What kind of Parrot should I get

[weidjd]

I think you should see if you can interact/help someone who owns an AG and do this for like a month. Just to give you an idea of what they are like on daily basis. my .02

 

[BrookeB]

Thanks for your time and I am sorry that you guys with birds think so little of newcomers to the bird community.. All I have heard from you guys is how I should do my research and not get a bird.. What I want to tell you is I have done my research, I want a large bird and I just wanted some input on the species I had listed in my first post. I have dogs, cats, a pond full of fish, frogs, a bearded dragon, two Sulcatas, two red eared sliders, a leopard tortoise and a horse... Some of these animals will outlive me and most need special housing and care.. A bird will be a great addition to my house and I just wanted to get a little input from people who know more about these particular birds.. Thank you anyway

 

[PortaPerch]

You're welcome. I still think a trip to Fran's and Omar's would be worth your while. Today would have been perfect, with its reduced traffic compared to yesterday and tomorrow, and weekdays.

Wife bought Greybeard while I remained neutral. He is a pleasure to both of us.
Wife bought Chewbaca over my objections, and little did we realize how right I was. She's just a pretty face with a thousand dollar beak.

 

[azdesertrhino]

Hello Brooke and welcome to the best bird forum on the Internet!!

We brought a B&G Macaw in to our lives a little over 2 years ago.

We didn't realize how much we didn't know until we brought Mac home.

The initial cost of any large bird is the tip of the iceberg, in my opinion.

Proper diet, vet care, toys that a large bird will tear up and need to be replaced all add up in a hurry.

There must be a large cage for the bird to sleep and rest in and room to keep the cage in a conditioned space.

A large bird should have a large enough play area to exercise and be out of the cage for a significant amount of time.

Mac is out for 6 or 8 hours a day. Luckily my wife works from home so Mac gts the attention he deserves throughout the day.

We were not able to find a place or person where we live that would care for Mac the way we care for him. If we go away, Mac travels with us. A bird can't be stuck in a kennel like a dog or left alone for a day or two like a cat can.

Mac's travel & vacation modes.

Owning a large bird will change your lifestyle, without a doubt.

There is no correlation between owning a large bird and owning dogs, cats, lizards, horses, Guinea pigs etc. I've had them all.

By the tone of some of your posts it appears you didn't like the information being shared.

Most of the folks on this board have one concern, the well being of the feathered companions. They speak from real life experience, not "Book or Internet Learning".

Anyhow, wishing you and the possible feathered companion the best!! It is not a decision to be taken lightly.

 

[weidjd]

I dont think we are saying to not get a bird. But rather to experience what it is to have a large bird in your lives. Just the tip of the ice berg is one way to put it.

 

[jaimmorr]

No one here said not to get a bird. They simply said make sure you do your research first, because this is a bigger commitment than most animals. A way bigger commitment if you're buying a bigger bird. I mean no offense by this, but if a person doesn't know that birds are referred to as different species (not by breeds), then I doubt they have done the research necessary. I hope you learn all you need to learn. Good luck.

 

[evesta]

Wow, Mac is so adorable and looks very welled taken care of! Lucky bird

 

[azdesertrhino]

Wow, Mac is so adorable and looks very welled taken care of! Lucky bird

Yea, and he's not spoiled one little bit!!

 

[aliray]

I just would like to add me 2 cents worth. Brooke welcome to the forum and I hope your still here. I think part of this forums job is to make new people feel welcome . I seems to me that she is doing her research and asking people who own and live with the birds she is interested in what their like. Books are fine but you learn a lot from other people. Whether you call them breeds or species is nit picking. Also it it all well and good to say nothing in your life can change for the next 50 years but life has no guarentees. life happens, you do the best you can. I think some encouragement would be better. Alison and sweetie pie. By the way I love this forum because I really like hearing about the different birds. I also belong to the quaker parrot forum. no offense to anybody hear just my opinion

 

[BrookeB]

Thank you for your help and yea I am still here to try to learn about these birds.

 

[BrookeB]

I have been to 4 different breeders in my area just to see the care they give them and how to prepare there food... I have also cared for smaller birds all my life... I always take my future and current animals care into consideration before buying a new animal

 

[GiosMom]

Im new here as well. If you can survive opinions from this or any forum and your persistent then your getting practice for life with a bird. The bonus here is although some people may come across more negative there is a balance and a ton of knowledgeable helpful members. I am getting a Goffin Cockatoo in a few months. I researched for a lonnng time! Goffin is playful, lovable, smart, family oriented, high energy, intelligent species. A small cockatoo. It fits my family profile perfectly. I thought about a Gray for it's talking ability but their personality doesn't quite fit my family....I also thought about an Eclectus but figured my household would probably give the bird a nervous breakdown. We are a loud active family, someone is always home....as a matter of fact I'm constnalt feeding teenagers that don't belong to me! I'm very new to the Avian world, always wanted a bird, and my grandfather had a bird growing up....and now at 40 I'm ready to take on the responsibility of a lifelong 2 yr old as well as make sure my 4 1/2 yr old is a big part of this birds life as he will then become it primary caretaker when I goto my nursing home that probably won't allow pets! LOL! Stick around....ask uestions don't be shy. Good luck and welcome!

 

[GiosMom]

Also some advice, I would have kids first...before the dog before the bird. Allow your children to take up all of your time without having to feel like your sacrificing the pets or the kids just makes for an easier life. Not too mention most of the species you are considering are one-people prefence birds. grays, and Macaws especially and most Too's. They follow a pecking order and aren't as welcoming to new flock members, so bringing a baby who then turns curious toddler into the mix can cause a disaster. That is the number one reason most pet birds end up Rehomed or in rescue. So while your in love with the idea of undertaking this responsibility....as a mom I will tell you no need to rush. Consider having your human babies first...I'm a believer in timing being everything!

 

[greycloud]

I was not nit picking! I was educating.

I just would like to add me 2 cents worth. Brooke welcome to the forum and I hope your still here. I think part of this forums job is to make new people feel welcome . I seems to me that she is doing her research and asking people who own and live with the birds she is interested in what their like. Books are fine but you learn a lot from other people. Whether you call them breeds or species is nit picking. Also it it all well and good to say nothing in your life can change for the next 50 years but life has no guarentees. life happens, you do the best you can. I think some encouragement would be better. Alison and sweetie pie. By the way I love this forum because I really like hearing about the different birds. I also belong to the quaker parrot forum. no offense to anybody hear just my opinion

 

[BrookeB]

To be honest I don't care if my animals hate my kids... Animals are my life... That's it.. end of story.. I will love my kids but will NEVER give any animal up because he did something "bad" if it hates my kids he will have his own room... no kids around.. done... Ok well once again thanks for all the help but I think that I will just do my learning some place else. I can see that because I am not a 40 year old soccer mom who only wants a bird that "fits" into her life I don't fit here... Sorry for bothering you all

 

[KatherineI]

To be honest I don't care if my animals hate my kids... Animals are my life... That's it.. end of story.. I will love my kids but will NEVER give any animal up because he did something "bad" if it hates my kids he will have his own room... no kids around.. done... Ok well once again thanks for all the help but I think that I will just do my learning some place else. I can see that because I am not a 40 year old soccer mom who only wants a bird that "fits" into her life I don't fit here... Sorry for bothering you all

Okay, I've been silent this whole time, biting me tongue but now I feel I really have to say something here...

First and foremost, everyone here has the birds best interest at heart. Period. End of discussion. That is why we/they have asked so many questions, thrown so many scenarios at you. You fail to give us any kind of actual details about any of the research you have done, or any of your "experience", so most people are asking questions and making suggestions based on the very little you have provided. You say you've done research, but reading a book or doing quick internet searches only gets you so far. And kudos for meeting with 4 different breeders, that's a start, but it still not enough. Your "bird experience" could be having a few Budgies, for all we know. That does not prepare you for having anything larger than a Budgie. You say you have done research, you say that you want a bird the whole family can enjoy, but then you say in the next "breath" that you want a specific type of bird that is known to be a one-person species. That, to me, is a red flag.

Now, you may say it's as simple as giving the bird their own room if they don't get along with your kid(s). That's great. It really could be just that simple, but considering that birds are flock animals, some birds may not handle being kept in a room by themselves with limited contact with you or others. What if you move and there is no ability to have a room just for the bird? You never know what could happen. You or your husband could lose your job, you can no longer afford to care for such a large bird due to finances, your house could get foreclosed on, etc etc etc. It happens to good people all the time, so don't give me all the reasons why that will never happen. My husband still has 4 years left on his military contract and yet, here we are, preparing to move on into civilian life 4 years ahead of schedule through no fault of his (it's medical related). Nothing in life is ever guaranteed, except death and taxes.

I'm not a 40yo soccer mom either, and the fact that you made that snide remark irks me. It wasn't necessary. No one has told you not to get a bird, we are all simply giving you as many of the facts - the REAL facts - as possible, making all the different options and situations known to you as possible. Many of us have worked, or are currently working in, rescue and see the ugly of what happens when people think that they want these beautiful birds, and either get one on impulse, or don't really understand all that owning one entails despite saying they did "research".

I also own a bearded dragon, a russian tortoise, a corn snake, and a dog. That's not counting the numerous other animals (frogs, chameleons, horses, cats, goats, chickens...) that I've owned or had true experience with over the years. And not a single one of those animals prepares you for owning an exotic bird. Just like how owning a horse does not prepare you for owning a dog. Each animal comes with their own unique requirements that separates them from other animals.

You are being way too dismissive with all of what we are trying to tell you, either because you don't want to believe us, or because you think we're attacking you or something. And that right there, is enough to worry me about your true knowledge and ability to handle being a guardian to large birds. Anyone who truly wants to be a guardian, would listen to those who are already guardians, take their experiences into account. Every situation is unique, I grant you that, but it doesn't mean that it can't or won't happen to someone else.

 

[mtdoramike]

To be honest I don't care if my animals hate my kids... Animals are my life... That's it.. end of story.. I will love my kids but will NEVER give any animal up because he did something "bad" if it hates my kids he will have his own room... no kids around.. done... Ok well once again thanks for all the help but I think that I will just do my learning some place else. I can see that because I am not a 40 year old soccer mom who only wants a bird that "fits" into her life I don't fit here... Sorry for bothering you all

It sounds to me like you have it backwards here. YOUR KIDS SHOULD BE YOUR LIFE PERIOD! If I had an animal that couldn't stand my daughter and wanted to bite her or my wife every time they got around him/her, that animal would be gone quick, fast and in a hurry. No matter how much I cared for the animal.

You want to get a bird, get a bird if not then don't. That is up to you. All we can do is offer our opinions and suggestions and also our experiences, which you will get whether solicited or not. These opinions, suggestions and experiences that are posted only to make you take pause before committing to an animal that may not be a fit for you and your family.

Experience: My Bird Groomer recently had the tip of her index finger bitten OFF by a Scarlet Macaw that she was grooming. It took like 11 stitches to have it re-attached.

Experience: My wife and I were going to the store this morning and I put Mac in his cage while she put Tiki in her cage. She bent down to get her a piece of millet before closing her cage door. Tiki lunged at her face while she was beginning to stand back up pinching her cheek to the point that it bled. My wife is Tiki's favorite person and Tiki is a small Senegal a tad bigger than a Cockatiel. Just think if she was a Macaw or a Cockatoo, or she lundged just in time to nail my wife in the eye, which could have been devistating.

My point here is, no matter how much research, preperation and knowledge you have, they are still wild animals and can be very unpredictable. This is why I try and discourage anyone with young children to reconsider getting a large bird. They can be sweet as sugar one minute and very dangerous the next.

Large birds can remove a finger in an instant and quicker than you could react.

 

[aliray]

that is one of the reasons I personally would not get a bird the size of a macaw. One I am old and I can,t move that fast anymore also I don't want to be bitten by a bill that can open a shelled brazil nut . haha. actually not kidding . however I am living vicariously though you guys and all your big parrot stories. Alison and sweetie pie

 

[evesta]

I agree your kids have to come first and yes that sometimes you have to take them to their soccer games lol But I researched before I got a bird and changed what I got because of my kids, who are 6 and 1 1/2. Someday when my baby is older I hope to get a larger bird. Even my small, sweet linnie boys bite and have bitten my son, once on the eye lid. He was hysterical, poor guy. Luckily they can't do much damage and we are all learning how to handle them and read their body language. The birds are a bonding experience for me and my son and really pets should be that way, that's how kids learn to be good pet owners. Frankly if when I was a kid my mom had a large pet bird that wanted to attack me I would feel very unsafe and probably very jealous of the animal.

 

[artemis]

No one's attacking you, BrookeB. People just want to make sure you're truly aware of the downsides to owning a large parrot. Many of the larger parrot species don't make good "family birds" for various reasons, and some can be downright dangerous (which is a huge consideration when you add unpredictable small children into the mixture). Too many birds wind up homeless or abused because they were purchased by people who had no hope of offering the animal what it needed to be a happy, safe human companion. Spend some time reading the posts in the subforums dedicated to the species which interest you, and pay particular attention to which problems are recurring themes; you'll learn a lot that way.