What Bird do you think would be the right match for me?

HannahandSunny

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Cockatiels. Percy & Gizmo

Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
Hello everyone,
I am not ready yet to get any parrot, Iā€™m still missing Sunny terribly. My heart hurts every time I think about him. Itā€™s the unknown thatā€™s killing me, I wanted him to fly wild, but something isnā€™t right about his disappearance. I fear the worst. But letā€™s hold onto a little bit of hope that I will see him again one day.. anyway before I start crying, I wondered what Parrot would be best for me In the hopefully not too far future.

Iā€™d never ever considered having a bird before, mainly because of the cage situation makes me uncomfortable. However being on this forum has educated me on what a full life the birds can live given lots of safe out of cage time. Sunny opened my eyes to how much love and fun a parrot can bring into your life and I can honestly say he made me the happiest Iā€™ve ever been (okay Iā€™m crying now lol!). So now I have a huge parrot shaped hole in my heart, Iā€™d love to fill it again with bird. (Of course NO bird could EVER replace Sunny)

So what do you think:
  • A bird that could possibly learn a few words
  • ideally not a big noisy sqwarker, as much as I love Cockatoos :p I donā€™t think my partner would appreciate it.
  • A bird that could potentially have outside time in my good sized aviary, weather permitting of course. (Would live indoors)
  • a nice chirp?

-I was thinking maybe a cockatiel.
-Princess parrots have caught my eye on gumtree recently..
-Budgies are adorable, would definitely consider. But are they easily tameable/handleable? But maybe I want something slightly larger..
-Lorikeets are cute, but wouldnā€™t be my first choice, not sure why..
What other types would suit my needs?

I really donā€™t want to buy from a breeder or pet shop, I know itā€™s risky getting a rescue or older bird from gumtree as they could come with lots of problems but I donā€™t support breeding. If I found a lonely bird in a pet shop my arm could be twisted..

Thanks :white1:
 

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Lorikeets are great, though their feeding necessities can get a high maintenance for some. Also, projectile pooping much

Land of Aus is also eclectus central. You should be able to course any number of ekkies. Quieter species in general, maybe stick with a male.

Most importantly, sounds like youā€™re keen on rescues so you may have ample opportunity to visit a diversity of parrots. Play with the spectrum and let the bird choose you. Best way to do it.
 

clark_conure

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Jul 14, 2017
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A crossover Quaker Scuti (F), A Sun conure named AC, A Cinnamon Green Cheek conure Kent, and 6 budgies, Scuti Jr. (f), yellow (m), clark Jr. (m), Dot (f), Zebra(f), Machine (m).
from your list....a GCC they learn words they have a ton of personality, sometimes the chirp sometimes they derp, because they are clowns. They are generally quiet but if you want them to get excited you can turn it on or off.

They are also very hardy birds with very few health issues.

Anyways....
 

Laurasea

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Aug 2, 2018
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I love my Quakers and my GCC
My GCC ssysca few words cuddles and isn't loud. My Quakers say a lot of words, but can happily sqeak scream for hours just for the joy of it...mine are good cuddlers to.
I'm glad you helped and loved Sunny. Any bird you rescue will be lucky!
 

ravvlet

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Jun 25, 2019
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Kirby - OWA, 33yrs old (2019-)
Broccoli - Dusky Conure - 3?mo old (July 2023 -)
~~~
(Rehomed) Sammy - YNA, 45 yrs old (2022-2023)
(RIP) Cricket - Cockatiel (2019-2022)
Tiels donā€™t generally talk but are sweet and have a ton of personality. In my experience though they can be LOUD- not anywhere near the volume of a large parrot but our boy is CONSTANTLY SINGING. I have kids and dogs and even with my fairly high tolerance level he does get on my nerves sometimes, lol.

I second GCCs also! Never had one myself but Iā€™ve had friends with them and they seem to meet a lot of your list.

Parrotlets are another one you might consider - I see them sometimes here for rehoming and theyā€™re about the size of a budgie. They have a very high pitched but quiet voice that I found fairly pleasant, even when they were really upset with me.
 
OP
HannahandSunny

HannahandSunny

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Cockatiels. Percy & Gizmo

Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
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Thanks for the information everyone! Very helpful..
however as Iā€™m new to the parrot Scene I havenā€™t yet learnt the lingo.. what is a GCC? Please say the full names and the abbreviations so I can learn :D
 

LaManuka

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Fang ({ab}normal grey cockatiel), Valentino (budgie), Jem (cinnamon cockatiel), Lovejoy(varied lorikeet), Peach (princess parrot)
My baby Baci was a GCC (green cheeked conure) and I had never even seen one much less had any idea what I was getting into with him when I saw him at the pet shop. But he was the last one left out of I don't know how many nestlings and he did his little dance at me wanting to come home with me, so it was love at first sight!

Green cheeks I think are a little bit victims of their own popularity. They are gorgeous birds around the size of a cockatiel but have been described as like a mini-macaw in personality. I don't know much about macaws but my Baci quickly became the centre of my universe. He was fairly vocal but not noisy and said a few phrases in his gravelly little voice, like "where's mummy's baby?" and "where's baby Baci?", stuff like that. There is something in the nature of GCCs that enables them to very quickly form a very close bond with their chosen human but can also result in them having an intense dislike for any other human in the household, and you can't be certain that the human they choose will be you! They can become pretty bitey around their adolescent stage (and they can bite VERY hard!) and this can result in unprepared owners suddenly finding themselves with an angry biting devil on their hands and not knowing how to deal with the situation. I only had Baci for about 4 years before losing him prematurely to illness and I still cannot speak about that without crying - he and I may have over-bonded just a smidge.

Cockatiels are brilliant little birds not so much prone to over-bonding to just one person. Fang does have a preference for my husband over me but will always come to me when he wants his head scratched. They don't talk so much but can be taught to whistle, Fang has a nice repertoire of show tunes that he likes to wheel out over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over... you get my drift... Fang isnt a clingy bird and he generally isnt destructive and doesnt chew stuff, but individual results vary there.

But my advice to you will no doubt be the same as many others, and that would be to leave yourself open to all-comers and let the bird choose you. When the time is right, the right little birdie for you will pretty much fall into your lap. The happiest relationships always start that way :)
 

KawaiiTori

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Tori - Pineapple Green Cheek Conure
Thanks for the information everyone! Very helpful..
however as Iā€™m new to the parrot Scene I havenā€™t yet learnt the lingo.. what is a GCC? Please say the full names and the abbreviations so I can learn :D

Green Cheek Conure :) They are on the smaller side...somewhere between a budgie and a cockatiel...They are generally happy little clowns, but can be a little on the nippy side and like most of the Conure family, they can be obnoxiously loud and demanding when they want to be (though not nearly so loud as their Sun Conure cousins). Not typically known for their talking or mimickry skills, though I have heard of a few with a bit of a vocabulary.

Hope that helps a little!
 
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HannahandSunny

HannahandSunny

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Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
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Fantastic replies, thank you!
GCC sound like a fabulous, all-rounder little parrot! Iā€™ve heard people talk about them on the forum and seen some photos but Iā€™m going to research them some more now and also look in their sub-forum. I must admit Iā€™m a little nervous about getting a parrot that becomes very attached to one person, Iā€™d just feel so guilty for when I went on holiday that theyā€™d become depressed with their care-giver. Or if it hates my parter which wouldnā€™t make for the atmosphere..other than that GCC sounds good lol!

I 100% agree that when the time is right an parrot will choose me, and it will be love at first sight :)
 
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HannahandSunny

HannahandSunny

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Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
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What are Lovebirds like?
 

Valyndris

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If your are looking for a smaller bird I find cockatiels and GCCs to be the best of the little ones. My mom used to breed birds and went through many different species. Cockatiels are usually very cuddly birds and GCCs are little miniature macaws, they can be quite cute and funny, I'm sure they are cuddly too, I only got to see parrots as babies before they got sold and baby parrots are always cuddly. I did have cockatiels for a while and one was named Shadow and that was the perfect name as he would follow me everywhere just like a shadow, he'd sing to my big toe as it was the same size as his head.

If you are looking for something a little bigger that may be underrated. A white capped pionus can make for a great pet. In my experience they are more of a one person bird though so you'd have to make sure the bird bonds to you. The one I had was the quietest parrot I've ever had. Just throwing out the idea. :)
 

itzjbean

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What about cockatiels? As a native to Australia it would thrive in your care and would enjoy the outdoor aviary and may even see some wild ones flying nearby in flocks. They don't tend to get overly attached to one person, are much easier to handle and train and won't make you go crazy from the noise, their chirps are very tolerable, I have 4 and live in a duplex with neighbors above us, have never had a noise complaint.
 

Scott

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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
If not a cockatoo, perhaps a cockatiel? Best of both worlds: huge personality without painfully loud vocalizations.

Honestly Hannah, your biggest challenge will be selection. Animals sense your heart and naturally gravitate. I foresee you with a home filled with birds of all types! (MBS = Multiple Bird Syndrome!)
 

AmyMyBlueFront

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Amy a Blue Front 'Zon
Jonesy a Goffins 'Too who had to be rehomed :-(

And a Normal Grey Cockatiel named BB who came home with me on 5/20/2016.
I had no experience with cockatiels until BB picked me to come home to,but thanks to this wonderful forum I learned a lot about them. After rehoming Jonesy the Goffin 'too I was looking for another,I always had two fids and Amy and I were lonely lol.
BB is a WONDERFUL little boy! Always happy. He sings his heart out all day long,and YES for a little guy,he can be quite loud with it..and none stop! (Aggravates the heck out of my brother :eek:) He is very bonded with me ( BB...not my brother :D) He says a few words,comes to me (most of the time) when I call him,loves to thumb wrestle,I can hold him and smother him with kisses..likes to play games with me etc.
Whatever you choose Hannah,that bird will be one lucky and well cared/loved little one.


Jim
 

Laurasea

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This is my Cinnamon teal ( color) green cheeck conure pictured with an American budgie ( which are way smaller budgie than the English budgies)
She loves to snuggle, and yes she can bite hard , you have to read their body language. I've started calling them the Hot conure lol!!! If you accidentally rub a feather the wrong way wham they correct you. But most they want endles love. Mine can say hello, hi, love you, pretty bird, !NO! Burt the bird ( her former freind) and what's up? But not super clear.
If you plan on harness training must be done as baby for best results
laurasea-albums-keets-picture20475-img-20180906-140857572-2.jpg

My blue Quaker , endless words, supper cuddles, much less likely to bite and bites just a pinch much preferred to the needl beak GCC bite, but like to make noise likes to scream willing to keep it up for hours .....or I can go months with no screaming
laurasea-albums-neptune-blue-picture21053-img-20190120-161654352-4.jpg
 
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Laurasea

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I've never know any real life freinds who were happy with their lovebirds, they always ended up with problems, like hormonal meaness, or never fteindly. On this forum I've seen many happy members with love birds.
Other conures like the peach front or orange capped are very nice, as is the blue crowned conure. Golden conure, these conure are larger than green cheecks, and less nipy Hawk headed parrot a real nice size, I just met one had a great personality, a member here has one that is just Devine!
 
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HannahandSunny

HannahandSunny

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Cockatiels. Percy & Gizmo

Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
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Wow thank you so much everyone for the responses, very helpful! Iā€™ve looked into all the birds everyone has suggested and I do feel a cockatiel would be a fantastic option for me. I also line their cute cheeky looking faces!
Iā€™m getting carried away and over excited and looking on the internet to see whatā€™s about..I donā€™t think my partner will agree to me getting one just yet, plus we should wait a year until we can move house as there isnā€™t really any room for a bird cage as my guinea pigs 6ft cage take up the only free wall we have in the cottage lol.
But anyway that canā€™t stop me looking right.. :eek:.. where would be best for me to get a cockatiel from? As all the ads online seem to be breeders, Is that going to be my only option?
Also I really hate the thought of any animal being lonely, Especially when birds are so social. Will a cockatiel be okay on its own? Or is it best to get 2?
Also would a cage like this be suitable and the right size?


0f1yMAZ.jpg


Oh dear.. what am I getting myself into.. (Scott I think youā€™re going to be right about the MBS)..
 

Scott

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Aug 21, 2010
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
That cage looks good for a cockatiel. Never had a tiel so cannot comment on their independence or whether they readily bond with others.

Sources may include rescues, shelters, small pet shops, private party ads.
 

HeatherG

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Apr 25, 2020
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My friend had a cockatiel who talked and whistled. Then again she spent hours and hours a day with him.

I had a super nice lovebird hen but she got egg bound and died suddenly.

I think Quakers are great birds but I have to say I met a bee bee parakeet that was super friendly and cute as heck, I would think about a bee bee. To my mind, green cheek conures are very hyper.
 

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