ok ive run into another problem...

[meghanxx4]

Ok firstly i had no idea what catagory this went under so i just posted it here if its in the wrong place im sorrey.

Ok now for my question/problem/delema... whatever. So i was set on gettinga sun conure right.... so well wrong i still cant decide on a sun conure or a eclectus. Im leaning towards a sun conure... but i dont know. Which would be a better bird for like starter parrot i geuss.. i mean ive had 3.. well 4... but really 3(its confusing) budgies... and i have 2 cockatiels. I know those arent very high demanding birds.. so like which would be better ifd your moving up to like a parrot parrot you know? thanks for all your help

-Meghan

 

[2turtles]

Sun Conures are beautiful, but (IMO) they aren't as interactive as the Macaw..

Have you had the opprotunity to visit with a Hahns?

Depending on how large your flock can grow, our Velma is unbelievably amazing.. 10x the personality of our Tiel (and we all know how awesome and lovie tiels are) and so much more interesting than our Quaker....


I wanted the Sun Conure and the wife wanted the Macaw... I am so happy withour compromise ....

 

[birdcrazy]

the only hans I've been around was vicious! between eclectus and sun the only thing I can say is form what I've read a sun will be ALOT more cuddly and hands on again this is just a generalization. Sidney will lay on his back like a baby and let me rub his tummy and hops all around the cage I don't know what the price difference would be where you live remember bigger bird bigger cage more food and more expensive toys anyone of these birds i think would be great i heard male ekkies are more social than females again somethin i just heard why don't you go hang out with an ekkie and see how you like him remember they are all indiviuals but you can make sure you are comfortable with that size bird.

 

[TexDot33]

Sun Conures are beautiful, but (IMO) they aren't as interactive as the Macaw ...

*putting down his soap box and standing up on it ... *

AHEM, (are you guys ready ... because you all know where I stand on this one ...) I would have to respectfully disagree 1000% with you turtles ... Just becasue they are not known to talk, or use words in context (at least Hamlet doesn't yet ... he's only six months old, I am sure that it will come in time) doesn't make them any less interactive than a Macaw ... I think that Suns interact with you on a completly different level than a macaw does. You can even see it in his eyes a lot of the time, all you have to do is look and pay attention to see what he is thinking.

Ham has his ways of communicating his needs/wants. We know: what he wants, and what he wants to do, when it's time for bed and when it's time for a bath, and we are even getting really close to communicating POOP TIME so we can put him in a convient place ..

These little guys are so full of personality that it is amazing. They want to be with you all the time, there really is no "me" time for a sun there is only US time, if you could attach a food and water dish and a poop drop cloth to you they would spend their entire life on your shoulder, or in your shirt.

As for a starter parrot ... well, go read post #2 here http://www.parrotforums.com/showthread.php?t=782 ... I know you have meghan and I have to tell you for first birds you can't go wrong with a conure.

*picking up soap box and walking away*

~ Tex

P.S. The species that includes all Central and South American conures, aratinga, litterally translated means, Little Macaw ...

 

[2turtles]

Jeeze.. I just gave my soapbox away...



To each his own, and as much as I love how beautiful Suns are I'm sure someday one will find some reason to move into our house.. and I'll be very happy to welcome her..


It may come down to how amazing all of our fids are.. I've never seen one as cuddly and adorable as our Hahns...



and I'm #1 in the Arcade

 

[meghanxx4]

I like the male ekkies better than female ones anyway lol.. dont know why buyt i jus prefer males over females lol.. maybe ts ebcause im female and i like to have oppisite genders i dunno. although both female and male ekkies are very beautiful and would really have no preference when it came down to it on which one. maybe what ill do since there pretty much only 1 ekkie breeder and one 1 sun conure breeder sorta close to where i live so maybe ill jus onctact both breeders and see which is sounds best. ive ocntacted the sun one already he has suns ready in march but i dont want till atleast the summer... also ill see how much the ekkiie breeder charges ofr a ekkie.. if its more than 1000 then ill get the sun.. i mean i dont really wnat to pay more thana 1000 for a aprrot right now... and when i mean parrot i mean parrot itself iwthout its accesorries. my said shed pay half of the bird costa nd cage cost so that helps alot so if the bird was say 1000 then it would be 500... i mean i could go higher but then i wouldnt have enough for a cage and that wouldnt go over so well lol. right now im leaning towards the conure still.. but hey ive got till the summer to decide.. and even then im really not rushed.

 

[birdcrazy]

Great post TEx turtles we're glad to have you but everybody has a fav bird and ours happen to be our conures I think peta would probably go with a grey LOL all I'm saying is birds are just as individual as their owners and that's probably why they are so popular as pets!

 

[Tracy842]

Hey Meghan

Here is my great wisdom on the situation. I was looking into a Grey or an Eclectus before we ended up with Pepsi so alot of research has been done into them so I can give you a run down on an Eclectus and Tex has loads of information on Sunnies.

Eclectus have a little more of a demanding diet then other parrots because their digestive tract is longer then most other parrot species. This means they are prone to some diseases with a poor diet, such as fatty liver disease, fatty tumors, etc. A pellet diet, consisting of daily fruits and vegetables is a must. A seed nut diet will not do, no matter what anyone else tells you.

Eclectus make great family pets and do not typically bond to one person but enjoy everyone.

They typically have good talking ability. They can be loud but most people say they are generally quiet.

The male eclectus is said to be the more intelligent and easier to tame.

Of course it all depends on the individual bird.

In my opinion both would make great pets so if you do decide between a Sun Conure or a Eclectus its a good decision.

 

[Peta]

*coming into room very regally, putting down soapbox*


GREYS GREYS GREYS

*picking up soapbox and reagally leaving room*

Seriously though, I love the Hans, and the conure,and the amazon and the eclectus and the list goes on and on. As you can see from the posts it is a very personal choice, greys aren't known to be the interactive kinda birds and although Bucc loves his cuddle time, it has to be on HIS terms. I think its a case of looking at the different species, but also remember that individual birds are not always just like the book says they will be. just as individual people in a family are different so are birds. Good luck to you and let us know what you decide.

 

[NicoleN]

Eclectica has a male Eclectus, so maybe you could get some personal experience stories there.

I'm really glad that you are making the smart decision and going for a 'starter parrot' and plan on working your way up to something more 'demanding' -couldn't find a better word, but I'm sure you all know what I mean. Too often I hear people say "I've never had a bird before, but I think the Macaw/Cockatoo/Amazon/Grey/etc is pretty. Should I get it?" So Kudos to you for being so responsible

 

[Eclectica]

Arg, i wrote a whole essay on the ekkie and conure and didnt submit my reply. I got both an ekkie and a conure, so i'll post something on both. This is more summed up than the original post.

So here i go again...

Eclectus- * Not the cuddly type, not at all!
*Very observant birds, love to sit by you.
*Needs to be in a quiet place, like your room, doesnt like to be
centre of attention.
* Great to excellent talkers.
* Not a very noisy parrot, almost never screams only when hearing
his humans voice.
* Loves eating, alot!
* Not very prone to plucking, extremely straigth forward parrot, can
be stubborn sometimes.

Conure- * Playfull, loves cuddles all over its body.
*Cant sit still most of the time, has to move around and play.
*Can be placed anywhere, he loves being around evreything.
* Not good talkers at all, i doubt my gcc will ever say a thing.
* Mild to very noisy, depends on the species type you choose,
the aratinga being the noisier ones and the pyrrhura less vocal.
*Eats much less than an ekkie.
* GCC's are said to be nippy, mine is a little, but it doesnt hurt at all.

Let us know what you decide on, remember, there are lots more parrots to choose from. And a great starting one is also the ringneck family.

Good luck!
Wilma!!!

 

[meghanxx4]

actuallyi thaught about a ringneck but i heard they get wild easily.. i dunno if that quite made sense ... but ya... and also theres like almost no ringneck breeders in my area... i think they're me be one or two... ill have to check the list again.
Also i want abird that will be ok with my schedule... mainly school is the big thing concerning me with a parrot. I have asked alot of people on many different forums and also researched about the sun conure and everyone said aslong as you give the conure atleast around 2 or 3 hours aday it should eb fine. that woudl work out fine since school is only from 8am-3pm and i coudl even get up early and give time before school athe when i come home i can ahve the conure out.. even when im doing homework i can put it on a playgym or something...thats what i do with my tiels.
I have looked a little bit into eclectuses not as much as the conure really. thats something i should really do. also i should contact the ekkie breeder and see what shes/hes like.
also i want a bird that will get along with my other pets. I ahve 2 dogs. and cat.. the cat is mostly outside except for on cold nights.. even then it usually escapes trhough the window or something... shes not an indoor cat at all. My older dog is pretty used to birds, was around when i had all my budgies and is around now with tiels. My younger odg isn't as mych used to birds as my odler dog but hes learning. They've never tried ot attack the cage or anything. the only thing that my dogs done thats ever scared teh brid is my younger dog getting to close and wantingt o sniff the birds and the birds were doing the hissing thing but its easy to fix. so tahts not a problem i jus tell my dog to go or pickup my bird so its not in my dogs reach. Im pretty sure some birds are like scared of dogs thats why im bringing this up. Although i was thinking if i was gettng a bird when it was young then it could get used to the dogs and everything maybe..?
i also thaught about a pionus but ive narrowed it down to between the eclectus and sun conure. my mom liked the red bellies that the tiel breeder had but im not too fussy about red bellies myself right now... i mean im sure tehre wonderful birds im just not interested in them at the moment.
i posted a similiar post to this a few months back ona nother forum and they suggested a caique... but on another forum they said they are too demanding and woudlnt fit with my schedeule(school).
also i dont really care if the bird talk are not... i mean it would be cool... but it not likea must ahve thing that i want lol

 

[Peta]

also i dont really care if the bird talk are not... i mean it would be cool... but it not likea must ahve thing that i want lol

You don't know how refreshing it is to hear that. I get so mad when people say "I want this bird cos it talks" they get the bird and it turns out it doesn't talk. Greys are known as talkers and believe me Bucc is, will talk all day non stop, but a friend of mine has two Greys and neither one of them has ever said a word. She's had them now for 20+ years. I've even heard people sell their bird, and why cos it doesn't talk. Well done you for thinking like that.

Here is a site for Ringnecks. I had a ringneck a few years back, one of my rescues. Beautiful birds.

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww13eiv.htm

The ones to watch out for is the Rosella, they can and a lot of times will turn wild, even hand reared babies. My to aren't totally wild but they not totally tame either.

 

[Tracy842]

ok I'm grabbing my soap box now.

I would recomend a senegal, not only because they are a personal fav of mine but they fit your life style.

Here is some advantages of a senegal parrot.

-not loud parrots (great for apartment living)
-moderate talking ability (not really clear speech but can talk)
-very playful and acrobatic
-cheaper parrot to purchase and maintain (cheaper cage, toys, etc.)
-easy to tame and train
-not demanding at all (I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and spend time with her then with my Amazon and she is very adapted to this schedule)
-not known to feather pluck
-big personality (quite the big bird in a little package)
-great with all other pets (actually mine will chase after my cat and preen her whiskers)

There is only really a couple of disadvantages.

-Prone to becoming phobic birds after sexual maturity
-typically bond to one person

If introduced to many new things when they are young having them become phobic is rarely occured. My senegal is bonded with me but very friendly to everyone.

I think it would fit in great with your lifestyle but it might not interest you at all, but personally I don't think you can find a better pet bird for your lifestyle. Let us know what you do decide and I can let you know of breeders.

 

[meghanxx4]

ok I'm grabbing my soap box now.

I would recomend a senegal, not only because they are a personal fav of mine but they fit your life style.

Here is some advantages of a senegal parrot.

-not loud parrots (great for apartment living)
-moderate talking ability (not really clear speech but can talk)
-very playful and acrobatic
-cheaper parrot to purchase and maintain (cheaper cage, toys, etc.)
-easy to tame and train
-not demanding at all (I work Mon-Fri 8-5 and spend time with her then with my Amazon and she is very adapted to this schedule)
-not known to feather pluck
-big personality (quite the big bird in a little package)
-great with all other pets (actually mine will chase after my cat and preen her whiskers)

There is only really a couple of disadvantages.

-Prone to becoming phobic birds after sexual maturity
-typically bond to one person

If introduced to many new things when they are young having them become phobic is rarely occured. My senegal is bonded with me but very friendly to everyone.

I think it would fit in great with your lifestyle but it might not interest you at all, but personally I don't think you can find a better pet bird for your lifestyle. Let us know what you do decide and I can let you know of breeders.

what are phobic birds?

 

[meghanxx4]

what about a blue headed pionus... i decided to still keep them in mind.. does anyone havea pionus here?....or anything about them?

 

[TexDot33]

Meghan, I am going to impart some words of wisdom here. It seems that when you ask what type of bird you should get those who love birds have their favorite breed. There seems to be as many people as there are breeds to love and have a great home for; it doesn't seem to be a very common breed here that we can all agree upon.

So, here is my advice:

* DO YOUR RESEARCH - learn as much about the breed you think you want as you possibly can ... the pros, the cons ... everything!

* BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF - How much free time do you really have ... and how much free time will you have in the future? What about your other obligbations (school and homework, sports and extracirruclar activities, job, boyfriend, friends, partys) they are all things that you have to think about ... remember, a bird is almost as much responsibility as having a child, almost.

* DON'T OVERLOAD ON INFORMATION - Narrow your search to two or three breeds and make your decision between those. This will keep you from getting too much info and then confusing information about breeds.

* WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION, STICK TO IT - Find a breeder, and go and GET PICKED ... remember, your bird will pick you. "how do I know when I have been picked?" you might ask ... trust me, you will know!

We are here to assist you, give you lots of info, but ultimatly the decision is yours, and one that you must live with.

Good luck, nothing we like to see more than seeing a wonderful human and a very lucky bird getting matched up! I mean, look at how excited we are about Peta and Kito ...

~ Tex :50:

 

[meghanxx4]

Meghan, I am going to impart some words of wisdom here. It seems that when you ask what type of bird you should get those who love birds have their favorite breed. There seems to be as many people as there are breeds to love and have a great home for; it doesn't seem to be a very common breed here that we can all agree upon.

So, here is my advice:

* DO YOUR RESEARCH - learn as much about the breed you think you want as you possibly can ... the pros, the cons ... everything!

* BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF - How much free time do you really have ... and how much free time will you have in the future? What about your other obligbations (school and homework, sports and extracirruclar activities, job, boyfriend, friends, partys) they are all things that you have to think about ... remember, a bird is almost as much responsibility as having a child, almost.

* DON'T OVERLOAD ON INFORMATION - Narrow your search to two or three breeds and make your decision between those. This will keep you from getting too much info and then confusing information about breeds.

* WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION, STICK TO IT - Find a breeder, and go and GET PICKED ... remember, your bird will pick you. "how do I know when I have been picked?" you might ask ... trust me, you will know!

We are here to assist you, give you lots of info, but ultimatly the decision is yours, and one that you must live with.

Good luck, nothing we like to see more than seeing a wonderful human and a very lucky bird getting matched up! I mean, look at how excited we are about Peta and Kito ...

~ Tex :50:

yes those are all good points!.. i think right now ive narrowed it down between 3 species. Sun conure, Senegal and eclectus. I just printed off a few sheets of info on each and am going to make a pros and cons thing for each and also ill email the different and see how much theya re. I think right now im leaning ntowards sun conure first place, sengeal 2nd place and lastly eclectus. so ill read those sheets make pros and cons sheet up and come bakc and let you know. it may take a few days to make up my mind but i will make up my mind eventually! ..im sure ill end up getting one of each someitme in the future but gfor now its hard to pick jus one.

 

[Tracy842]

Great plan Meghan. What ever you do decide they would all be a great choice. Any questions you want answered on Senegals let me know and I bet Tex will answer anything about Sun Conures. Can't wait to find out the final decision. Great to know that you are thinking really hard about it, nothing worse then when people buy a parrot as an impulse buy. Really great to know you don't care about the bird talking.

Phobic bird is a bird that becomes frightened of new things and situations. They may actually be afriad of new food they've never tried. I havn't ran into this problem with Popsicle yet, actually Popsicle has no fears she will take on anything that comes her way or messes with mom

Heres a bit of info on Pionus for you

Pros:

-wonderful personality
-quiet parrots (another good choice for apartment living)
-calm and gentle
-very obedient (great for training)


Cons:

-tend to be shy so not little clowns like conures can be (I personally like having a little clown around so I pput this as a con)
-larger cage required then that of a conure or senegal
-generally healthy but are susceptible to the infection aspergillosis

Don't know as much about Pionus as some other species but hope that helps

 

[meghanxx4]

im wondering if should just get a stacking cage that way i can start with say a sun... athen in few months after that i cna get another bird.... say a senegal lol. i really cant decide.. but ill read the print outs i printed out tomorrow in science class or i might be able to do it in math class depends where he makes me sit lol... the teacher said we were doinga desk change because it getting too loud btw anyway ill do it either later tonight or tomorrow sometime.ill email the breeder tonight. right i think im debating between a senegal or a sun.. hmm its so hard!