Considering bird ownership - questions

Gardwyn

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Oct 27, 2021
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Hello! I am not currently a bird owner, but we are hoping to change that soon, and I could use some advice.

My 10 year old has her heart set on a pet bird and would actually be great with one. We’ve been visiting local rescues/stores and watching her learn to handle the birds has been a real joy. But I’m very concerned about down the road when she goes to college/moves out since I know many of the large parrots are “one person” birds. If we got a bird, I’d need it to be one that can be socialized with the rest of us and would accept a "new" owner when my daughter goes to college. I know even the smaller birds usually have someone they prefer, but they can often adapt if that person becomes unavailable. Basically, I’m thinking of this as a bird for me that she’ll be able to do most of the training and interacting with for a while. We’ve been doing a ton of research, but I always find first-hand knowledge is usually more accurate than books and articles, so I’d love input on the species we’re considering. (BTW, I kept birds myself about 15 years ago, so I do know what we’re signing up for, but I also feel my knowledge is pretty out of date.)

The current list is: budgie (English or American), lovebird, cockatiel, green check conure, or jenday conure

We had pionus, brown-headed parrot, and Meyers parrot on the list as well, but they’ve been crossed out based off of info we’ve gotten from the local breeders.

Cockatiel and conure are probably at the top of our list for the moment, mostly because of the interactions we’ve been having with them at the stores. I’ve owned cockatiels before and really they’re spot on what we want in personality, but I have big concerns around the night terrors (the bird would be sleeping in my kid’s room) and the dust since my kid already struggles with allergies/asthma.

Other pertinent facts – the youngest kid in our house is 7 years old, and while I’d describe our household as happy and lively, there’s no getting around the fact that it’s loud. Right now we’re all home all the time thanks to covid, but down the road, the bird would need to be able to stay home alone for 2-3 hours a couple days a week, and for two 8 hour days each month. We are leaning toward getting a rescue/re-home bird although we all think the hand fed babies are pretty darn cute. And we are open to multiple birds if the species prefers it/we find a bonded pair we’re interested in.

So any advice would be very welcome! I’d love to hear why those species might be a good or bad choice or suggestions for birds we haven’t even considered.
 

foxgloveparrot

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Remember that even if a child takes responsibility for a bird, it is still the family pet. You will play a big part in caring for the bird, and will be buying the bird's accessories and maybe helping your child with cleaning and other parts of bird care.
A busy home is fine for most birds, but be aware that every bird needs at least two hours of attention each day. If you cannot provide that, a bird is probably not for you. If you can give the bird everything it needs and deserves, here are my recommendations (species-wise):
A GCC (green cheek conure), they seem like a pretty good match for you. They are on the small side, quieter than most conures (but still loud) and generally not one-person birds. I have never owned a GCC, so someone with more experience with them can help you out.
A pionus, I know they've been crossed off your list, but I would love if you at least thought about them. If they don't fit your budget or other factor, that's fine, but they are medium-sized parrots with rather friendly personalities and not one-person only. I had a pionus, and while he had a preference for me, he would bond pretty well with just about anyone.
And yes, a cockatiel would be good for you, I think you already know why. Just don't forget to do research, ever, ever.
Good job though, you seem to be heading in the right direction so far!
 

Skarila

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I'd personally stay away from jendays/sun conures, their contact calls could seriously damage children's hearing, anyone with even the slightest sensitive hearing could go mad with the piercing shrieks. I grew up with a ringneck who are around the same volume. It physicaly hurt my eardrums while my parents barely flinched, especially my dad who barely hears high pitches.

Gcc is a maybe - the personality could fit and they seem to be motivated by noise which could be good. However, they are known to be nippy/bitey. Aside of a GCC I'd even suggest the smaller Pyrrhura types like the Painted or white eared/emma (what I have). They are generally less agressive, lower in volume, less bitey but all in all equally of a clown. They are bit shy like budgies due to the tiny size, but a really good middle, highly recommended if you could get a tame one. Mine still kind of likes both me and my partner almost equally.

I agree that a cockatiel would be the absolute best in regards of their temperament, but I understand the fear about the dust. Daily antihistamines (I personally take them because of my body being weird and not being able to break down histamine naturaly, probably) and an air purifiers should curb the alergies in your child. Our foster 'tiel never had night frights, our budgie had it far more often.

Foxglove is right regarding the care - everyone in the household should work and socialize equally with the bird. Unfortunately, you should expect that there is the possibility that the bird will fall onto your own shoulders, no matter what. I've been there, and I was a kid/teenager once too, with all the promises and plans.... And life happened. And "my" dog stayed with my parents in the end.
 

Laurasea

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Welcome to the forum.
Most non stick cookware, air fryers , and many more off gas toxic fumes that can kill burds in Seconds anywhere in the house, closed doors a different floor won't save them. So many changes and diligence are need to keep burds safe. Do the research on products, as now many ironing boards are coated with nonstick that when heated off gass.

I don't hear many people who are happy with love burds as pets...my apologies to any love burd owners who things have gone right and you are happy with them.

GCC are awesome birds, but they are prone to nips to keep us in line. I have a GCC love, fantastic girl. But she would bite me daily if I didn't read her quick mood changes. Over the years I have received many bloody bites. She is cuddles, cuteness, and can speak several words. A great girl. But the reputation for being nippy is well earned. Babies are great but around a year old they feel its time to set us straight about stuff they used to let us get away with. While they are all unique, and some may not be nippy. Just keep in mind how babies are is not how adults are of any species. Babies let you do anything, adults are like hey respect me and my space. Still loving and affectionate

Glad you joined, and great group of people here. Good luck with your journey to adding a parrot to your life.
 
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Gardwyn

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Oct 27, 2021
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Remember that even if a child takes responsibility for a bird, it is still the family pet. You will play a big part in caring for the bird, and will be buying the bird's accessories and maybe helping your child with cleaning and other parts of bird care.
A busy home is fine for most birds, but be aware that every bird needs at least two hours of attention each day. If you cannot provide that, a bird is probably not for you. If you can give the bird everything it needs and deserves, here are my recommendations (species-wise):
A GCC (green cheek conure), they seem like a pretty good match for you. They are on the small side, quieter than most conures (but still loud) and generally not one-person birds. I have never owned a GCC, so someone with more experience with them can help you out.
A pionus, I know they've been crossed off your list, but I would love if you at least thought about them. If they don't fit your budget or other factor, that's fine, but they are medium-sized parrots with rather friendly personalities and not one-person only. I had a pionus, and while he had a preference for me, he would bond pretty well with just about anyone.
And yes, a cockatiel would be good for you, I think you already know why. Just don't forget to do research, ever, ever.
Good job though, you seem to be heading in the right direction so far!
Thank you for the information!

Just to clarify since I did a poor job in my post, I do intend to be in charge of the bird’s care, and I anticipate a point in time where it becomes “mine.” I’d be doing the cleaning, and even though I do have my kids feed our fish and dog, I supervise every time to make sure it’s both done and done correctly. And I intend to be in charge of all the expenses. My child wants to be able to chip in with her allowance, so I figure she’ll be able to get a toy “from her” each month, but we’ll be handling the food, the vet, and most of the enrichment.

As far as attention, we’d like the bird to be uncaged as long as we’re home (other than nighttime of course) so there will be indirect socialization all day, and I’m planning on spending several hours in training/playing in the evening just me and the bird, in addition to however long my kid plays with it each day. We homeschool even when there isn’t a pandemic, and hope the bird will want to be in the middle of whatever we’re working on all day long.

I’m curious that’d you recommend the pionus. We took it off the list because one of the local breeders specializes in them, and she told us that they were shy birds who wouldn’t enjoy a busy household. Before that, we’d thought they sounded like an amazing fit. We’d very briefly considered an African grey just because there was one at the rescue who seemed thrilled with my kids and were told the same thing about that species – in fact, they specifically called out the pionus as a very similar personality to the grey in that they want calm, adult only households.
 
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Gardwyn

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I'd personally stay away from jendays/sun conures, their contact calls could seriously damage children's hearing, anyone with even the slightest sensitive hearing could go mad with the piercing shrieks. I grew up with a ringneck who are around the same volume. It physicaly hurt my eardrums while my parents barely flinched, especially my dad who barely hears high pitches.

Gcc is a maybe - the personality could fit and they seem to be motivated by noise which could be good. However, they are known to be nippy/bitey. Aside of a GCC I'd even suggest the smaller Pyrrhura types like the Painted or white eared/emma (what I have). They are generally less agressive, lower in volume, less bitey but all in all equally of a clown. They are bit shy like budgies due to the tiny size, but a really good middle, highly recommended if you could get a tame one. Mine still kind of likes both me and my partner almost equally.

I agree that a cockatiel would be the absolute best in regards of their temperament, but I understand the fear about the dust. Daily antihistamines (I personally take them because of my body being weird and not being able to break down histamine naturaly, probably) and an air purifiers should curb the alergies in your child. Our foster 'tiel never had night frights, our budgie had it far more often.

Foxglove is right regarding the care - everyone in the household should work and socialize equally with the bird. Unfortunately, you should expect that there is the possibility that the bird will fall onto your own shoulders, no matter what. I've been there, and I was a kid/teenager once too, with all the promises and plans.... And life happened. And "my" dog stayed with my parents in the end.
That's excellent info on the jendays - thanks! We were told they were louder than GCC but much quieter than suns. I expect any bird to be noisy, but there is a point where, for me anyway, a cockatoo's calls get to be much. So I am trying to be aware of our long term tolerance of their natural noise.

I'm pretty sure there aren't any breeders in the state for the smaller conures, but we'll keep an eye out!

I had two cockatiels as a kid/teen, and honestly never really noticed the dust, but so many of the things I've been reading seem to talk about THE DUST as if it's a real deal breaker. There haven't been any cockatiels at the places we've been going that we can interact with, (one had a pair that were being boarded) but one of the rescues allows for fostering, so I'm tempted to be put on the wait list for a cockatiel and try it out.

Yeah, the adults of the house figure this is really about getting a pet bird for me, and we'll just let our kid pretend it's hers for a while. ;)
 
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Gardwyn

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Welcome to the forum.
Most non stick cookware, air fryers , and many more off gas toxic fumes that can kill burds in Seconds anywhere in the house, closed doors a different floor won't save them. So many changes and diligence are need to keep burds safe. Do the research on products, as now many ironing boards are coated with nonstick that when heated off gass.

I don't hear many people who are happy with love burds as pets...my apologies to any love burd owners who things have gone right and you are happy with them.

GCC are awesome birds, but they are prone to nips to keep us in line. I have a GCC love, fantastic girl. But she would bite me daily if I didn't read her quick mood changes. Over the years I have received many bloody bites. She is cuddles, cuteness, and can speak several words. A great girl. But the reputation for being nippy is well earned. Babies are great but around a year old they feel its time to set us straight about stuff they used to let us get away with. While they are all unique, and some may not be nippy. Just keep in mind how babies are is not how adults are of any species. Babies let you do anything, adults are like hey respect me and my space. Still loving and affectionate

Glad you joined, and great group of people here. Good luck with your journey to adding a parrot to your life.
Thank you!

I use all cast iron except for my stainless steel kettle and stock pot. I've actually been wondering about the cast iron - all the bird books recommend the stainless so we might need to change over completely.

The one thing I am trying to research which is hard to word correctly on google is that my kid uses an inhaler for her asthma. It's not one of the ones with a nebulizer, but I'd still like to know how much it might affect the bird.

I actually started taking my kid around the bird stores jokingly/not jokingly "to experience getting bitten." I spent a lot of time around the bigger birds as a teen, so I find the smaller birds can't pack quite the same punch, but I figured if the kid was going to become fearful after the first bite, we should find that out now. There was a baby conure at the first place that was very happy to oblige, and my kid's ear was purple for a week! But the whole baby temperament vs adult is one of the main reasons we're looking at getting a rescue no matter the species.
 

FineFeatheredFids

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Mar 9, 2021
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One thing to consider about birds is that their personalities and their relationship with you / your family is never a guarantee. Your daughter may get a bird that decides it wants nothing to do with her or attacks everyone in the family except for one person. It's less likely with some species, but it can never be completely ruled out. Birds are agents of chaos and anything and everything can happen.

It is really difficult to describe the reality of bird ownership in a post, BUT there are some really great people on youtube who make videos about it. Try search terms like, "What is it like living with a (species)" and you can get all sorts of great info. When I was deciding if I wanted to share my life with birds, I watched a lot of these videos and asked myself honestly if I could deal with some of the worst-case scenarios described by other owners--the yelling, the biting, the hormones, the home destruction, the personality changes, that sort of thing). If the answer is yes, you might be a bird person!

Also you may know this already but I tell everyone who wants a bird to LOOK UP ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE TOXIC FOR BIRDS BEFORE BRINGING ONE HOME. Things you wouldn't even think about can kill a bird, like running vinegar through your coffee pot. Candles, air fresheners. Frikkin avocados. You can find full lists online, and some require lifestyle changes. I don't use aerosols at all in my house anymore. The entire house.

That being said, here are my personal observations:

Agree on a lot of what has already been said. I can hear my sun conure from my mail box when she is INSIDE the house. I live on an acre. Also, when she yells in my ear, it does indeed cause physical pain. They can be VERY sweet birds, but the volume is something to consider, especially if you have close neighbors. Also, if a sun conure gets attached to your daughter and your daughter leaves, this is a bird that is likely to pine for her. Mine is like velcro. She is also very beaky. She doesn't ever 'bite' me, but she has her beak on me all the time just chewing on my fingers or trying to rip my fingernails off. :ROFLMAO:

Also agree with what others have said about GCCs. Every one I have met has been nippy, and mine would draw blood. This is an individual thing, of course, but the potential is there. I would avoid them unless maybe you get one from a rescue where their personality has already been evaluated.

Budgies are great, but can be a bit harder to tame since you (should) get them in pairs or groups. Mine want very little to do with me and seem more interested in each other, but I have seen others build solid relationships with their budgies. Their relative independence (where humans are concerned - they should always have a bird companion) might benefit you, though, if you have less time to spend with them somewhere down the line. My favorite thing about budgies is the chatter. Happy budgies chatter almost nonstop, and I love their cheerful conversation.

Personality-wise, I think a cockatiel would be your safest bet if you want a bird that is most likely to get along with the whole family. I live alone, and my cockatiel is the only one of my birds that will fall asleep on a complete stranger. Or perch on a stranger at all. They also tend to be much gentler birds. When Hilda 'bites' me it is more like an indignant nibble. She has never once hurt me, even when I'm trimming her nails and she is REALLY angry. If you get cockatiels, though, I would get two. They are very social birds and need a companion. Hilda almost died when I brought her home because she stopped eating and wouldn't move. I think introducing her to Sunna (my conure) literally saved her life. The change in her demeanor when Sunna came into the room was almost immediate.

Hope this helps!
 

Laurasea

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"My favorite thing about budgies is the chatter. Happy budgies chatter almost nonstop, and I love their cheerful conversation."

Well said! My 3 nonstop chatter, I find it so pleasant though sometimes they can have a louder volume than you'd expect. Not hear outside or hurt your ears lol but can drown out tge tv ;)
 

Laurasea

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O feel badly about harping on GCC nipping tendency.

If you and your daughter are understanding and not going to over react.
Then GCC are a fantastic bird. They are attentive, they like affection, they are playfull, the 2 I've had were pretty quiet birds, rarely alarm calls, but really not vocally ( birdie sounds,) chatty like my non stop quakers and budgies. Their size is perfect , because you can get toys , perches and nice big roomy cages for them easily. Mine has been willing to enteract with my boyfriend and family and friends. I worked on this with lots of safflower ( gcc crack) seeds. I'd have her step from my hand to theirs and I'd give a treat. Lots if repetitive. And I always have visitors say hi and give a treat, and always have them say goodbye and give a treat

For the right temperament young adult , truly a charming bird.

But expect nips, unless very adept at reading body language, and be able to deal with thst without thinking the bird hates you, or its a mean bird, or becoming fearful. We have so very many young adults in their teens or 20s who are not able to cope, or need some coaching to be able to cope. The GCC and behavior threads are filled with GCC biting threads. But we also have had many young adults or children who did fantastic with them.

I had animals of all types including horses that I was the sole care taker of at age 10. A GCC would have been the most perfect parrot for me.
So you know your children and faimly , temperament and dynamics best. I wouldn't want you to rule out a GCC .
 
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Gardwyn

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One thing to consider about birds is that their personalities and their relationship with you / your family is never a guarantee. Your daughter may get a bird that decides it wants nothing to do with her or attacks everyone in the family except for one person. It's less likely with some species, but it can never be completely ruled out. Birds are agents of chaos and anything and everything can happen.

It is really difficult to describe the reality of bird ownership in a post, BUT there are some really great people on youtube who make videos about it. Try search terms like, "What is it like living with a (species)" and you can get all sorts of great info. When I was deciding if I wanted to share my life with birds, I watched a lot of these videos and asked myself honestly if I could deal with some of the worst-case scenarios described by other owners--the yelling, the biting, the hormones, the home destruction, the personality changes, that sort of thing). If the answer is yes, you might be a bird person!

Also you may know this already but I tell everyone who wants a bird to LOOK UP ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE TOXIC FOR BIRDS BEFORE BRINGING ONE HOME. Things you wouldn't even think about can kill a bird, like running vinegar through your coffee pot. Candles, air fresheners. Frikkin avocados. You can find full lists online, and some require lifestyle changes. I don't use aerosols at all in my house anymore. The entire house.

That being said, here are my personal observations:

Agree on a lot of what has already been said. I can hear my sun conure from my mail box when she is INSIDE the house. I live on an acre. Also, when she yells in my ear, it does indeed cause physical pain. They can be VERY sweet birds, but the volume is something to consider, especially if you have close neighbors. Also, if a sun conure gets attached to your daughter and your daughter leaves, this is a bird that is likely to pine for her. Mine is like velcro. She is also very beaky. She doesn't ever 'bite' me, but she has her beak on me all the time just chewing on my fingers or trying to rip my fingernails off. :ROFLMAO:

Also agree with what others have said about GCCs. Every one I have met has been nippy, and mine would draw blood. This is an individual thing, of course, but the potential is there. I would avoid them unless maybe you get one from a rescue where their personality has already been evaluated.

Budgies are great, but can be a bit harder to tame since you (should) get them in pairs or groups. Mine want very little to do with me and seem more interested in each other, but I have seen others build solid relationships with their budgies. Their relative independence (where humans are concerned - they should always have a bird companion) might benefit you, though, if you have less time to spend with them somewhere down the line. My favorite thing about budgies is the chatter. Happy budgies chatter almost nonstop, and I love their cheerful conversation.

Personality-wise, I think a cockatiel would be your safest bet if you want a bird that is most likely to get along with the whole family. I live alone, and my cockatiel is the only one of my birds that will fall asleep on a complete stranger. Or perch on a stranger at all. They also tend to be much gentler birds. When Hilda 'bites' me it is more like an indignant nibble. She has never once hurt me, even when I'm trimming her nails and she is REALLY angry. If you get cockatiels, though, I would get two. They are very social birds and need a companion. Hilda almost died when I brought her home because she stopped eating and wouldn't move. I think introducing her to Sunna (my conure) literally saved her life. The change in her demeanor when Sunna came into the room was almost immediate.

Hope this helps!
Wow, that’s a lot of great info – thank you!

I’m hoping that by going to the rescues, we’ll find a bird that seems more interested in my daughter, but I know even that’s a gamble – especially if it isn’t a full adult yet. But hopefully we can nudge the odds. And I’ve caution her not to have her hopes too high. She enjoys watching videos of several parrot keepers on youtube who have devoted, cuddly birds, and I’m sure that’s what she’s hoping for. But I also think she has it in her to love a bird no matter how it turns out or who it prefers. Her older brother is something of an animal magnet, so I definitely wouldn’t be shocked if he becomes the favorite.

I grew up in a household with birds and have helped out at a friend’s aviaries (talk about life goals! having an entire buildings dedicated to birds…) so I have some familiarity with the many, many things poisonous to birds, but I’ve actually printed out a couple lists (food and household cleaners/items) that should never be around a bird and posted them up in a couple places in the house. That’s the sort of thing everyone needs to learn, not just my daughter!

Yeah, I’m thinking we might need to take jenday off the list. The noise might not be a deal breaker with the right bird since we own a house, but if it gets attached only to my kid, that could really limit her options down the road. Most young people start out in apartments after all.

Budgies are still very high on the list. In fact, they were the species that first caught my kids attention years ago. But we’ve been told even the best bird stores in our area don’t have handfeed babies and that without that, it’s impossible to tell if they can ever be hand tamed. Certainly, when we visit with them, there’s nothing to indicate any interest in people whereas most of the rescue birds do react in some way. So they’re still a huge contender, but we would really like a bird that wants the interaction vs one that tolerates it. They’re just such happy little birds though!

With both budgies and cockatiels, I’ve noticed some strong opinions on keeping one bird or two or more. Many sources say that we need to get them one and at a time and bond with each bird separately, or the birds will just bond to each other to exclusion of the humans. But most of the people who actually work with them, especially the breeders, seem to feel strongly about them being in pairs or more. I’m starting to feel like the one bird at a time is more “general bird wisdom” and those two species have different needs.
 
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Gardwyn

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O feel badly about harping on GCC nipping tendency.

If you and your daughter are understanding and not going to over react.
Then GCC are a fantastic bird. They are attentive, they like affection, they are playfull, the 2 I've had were pretty quiet birds, rarely alarm calls, but really not vocally ( birdie sounds,) chatty like my non stop quakers and budgies. Their size is perfect , because you can get toys , perches and nice big roomy cages for them easily. Mine has been willing to enteract with my boyfriend and family and friends. I worked on this with lots of safflower ( gcc crack) seeds. I'd have her step from my hand to theirs and I'd give a treat. Lots if repetitive. And I always have visitors say hi and give a treat, and always have them say goodbye and give a treat

For the right temperament young adult , truly a charming bird.

But expect nips, unless very adept at reading body language, and be able to deal with thst without thinking the bird hates you, or its a mean bird, or becoming fearful. We have so very many young adults in their teens or 20s who are not able to cope, or need some coaching to be able to cope. The GCC and behavior threads are filled with GCC biting threads. But we also have had many young adults or children who did fantastic with them.

I had animals of all types including horses that I was the sole care taker of at age 10. A GCC would have been the most perfect parrot for me.
So you know your children and faimly , temperament and dynamics best. I wouldn't want you to rule out a GCC .
Not at all! I think being honest about bird personalities and about our own abilities to handle those quirks with grace is vitally important! There are so many things to take into consideration BEFORE you get a bird so you don’t end up being one more failed home.

I think my take away from your comments was that we were probably on the right track to be looking at rescue birds. Like I said, the first place we went my kid got bit all over by a baby conure, and truly didn’t seem fazed by it, but a baby is still a far cry from a teenager and all those hormones. But there have been so many conures in the rescues ("they thought it was a quiet bird” being the most common reason) that have gotten through their teen years and are pretty much a known quantity. However, what seems most common is to have a bonded pair where one loves people and the other hates them with a passion, and I don’t really know what to do with that…

Mostly, what I’m encouraging at the moment is a bunch of research and learning and NOT falling in love with the cute birds as she gets some hands on experience. So whether it’s a cockatiel, conure, budgie, or something we haven’t even considered that we end up bringing home, she’ll be starting with a basic understanding of body language and how to respond. Reading all the books in the world can't really prepare you for birds as much as the real world experience, IMO.
 
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Gardwyn

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I can’t thank everyone enough for all the amazing info and advice! I do have a couple more general questions, and then I’ll try to ask our more specific questions in the appropriate sub forums.

First, one of the bird stores had this cage for sale: https://www.amazon.com/Cage-Co-Eleg...WTX4/ref=dp_prsubs_2?pd_rd_i=B005S4WTX4&psc=1 And I’m tempted to go ahead and get it since it seems like a quality cage at a good price. My question is whether it’s a good idea to get a cage before we pick out a type of bird. Will this work for a couple budgies, a pair of cockatiels, or a GCC?

And last, once we start seriously considering a certain bird, is it best to just visit it a couple people at a time, or should we make a point of doing it as a family? There are six of us, and I’m torn between wanting to see how a bird handles that many people and worried that in a small space that will be overwhelming. Once the bird is home, it’s obviously going to get us in smaller doses of a few people here and there as it settles in and eases into being part of everyone’s lives. So I'm not sure why it feels important for it to meet us all together a couple times, but it does seem like something that ought to happen.
 

Laurasea

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That cage will work for the species you mentioned , and looks like a nice cage with great length and width.

I have to say in 20 years of keeping parrots, and lots of cages of all types... that I greatly prefer white. And the parrots prefer white. Its lighter and brighter, less cave like. Let's in more light. If you have your cage infrint of a window like I do, it dissappear against the window and I like that the light comes through better. During cage transition when I only had one black I hadn't traded out yet, everyone of my birds tried to move out to one of the white ones.

Going to try and share a picture. I like the flat top square style, easy to put veggies on plates on top and attach perches, and I put a sheet of acrylic across the top , so less mess and poop falls down into cage when they are out.
Excuse the mess, Ta-dah my GCC and Pikachu one of my quakers, all my birds have their own cages and don't share, but the light is bad to take a picture against the windows
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kme3388

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Sep 17, 2021
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Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
Hi there, here’s a photo of my Jenday Conure. She’s my baby, and I absolutely adore her. I do not recommend Jenday’s, or Sun’s as pets, and I own one. They are very social, needy, snippy (bites but doesn’t draw blood. It still doesn’t feel good), and their contact calls are as loud as a macaws screams. They are also avid chewers. I spend a lot on toys for my conure. Pet stores make it sound like suns, and jendays are beginner pets. They are NOT! I find some of the larger birds less perplexing. I cannot comment on the other species of conures as I don’t have experience with them. I just try to steer people away from the Jenday’s, and Sun’s. I don’t like to see them rehomed for being exactly what they are supposed to be, and what’s in their nature.
 

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Inko-ai

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Parrots
Budgies - Sprite & Marshmallow
Though I adore budgies, I don't think they would be a great match for you. It takes a lot of hard work to gain their trust, which can be frustrating for a young child. And if you get two (which I definitely recommend), then they will most likely never be super bonded to you, because they have each other. I would stick with a bird that is easier to tame, like a cockatiel or a green cheek conure.
 
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Gardwyn

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Oct 27, 2021
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That cage will work for the species you mentioned , and looks like a nice cage with great length and width.

I have to say in 20 years of keeping parrots, and lots of cages of all types... that I greatly prefer white. And the parrots prefer white. Its lighter and brighter, less cave like. Let's in more light. If you have your cage infrint of a window like I do, it dissappear against the window and I like that the light comes through better. During cage transition when I only had one black I hadn't traded out yet, everyone of my birds tried to move out to one of the white ones.

Going to try and share a picture. I like the flat top square style, easy to put veggies on plates on top and attach perches, and I put a sheet of acrylic across the top , so less mess and poop falls down into cage when they are out.
Excuse the mess, Ta-dah my GCC and Pikachu one of my quakers, all my birds have their own cages and don't share, but the light is bad to take a picture against the windows
View attachment 31693
Ha! Yes, I’m aware that GCC are very quiet – for a bird! :LOL: And I think what we’re seeing in the rescues is that GCCs and cockatiels are often sold in the big chain stores in our area as a “quiet” pet – and people expect that to mean almost silent. One person my kid was watching on youtube was making the distinction between “noisy” and “loud” when it comes to parrots, and I think there’s a lot of merit to that. My cockatiels used to keep up a running chatter all day long, but it was very quiet and easy to tune out. I think both budgies and conures are lot like that too.

Last night my kid actually said something about cockatiels not screaming. She was comparing them to their larger cousins, one of whom nearly deafened us as a rescue last week. I told her cockatiels very much do still scream – it’s just easier to ignore in a bird that size.

Okay, that’s absolutely fascinating that the birds have a color preference for cages. I suppose it really shouldn’t be surprising though as smart as they are.

Your cage is lovely – and your birds are so cute! The only white cage I’ve looked at (in store) was fairly flimsy IMO – Preview might’ve been the brand? Do you know what model your cage is?

And is your quaker full grown? There were tons of baby quakers just flying around the one bird store, and I guess I’d assumed they would grow into a medium parrot and didn’t look into the breed much. Would that be a species, you’d recommend we consider and start researching? Clearly, it’s a popular species for handfed babies in our area.
 
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Gardwyn

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Hi there, here’s a photo of my Jenday Conure. She’s my baby, and I absolutely adore her. I do not recommend Jenday’s, or Sun’s as pets, and I own one. They are very social, needy, snippy (bites but doesn’t draw blood. It still doesn’t feel good), and their contact calls are as loud as a macaws screams. They are also avid chewers. I spend a lot on toys for my conure. Pet stores make it sound like suns, and jendays are beginner pets. They are NOT! I find some of the larger birds less perplexing. I cannot comment on the other species of conures as I don’t have experience with them. I just try to steer people away from the Jenday’s, and Sun’s. I don’t like to see them rehomed for being exactly what they are supposed to be, and what’s in their nature.
Oh wow, what a stunning bird! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your honest take on jendays. The one friend I used to help out had two cockatoos, and they were definitely beautiful birds I enjoyed admiring but never one I’d want in my house! Just because a bird is the right fit for one person doesn’t make it a good pet for everyone.

And I know what you mean about the bigger birds. Frankly, if I were looking for a bird just for me, without kids in the house, I’d definitely be looking at greys, Amazons, or Macaws. I’ve always enjoyed handling and babysitting those birds, and their body language is usually pretty clear and obvious. But as I said in the original post, my biggest fear is a one person bird bonding with any of the kids and then mourning them when they move out into the world. As you said, the bird shouldn’t have to be rehomed or be miserable just for behaving naturally.
 
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Gardwyn

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Though I adore budgies, I don't think they would be a great match for you. It takes a lot of hard work to gain their trust, which can be frustrating for a young child. And if you get two (which I definitely recommend), then they will most likely never be super bonded to you, because they have each other. I would stick with a bird that is easier to tame, like a cockatiel or a green cheek conure.
Thank you! That sort of confirms some of my thoughts about budgies. I think my kid is drawn to them because they remind her of the wild birds that come to our feeders. And to her credit, she has managed to train several finches, chickadees, and hummingbirds to take food from her hand. But while I think she finds that a heady victory all its own, I don’t think she understands that it could never go past that. She of course would never want take a wild bird captive, but I don’t think she gets that even if we were to put one in a cage, it would never turn into a pet the way most parrots do.
 

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