I was wondering what would be a good first parrot. Maybe one that won't bite me!!

[Kakapo]

I've had a look at all the different breeds now an read a lot about there behaviours. I also really like the green winged macaw. I won't make a decision yet until i feel confident i can meet the needs of a parrot. I have a lot to learn about these animals which may take me a while.

 

[Sterling1113]

It's hard to say that one bird is "better" than another, baby or not.
There are several pros and cons to having a baby vs a shelter bird. (Pros and cons on both sides.)
I've never gotten a baby from a breeder, all mine are re-homes and I love them to bits. Sometimes when you meet a bird, you just 'know' that it was meant to be. It sounds crazy, but I promise, it's a real thing.
Spend time visiting breeders, parrot owners, specialized bird shops, and shelters(if you have any in your area.) You'd be surprised what type of bird really 'chooses' you.
It's best not to decide on one species in specific until you've experienced them, and I also don't believe in a 'starter' bird.
Like.. if you want a Gray. Having a conure won't teach you anything other than how to care for a conure. Having a Gray teaches you how to take care of one.
So keep your mind open! Don't decide on a specific species just yet, you never know what really 'clicks' with you. It could be a macaw, or it could be a parrotlet.

 

[GW.Joe]

I was wondering what would be a good first parrot. Maybe one that won't bite ...

Thankyou I'm going to give it maybe 6 months of research before i make a decision. I have seen a parrot breed that i think would be suitable for me green winged macaw. There said to have a good temperament compared to other macaws. That's what i read hopefully all goes well I'm guessing having them from a baby is better.

Keep in mind they only have "good temperaments" because of the non stop work and devotion you give the bird

Not sure I would "start out" with a Mac

Joe

 

[Anansi]

Thankyou I'm going to give it maybe 6 months of research before i make a decision. I have seen a parrot breed that i think would be suitable for me green winged macaw. There said to have a good temperament compared to other macaws. That's what i read hopefully all goes well I'm guessing having them from a baby is better.

Having them from a baby is not NECESSARILY better. Just different. There are pros and cons either way. Of course, with a baby you feel like you're getting in on the ground floor. You know he/she has not been abused. You can start it off on a healthy diet from almost day 1. (Well, more like day 90+, unless you were hand-feeding... which, as a beginner, you definitely should NOT be!) And you don't have to deal with any undesirable behaviors that have been fostered by former owners. The bird will grow up as a part of your household, trained and socialized only by you and whomever else you so choose.

BUT...

With an adult bird, you are meeting the bird with its true personality, warts and all. You see, just because a bird is sweet as a baby is no guarantee that he/she will be a sweet adult. Hormones kick in at a certain point and some birds change quite a bit as they mature. (Consider human teenagers. Lol!) But if you take home a sweet adult bird, you have the peace of mind knowing that its personality has more or less stabilized. Of course, there will be some seasonal mood swings, the extremity of which will vary from bird to bird, but otherwise, barring external factors, a stable personality.

I'm not saying one is definitely better than the other. Each has its potential drawbacks and advantages. But knowing these pros and cons, you can make an informed decision about what works best for you.

 

[Kakapo]

I think you're right joe that's a lot larger than i thought. I think I'd need to get a lot more experience in handling parrots. It's sort of catch 22 i can't experience unless i have a macaw. At first i was drawn towards African grey as i said to sterling. When I seen green winged macaw i thought it was beautiful. I'm kind of unsure now about whether i could handle a bird of that size with little experience.

 

[Sterling1113]

Another thing to consider is the PRICE that goes along with the bird, cage, food, toys, etc...
If you're getting a larger parrot, you'll need a big cage. I'm not sure how differently birds/things are priced in England, but here, you're looking at $2000+ from the start; for the bird, appropriate cage, perches, toys, and then maybe $20~ a week in fresh foods, appropriate pellets, and depending how how destructive the bird is, and whether you buy pre-made bird toys, parts, or make your own, you're looking at another monthly fee just to constantly have toys for your fid.
And that isn't including a portable perch, a play stand, travel carrier, and anything else you want to get to spoil your bird.
(Trust me, once you start making your 'bird area' it's hard to stop! Once I'm in a house I plan to have a 'bird room' with separate perches/play stands in the living area as well.)
Once again, not meaning to discourage you, but they are also quite costly. It's best to have a few hundred dollars in savings, too, for vetting in case an emergency happens. (Make sure you have an avian vet lined up, only an avian certified professional can give your parrot the care/medicine they need in an emergency situation.)
It seems like a bunch, but really, everyone here will tell you it's a labor of love. None of us see the things we do day to day as 'sacrifices', more or less we are PRIVILEGED to do these things with our fids. I promise, nobody likes cleaning a bird cage, but compared to all the joys our birds bring us we can't even complain. (Not even if they re-design a favorite shirt with holes and green spots!)

 

[Kakapo]

Sterling that's how i feel i would love a macaw. If i started with another breed what i learn about that spieces wouldn't cross over to another species. I think that's what your saying also

 

[RavensGryf]

If there is a bird store or parrot rescue where you live, that might be a good place to see if you can handle the birds, ask questions, and if you're lucky someone might be nice enough and have time to teach you a thing or two first hand.

I think you're looking into it with a good amount of responsibility and common sense.
Some people do get a large macaw as a first bird, but even with some base knowledge it's a "crash course". Not saying it can't be done with the right person with reasonable expectations.

My first experience with fish aquariums was saltwater and reef tanks... That was a crash course for me with my gauges and chemistry sets haha. I did go through much $$$ before I learned enough. Not the same as birds, but I think by not rushing into it and being eager to learn, you're on the right track!

 

[Kakapo]

I'm pretty settled career wise so I'm not worried about the finacial side of things or space. I have a spare double bedroom which i would make into a huge area for the bird. My main concern is whether i can give the bird what it needs emotionally i wouldn't want it to be unhappy

 

[Kakapo]

All your advice will help me make an educated decision. It's much appreciated the more i learn about these animals the more they amaze me. I will definitely go a visit some bird stores an see where my nearest rescue centre. I'm really good with other animals they seem to like me. I'm a very calm person an animals seem to like that. I think then can sense your demeanour

 

[GW.Joe]

I'm pretty settled career wise so I'm not worried about the finacial side of things or space. I have a spare double bedroom which i would make into a huge area for the bird. My main concern is whether i can give the bird what it needs emotionally i wouldn't want it to be unhappy

As long as you give the bird LOVE and structure EVERY Day you would be ok

You just have to make up for the time the bird is alone

If you get home @ 5 PM the bird will know that before you even get in the door, you would go right to the bird, first thing, before anything

If you take a shower after work, the bird LOVES water, some people (including me) take showers with their bird (they make a perch that suctions to the tiles)

Some times when I eat I put a plate out for the bird and he sits in his plate and eats veggies with us while we eat dinner (and learns boundaries at the same time) he is not allowed to leave the plate

If you are not a nite owl, get up early and spend "breakfast" with the bird before work

Do you ever come home for lunch?

Remember this: they are at about 4th on the list of intelligence just under
Dolphins, Chimps, & Elephants, They are like 5 year old kids REALLY

That is part of why they need so much love

Get out there and hold some Parrots !!!

Joe

 

[tab_xo]

Hi Stephen! Welcome!

You have had some BRILLIANT advice by our other members, and they are all spot on!

EVERY bird will bite you.. EVERY bird will be loud and scream..

The saying is- It isn't 'if' you get bitten, it is 'when'

Not necessarily blood and stiches, just warning bites and little nips or bruises

Your job is to know when your bird is upset and hormonal, and encourage other behaviours so the bird isn't screaming for your attention or wanting to bite you!

Having a bird from a baby "can" help, but it will be all about how you socialise the baby from day one!! When hormones kick in, it will be alot difficult, but when they are adult, each spring they are still going to get hormonal...



Now i have owned every kind of animal i think, lots of horses, lots of dogs, lots of cats.. Possums, kangaroos, cows, chickens, ducks

NOTHING is as time consuming as a parrot..

They are SO intelligent it is unbelievable.. The bond and love they bring to you is incredible if you care for them right!


The problem with a macaw, is their size.. If you are scared of their size, you are going to have a huge issue... Because they know you are scared, and their beak CAN do damage!

I have had my macaw since he was 7 months, he is now almost 2 and a halfish!
He has neverrr been aggressive to me, because from day one, we did socialising, and training, and i taught him boundaries and i NEVER showed fear..

I don't see his beak as big, i think he is tiny So he has never thought- oh i am going to try and be the boss of her, i will bite her haha

I love him with all my heart, honestly, i think you will find most bird owners have a difficult time explaining how much they actually love their parrot...

I never thought it was like that, kinda like you... Until you actually get one, and it is just very special


But they require LOTS of room to play, LOTS of toys- I mean they destroy 50 dollar toys in 5 minutes..

And i think it is a minimum of 4 hours playtime OUT of the cage each day, with lots of interaction... Nice healthy diet.. Veges, fruit, pellets, nuts EACH day..


Go and have a play with different birds and see how comfortable you feel with them! If you do love the macaw, and have NO fear from them, and realise you WILL get bitten, then go ahead, just remember lotsssss of training.. Don't allow screaming and attention seeking from the word go and you should be fine for the screaming part, although they will scream no matter what, it is their flock call..

Most days Fargo is quiet, just talks, never screams, unless it is storming or all these crows sit out his window.. He hates crows hahaha

I think training is the key, and ALOT of socialising with people and getting out and about!

This is my boy, see how clever they are!!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y7hr3ZQojc&feature=youtu.be]Fargo the blue and gold macaw incredibly smart bird tricks - YouTube[/ame]

Depending on the type of bird, some may be cuddly, others might just want to sit and be close to you! My macaw sleeps next to me, plays upside down on his back, gets sooo many cuddles and kisses, he is just like a baby!

Can have a look at Fargo's page, there are heaps of pictures of him being silly on there

Hope this helps a little! Although it is just saying what everyone else has said! haha

 

[Kakapo]

that wouldn't be a problem my home is 5min drive from work. Sounds great so do you have be quite assertive vocally with parrots. So if he/her moved away from his plate how do you let him/her know he's testing the boundaries. And also is there much difference in behaviour of male parrots an female parrots. Is one sex maybe a bit more laid back?

 

[Kiwibird]

Welcome to the forum. First, I want to say I am so happy to hear you re doing your research FIRST rather than rushing out to get a bird and doing "damage control" after the fact. That is the *right* way to go about any pet you are not familiar with the specific care meets of, so big thumbs up for you :25_coolgu

Now, I haven't read all the posts on this thread (my goodness this thread got big fast), but I'm sure there is some very good information on here already. I will say, you are probably best to get a smaller bird to start with. They are still very intelligent and sensitive animals very capable of being excellent pets, but also do not have the huge beak and tend not to have as serious of a potential to develop behavioral issues as the big birds do. I am not sure if someone has suggested it already, but in case not, I STRONGLY suggest you visit a local avian rescue to meet and interact with some of the birds. Even if you don't adopt, it is *invaluable* experience to learn a little more about these amazing animals in a hands on way before committing to the lifetime care of one (plus, shelter birds always love having someone come play with them). Plus, most parrots seem to pick a favorite person, and who knows, you may meet a bird who loves you at first sight- which would be a HUGE head start to creating a lasting bond OR you may find they are too much work/messy/loud/intimidating whatever, and then you have not already brought home a bird you now have to rehome. They are definitely NOT feathered dogs or fish that sit there and look pretty- they are more like a highly destructive toddler who wants attention 24/7. Obviously, there are quite a lot of us who just love those attributes in a pet, but they certainly aren't for everyone. Hope you continue doing your research, and IF you choose to bring home a bird, I hope you keep up on the forum! Bets of luck!

 

[Sterling1113]

The biggest thing in training your parrot is positive reinforcement. They don't understand negative punishment. Like some people slap a dog's behind when he does something bad, you can't do something like that to a bird. They'd just think you hated them and it would hurt your bond.
Reward the good behaviors, ignore the bad. If a bird bites, there's tons of methods on getting them to let go. Also to be followed with a stern "no" and some people have 'time out' perches/cages in a separate room. (You don't want to punish a bird by putting them in their cage- their cage should be a fun, happy place! If you use 'time out' get a separate cage/perch for ONLY time outs.)
Like teaching them to 'stay'. Put them where you'd like them to station (Cage top, play stand, etc) and reward them for being there. Every so often reward them for staying where they should. If they move away from their 'spot', then simply put the bird back, wait a few minutes, and praise for staying there. They'll learn that being in their 'spot' gets attention and treats, and moving away only gets them put back, with no praise or treats.
As for difference between boys and girls.. it depends on the species. Some species the female is 'dominant', meaning the female would have multiple males tending to her needs in the wild, or she's the 'boss' of the roost. Some females tend to be more cage protective/hormonally aggressive, because it is their nature. It really depends on the bird though.
I prefer males to females always, just because I don't want to deal with the health complications that go with having a female that can lay eggs. (A female who is being nesty CAN lay eggs. They will be infertile, but you have to be careful so she doesn't get hurt. Egg binding, calcium deficiency from over laying, etc, is a problem.) If you get a female your best bet would be to order some 'fake' eggs online that are similar in size and shape to the ones she would lay, so if she ever does lay, you can swap them for fake eggs and once she realizes they won't hatch she'll abandon them.

 

[Kiwibird]

that wouldn't be a problem my home is 5min drive from work. Sounds great so do you have be quite assertive vocally with parrots. So if he/her moved away from his plate how do you let him/her know he's testing the boundaries. And also is there much difference in behaviour of male parrots an female parrots. Is one sex maybe a bit more laid back?

I'll go ahead and answer this one-

Each bird is an individual, and some respond to different types of training better than others. My bird responds well to "firm" verbal cues such as "no" to mark a negative behavior, whereas other bird respond better to being ignored when doing a negative behavior/rewarded for positive. That's down to the individual and it becomes your job to figure out which training method (and there are lots of them!) works best for your bird. I prefer an approach that is more in line with how you handle small children because large parrots are developmentally very similar to toddlers.

As for gender, it honestly doesn't matter. You get back what you put in. So long as you have created a strong bond with your bird, males and females can both be very laid back. That said, even the most laid back bird will eventually hit sexual maturity, and have a month or so a year where they seem to have become possessed by demons. Hormones are a natural process, and you can't really stop it, just discourage specific behaviors. But it's for such a short period of time each year, you just learn to power through it. My male amazon becomes VERY aggressive during the mating season (which is typical for his species), but once his hormones have passed, he is a VERY laid back, sweet little bird who likes to hang out and be a good boy. A few weeks of unpleasantness in the spring is no big deal to put up with to me for the sweet little animal he is the rest of the year. However, some people have a very difficult time handling hormonal behaviors, so it's definitely another point to look in to. Males do tend to have more aggression during it, but the trade off is females can have all kind of problems stemming from egg laying. It's one more thing to definitely look into.

Edit (on the training)- Just my OPINION, but I don't necessarily agree with treating my bird like a dumb animal in regards to training, whether it be positive reinforcement based or the old school methods where there was "punishments" (like squirting or swatting or yelling). I have found a little adaptation on how you would teach a child has worked very well on my bird. He was untamed and pretty vicious when we got him, and is now completely potty trained, does not touch what is not his (i.e. does not tear up the house), comes when you call, makes lower-volume vocalizations than is typical of his species and over the years, we have even worked out a very simple, but effective, body-language based means for him to communicate his specific needs to us. And yes, he does get told "no" and when he is really misbehaving, he gets a time out (which is rare). We treat him just like a kid- he is a part of the family, he can express himself, but we are also the authority because we know better than him and if he crosses a standard of behavior that has been set, there is a consequence, such as a "no" or a time out. Parrots are very smart animals capable of learning through different pathways than other animals.

 

[Kakapo]

That was really good insight actually tab thanks. I would like to have a cuddly bird myself. I also don't mind if it likes space an likes a more hands off approach. As long as its happy i think I will get a green winged macaw. First I'm going to find a local expert an get experience maybe spend 6 months learning an visiting rescue centres. An get experience handling parrots first. See how they react to me an Fargo it's awesome I'm guessing hes a male?

 

[Kakapo]

Thank you sterling an kiwibird they were both excellent answers. Was exactly what i wanted to know. People have said maybe a macaw wouldn't be ideal for a starter bird. I think go about this responsibly an get a good 6 months experience being around them. when I can visit rescue centres an make sure i have everything in place before i buy my own. I'm sure i could manage i never knew female parrots laid eggs lol. Be funny finding eggs around your house

 

[tab_xo]

I love that you are doing so much research and not rushing.. Spending 6 months with different birds at rescue centers would be brilliant!!!!!

Fargo is a male, i chose male because for some reason i only like male animals, all my horses are males too haha

I didn't want to worry about egg bound issues as well!

People have had their first birds as a macaw, just as long as you do alot of research.. I hadn't had much bird experience before getting Fargo, i just read ALOT of websites and books, but even so, nothing is as good as actually interacting with them in person!



My room has turned into a jungle, just filled with gyms and toys for Fargo haha

Just aslong as you have time for one in the mornings and afternoons, and know that they are a huge commitment.. So many people don't realise how much work a parrot actually is!

 

[GW.Joe]

that wouldn't be a problem my home is 5min drive from work. Sounds great so do you have be quite assertive vocally with parrots. So if he/her moved away from his plate how do you let him/her know he's testing the boundaries. And also is there much difference in behaviour of male parrots an female parrots. Is one sex maybe a bit more laid back?

Well in my case my parrot was my fathers before me, My mother and father both taught the bird to talk and sing, the bird could sing "God Bless America", "Popeye The Sailor Man" (both songs in full vibrato) he also learned to sing "Money Money Money" by the O'Jays (not in full vibrato, more like radio version )

The bird had an EXTENSIVE vocabulary

To give you an example of how smart the bird was, My mother as a prank taught the bird to sometimes sing "I'm Popeye the sailor man, I LIVE IN A GARBAGE CAN" Ha Ha Ha Mom!! He would only sing the modded version every once in a while....

Well when the bird was passed to me, I would every once and a while wait till he got to "I Live" and very quietly say "yuck"

Don't you know he would stop and laugh at me

He never stopped doing it even years later my kids would laugh hearing their loving departed grandmothers voice say "I'm Popeye the sailor man, I LIVE IN A GARBAGE CAN"

So I guess that's another point!! Just like a child, you don't fight, curse, or get upset in front of the bird LOL

Asking about keeping him on the plate, they know by verbal cues (whether they listen or not ) what you are "saying" My bird (like two others here that commented) knew the word "NO" Not mean "NO" Just firm "NOOOO"

In the beginning of the plate dining with us it took consistent corrections to get the bird to stay, one method was just a gentle "ah ah ah" and show him food on his plate with one hand and gentle push back on the plate with the other

If the bird (like a tired or spoiled child) gets mad or "throws a hissy" put him on a time out perch for 2-5 mins then if he is quiet bring him back to try again

They learn VERY Fast!!

Now Get Out There hold some Parrots!!!

Joe