What parrot for me?

pinkfishlove

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Hello Everyone! I’m finally ready to get myself a lovely parrot but i haven’t picked one yet.
So I wondered if I could get some suggestions from your guys.
What id want is a medium sized bird, which is affectionate and not one whom is quite reserved. I’d love a bird who is pretty neutral in its temperament, and who is not too aggressive. I don’t care if the bird talks or not.

I’ve done a lot of research and I have a few in mind, but I’d love to get as much knowledge as I can before I commit to my new friend for life :)
(I’ve checked out quakers, caique, pionus, eclectus and conures, so if you have one of those, what are some pros and cons and what are your experiences?

Thank you so much for reading! :)
 

𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆

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Stormy(M): blue Australian budgie
Picasso(F): green Australian budgie
Apollo(F): sky blue dominant pied Australian budgie
Hello Everyone! I’m finally ready to get myself a lovely parrot but i haven’t picked one yet.
So I wondered if I could get some suggestions from your guys.
What id want is a medium sized bird, which is affectionate and not one whom is quite reserved. I’d love a bird who is pretty neutral in its temperament, and who is not too aggressive. I don’t care if the bird talks or not.

I’ve done a lot of research and I have a few in mind, but I’d love to get as much knowledge as I can before I commit to my new friend for life :)
(I’ve checked out quakers, caique, pionus, eclectus and conures, so if you have one of those, what are some pros and cons and what are your experiences?

Thank you so much for reading! :)
Please answer all questions:

Do you have an avian vet near you? You will NEED one if you want a bird.

Can you volunteer at shelters or other places or interact with parrots before purchasing?

Do you understand that all birds are different, and you may not get the personality you want, ESPECIALLY if you get them as a baby?

Are you a minor? If so, what will you do once you go off to collage, have to get your own income and pay for a messy and loud bird, etc? And yes, they are LOUD! Even little budgies!

Welcome to the forums!
 
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pinkfishlove

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We have a lot of vets nearby!
I’ve interacted with birds many times before, but ofc. There are shelters and such :)
And ofc! I’m an adult today and have been researching birds for my whole life.
 

ravvlet

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2019
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Seattle WA
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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)
I love that you’re putting a lot of thought into this! Parrots are a really big time investment! We have a lot of fantastic owners of all the species you’ve mentioned here who will doubtlessly chime in, but I’d like to put my two cents in for cockatiels!

I think they can get overlooked as they’re a common “big box petstore” bird and therefore may feel somehow less exotic, but are chock full of personality just as much as any other parrot species. I have also found they do okay on their own if you’re looking to just keep one bird. They do well in family enviroments and are VERY affectionate. They are excellent fliers, and are a delight to watch zooming around your home. They’re also very clever and can learn tricks. They don’t typically talk, but some can (mine could say Hello!, which he learned from our Amazon). The only downside in my opinion is the little birds seem to poop a mile a minute in comparison with larger species!

Anyway, I’ll let everyone else get on with telling you about the other species you’ve asked after!
 

Terry57

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Hawkhead(Darwin),YCA(Dexter),VE (Ekko),OWA(Slater),BHP(Talli),DYH(Calypso),RLA(Kimera),Alex(Xander)CBC(Phoe),IRN (Kodee,Luna,Stevie),WCP (Pisces),CAG(Justice)GCC (Jax), GSC2(Charley)
Welcome to the forum!

I have Conures, an Eclectus and a Pionus:)
My Conures are the only ones of those who are cuddly, and that is only a couple of them. Birds within a species can be quite different from each other, and there really isn't a way to know until you have one home with you.
Do a lot of research before getting an Eclectus as their diets are so much different than the other birds.

Conures
They will keep you laughing, they are wonderful little guys. They will also likely require a supply of band aids because a lot of conures are also quite nippy:)
My Green Cheek is especially guilty of this.

Pionus
I have a Blue-headed Pionus, and he is awesome. He also keeps me laughing, and he talks well, but other than scritches he doesn't like to be touched.
He has bitten me good a few times, but all were my fault because he fluffs up to 3 times his size before biting and I wasn't paying attention.

Eclectus
My Ekko speaks really well, and has only bitten me once. However, he also decided that he liked my husband more and has very little to do with me. As mentioned above, please research their diet.

I'm so glad you're here doing research and I can't wait to find out what bird captures your heart.
As mentioned above, volunteering at a rescue may let you meet a lot of different species, and you may just fall in love with one:)
 
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pinkfishlove

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I’ve read about cockatiels too! Thank you!
Welcome to the forum!

I have Conures, an Eclectus and a Pionus:)
My Conures are the only ones of those who are cuddly, and that is only a couple of them. Birds within a species can be quite different from each other, and there really isn't a way to know until you have one home with you.
Do a lot of research before getting an Eclectus as their diets are so much different than the other birds.

Conures
They will keep you laughing, they are wonderful little guys. They will also likely require a supply of band aids because a lot of conures are also quite nippy:)
My Green Cheek is especially guilty of this.

Pionus
I have a Blue-headed Pionus, and he is awesome. He also keeps me laughing, and he talks well, but other than scritches he doesn't like to be touched.
He has bitten me good a few times, but all were my fault because he fluffs up to 3 times his size before biting and I wasn't paying attention.

Eclectus
My Ekko speaks really well, and has only bitten me once. However, he also decided that he liked my husband more and has very little to do with me. As mentioned above, please research their diet.

I'm so glad you're here doing research and I can't wait to find out what bird captures your heart.
As mentioned above, volunteering at a rescue may let you meet a lot of different species, and you may just fall in love with one:)
Hey! How affectionate would you say your eclectus and pionus are? Thank you for replying :)
 

Terry57

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Hawkhead(Darwin),YCA(Dexter),VE (Ekko),OWA(Slater),BHP(Talli),DYH(Calypso),RLA(Kimera),Alex(Xander)CBC(Phoe),IRN (Kodee,Luna,Stevie),WCP (Pisces),CAG(Justice)GCC (Jax), GSC2(Charley)
I’ve read about cockatiels too! Thank you!

Hey! How affectionate would you say your eclectus and pionus are? Thank you for replying :)
Neither of mine are what I would call affectionate. My ekkie does like to be held by my husband but he doesn't like to be scritched or petted anywhere.

Cockatiels are fantastic birds, and you may definitely get some cuddling from one of them.
 

ravvlet

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Jun 25, 2019
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Seattle WA
Parrots
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)
As everyone else has said, all birds are individuals so I can’t promise a cockatiel will be cuddly. I can tell you however that mine had to be ON ME or on my desk any time I was sitting in the parrot room (which happens to also be my office). He also loved to pull keycaps off of keyboards, which was equal parts frustrating and amusing, I had to keep an endless supply of foot toys so that he wouldn’t do it! He’d let me pet him for AGES and just wanted to be wherever I was at any given time.

My amazon, on the other hand, loves to have me in the room and will chatter to me occasionally, and does enjoy being petted, but otherwise likes to stay on his playstands or his cage and call for me when he’s ready for attention.
 

Cottonoid

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Welcome to the forums! I was in the same questioning spot six months ago!

I ended up narrowing it down to a list of species I thought would do ok with my lifestyle, and then decided I'd just be open to whoever came along :)

I don't have any of the birds on your list 😆 but my son and his girlfriend have a Cockatiel that is a total charmer and likes hanging out with anybody he meets. I love his little whistle songs! He got me hooked on parrots :) I've met Sun and Jenday conures and they are full of personality and hilarious. And loud lol

Hopefully someone with Quakers or GCC chimes in because I think both of those can be real cuddle bugs.

Good luck in your search! I think it's fun to get everyone's opinions :)
 

cnyguy

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Apr 23, 2010
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Quaker parrot, Ralph
I'm sure you will be told that Quaker parrots are noisy and cage aggressive. They do have that reputation, but it isn't necessarily true. My QP Ralph is neither. While he is on the quiet side, that doesn't mean that he's silent. He squeaks, squawks and talks frequently through the day. While Ralph could be described as affectionate, he isn't a cuddly parrot. He does like being with me, preferably perched on me, and he's happy to have me just sit with him when he's in his cage. He is very curious and is interested in everything and has to investigate everything too. Like many parrots, he can be quite stubborn. Ralph is fairly even-tempered otherwise, though he can have the occasional grumpy spell, especially when hormones kick in.
All that doesn't necessarily apply to any other Quaker parrots. Every parrot will have his/her own unique personality and character.
I've never lived with any of the other types of parrots you mentioned and can't comment on them enough to be helpful to you.
 

Laurasea

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Aug 2, 2018
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My quakers are cuddles girls. And cage protective big time( but sweet away from.) I took on a committed screamer, and a rescue that screamed a bunch in the beginning. So I fall into the camp they have loud potential. ( some real loud potential )I do have one that's quieter by nature.

My green cheek conure is also a snuggle girl. She is quiet few birdie vocalizations. Tho she does talk ( words) a lot when we cuddle.

My neighbor has a cocktail who is sweet and talks and whistling little clown. Likes to sit on you but doesn't like to be pet. But very into hanging out and interacting.

Each parrots of a species are so individual.

Looking forward to who finds you
 

aussie_wings

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Jun 24, 2022
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🌟 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽〘F Lutino Budgie〙🌟
✈️ 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙧〘M Cinn-Turq-Pied-Spang Kakariki〙✈️
Has anyone linked that cute little quiz yet?
myrightbird.com will give you a quiz to take that asks you questions about your needs, preferences, and housing environment and give you results with percentages for which each of the listed parrots would be a good match for your home.

Generally speaking though, the larger the bird, the more time, effort, resources and care you're going to have to dedicate. Large, intelligent birds like African Greys are almost like toddlers in the sense that they are so smart and need lots of attention and care! A small bird, such as a budgie still needs a good, safe environment, and ample attention, but they are not going to be as intelligent as larger birds and thus cannot be expected to need the same amount of stimulation. It's a bit difficult to explain the nuances there, but budgies still definitely need our attention, especially if you're only going to have one, and require stimulation, but not in the same way or to the same degree as a larger bird.

Hope this helps!
 

BirdyBee

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Current birds:
John
Snowy
Pippen

Past birds:
Grumpy
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Jeff
Gertjie
Cockatiels are usually very affectionate. I have a very tame cockatiel named Pippen. Some are not so tame, but most will interact. A girl I know has two cockatiels. They are a bit fearful but will sit on your shoulder. Someone else I know got a cockatiel for her daughter(long story short she got attached to the bird, and now the bird is scared of the kid due to her pulling a feather or something, but he'll still interact with her). The cockatiel chose the mom as his favourite person, so she cares for him. She can scratch his head and play with him. I have interacted with him before. Charlie(the cockatiel) doesn't let me pet him. I can have him perch on me, but he gets defensive if you bring your hand near him, so he is still being trained. Usually you have to pick him up to get him back to his cage. Treats help with him.

So in summary cockatiels tend to be affectionate but not always. It is important to socialize them at a young age(if you get a baby).
 
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𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆

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Picasso(F): green Australian budgie
Apollo(F): sky blue dominant pied Australian budgie
We have a lot of vets nearby!
I’ve interacted with birds many times before, but ofc. There are shelters and such :)
And ofc! I’m an adult today and have been researching birds for my whole life.
That's great! I hope you can find the bird of your dreams, and remember, the bird should choose you!
 

clark_conure

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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).
just wait.......

the bird will pick you.

You will see it and know it the second you see it. Might take a month or so looking around for the right dealer or store but its the spring season. Good time to to buy. The bird will pick you. The right bird will come to you...literally.
 

maddox

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Maddox is a green cheek conure
I am here to represent conures! My green cheek Maddox has been my best friend since I got him. They are smaller birds "still larger than budgies" and thus don't take up as much space. Green cheek conures are known for being pretty quiet birds, as opposed to sun conures or amazons. Conures are also painfully hilarious and in my opinion, have the biggest personalities of any parrot. Conures likewise are super affectionate and easily trainable. It took only two weeks for Maddox to bond with me. As stated they can be nippy, but I was able to work on that with my conure. If you want a reasonably sized bird with a loving and vibrant personality, I would for sure take a look at some conures.
 

AnimaliaPrime

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Green Cheek Conure female
I never recommend a first bird owner go with a larger bird. The exceptions being a pionus and maybe an eclectus, but neither is overly affectionate. I wouldn't recommend a Caique either, they can have some serious attitude issues if not handled just right. Ringnecks are a nice smallish/medium sized bird, but they are not very affectionate, in general. I have a Green Cheek Conure (for 6 years). I had a QUaker for 15 years. previous. Quakers are LOUUUUUUD! When they want anything--it's a series of piercing screeches that go on for a long time. A Green Cheek is amazing. I fostered an Umbrella Cockatoo for almost a year (very sad that I couldn't adopt him) and he was so affectionate. My GCC is just as affectionate and has a huge personality. Sometimes I can't believe she is so small b/c she is a huge presence in my life. She's such a goof, she's so sweet. She talks some, she loves music, she dances just like the cockatoo did. She gives kisses and snuggles all the time and she thnkis she's a badass--she chases the cats!

My roommate had an eclectus--a male and he was a very good bird. And I've never met a "bad" eclectus. They are very trick trainable, but I don't think they are super affectionate.
Getting a rescue is great, but you need to be careful. Those birds could have a lot of emotional problems. My Quaker was an adult rescue and he was a problem child his whole life. I worked at a parrot rescue for a couple years and saw a lot of problem birds. For my second bird I got a hand-raised chick when she was 3 months old and she's never bitten me in 6 years (nibbles only), she has beautiful plumage, healthy weight, good attitude and is extemely easy to get out of her cage (try and stop her!) and is trick trainable. She waves, does "Eagle" with her wings back, gives kisses on command, says her name when asked "whats's your name?" and says some other words as response to questions.
Have I made a case for GCC's?? LOL
 

ManuIki

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Pepe is a turquoise green-cheeked conure, born May 22, 2015. We (husband and I) also call him "Manu Iki" (Hawaiian for "Little Bird").
We have a lot of vets nearby!
Great, but you need an avian vet, one with avian-specific education and training. They’re completely different from other household pets, just as those other pets are different from alligators and giraffes.

Sorry if I’m nagging! Just want to make sure you understood what the Storm Bica was asking about. (I can’t read their font, but I think that’s the username.)
 

HeatherG

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I never recommend a first bird owner go with a larger bird. The exceptions being a pionus and maybe an eclectus, but neither is overly affectionate. I wouldn't recommend a Caique either, they can have some serious attitude issues if not handled just right. Ringnecks are a nice smallish/medium sized bird, but they are not very affectionate, in general. I have a Green Cheek Conure (for 6 years). I had a QUaker for 15 years. previous. Quakers are LOUUUUUUD! When they want anything--it's a series of piercing screeches that go on for a long time. A Green Cheek is amazing. I fostered an Umbrella Cockatoo for almost a year (very sad that I couldn't adopt him) and he was so affectionate. My GCC is just as affectionate and has a huge personality. Sometimes I can't believe she is so small b/c she is a huge presence in my life. She's such a goof, she's so sweet. She talks some, she loves music, she dances just like the cockatoo did. She gives kisses and snuggles all the time and she thnkis she's a badass--she chases the cats!

My roommate had an eclectus--a male and he was a very good bird. And I've never met a "bad" eclectus. They are very trick trainable, but I don't think they are super affectionate.
Getting a rescue is great, but you need to be careful. Those birds could have a lot of emotional problems. My Quaker was an adult rescue and he was a problem child his whole life. I worked at a parrot rescue for a couple years and saw a lot of problem birds. For my second bird I got a hand-raised chick when she was 3 months old and she's never bitten me in 6 years (nibbles only), she has beautiful plumage, healthy weight, good attitude and is extemely easy to get out of her cage (try and stop her!) and is trick trainable. She waves, does "Eagle" with her wings back, gives kisses on command, says her name when asked "whats's your name?" and says some other words as response to questions.
Have I made a case for GCC's?? LOL
Hmm. I had a very lovey and calm white capped Pionus hen and a lovey but a bit moody bronze winged Pionus hen.

I think they’re sweet tempered birds and my girls were certainly cuddly. And the three Quakers in my history were/are snugglebugs.

Quakers, loud? Not always. I have a quiet household and a quiet adult male Quaker. My female Quaker went through a loud period when she was 3-5 yrs old but was otherwise a quiet bird in my quiet apartment.

Any bird CAN make loud alarm calls. My Quakers didn’t make those often, and I could avoid them by covering the birds up before using Dustbuster or vacuum or moving big boxes.

My greencheek was loud often. Much louder than the Quakers, with the very high pitched smoke alarm ack-ack ack.

Just my opinion. I’d get a Pionus in a minute if I had the opportunity and room for another bird.
 
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