Eclectus V.S. Caique V.S. Green Cheek Conure?

[Tswift]

Hello! I am a college student who is looking to buy a parrot companion around May/June of this year.
My mother has had budgies and a parrotlet, but re-homed them to a friend against my will because of the mess along with the stress of our noisy household. From then until now (6 years) I have been researching all types of breeds. I think i have narrowed my search to three: the eclectus, the caique or the green cheek conure.

Which breed would be better for me? I have been battling over which one I should get for months!I will be living with my parents in the summer, then moving into an apartment in August. I am only in class 4 hours a day or so, so I will be home a lot.

These are some of the things I am looking for:

Since I will be visiting my parents for holidays, I need a parrot that won't be too stressed out traveling and sleeping in a different home for a couple days. (Seems like this might rule the eclectus out?)

Quieter than average because I will be living in an apartment (Seems like the conure might have the louder tendencies).

A parrot that is not too protective of just one owner. My boyfriend is very interested in actively playing with and feeding the parrot too!

A parrot that can be easily trained. (Seems like all 3 can)

A parrot that wont require a very expensive diet (This is what worries me about the eclectus).

A parrot that will cuddle or like to be handled/touched. (The female eclectus did NOT want to be handled at the pet store)

A parrot that will like taking trips outside (I have read all about the possible hazards. Parrot would have their wings clipped and in a flight harness).

I have a great local bird store where my parents live in st. louis where I have been able to interact with caiques and conures, but not a male eclectus. The female eclectus they had did NOT want to be touched lol.

Here are my thoughts overall:

Caiques have the best personality, they are cuddly and playful and adorable! The one they had in the store I played with the whole time i was there.

GC Conures are half the price, can talk a tad more than the caiques can, and are prettier than the Caiques. Some like to cuddle and be touched and are cute in their own way.

The eclectus are the most brilliantly colored, same price as the caique, have amazing talking abilities, but their diet is complicated. Also seem to be the most intelligent out of the three. They also seem to be a little unstable if their environment changes.

Right now, I am bending more towards the caique. The one at the store just stole my heart I know every parrot has a different personality, and I have a feeling that in the end, I might just get the parrot that I connect with the most. Thoughts?

 

[MikeyTN]

Seem like you have it all figured out pretty well yourself. I personally will rule out the Eclectus cause it does require a diet specific and it's more for a experienced owner to handle. A Green Cheek Conure and Caique are a bit better but still you need to feed proper diet! I've never owned either, but I've had Jenday and a Nanday Conure, will I ever have Conures again? NEVER! People tried to give me Sun Conures all the time and I decline them every time! As far as from what I've read and told about the Green Cheeks is they're a lot quieter then other types of Conures. If your living in a apartment, you will require an apartment friendly bird that won't scream their lungs out before you get compliant from your neighbors. I've been around Caique Parrots before and they're really cute, none have been noisy, but I'm not there with them all day so I wouldn't know. BUT talking about screamers, I've got a Blue & Gold Macaw and a Lesser Sulfur Crested Cockatoo, both screams pretty good. Somehow I just couldn't tolerate a Conure's scream, I left them with my best friend when I moved, they like him better anyway.... Another good bird would be Cockatiels, if you get a female, they don't make a lot of noise. Some will scream, but I've never had a screaming female tiel. A Male will most likely be the screamer, but they do sing pretty! The downfall with having a female Cockatiel is egg laying, but that's with any female parrots. I've had more problem getting a female Cockatiel to stop laying eggs then my bigger parrots. They're wonderful beginner's bird, just dusty! Much better if you bathe them often like on a daily basis. Good Luck on finding that special bird!

 

[gopack041]

I guess I know where you're coming from. I'm living in a college apartment right now with my GCC and overall he does great! The only problem I've had with squawking is when I leave and he hears my roommates and calls to them pretty loudly. But when I'm with him, he never lets out a loud squawk.

He also doesn't seem to mind traveling (I live 2 hours away from home). As far as playing with other people, I've noticed that he will listen to and play with people who take interest in him. One thing that gets on my nerves is when people come over and have never spent time with him before and expect him to love them.

Training wise, I taught him how to shake hands, spin, and wave in about 30 minutes. He also knows how to play dead and will sometimes play fetch with a wiffle ball. I feed him a mix of seeds (which he loves) and roudybush pellets, along with fresh fruits and vegetables. The price is not too bad at all.

He is very cuddly and playful. I've only had him for about 2 months and he already flips on his back an plays with me. As far as taking him outside goes...I actually just ordered an aviator harness but I haven't tried to put it on him yet. I'm sure he will love going outside, since he loves starring out the window.

So this is a very biased response, but I have no regrets at all going with the GCC. I did however get him from a breeder so you might want to look into that. If you have any other questions about him just let me know!

 

[jew1187]

Definitely go with a breeder. Unlike dogs and cats, a bird at a pet store was most likely bought from a regular breeder and not a mass production breeder where the quality of the pet has gone down from over breeding and inbreeding. The money difference is the issue with buying from a pet store. I just bought an Eclectus for 835 dollars from a breeder in Texas. With everything, vet checks, getting him to VA and everything, it comes out to just over 1000. The local pet store had an Eclectus for sale here that was about ten months to a year old and they wanted 1700 for this bird. I won't lie and say he wasn't an awesome bird, because he was, but they were asking a whole lot more than going through a breeder. Just a suggestion though. Check your local breeders out and definitely do a lot of research outside of the local pet stores.

 

[Tswift]

Thank you so much for all the replies!

MikeyTN:
I will definitly stay away from the loud conures such as the sun conure (although they are beautiful!). And for the cockatiels, my boyfriend's parents have two, and although they are wonderful birds, I am looking for more of a challange and more interaction. They don't seem to have the playful, energetic personalities of caiques or GC conures. And I agree about the eclectus, I think I need a little more experience with birds before I own one.

gopack041:
Thank you so much for telling me about your lovely green cheek conure! I am much more interested in this breed now; he sounds so cute! I didn't know that they also can play on their backs and like to be handled so much. They seem to be very well rounded and fun!

jew1187: I definitly know what your talking about. I have found an eclectus breeder in the town I go to college in and she is a very nice older lady who has been breeding them for 30+ years. Her birds are only $500 "because of the economic conditions", but I think that I have ruled out the eclectus for me. Additionlly, my grandma is a world-wide known shetland sheepdog breeder and I value what breeders do for dog breeds and other animal breeds a ton.
My pet store tells me that they get their birds from private breeders in the area, but who really knows. Theyre green cheek conures start at $350 and caiques at $800, which is not bad considering my boyfriend and I are splitting the cost. My mom's parrotlet was from them and was a wonderful bird.
I will continue to look around for breeders by my college and in St. Louis for conures and caiques and see what I can find.

I have definitlely ruled out the eclectus because of their dietary requirements, sensitivity, and price. They seem to be not as hardy and easily prone to plucking. Additionally, their size is a little too big for my second bird, but maybe one day when I have a more stable enviroment and more experience I will consider one.

So it is down to the green cheek conure or the caique!

Do they require the same size of cages? I've been looking on craigslist and there's a ton in good condition that are cheaper than if I bought one new. I'm considering buying one early if I find a good deal.

Also, my boyfriend is sort of jealous if we only get one bird... he wants two (he knows I would hog one!). I've read, though, that it can get quite noisy if you have two in one cage. If conures are half the price of caiques, though, I might consider two. Are they compatible together in the same cage? Males V.S. females? What if we get a male and a female? And for curiosity's sake, what about caiques?

 

[Ladyeclectic]

Seems you've done your homework. I adore my green-cheek and think she's the perfect apartment bird, but she does sometimes make noise. Like Gopack said though it's usually when I'm stepping out of the room and when I first arrive home, otherwise she barely makes a peep. She's cuddly to a point, lets me hold her upside down and groom her, but she's definitely got a personality: she's particularly attached to my Dude and whenever she thinks he's not giving her enough attention she lets him know it! He's a good sport about "taking his lumps" but afterward she's as sweet as sugar.

I looked into Caiques but I think they need way more attention and play-time than I'd be prepared to give. My Sun is enough for me and she's not even that demanding! Eclectus is a pretty quiet, sedentary bird but you're right that the necessary dietary requirements can be a puzzle. All seem to be good apartment birds; the Caique and Conure may be more prone to allowing others to socialize with them (my GCC walked right on to my Dude's brother and sister-in-law's hands when they came over to birdsit) whereas the Eclectus may be a bit less inclined, but birds are just like people with different personalities.

Try to find a breeder that will let you see who is available and see which baby you bond with. Often times too breeders will offer their babies for less than you'd find in a pet shop, but some like the caiques are hard to find breeders for (at least they are in my area). Good luck in your search!!

 

[Ladyeclectic]

Re: two birds and "jealous" boyfriends. I got my Green-cheek and spent a month taming her to do what she does now; at the same time we (Dude and I) were both having fun playing with a Sun conure at the local Petsmart. Well my Dude gets it in his head that he wants a Sun despite the current status of apartment-dweller and their loudness, and we found a breeder who sold us a fiesty little baby. They get along well (we waited a little over a month of quarantine before putting them together) but due to size differences I won't leave them in one cage together, nor will I leave them alone on a playgym. My GC is pretty fiesty too and holds her own, and the Sun usually is fine playing alone with the toys or running all over her area.

 

[Beilana]

Good on ya for doing research. I too really LOVE eclectus but unfortunately my circumstances aren't compatible with one.

I would also recommend a GCC, again I am very biased lol.

As for getting two, just be aware there is a chance that the birds will not get along and may never get along with eachother which means two cages, two seperate bunches of toys, extra food, more poop etc. On the other hand they could completely bond to each other and decide that neither you or your boyfriend are worth their time. Just some things to keep in mind

Good luck with your decision!

 

[birdiemomma]

I'm going to put my two cents in here.

I bought a Hahn's Macaw this past November. I bought her from an exotic bird shop. I know the manager and workers very well (most of them have been working there for the past 6-8 years that I have been visiting the store). They have specific breeders who only breed for their store and they are very picky with which breeders they use, store conditions, etc. The workers at this store love these birds more than anything and whenever I bring Bella in to get groomed (free at their store for life because I bought her there) she remembers them and goes to them without hassle. I know for a fact that the birds sold at this store are healthy. The store provides a free vet check with an avian veterinarian in my area. These birds are well taken care of and well loved. Another factor in me buying at this store than from a breeder was because of socialization. The birds are out on perches & stands during the day so that people can pick them up and hold them. Obviously the workers are evaluating/teaching.helping people become comfortable with them. I have seen many birds bought from breeders who didn't socialize and it was so hard for people to get their birds "tame" when they were supposedly already tame. The first day I had Bella she was stepping up out of her cage to see me because of the positive interactions she had with people. I think that if you are using a dependable, upstanding, successful exotic bird shop that it is a different story than pet shops that don't care and are just looking to make a few bucks here and there.

 

[Tswift]

Ladyeclectic:
I can't believe you have a sun conure in an apartment! That is the bird my boyfriend is FIXED on buying, but I keep telling him no Do you regret getting one? He REALLY wants one lol.

Beilana:
Good point... what if I got both birds from the same nest (brothers and sisters)? Also, should they be male and female? male and male? female and female?

birdiemomma: The description of your bird store sounds exactly like mine! They are not a chain, all of the birds are outside on perches interacting with all the guests (I love getting to hold the maccaws and play with the caiques!) And they let you interact with any bird for an extended amount of time. They only have one store in St. Louis and are very reputable. Also, their prices aren't bad, especially when they give you a new cage half off if you buy a bird there. They are also a great source of information... but I will still look into private breeders just in case.

Now I am almost leaning towards a GGC (or two!) Still deciding.... lol

 

[Beilana]

I would get a female-female or male-male especially if they are from the same clutch, because you don't want babies.

 

[birdiemomma]

Ladyeclectic:
I can't believe you have a sun conure in an apartment! That is the bird my boyfriend is FIXED on buying, but I keep telling him no Do you regret getting one? He REALLY wants one lol.

Beilana:
Good point... what if I got both birds from the same nest (brothers and sisters)? Also, should they be male and female? male and male? female and female?

birdiemomma: The description of your bird store sounds exactly like mine! They are not a chain, all of the birds are outside on perches interacting with all the guests (I love getting to hold the maccaws and play with the caiques!) And they let you interact with any bird for an extended amount of time. They only have one store in St. Louis and are very reputable. Also, their prices aren't bad, especially when they give you a new cage half off if you buy a bird there. They are also a great source of information... but I will still look into private breeders just in case.

Now I am almost leaning towards a GGC (or two!) Still deciding.... lol

I go to Omar's Exotic Birds in California and I have to tell you they are the best way to go around here! I've seen stores/breeders that don't care about the birds. But I know for a fact that the staff at Omar's cares so much. In my opinion, I am glad I spent a couple more $$$ to have a bird that I know was treated well & taken care of.

 

[MikeyTN]

The sex part don't matter if you get them young...I would rather get them from separate parents if you get boy & girl just in case....Cockatiels can be quite funny and playful not all are unplayful! I uses to raise Cockatiels and they're wonderful little birds. The males are more fun because they have the ability to sing. All birds have different personality so it just depends what lands in your lap. One of the best babies I've raised was a lovebird, he was my attack bird. He flies to me on command and same with attacks. But they can be pretty nisey little birds!

 

[Printer bird]

I have a gcc and he will go to both me and my fiancee although he loves my fiancee more! he will reluctantly go to strangers but is getting a bit more attack-like when people come over to our house. He's a great bird and very playful and seems to be OK when we take him with us to other places (although we haven't gone very far). He is generally pretty quiet, even on mornings when we sleep in he just plays or snacks or snoozes in his cage. Every day or maybe two he has to just yell but its only for about ten or so seconds and then he mostly chortles, chuckles and says "good Charlie" (his fave saying even when he is not a good charlie!). My fiance doesn't really like birds but loves charlie and says he's so happy we have him and that he thinks he's such a great bird so I am also biased but think a green cheek is a great choice considering your situation and you might find that if you socialize him well, he will play well with you both.

 

[mtdoramike]

Well in my opinion, you are over looking one of the best Parrot species that would probably match your needs. That is the Senegal Parrot, they are smart, fun and best of all not quite as noisy as most parrot. Some Conures can be bit noisy, not sure about Eclectus or Caiques. The Senegal has been dubbed the apartment bird, but I would hold much stock in that. My Senegal has his moments when he will squawk, but it's not as bad as some Cockatiels that I have owned.

 

[Tswift]

Oh so many cute stories about conures! Any caique owners out there? Haha.

Well if I decided to get two conures, they would probebly both be male. I could only get one caique, though, because of the price. I think it will just depend which parrots I will connect to.

If I do get two conures, what size cage do you reccomend?

And also, I know someone mentioned a hahns maccaw... I loved the one at the bird store but havent spent much time researching them. He was friendly, laid back, and loved his head scratched. They seeemed like they would not be good for apartment living due to noise and behavior. Thoughts?

 

[mtdoramike]

Also, do yourself a favor and find a local breeder where you can go and see the birds. The younger you get the bird the better chance you will have in training it and socializing it to other people besides yourself. Bird in most pet shops are year old or older. Also, if you live close enough to a breeder, they most likely will allow you to come by quite often during the feeding sessions to help out and let your bird get accustomed to you. The final plus is, you will be cutting out the middle man and will get a bird cheaper than in a pet shop.

I'm more about re-homing birds myself, but for the things you want, the younger the bird the better. But I still say, don't over look the Senegal, you can find loads of videos of them on Youtube.

 

[MikeyTN]

The sex part don't matter if you get them young...I would rather get them from separate parents if you get boy & girl just in case....Cockatiels can be quite funny and playful not all are unplayful! I uses to raise Cockatiels and they're wonderful little birds. The males are more fun because they have the ability to sing. All birds have different personality so it just depends what lands in your lap. One of the best babies I've raised was a lovebird, he was my attack bird. He flies to me on command and same with attacks. But they can be pretty nisey little birds!

 

[Tswift]

I have seen the senegal parrot, but havent looked too far into them because my bird shop hasnt had them in a long time. I will definitly look into them more.
Another bird I was told to look into was the pionus but they were not as energetic or playful as the caiques or conures.

My bird shop actually does let you attend feedings and let you watch your bird grow until you can bring them home. The birds there go so fast they are probebly no more than a couple months old if that. They have a waiting list on birds... Most are claimed before they are born.
Regardless, I am looking into breeders in the area. Most listings on the internet are outdated, its proving to be kind of difficult.

Thank you everyone for the replies so far!

 

[Pionus]

Hello,
I've handled GCC quite alot, because i've worked in various petstores who carry them. These guys can be such clowns and have an amazing personality. They do make noises(what birdie doesn't ) and have the potential to make a very loud and repetative contact call. A caique can be just as loud as well as be a much more active bird who needs a bigger cage. The green cheeks are adorable and I've handled a few different babies from some breeders due to my fiance wanting a bird of his own. Definately some possessiveness there: I own two birds already, a pionus and a lovebird. That said, sharing the bird is a fun activity and a parrot can bond with both of you. My pionus loves me and always needs my attention, but when my fiance comes home, he dances in place impatiently waiting for him to pick him up. They have a great relationship and get along really well. But this takes patience, and having to work at not being jealous!! Keep in mind that two birds are twice the work and twice the cost. As well as, you could always get one now and if you're ready for another one in the future, get a second one then.

Best of luck with your choice