My new Amazon Kiwi (and previous deliberation)

[Ninjette]

Maximilian Pionus, Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied Parrot, and Blue headed Pionus. Which of these 4 is the best for a beginner? Any other suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[RavensGryf]

Any of the Pionus or Poicephalus are good birds for anyone, including beginners who are willing to learn in depth about parrot behavior. All these you mentioned, males are a bit more temperamental when mature. All though each bird is an individual, in certain species the males and females do display different behavior characteristics. Female Poicephalus can be feisty too. Besides individual personality, I'd say the female Pionus might be the "easiest" of all mentioned, although 'easy' is relative.

Do you want to get another bird so soon after all the ones you have gotten recently? It's fun to get more birds, but it can get too much very quickly if you aren't careful

 

[Timothy]

One way to go is to go to a local shelter, or find an older parrot. 2 reasons i suggest this. you can predetermine the disposition of the bird because he is already older. There are plenty of mellow, laid back, affectionate, mature birds out there, and you'd be performing a great service. There are wayyyy too many parrots out there that need forever homes because people give them up for every reason under the sun. Just because a bird is older doesn't mean their damaged goods. A lot of your medium sized parrots can live to be 30-60 years old depending on the species. I highly suggest you try this out, you may fall head over heels for a bird who needs you.

The number of birds needing homes is astronomical. Please at least check a few out!

That being said, Have you ever considered a Meyer's? I like them alot, personally. They are very mellow, sociable, bond well with the whole family, and are very stable. They are also one of the quietest parrots. Definitely don't overlook the meyers ^^

Meyer's Parrot Personality, Food & Care - Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

 

[RavensGryf]

Meyer's and all Poi's have very similar general characteristics. I've heard of some 'bitey' Meyers too
In case you don't know by now, I highly recommend Poicephalus parrots to both experienced and new owners alike. Some people may point out their 'attitude' or nippiness, but then Conures have plenty of that too, and they're still very popular. Poi's are naturally more laid back than many species when it comes to being independent, and won't get clingy AS easily.

I love Poi's

 

[Terry57]

I agree with Julie (RavensGryf) about Pis and Pois
I have a male Blue Headed Pionus, Talli, and a female White Capped Pionus, Pisces.
Talli can be quite loud and as he is getting older can be more temperamental. Talli is 2 now.
Pisces is 11, and she is a sweetheart. She is very quiet and loves scritches, but also likes to be left alone sometimes. I also have a couple of Red Bellied that we just added to our flock a couple of weeks ago and they are wild, but so beautiful. Julie's beautiful Robin is tame and seems like such a wonderful guy.
In the end, only you can make the decision on when you feel comfortable adding to your flock, but I am so happy you are here asking questions

 

[Ninjette]

Any of the Pionus or Poicephalus are good birds for anyone, including beginners who are willing to learn in depth about parrot behavior. All these you mentioned, males are a bit more temperamental when mature. All though each bird is an individual, in certain species the males and females do display different behavior characteristics. Female Poicephalus can be feisty too. Besides individual personality, I'd say the female Pionus might be the "easiest" of all mentioned, although 'easy' is relative.

Do you want to get another bird so soon after all the ones you have gotten recently? It's fun to get more birds, but it can get too much very quickly if you aren't careful

Thanks, I'm thinking about getting a Pionus too, but the bird show might not have it.. I'm only keeping the child, Halo, because my landlord complained about the noise. Will return the parents back to the previous owner, as he wanted to keep the parents only because the child bullied the father... so I'm looking to get another parrot, but a quieter one, like Pionus or Poisephalus, a baby girl hehe

One way to go is to go to a local shelter, or find an older parrot. 2 reasons i suggest this. you can predetermine the disposition of the bird because he is already older. There are plenty of mellow, laid back, affectionate, mature birds out there, and you'd be performing a great service. There are wayyyy too many parrots out there that need forever homes because people give them up for every reason under the sun. Just because a bird is older doesn't mean their damaged goods. A lot of your medium sized parrots can live to be 30-60 years old depending on the species. I highly suggest you try this out, you may fall head over heels for a bird who needs you.

The number of birds needing homes is astronomical. Please at least check a few out!

That being said, Have you ever considered a Meyer's? I like them alot, personally. They are very mellow, sociable, bond well with the whole family, and are very stable. They are also one of the quietest parrots. Definitely don't overlook the meyers ^^

Meyer's Parrot Personality, Food & Care - Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

Thanks! I will see that the bird show has tmr first.. I checked the Animal Control and Care website, they don't have parrots at this moment. My friend also suggested me to get a Meyer's Parrot

Meyer's and all Poi's have very similar general characteristics. I've heard of some 'bitey' Meyers too
In case you don't know by now, I highly recommend Poicephalus parrots to both experienced and new owners alike. Some people may point out their 'attitude' or nippiness, but then Conures have plenty of that too, and they're still very popular. Poi's are naturally more laid back than many species when it comes to being independent, and won't get clingy AS easily.

I love Poi's

yup, the conures are quite nippy haha for the Poicephalus, I heard that they have a nippy stage, but don't know at how many months..

I agree with Julie (RavensGryf) about Pis and Pois
I have a male Blue Headed Pionus, Talli, and a female White Capped Pionus, Pisces.
Talli can be quite loud and as he is getting older can be more temperamental. Talli is 2 now.
Pisces is 11, and she is a sweetheart. She is very quiet and loves scritches, but also likes to be left alone sometimes. I also have a couple of Red Bellied that we just added to our flock a couple of weeks ago and they are wild, but so beautiful. Julie's beautiful Robin is tame and seems like such a wonderful guy.
In the end, only you can make the decision on when you feel comfortable adding to your flock, but I am so happy you are here asking questions

Thanks! I really prefer getting a Pionus than a Poisepalus because they are more independent.. I do have a full-time job, so Pionus might fit me better...
but Poisephalus talk better.. hmm.. will see what's available at the bird show hehe

 

[RavensGryf]

I really prefer getting a Pionus than a Poisepalus because they are more independent.. I do have a full-time job, so Pionus might fit me better...
but Poisephalus talk better.. hmm.. will see what's available at the bird show hehe

NO Nooo! I think you misunderstood .... Poicephalus ARE one of the most INDEPENDENT parrot species you can find! That being said Pionus are also.

These species are BY NATURE INDEPENDENT . They can be MADE to be spoiled like any species can, but you'll find that if you don't constantly baby one 24/7 (which you don't have time to do anyway), that birds within both the Poicephalus and Pionus genus will be NATURALLY inclined to being pretty independent.

Also, about the talking, some Pionus talk well, others don't. Poi's too... Some talk, others don't.

To be honest, I'm not sure if female Pionus talk as easily as males. I had a female who passed away, and she did not talk. Raven who is male, talks with a limited vocabulary.

Poicephalus, I believe, are one species in which the males are more inclined to be talkers. My male Red Bellied talks and mimicks noises fairly well, where my male Ruppell's parrot only speaks 'bird', and I'm not sure he will ever talk. It's pretty individual. Of course there is never any guarantee that any bird will talk. Even some birds of the better known talking species don't talk.

** I also wanted to address the fact that since you seem to have a 'sensitive' landlord, just know that a Pionus can have quite a piercing noise too! Might not exactly solve the problem? Also ONE Jenday has quite a powerful voice! What if he still complains about that PLUS yet another bird? What would you do?

Although typically not as often as a Jenday, and it's usually just one scream at a time, not several rapid fire screams in succession like a conure does. To me a Pionus is not "loud"... But that's only because I've heard large Macaws, Cockatoos, Eclectus, etc. and though not anywhere near as loud as those species, and not even AS loud as a Jenday, a Pionus IS definitely louder in volume than the smaller Poi's and can be heard quite well!

Also FWIW, you are more LIKELY to get a cuddly Poicephalus (who doesn't mind being touched anywhere and cuddled) than a Pionus. Of course no guarantees there either

Just a few more things to think about

 

[Ninjette]

I really prefer getting a Pionus than a Poisepalus because they are more independent.. I do have a full-time job, so Pionus might fit me better...
but Poisephalus talk better.. hmm.. will see what's available at the bird show hehe

NO Nooo! I think you misunderstood .... Poicephalus ARE one of the most INDEPENDENT parrot species you can find! That being said Pionus are also.

These species are BY NATURE INDEPENDENT . They can be MADE to be spoiled like any species can, but you'll find that if you don't constantly baby one 24/7 (which you don't have time to do anyway), that birds within both the Poicephalus and Pionus genus will be NATURALLY inclined to being pretty independent.

Also, about the talking, some Pionus talk well, others don't. Poi's too... Some talk, others don't.

To be honest, I'm not sure if female Pionus talk as easily as males. I had a female who passed away, and she did not talk. Raven who is male, talks with a limited vocabulary.

Poicephalus, I believe, are one species in which the males are more inclined to be talkers. My male Red Bellied talks and mimicks noises fairly well, where my male Ruppell's parrot only speaks 'bird', and I'm not sure he will ever talk. It's pretty individual. Of course there is never any guarantee that any bird will talk. Even some birds of the better known talking species don't talk.

** I also wanted to address the fact that since you seem to have a 'sensitive' landlord, just know that a Pionus can have quite a piercing noise too! Might not exactly solve the problem? Also ONE Jenday has quite a powerful voice! What if he still complains about that PLUS yet another bird? What would you do?

Although typically not as often as a Jenday, and it's usually just one scream at a time, not several rapid fire screams in succession like a conure does. To me a Pionus is not "loud"... But that's only because I've heard large Macaws, Cockatoos, Eclectus, etc. and though not anywhere near as loud as those species, and not even AS loud as a Jenday, a Pionus IS definitely louder in volume than the smaller Poi's and can be heard quite well!

Also FWIW, you are more LIKELY to get a cuddly Poicephalus (who doesn't mind being touched anywhere and cuddled) than a Pionus. Of course no guarantees there either

Just a few more things to think about

The child, Halo, doesn't scream much. I've been observing them lol the parents always scream.. I would love to have a quiet and cuddly bird that will let me touch anywhere haha.. that's why my friend told me to get a baby from the bird show cuz the birds there are hand fed. and of course I will keep trying to interact with Halo so one day I can tame him for now, I'm just talking and reading to him... gonna get some books about how to tame a bird too hehe

 

[RavensGryf]

I think a baby Poi is the way to go. The Jenday might get louder when he grows up though
Personally, if you want to start with a young hand fed bird, I'd get one from a breeder who's NOT at the bird fair. That is a good place to pick up diseases. In case you want to know more about that here's a good link. http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/44916-bird-mart-dangers.html

 

[Ninjette]

I think a baby Poi is the way to go. The Jenday might get louder when he grows up though
Personally, if you want to start with a young hand fed bird, I'd get one from a breeder who's NOT at the bird fair. That is a good place to pick up diseases. In case you want to know more about that here's a good link. http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/44916-bird-mart-dangers.html

Halo is 2, hopefully he won't get any louder lol
Thanks for the info

 

[RavensGryf]

I forgot to comment on the nippiness. I wouldn't really say it's a "stage". As a juvenile, they need to learn boundaries of acceptable vs unacceptable, and bite pressure control. As an adult, most Poi's and especially males WILL be nippy at times, even when well trained. They're naturally "beaky" birds. You might also hear that about Scarlet macaws for example. They communicate with their beaks a lot, and "beakiness" doesn't necessarily mean they draw blood all the time (if there's serious ongoing biting outside breeding season that's another issue altogether).

 

[Ninjette]

I forgot to comment on the nippiness. I wouldn't really say it's a "stage". As a juvenile, they need to learn boundaries of acceptable vs unacceptable, and bite pressure control. As an adult, most Poi's and especially males WILL be nippy at times, even when well trained. They're naturally "beaky" birds. You might also hear that about Scarlet macaws for example. They communicate with their beaks a lot, and "beakiness" doesn't necessarily mean they draw blood all the time (if there's serious ongoing biting outside breeding season that's another issue altogether).

and juvenile is up to how many months?

The Jenday Conures -
Razzel (5) bites hard which draws blood;
Tweety (5) doesn't bite that hard, doesn't draw blood;
Halo (2) is shy and scared, would fly away instead of biting.
my friend doesn't think they are tamed, but the previous owner said Tweety was.. I think Tweety is the most gentle too, and she let me touch.. others don't.. I will have to spend a lot of time with Halo after returning the parents..

 

[RavensGryf]

Sexual maturity of poicephalus is about 2-3 years. However, most have a pretty strong attitude as young as a few months old, and it's absolutely essential to train from a young age that biting isn't acceptable. As I said though, Poi's in general are just naturally inclined to bite more readily than some species even when well trained. IMO that's about their only drawback, as "personally" I think they're perfect parrots otherwise!

However, I want to suggest that you REALLY think about curbing your impulse for another bird right at this time when it sounds like Halo can stand a good amount of socialization and training also. Trust me, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with ONE untrained bird, let alone 2. Just something to think about

 

[Ninjette]

Sexual maturity of poicephalus is about 2-3 years. However, most have a pretty strong attitude as young as a few months old, and it's absolutely essential to train from a young age that biting isn't acceptable. As I said though, Poi's in general are just naturally inclined to bite more readily than some species even when well trained. IMO that's about their only drawback, as "personally" I think they're perfect parrots otherwise!

However, I want to suggest that you REALLY think about curbing your impulse for another bird right at this time when it sounds like Halo can stand a good amount of socialization and training also. Trust me, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with ONE untrained bird, let alone 2. Just something to think about

got back from the bird show, bought a red-headed amazon.. they didn't have any senegals.. only a male Meyer's parrot, not tamed.. the red-headed amazon is 8 months old. friend's coworker got one too.. tamed, pretty sweet, doesn't bite... nips a bit.. doesn't scream lol
loving it. not sure about its sex tho.. will post pictures later.. pretty shy tho. loves the cage. doesn't know how to step up yet..

 

[Ninjette]

 

[RavensGryf]

Very cute. Really nice looking bird. Are you keeping the new bird apart from your others?

I'd get a vet check soon as possible. Blood test for viral disease including Bornavirus since you got it at a bird fair.

 

[EAI]

I haven't really followed along on this thread but beautiful Amazon! Has he/she seen a vet yet?

 

[Ninjette]

Very cute. Really nice looking bird. Are you keeping the new bird apart from your others?

I'd get a vet check soon as possible. Blood test for viral disease including Bornavirus since you got it at a bird fair.

Kiwi has its own cage, Halo has his own, Mickey and Pluto have their own

I haven't really followed along on this thread but beautiful Amazon! Has he/she seen a vet yet?

not yet, just got it today

 

[Ninjette]

earlier was fine, now Kiwi doesn't wanna be touched.. is it because the sun is going down? or is it tired? it was from Bakersfield and the bird show opened at 9am, it's probably tired? it was napping earlier

 

[Ninjette]

Just wanna share pics of my beautiful baby, Kiwi

do you guys cover your cages when your birds are sleeping?

do you guys clicker train your birds?

any idea what sex Kiwi is?