Galah or Conure for experienced bird keeper?

[Snoodletea]

I'm an experienced bird keeper, I've kept cockatiels, budgies and quails, as well as volunteering at a rescue where I've interacted with many species, and I feel like I'm ready to get a companion bird again.

I originally got my boy cockatiel Tinsel and he was handraised. Unfortunately he became very hormonal, and very lonely, so I got him a mate. Hes a good mate, and a devoted dad, but this means he isn't interested is cuddles or scritches anymore and is understandably cage protective (I'm moving him to the aviary when it's setup).

Anyway, after doing my research, I'm considering a galah or a conure. Where I live there's about a $500 difference between the two, but price isn't an issue. From what I've read both have a few similarities personality-wise (playful, cuddly, affectionate, can be hyper). I'm.wanting a bird that's cuddly, playful and interactive, noise, mess etc aren't an issue for me, and I have ample time to spend with a bird because I work from home.

The pros of a conure seem to be that they are cuddly, their bites hurt less, they are less moody, they aren't so much one person birds (I have a big family, but none of them are allowed in my room, which would be the birds space, but the bird tolerating my family would be great)
The pros of a galah seem to be that they are a larger bird, they are more interactive, they have better talking voices, they are more suitable for harness training, and they wouldn't tolerate my cat (he's not allowed in my room anyway, but the bird being able to stand it's ground would be handy).

So yeah, does anyone have experience with these species? Which would you recommend?

 

[Ezekiell]

I don’t have direct experience with those species, but a work colleague kept GCCs and she loved her birds because their noise wasn’t as piercing, cuddly but still spunky. With the conures as well you have the small and medium varieties (GCC vs Sun).

As a side note, I notice that you are located in NZ but are moving to Colarado. Are you taking your flock with you to the states? And if so, is your move permanent?, because if it's not/likely not please remember that your flock won’t be allowed back into NZ (Australia and NZ do not allow importation of birds even if they’re pets).

 

[chris-md]

These two couldn’t be further apart, there’s not much in common between the two. Galahs can be harder than conures to keep, personality wise. They are cockatoos, in a slightly milder package.

Do you want a cockatoo or a conure?

 

[Snoodletea]

I don’t have direct experience with those species, but a work colleague kept GCCs and she loved her birds because their noise wasn’t as piercing, cuddly but still spunky. With the conures as well you have the small and medium varieties (GCC vs Sun).

As a side note, I notice that you are located in NZ but are moving to Colarado. Are you taking your flock with you to the states? And if so, is your move permanent?, because if it's not/likely not please remember that your flock won’t be allowed back into NZ (Australia and NZ do not allow importation of birds even if they’re pets).

I'm moving with my dad in about four years, and yes it will be permanent (my grandparents have been citizens for six years and they live in Colorado). Dad's paying off the house. I may leave my cockatiels in the care of my sister, as I'm not sure that they would survive the stress of air travel. I was in a really bad place when I first got them (mental health wise) so I didn't take the time to socialise them or get them used to new situations, and consequently they are very easily stressed.

Please know that if I get a new bird I will not make that mistake, and I'm doing way better then I was two years ago.

 

[Snoodletea]

These two couldn’t be further apart, there’s not much in common between the two. Galahs can be harder than conures to keep, personality wise. They are cockatoos, in a slightly milder package.

Do you want a cockatoo or a conure?

Honestly weighing the pros and cons I'm pretty set on a galah. I might get a GCC when I move to the US (GCCs aren't available in New Zealand). I'm really wanting a bird that I can train and bond with. I have all of birdtricks(a wonderful parrot trainers) books. I have alot of handraising experience, so I'm considering getting an unweaned chick and raising it. Do you have any experience with galahs? From what I've seen they are moody, but also very playful. I feel like a conure would be easier to handle, but I really want a larger bird.

 

[LaManuka]

I would strongly urge you to refer to the thread “So You Bought An Unweaned Baby” which you’ll find under the "Breeding/Raising Parrots” forum. Hand raising, even just the finishing-off bit, is filled with pitfalls and pratfalls and not for the faint-hearted. It does not help your bird to bond with you and may indeed have the opposite effect. Three words - don’t go there!

 

[Laurasea]

Do not get an unweaned baby, it doesn't make a better pet or bond. You want a baby weaned by abundance and have that extended time with hatch mates. Not clipped a baby and allowing it to fledge and learn to fly is a huge deal. I have some links to articles il get and put here.
https://theparrotuniversity.com/arthandfeeding3

http://www.parrot-parrots.com/important-stages-life-parrot.php

Do your research on importing to the United States , see what's involved.

When getting a parrot try and research all the negatives. When I was going get my Quaker I read that they are loud. I did not get that they are loud non stop, as in they get a lot of joy out of being boisterously loud for maybe six hours straight!!! I mistakenly thought they would be loud in volume, not in duration... !!!! Now I see why do many are given up....
So look into negative stories not just the positive.

I think galahs have a huge amount of energy, energy that they have to burn off every day , kind of like maniacs ..... Like they might need to spend time in am avairy every day ... We have members with them so they can weigh in.....
http://www.avianwelfare.org/issues/articles/truenature.htm

Also don't let what you think you know, stop you from learning what you don't know..... I have worked with parrots, fostered problem parrots and had parrots for pet for over 25 years. And there is so much to learn, I continue to learn from others here, research articles in behavior, enrichments, nutrition, health , and reevaluate my parrots set up, activity, and flock dynamic all the time..I've made it my hobby to improve their lives..

 

[Kiwibird]

Are you thinking of buying a bird soon or after your move? I would not buy a parrot of any species knowing full well you will be moving internationally in the next few years. That is a terrible idea. We see people on here who have had their birds for years and are inseparable bonded (so obviously not just going to rehome the bird/s) going through international moves and it is a nightmare with all the importation laws and hoops to jump through. Don’t do it if you don’t have to!

While slightly more difficult to find than GCCs, there are still plenty of galah breeders in the US. You should have no problems finding one here after your move, should you decided to get one. Breeders (or at least reputable ones) do not typically sell unweaned babies in the US except perhaps to other reputable and experienced breeders. I am unsure of your experience level, but that would 100% be up to the breeder. There is also zero evidence that buying an unweaned baby makes them more bonded to you. In fact, it seems the exact opposite is usually true, seeing as parrots do not maintain any kind of meaningful relationships with their parents (which is the role of a hand feeder) after weaning. The most current evidence points toward parrots bonding best with their new owners as fully weaned juveniles, not babies.

I do not have experience with either species, but by all accounts, these birds do not seem similar AT ALL. They don’t even come from the same side of the planet. If a galah is truly your dream bird, then plan to get a galah because a conure will never live up to that dream. But also take the time and be sure you are in the right life position to take on such a difficult species. ALL large parrots are difficult, cockatoos being, arguably, the most difficult of all. For whatever reason, cockatoos just don’t settle into domestic home life as well as other birds and can be a real challenge to keep mentally stimulated and give enough attention to. Be sure you are prepared for that. They may seem cute and cuddly on YouTube videos and whatnot, but IMO, that doesn’t necessarily accurately convey what living with one is truly like. Few people are suited to keeping parrots in the first place, but the true ”unicorn” of the parrot keeping world are those who can keep cockatoos successfully. Just food for thought.

Edit- we do have a few of those cockatoo unicorns on this forum- Scott and ParrotGenie come to mind as our most experienced keepers of cockatoos.

 

[noodles123]

First of all, welcome! This is a great forum with so many opinions and lots of different experiences etc---you will fit in perfectly! Glad you found it!

Cockatoos are "needy" because they are so social and can be so sexual (so you have to have a LOT of time for them--and interaction that does NOT revolve mostly around petting/sitting--which can easily come off as mating behavior). They are like larger, MUCH more intense cockatiels (same family) with significantly greater noise/damage capacity and amplified behaviors. Even though they want cuddles more than other birds, YOU SHOULDN'T CUDDLE THEM (as it is very sexual and leads to the behavior problems that lead to them being relinquished by owners). Although the Galah isn't at the top of the list when compared to the larger ones, as a collective, cockatoos are re-homed more than any other bird species (world-wide and nationally within the US).

You indicated that your tiel became hormonal---a cockatoo's hormones are a much bigger problem in terms of noise/danger/craziness (and they are even easier to stimulate hormonally) etc.
No bird should be cuddled, but especially not "toos". Head and neck petting only (cockatoos are known as "cuddlers" but they get crazy about them very quickly--in an unhealthy/sexual/aggressive way). No shadowy spaces, no wrapping in towels, no drawers, no under the covers/pillows ..

A conure is probably a safer bet given your desires, but still know that cuddles are no good for them and can lead to sexual/hormonal behavior at puberty. They still shouldn't be cuddled---dogs/cats can handle it, birds cannot (not past puberty).
If you are the type who wants to cuddle, my instinct says, don't get a cockatoo, because it will be very hard for you to draw that firm line that needs to be drawn (i.e., no cuddles from a cuddle monster). They are so cute and it seems innocent (until it isn't, and usually, by then it is a problem). That does not mean that you can cuddle a conure either, but there is a bit more lee-way.

In terms of housing etc---being the owner of a galah will mean that you will need a huge cage/aviary and a ton of time/energy..for a single galah, you will need to be like a cracked out pre-school teacher planning enrichment activities all day for 40+ years...
You already indicated that your last bird pulled away when it got a mate (which often happens) and so if you plan to be this bird's everything (main companion), then you will need to be VERY ready to prep lots of creative activities (and provide very frequent socialization opportunities) because they can be driven by motors and while they are hilarious and fun, they aren't exactly relaxing most of the time (i.e. cuddles).

Don't get an unweaned baby of any sort. It makes no difference in the long run whether you or someone else feeds a bird so young....Read the thread suggested above. Yes---a bird must be hand-fed by a person for the easiest training later on, but it doesn't matter who does it. All babies are easy-going....SO MUCH can go wrong and it is crazy expensive (for any parrot). Also, hand-raising quail etc isn't going to be the same...Even though it is cool that you have that experience.

Especially since you indicated that you are considering buying a baby and you already want a cuddle-bug, I would steer you away from the cockatoo (again) because they hit puberty MUCH later than most birds (which leads owners into a false sense of comfort regarding their own -often inadvertently harmful-behavior with the bird) and if you set a precedent when they are young and make mistakes with these needy and sweet baby balls of fluff, they will be a nightmare within 5 to 6 years (and you will be so confused/unhappy with the changes unless you set firm boundaries and teach extreme independence early on). They really don't understand that you have a life outside of them and want to attach to your hip UNLESS they are taught to do otherwise and given plenty of time to fly/run/hang/flap etc--- in addition to interaction that doesn't spell sex to them...which is way easier said than done when they are very persistent.

I'm moving with my dad in about four years, and yes it will be permanent (my grandparents have been citizens for six years and they live in Colorado). Dad's paying off the house. I may leave my cockatiels in the care of my sister, as I'm not sure that they would survive the stress of air travel. I was in a really bad place when I first got them (mental health wise) so I didn't take the time to socialise them or get them used to new situations, and consequently they are very easily stressed.

Please know that if I get a new bird I will not make that mistake, and I'm doing way better then I was two years ago.

^MOVING IS A MASSIVE STRESS to even the most perfectly socialized birds and if you know it is happening in 4 years, PLEASE wait. The fact that you may leave your tiels is a bit heartbreaking for them (and probably hard for you) and I want you to know that even if they had been more social, travel is not easy for birds..So is being left behind (I am not trying to make you feel bad, but you seem confused about how this works). A very tame bird can have a heart-attack in a plane (not that they all do, but it IS a big deal for them. A bonded bird leaving its main caretaker also leaves a permanent scar...So, think about that before you dive back in.

You also said, "when I move to the US" ---any moving with birds is VERY stressful and tricky (especially internationally)---not good for them unless you have no choice. The thing is---a lot of people have to re-home their bonded birds when relocating due to the cost and craziness of paperwork and logistics (you can be denied by the country of entry or exit and breaking a bond to leave your bird behind damages them--even if they go to a new home). If you are even planning on moving internationally within the next 5-10 years, I would strongly suggest that you WAIT to get any sort of parrot until you are more settled (for your sake and for theirs).


Oh--and I wouldn't assume any bird can stand ground with a cat (ever)--I know there are lots of videos of cockatoos with cats, but their claws and saliva contain bacteria/parasites that are deadly to birds (a paw in the bird's water could kill it, as a cat paws its litter and those parasite/bacteria get onto their feet/nails). Many birds die from infection after a minor (even playful) run-in with a cat --see https://nilesanimalhospital.com/2013/01/22/2503/ (Pasteurella multocida-among others). Plus, a galah (while bigger than a parakeet) is not that big overall...I mean, yes, they are larger, but it's not like we are talking about a macaw...still way smaller than a cat.

 

[noodles123]

I would strongly urge you to refer to the thread “So You Bought An Unweaned Baby” which you’ll find under the "Breeding/Raising Parrots” forum. Hand raising, even just the finishing-off bit, is filled with pitfalls and pratfalls and not for the faint-hearted. It does not help your bird to bond with you and may indeed have the opposite effect. Three words - don’t go there!

This is the one I was referencing in the post above