very smart and active and will self destruct. They are rehome like crazy because they do need a lot of out if cafe time, a lot of attention, and a lot of ways to burn off everything. I’m nit sure nit sure hiw well mine would have done if I worked..... an unhappy Quaker will scream and pluck, they even have a syndrome called Quaker mutation syndrome fir chewing off their ties and body part if they are not having mental, social, physical needs met...they also as adults at age 1-2 years become seriously csge aggressive. Out if and away from the cage they are snuggling babies. I say all the above because they are available and medium small and people do not comprehend their intelligence and contact needs... they get passed around and so many get shoved off to garages etc......

But fir someone with time, dedication, they are amazing,

Thank you for the information , I was definitely considering Quakers but the screaming they're known for makes me hesitant.

 

[Laurasea]

Then no to a Quaker, most like to make noise and they do fir a large part of the time
Notorious fir their noise in the wild

 

[Peekabooo]

Where in this wide world are you located (you might want to update your profile to reflect this - lots of implications for advice and species depending on where you live).

Some basics we need: tell us about yourself, how old you are, what your living situation is, work situation, do you travel much, anyone in the house with you?

Yes, Ill have to update my profile, just jumped straight to posting. I am Australian living in Qld, 29 live at a house with family, no kids.. I work 9-3 but can devote the rest of time to my much anticipated parrot. I dont travel much but I was thinking of harness training my parrot to go for daily walks, run errands etc.

 

[wrench13]

I can reccommend one of the smaller Amazons, in particular the yellow shoulder amazon. !/2 to 2/3 the size of the hot 3 'zons, they are like Amazon lite. Known for a mellower disposition, they have all the spunk of the larger cousins. Mine speaks just fine, and is whip-smart. Thedown side is they are rare, and fairly expensive. Worth checking out. Also check Panama Amazons and Yellow Fronted Amazons. All 3 are the pet parrot of choice in their native ranges.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you! Happy hunting!

 

[SailBoat]

I would strongly recommend that you change your approach!

1: Drop the expectations, i.e. the long 'I Want' list. Parrots do not meet the Human's expectations! The Humans concede to the Parrot's needs. The longer your list, the far more likely the Parrot will not meet it at some point.

2: Anytime the Human allows the Parrot to choose the far greater the likelihood you will find the correct Parrot for you! You have eliminated several species for good reasons, but also some based on mis-information.

3: Reality Check: You are limited in the Species available based on your location! You can want, but your are first and foremost limited based on location. This is a common reality regardless of where one is located in this huge World.

4: The reality check of number 3 in place, your best move forward is allow those Parrots common in your Country, less the heavy dust producers (which are common in your Country), be you're selection base.

- I cannot stress the importance of 'you' allowing the Parrot to choose 'you'! You will be shocked what is on your list becomes meaningless when the Parrot that chooses you 'lets' you connect with her/him! Being loved on by a Parrot on day one is a win/win situation.

The Parrot that comes toward you while the others are going the other way is a great starting point...

I have a family member that at the age of 34 decided that she wanted a smaller Parrot, as she is a thin, plus not overly tall 4' 9". So, she called me and asked my opinion and I provided her the above advise and stated that I would visit our local Pet Store with her. Long story very short, all of the mid-size to smaller Parrots wanted nothing to do with her!

All the while the biggest, reddest Macaw in the place was scoping her out! Head bobbing, body swaying, he was interested. He quickly made his way to he floor and walked over to her and
stepped-up on her shoe. I asked him if he would like to step-up and he raised if food as high as he could get it... I lifted him up to her eye level as he tilled his head slowly left and right. I asked her if she would like to hold him. She was hesitant, but agreed. With her arm out and turned in front of her, I assured he was facing me and lowered him under her arm and stated step-up, Up came the foot and he stepped toward me. I stated 'good boy' and watched him slowly turned to her, tilled his head and very slowly stretched toward her with his head down, 'asking for a head scratch. she scratched him slowly and he cooed...

NOTE: I have never seen this combination of linked moves before, but enough variations to understand that she was chosen, no question in my mind!

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums as new member, you are certainly motivated! Your choices will be driven by the local Australian market.

 

[silverpugj]

GCC Are the smaller of the parrots you are looking into But the can bite & can draw blood so no one parrot is the perfect one...

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[noodles123]

OP- are you wanting a baby or adult?
I think you might be better off with an adult, as you can get a much better feel for their post-puberty personality/preferences/talking skills etc. My bird is 13 and still learns new words, but you can judge an adult's personality more easily..plus, it's harder to accidentally spoil them, as the rules of post-puberty are way more clear than with babies. Babies are always way sweeter than their adult counterparts and they also aren't hormonal, but as they age, they get that way, so it can be hard to change your relationship if you make mistakes when they are young, plus, they often push away from the person they really liked before sexual maturity...much like a human child pushing away from his/her parents. Of course, there are exceptions to the "pushing away" thing, but it is something to consider.

A baby will be way easier upfront for the most part, but long-term, they can change and puberty can be quite shocking (especially in larger species that take longer to mature sexually)...If you have 4 to 8 years with an "angel" and teach him/her all sorts of bad habits that will be sexual in the future (e.g., cuddles etc) then that will be harder to swallow when the time comes (not just for you, but for the bird).

 

[kishisaint]

I have a GCC and a black capped conure. They are both amazing, although the black capped is mellower. They are super birds and communicate vocally a lot, we have whole conversations. No, they don't speak words (some do just not mine) but they are amazing birds, so much so I'm thinking of more! My only "complaint" is that they are Velcro birds, would spend all day every day on my shoulder if they could. Yes, they can bite hard enough to break skin and draw blood, but in my experience I was being dumb when it happened (they had told me to back off through posture and lunging and I ignored it, so the next step was band aid time). My GCC preens me a LOT, including doing her best to rid me of the "bad" feathers...i.e. my freckles and moles. That can HURT. Little sucker has drawn blood picking off a scab or freckles way more than biting. Way more. Silly vampire birb. She is horrible when hormonal (which of us isn't) so for about 6 weeks a year I have to go hands off, I get near enough she can come to me when she wants to, but letting it be her choice instead of my hands on the cage gets us through. Just during her season though, rest of the year no issues at all. The black capped is male and I'm not sure if it's gender, species, or just him but he's the quietest sweetest bird, he looks like a stuffed animal on my shoulder, never an issue with him. They are both big on calling for me any time I 'abandon' them, i.e. leave the room, but I call back and they settle right down. Normal parrot behavior. I personally think they are the right size for me, I don't want massive birds with massive messes. I also think about lifespan, don't want to assume my grandchildren will want birds. So IDK if any of that helps you feel out the species, but I'm a huge fan of conures, personally (get what's right for you though!)

 

[Ceri]

Hi everyone,

I have been following this forum posts for 6 years now but only just registered as I finally am able to own a bird! I know quite a bit about parrots, at least more than the average person, but would love advise from the members who actually own parrots here

I am limited in my choices due to my dust allergy, so dusty parrots are a no no. I know all parrots can bite and have the bluffing phases, but would prefer species that are more docile and can socialise with other people, so I've ruled Macaws out, unless someone knows of a particular Macaw species that isnt bitey (did consider Hans Macaw but not sure?)

Now my first choice was a Green cheek conure, theyre adorable but I really want a parrot that has a good talking ability, so started considering others. Currently i am choosing between mealy Amazons (from my search they are docile?), the Electus (did read about their diet, can deal with that but Im worried about the toe tapping and wing flipping how prevalent is that? And if I run out of talky parrot options Green cheek conures are still in the run. I also was considering a Pionus and Meyers but some say theyre dusty some say not?

Please tell me what you think, and add to the list if you know of any other suitable species. Looking forward to this and so excited about finally getting a parrot

Definitely add Meyers to your list, they aren't dusty. They are smart, attentive and quiet!!! Brown headed parrots too.

Also, I believe it is of high importance of allowing the bird to choose you. Don't have crazy high expectations, just allow them the time to get to choose. Training a bird takes patience but I believe it is easier if you allow the bird to like you before going home with one.

Lastly, You can teach any bird to talk if they're willing...but why limit your choices to only already talking birds? Talking shouldn't be the second priority you "have to have" in a future bird. Parrots can communicate with their own language, you just have to take the time to listen.

 

[Islamargarita]

I have a green cheek conure maybe I was unlucky but he is not friendly so bad I called him Siko he was sweet and friendly as a teen but later become terribly aggressive he does dance when he listen to music, and says pretty bird other than that will bite if you give him a chance.

 

[Laurasea]

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/understandingparrots.html