Owning a bird as a pilot

[Spinnern]

Let's cut to the chase. I am considering buying a green cheeked conure in the future, but I was wondering how they would adapt to my job. This summer, I will go and get my commercial pilot license (it's a 2-year study). As far as I know, I might not be home for 3-4 days. I was recommended buying two birds, as that would provide some social interaction for them (specifically they said that I should buy one male first, tame him, then buy a second female one). I hope that someone can provide some good info on this.

 

[ChristaNL]

Get into the (parrot)community, find a friend who can birdsit for you?

 

[Spinnern]

I would of course try to find someone who would come over and feed them, but how would they behave without having anyone there most of the time?

 

[Kiwibird]

One of our members is a pilot. I’m sure he’ll comment soon on how he has worked things out with his birds.

It would be ill advised to buy a male and female of the same species if they were to live in the same cage/room where they’d have unsupervised contact. They will, inevitably, do what males and females do and you will end up with WAY more than you bargained for in terms of needy baby birds that require round the clock hand feeding. It would be better to buy 2 males or 2 females or a male and female of reproductively incompatible species. It would also be nice if they remained friendly towards humans but unlikely they’ll be cuddly human pleasers if you’re hardly ever around. You would also need huge cages or an entire bird proofed room for them if they are to be left unattended beyond feeding/cleaning for days at a time. Honestly though, with 2 years ahead of a difficult/unpredictable schedule, I’m not entirely sure why you want to take on the responsibility of any pet of any species TBH. If I were you, I’d wait until I had a predictable schedule and could plan better...

 

[YSGC]

Sorry but nobody can predict how well two birds will get along.
Forcing parrots to live together, especially in the same cage/room, is a risk.
Keep in mind dogs have been selective bred by people for quantities that please humans.
Parrots? No so much.
They, are at most a few generations removed from the wild.

Harm (or worse) may come to the birds.
Just saying.

IMO the less a person is going to be home to give it the attention that a parrot needs the less I recommend they get one.
Two can be a bigger disaster than one.

Oh, and don't listen to advice on this topic from anyone who sells birds, because of their obvious conflict of interest.

 

[LaManuka]

I would have to echo most of the previous responses, I really would not recommend you have pet birds if you’re going to be away for days at a time. They are simply too high maintenance, emotionally needy and too intelligent to be left alone with no out-of-cage time every single day. Having someone come to feed and water them when you’re not there is not sufficient.

It’s great that you’ve asked this question and sought advice before taking the plunge, but in my very humble opinion you’re better off waiting until you’re in a position to be available for your birdie companion/s on a daily basis.

 

[wrench13]

Honestly, a parrot, or parrots are not a good fit for your immediate life style. Parrots need almost daily interactio with their person(s) in order to remain tame and to develope their personalities. I would recommed you wait for awhile 'til your own life style stabilizes. Parrots thrive when they can trust you will be there, and do poorly when there is predictable routine in their lives. Thank you for askiing the questions though.

 

[ChristaNL]

I would of course try to find someone who would come over and feed them, but how would they behave without having anyone there most of the time?

I meant the other way around: a person that will take in your parrot when you are not there (daycare/ hollidaycamp situation), not someone "to water the plants".

 

[EllenD]

The information you got about buying two birds so they "have a friend" is totally and completely wrong, and it's horrible advice, as you would likely just end-up with 2 birds that cannot be inside of the same cage, or possibly even be together at all under supervision outside of their individual cages. Parrots form relationships very much like people do: They may love each other, just like each other but not be able to share a cage, just tolerate each other and not be able to be together without supervision, hate each other and want nothing to do with each other, or hate each other and be aggressive and violent towards each other...And there is no way to know how 2 parrots of any species are going to react to each other unfortunately, whether you buy them at the same time, even if they are siblings that were from the same clutch, or if you buy them at different times. You just have no way of knowing what will happen, so no, you never want to "buy a friend" for your first bird...You only buy a second bird because YOU want a second bird as a companion for YOU, and because you have enough time to spend equally with both of them, separately if need be, every single day.

As far as being a commercial-pilot, I can't comment, but no matter what your profession you need to be able to provide a parrot, any parrot of any species, with at least a good 4-5 hours of out-of-cage-time every single day, with a good couple of hours of direct attention with/from you. You have to remember that YOU and the others who live in your home are going to be your parrot's Flock, they are Flock animals, and they have the intelligence of a 3-4 year-old human child, and the reason a lot of pet parrots start to Pluck and Self-Mutilate is because people buy them as pets and think they can get away with letting them out of their cages for an hour or two a day at night when they get home from work and that's it. And that obviously doesn't work, they are like having a human child in many ways, no joke, so if you think you can do that as a commercial-pilot then by all means, enjoy the experience and love your little guy every day...Just don't EVER buy a second bird for your first bird...YOU are your first bird's friend/Flock, and any bird you bring home after that...

***If you're talking about taking trips away from home, like a 3-4 day trip, or any type of vacation, No, you cannot leave a parrot at home alone for 3-4 days without having someone to come and check on them at least once or twice a day, change their food and water, talk to them a little bit, etc. You can't just leave them inside of a cage for 3-4 days and have that be okay...At most about 24 hours is as long as you should leave them without having someone come to check on them, and even that is a long time...

So for your trip this summer to actually get your license, which I guess is going to be a 3-4 day trip, then you just need to either find a friend or family member that you can trust to come and check on your Conure at least once each day, give him fresh water and food each day, some treats, and a little attention and time...And that's what you would have to do for any trips where you're going to be away for longer than 24-hours, like vacations and work trips.I don't know if you live alone right now, it sounds like you do, and I do as well, I've been single now for about 6 years and I own my own home, and I do take week-long vacations, well, I go on week-long road-trips traveling from concert to concert, and I go to a few music-festivals each summer, like the Peachfest, Bonaroo, Lollapalooza, etc...Sometimes I take my dogs with me, I've taken my birds with me, depending on what I'll be doing...But it's a really good idea if you live alone that from the day you bring home your baby Conure, you choose a close friend or family member who is good with animals and who is willing to take care of the bird for you during vacations, trips, etc., and you introduce the bird to them early-on in life so that they know each other and so the bird feels more comfortable, and then when you do go on vacations or work-trips you might even be able to just take your bird over to this person's house and they can keep them with them full-time while you're gone, which is really much better for a parrot than leaving them alone all that time with short check-ins.

***Again, I have absolutely no idea what the life of a commercial-pilot is like, so it's very hard for me to comment on how a parrot would fit into that life-style, and I would assume that just like any other job it is going to depend on exactly where you live, what airport you work out of, and what airline you work for as to how much time you are going to be away from home...I honestly don't know if that's a job where you can leave in the morning and come home in the late-afternoon each day in some cases/positions, or if it's always going to be a job where you are doing over-night trips with long hours and days (if not weeks) away from home...All I can say is that if it's the latter in any way at all, then I highly suggest that you DON'T GET A PARROT as a pet, because it would not only be unfair to any species of parrot, but it will do damage to any species of parrot and will end in one of many possible bad-outcomes for both the bird and yourself, but mostly for the bird. You can't have a human child by yourself and work those kinds of hours and be away for days at a time, and it's no different with a parrot at all...

A lot of people actually think that since they work a lot and don't have much time at home to spend with a pet that they can't get a dog, but that they could get a parrot/bird of any kind they want to because they live in cages and they can let out huge dishes/containers of food and water and they can go for days at a time alone...And that thinking is just so backwards, incorrect, unfair, and ultimately dangerous and harmful to the bird that the re-homing rate for pet/captive-raised parrots is over 80% in the US alone right now...Dogs can handle being alone much, much better than any bird or parrot can, dogs aren't Flock animals, nor do they possess nearly the level of intelligence that any species of parrot does. Not even close! Parrots, all parrots including Parrotlets, Budgies/Parakeets, Cockatiels, etc., use logic and reasoning skills. They all have much better memories than we do. The best way to think about owning a parrot of any species really is to think about what it is like to have your own 2-3 year-old human child, that's as close a comparison as you'll get... So be sure that you're well-aware of your work hours BEFORE you decide to bring home a bird of any species, and if you don't think you will be able to provide at the VERY LEAST 4-5 hours of out-of-cage-time to the bird every single day, with most of that time having YOU being directly involved with them, talking to them, reading to them, playing with them, eating meals with them, and just hanging out with them like you would your own human toddler, then a parrot/bird is not for you. Period. Because you'll only end-up with a bored, depressed, lonely parrot who starts to Pluck and Self-Mutilate themselves out of depression and sheer boredom.

 

[Cardinal]

Here is my 10 cents

I think Aquarium Fish especially Cichlids can make great pets for someone with a busy schedule like you.

Cichlids are colourful, active and many of them are very intelligent and almost all have very good breeding and parental care behaviour.

In fact I am primarily an Aquarium hobbyist who ended up having an abandoned non tame cockatiel.

Here is a good place to get started

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHeCpOxRETA&t=564s"]10 Best Cichlids for Beginners! - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ChristaNL]

LOL, you weren't thinking about that abomination to nature the parrot chiclid were you?
Chiclids are just as horrible as guppies: they breed like crazy.
(The first nest/ litter is fun, the 50th not so much / unless your cat really appreciates fresh fish...)


but I have to agree: running out for a few days on a well balanced, cyled and really stabile tank is do-able, running out on a parrot is animalcruelty.


(I only could get back to keeping parrots after my father passed away and I did not have to drop everything I was doing because there was yet another life or death health-crisis going on for who knows how long.)

 

[EllenD]

Here is my 10 cents

I think Aquarium Fish especially Cichlids can make great pets for someone with a busy schedule like you.

Cichlids are colourful, active and many of them are very intelligent and almost all have very good breeding and parental care behaviour.

In fact I am primarily an Aquarium hobbyist who ended up having an abandoned non tame cockatiel.

Here is a good place to get started

10 Best Cichlids for Beginners! - YouTube

I agree with Cardinal 100%, not only is keeping Aquarium Fish a hobby that can become an obsession, but African and South American Cichlids are awesome pets and are fun tanks to build, set-up, and modify over time. Another species of freshwater fish that make good pets are Oscars (can't have much else in their tank except for the Oscars, and you need a large tank, but they are very cool fish with personalities)..I kept a 75-gallon freshwater rock tank that I designed myself and kept both African and South American Cichlids in it for about 10 years after I first left graduate school, and I actually miss them, they're such beautiful, intelligent, and interesting fish to keep as pets. And designing/building/modifying a large freshwater tank can become both a hobby and an obsession, and a great place to put extra money...And it's quite easy to keep even a very large, freshwater aquarium with tropical fish like Cichlids when you're often away from home for more than a day at a time...Parrots just don't work in that lifestyle at all, and that's why unfortunately there are so many parrots up for re-homing and who are self-mutilators and pluckers, because they really do need the attention of a young child...It's rough...

I can't speak on the life of a commercial pilot, but I can speak about being a professional car salesperson and trying to not only keep parrots as pets/family members, but also breeding and hand-raising/hand-feeding babies...It's a tough gig!!! And I live in a state (PA) where by some miracle it's still illegal to sell cars on Sundays due to the old "Blue-Laws" still being active (they just recently changed the Blue-Law about selling alcohol on Sundays a few years ago in PA, lol...And you still see most small businesses either closed all day on Wednesdays, or they are only open on Wednesdays until noon)...So as a professional Car Salesperson I USED TO WORK Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and then on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with one day off during the week (but where you are usually having to come in on your only day off because a customer wants to come in on that particular day, so you'll lose the deal if you don't come in too)...As much as I loved parrots/birds and missed having them in my life after growing-up with so many and breeding them for so long, there was no way I would have EVER even thought about bringing a parrot into my life while I was working those hours, it would have been extremely selfish of me, unfair to the bird, and just wouldn't have worked...I hardly had time to do laundry, clean, go shopping, etc., let alone spend adequate time every day with a parrot who has the intelligence and needs of a young human child...

It wasn't until I was promoted to sales management that I started to get some semblance of a normal life, or a life at all...And then I was diagnosed with stage 1 Endometrial Cancer in 2012, and I made the decision that I could work as kind of an "Independent Auto Broker" type of salesperson, still working for a dealership for benefits and stability, but I basically work enough to make the money I need to pay bills and until I feel like I'm good for the month, and then I'm done....But I'm very lucky, not only did I start selling cars when I was only 23 years old and still in grad school, so I learned the ropes very young, but I also caught-on to it very quickly, and became a 15-20+ car-a-month salesperson very quickly...And once you start selling that many cars a month, you can write your own ticket and do whatever you want to do, because you're bringing in so much money for both the owners of the dealership and your new and used car sales managers that they leave you alone as long as you keep producing...It's a weird profession but a very fun and rewarding one if you're good at it, and that's the ONLY REASON I was able to buy my home in 2010 and ONLY THEN made the decision to start building my family about 4 years ago, bringing home my 4 little babies and breeding/hand-raising a clutch of 8 Budgies...

So even though I know it's difficult to do once you start thinking about adding a parrot to your life, you really do need to put the welfare of the bird first and think about what the bird's life will be like while you're a commercial pilot. If you aren't 100% certain that you can spend a good 4-5 hours at the very least, every single day, with the bird being out of it's cage and spending time and getting direct-attention from you, then it's probably not going to work...That's not to say you can't have pets, but a parrot isn't the pet for someone who is often working over-nights for work and who is often away from home for more than 8-10 hours a day for work...Again, maybe that's not the situation with the commercial pilot job you're going to be working, I don't have a clue about that...I only know of a few Flight-Attendants and Pilots who I know of who work for large commercial airlines like US Air and Delta, and they always have a fully-packed bag with them on every flight, and they do over-night trips several times every week, whether they are staying away at some destination that they flew to, or they are always staying in the cities where their airline's "Hub" airport is at, like Charlotte, Chicago, etc. I don't know if all commercial pilots work that way or not...For all I know you are planning on being a commerical pilot for a small, privately owned company who does charter-flights or something similar where you work a 9-5 schedule M-F, lol...So if that's the case then that's a totally different story obviously...

 

[Shellie]

Ok, so my opinion is slightly different. I think it's great that you want birds and also fitting because you love to fly. I'm not sure what kind of schedule you have-my sister used to be an EMT and had 24 hour shifts. So the 3-4 days you are gone, I'm not sure if that is weekly, monthly or what.

The thing is, a single bird will need a lot of your time and commitment and they are flock creatures so being alone for several days is kind of cruel if it's on a regular basis-even if someone stops by once or twice a day to check up. They really need companionship. Now, if you have a significant other who is there who can partake in all of this that's a different story-but also keep in mind that alliance can change. Little snots. :\

If you want two-then you face the possibility that they will prefer each other and no you, especially if they have little handling. This might be fine. If you want birds but don't have the time to be hands on on a regular basis, you could look into having an aviary. What about finches? Budgies? Cockatiels? (cockatiels are so amazing) or if those birds don't flip your crest, what about something that you do want that isn't hand tamed?

There are a lot of birds out there that need homes that aren't hand tamed but they do enjoy the company of other birds. It would be best to find a pair that are already bonded (I don't mean breeding bonded) and you can just enjoy them and enjoy keeping a huge cage for them.

Oh yea, also remember the longer a bird is caged-the larger it's cage really should be. So it all depends on your circumstances and what you want out of the relationship. I think that if you are just gone 3-4 days every two to three weeks or more, that it's doable. If you want a sweet cuddly bird though you are going to have to put in a lot of time when you are home-and have another person there who can put in a lot of time when you are not home and then, are they going to switch alliances on you when you're not there and are you going to be ok with that?

I find cockatiels are less complicated (and they are one of my favorites) but I also think if you're going to get a bird, you're going to need to get one that you want that you will commit to. Birds do need stability so if you can put a stable and steady environment in place for one or a few-then why not?

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[Cardinal]

LOL, you weren't thinking about that abomination to nature the parrot chiclid were you?
Chiclids are just as horrible as guppies: they breed like crazy.
(The first nest/ litter is fun, the 50th not so much / unless your cat really appreciates fresh fish...)


but I have to agree: running out for a few days on a well balanced, cyled and really stabile tank is do-able, running out on a parrot is animalcruelty.


(I only could get back to keeping parrots after my father passed away and I did not have to drop everything I was doing because there was yet another life or death health-crisis going on for who knows how long.)

No I was not referring to the Blood Parrot. Truly an abomination. But even worse in my opinion is the flower horn. It has become a big craze in India because it is a so called "Vaasthu Fish" - a silly superstition.

You may enjoy this article ; probably you have already read it

https://malawicichlids.com/mw01013.htm


I have kept Angels, Kenyis, Auratus, Oscars and Jewels but have never managed to breed them- of course I have not made the necessary effort.

The only fish I have successfully bred are livebearers and Boesemani rainbows. Bettas bred but the young did not survive.

I am in the process of setting a new species specific breeding tank- still not decided on species- Electric Yellows have appealed for a long time and have not kept them.

What would you suggest?

And as you said , you can leave a well cycled spacious aquarium with good stocking for 4 days and may be even upto a week without risk of fish dying but for birds even 36 hours can be potentially fatal and even if not fatal, extremely stressful.


cheers

 

[Cardinal]

I agree with Cardinal 100%, not only is keeping Aquarium Fish a hobby that can become an obsession, but African and South American Cichlids are awesome pets and are fun tanks to build, set-up, and modify over time. Another species of freshwater fish that make good pets are Oscars (can't have much else in their tank except for the Oscars, and you need a large tank, but they are very cool fish with personalities)..I kept a 75-gallon freshwater rock tank that I designed myself and kept both African and South American Cichlids in it for about 10 years after I first left graduate school, and I actually miss them, they're such beautiful, intelligent, and interesting fish to keep as pets. And designing/building/modifying a large freshwater tank can become both a hobby and an obsession, and a great place to put extra money...And it's quite easy to keep even a very large, freshwater aquarium with tropical fish like Cichlids when you're often away from home for more than a day at a time...Parrots just don't work in that lifestyle at all, and that's why unfortunately there are so many parrots up for re-homing and who are self-mutilators and pluckers, because they really do need the attention of a young child...It's rough...

Can't agree more! Would love to know more about the specific species you had kept, perhaps in another thread, in another section

 

[Cardinal]

Ok, so my opinion is slightly different. I think it's great that you want birds and also fitting because you love to fly. I'm not sure what kind of schedule you have-my sister used to be an EMT and had 24 hour shifts. So the 3-4 days you are gone, I'm not sure if that is weekly, monthly or what.

The thing is, a single bird will need a lot of your time and commitment and they are flock creatures so being alone for several days is kind of cruel if it's on a regular basis-even if someone stops by once or twice a day to check up. They really need companionship. Now, if you have a significant other who is there who can partake in all of this that's a different story-but also keep in mind that alliance can change. Little snots. :\

If you want two-then you face the possibility that they will prefer each other and no you, especially if they have little handling. This might be fine. If you want birds but don't have the time to be hands on on a regular basis, you could look into having an aviary. What about finches? Budgies? Cockatiels? (cockatiels are so amazing) or if those birds don't flip your crest, what about something that you do want that isn't hand tamed?

There are a lot of birds out there that need homes that aren't hand tamed but they do enjoy the company of other birds. It would be best to find a pair that are already bonded (I don't mean breeding bonded) and you can just enjoy them and enjoy keeping a huge cage for them.

Oh yea, also remember the longer a bird is caged-the larger it's cage really should be. So it all depends on your circumstances and what you want out of the relationship. I think that if you are just gone 3-4 days every two to three weeks or more, that it's doable. If you want a sweet cuddly bird though you are going to have to put in a lot of time when you are home-and have another person there who can put in a lot of time when you are not home and then, are they going to switch alliances on you when you're not there and are you going to be ok with that?

I find cockatiels are less complicated (and they are one of my favorites) but I also think if you're going to get a bird, you're going to need to get one that you want that you will commit to. Birds do need stability so if you can put a stable and steady environment in place for one or a few-then why not?

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Yes ! I agree with you ! I gave my suggestion in the assumption that there may not be anyone in the house full time, during his 3 or 4 day absence. This can be dangerous for birds.

There are many non tame Budgies and Cockatiels that are in need of a new home and you could provide them.
A flock of 6 budgies -3 pairs would be delightful to have and would not be very noisy either.

 

[ChristaNL]

I agree with the suggesion of keep a few birds "for the pleausere of watching them" but you still would have someone check on them twice a day.
And keeping them in pairs...the issues of breeding etc. raises its ugly head.
(that takes places for the babies to go/ never breed unwanted birds!/ but more important: somebody who is actually *there* in case of emergencies)
Of course (depending on the species!! Not all are as sociable) you could keep a same-sex group: still all the livelyness, none of the fertilisations.

 

[RemiBird]

Two male budgies in a big flight cage could work provided there is someone to check on them on the days you are gone.
As far as a green cheek or sun conure or whatever, not sure that would work. A conure will not patiently "wait" until you are off and have time for it. They are very demanding.
I always know when Remi is not happy with my work schedule. He bites, lol.

 

[Scott]

Let's cut to the chase. I am considering buying a green cheeked conure in the future, but I was wondering how they would adapt to my job. This summer, I will go and get my commercial pilot license (it's a 2-year study). As far as I know, I might not be home for 3-4 days. I was recommended buying two birds, as that would provide some social interaction for them (specifically they said that I should buy one male first, tame him, then buy a second female one). I hope that someone can provide some good info on this.

Welcome, and congratulations on your career endeavor. Airline pilots are and will be in great demand the next decade or so due to retirements and global expansion! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or seek advice.

I recently retired from United Airlines and spent the past 28 years typically on a 4-on, 4-off flight schedule. With proper support you can be a good parront and pursue a career. Key is devoting abundant time during days off and having reliable, competent assistance. In my case, gf or family were nearly always in my home day and night.

As for multiple birds getting along, that is a tricky proposition. Very dependent on personality and other factors we can only imagine.