What's louder a greenwing macaw or goffin cockatoo?

[sgperth12]

Just Asking

 

[JerseyWendy]

Well....I can't speak for Goffin's. Never had one.

As a matter of fact, I kind of hate questions like this. Why? Because when a Sun Conure (MUCH smaller than a big mac) screams, I feel like someone is putting a screwdriver through my ears - all the way through.

When my GW screams, I'm afraid my windows will shatter, but I CAN and DO tolerate it, even though it 'can' be painful. :21:

Then there's my Sam, the Magna DYH. He's picked up my GW's scream, but it sounds....different. When he does THAT particular screech, I swear, I wanna put him straight into the microwave (of course I would NEVER). It's VERY painful to my ears. :11:

So, in terms of who's louder, perhaps the question should be: What is easier to tolerate? I'm sure there's a device that would tell you which of the 2 is actually louder, but I'm having a hard time finding such data.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

A Goffin

 

[Pinkbirdy]

What you really want to know is which of them is going to drive you to drink Definitely the Goffin.

 

[Allee]

Had I been asked a week ago, I would have immediately answered Goffin, today my answer is, two quakers having a screeching contest can drown out the greenwing and the Goffin.

 

[sgperth12]

Wow really a coffin is louder than a greenwing that sucks I fell in love with one at the birdstore they're so sweet and cuddly

 

[sgperth12]

@Jerseywendy i was at the bird store in east Brunswick a couple days ago I got the handle a moluccan cockatoo ,the goffin and a conure it was great first time I got to hold tthe big birds

 

[RavensGryf]

I once lived in an apartment that had a Goffin's next door. I rarely heard it (or faintly) unless her front door was open. It was kind of a discordant raspy roar which is hard to listen to. I'm not sure about a GW, but I once stood about a foot away from a B&G, and all of a sudden it sounded off what must have been full blast, because I could have swore my hair blew back . My hearing eventually returned.

I agree with Wendy about considering what is personally more or less tolerable to you. Most species that are medium-large on up are capable of being very loud. I had an Eclectus who was very loud every now and then, but the pitch was tolerable to me personally. Then again, the small Sun, and similar aratinga genus conures are way too much for me.

ps... most juveniles can be sweet and cuddly... that's when it's time to learn all about your bird's adult personality, when owners need to step up their knowledge of handling and training. Toos can be hard after maturity and are not for everyone.

 

[psychocircus91]

Growing up, my family had a goffin. I could hear her from a quarter mile away at the bus stop when the windows were open or she was outside in the aviary.

 

[Kiwibird]

My dad has a goffin who's scream can peel paint off walls and be heard blocks away if he's outside or a window is open. He can keep screaming for like an hour straight if he really has a bug up his butt. Seriously the most annoying bird I have *ever* encountered, yet my dad has had him for 40 about years and still loves the bird:52:. I have no idea what I'm going to do when I inherit him. I'm sure decibel wise, a larger bird can produce a louder scream but it really takes a certain kind of person to bear a goffins jungle calls without going nuts:30: My amazon can be decibel for decibel as loud as the goffin, but he rarely goes off and I find his deeper toned max-volume calls much more bearable and he's not as incessant when he decides to holler. I have heard larger macaws screech a few times and while loud for sure, I didn't find their screams as offensive as the goffin. It's that high-pitched shrilly voice goffins have that make it so bad, not the actual decibel of their screech.

I'd *strongly* recommend you hear a goffin at full volume before even considering bringing one home (and to interact with some sexually mature ones, not just cuddly babies). You may be one of those people like my dad who can tolerate it and just love cockatoos ear splitting screeching and all, or you could find it absolutely intolerable. Given cockatoos go through more homes than almost any other parrot and are in general very misunderstood, it is really important to 100% sure you can deal with their "unique" (and not always pleasant) behaviors for the rest of forever. They can be wonderful little birds for the *right* person, but they need extra special consideration before buying or adopting one. If true parrot people are rare, true cockatoo people are even rarer.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Look them both up on utube videos .That will give you and idea

 

[StephenAndKyleigh]

I'm with Wendy here. There are some birds who's sounds I just can't get with. When my blue and gold decides to test her vocals, I can tolerate it and now I don't really hear it. She does it every night and I guess I've grown used to it. But when my parents conure gets at it...it's tough to stomach. I've heard a goffin and I don't think I would be successful with one in my home.

 

[ChrisDooley]

I have heard that if you keep your house really quiet, you can keep the birds quieter. But I'm sure there are people who might tell you that theory is garbage.

My short answer is if you are worried about noise, get a bunny. :32:

Birds like to sound off in the morning and evening. They might also scream for attention, or to tell you their food bowl is getting low. I honestly hardly notice any more. It's just the way my house sounds. Conures to Cockatoos will all scream on occasion. Its a bird thing.

Every individual bird is also different even inside the same breed. I have met quiet birds, but the potential is always there for ear splitting paint peeling screams.

Noise is part of bird ownership like dealing with taming, biting, feather dander and poop. Go with the bird that speaks to your heart.

CD

 

[Laura729]

I once lived in an apartment that had a Goffin's next door. I rarely heard it (or faintly) unless her front door was open. It was kind of a discordant raspy roar which is hard to listen to. I'm not sure about a GW, but I once stood about a foot away from a B&G, and all of a sudden it sounded off what must have been full blast, because I could have swore my hair blew back . My hearing eventually returned.

What a great description ("discordant raspy roar") - I love it and totally agree.

I would say, in my experiences at the rescue where I volunteer especially, that the macaws (including greenwings) are louder. BUT, there is one greenwing that rarely-to-never screams vs one that can scream louder than probably any of the other birds. On the other hand, the goffin at the rescue has one, loud, sharp scream, but he doesn't do it often. My goffin also has his loud, "raspy roar" scream/yell, but to me, it's nowhere near as loud as the one greenwing's scream mentioned above.
And I also agree that people hear or tolerate sounds differently, so it opinions on loudness can definitely vary!

 

[Birdman666]

My goffins was as quiet as a church mouse...

My greenwing is pretty quiet most of the time, but when she goes off, she can shatter glass...

 

[SilverSage]

My honest belief is that if you need to ask this you haven't spent enough time around either species to even think about bringing one home.

I have said it before, I will say it again, go spend time with ADULT BIRDS of the species you are interested in. Research the age of sexual maturity for each and go hang out with adults and teenagers. Spending time with cuddly babies only doesn't do any good.

Go get at least one good bite, hear them scream right next to your ear, look at the damage they do to their house. I believe this for birds from Budgie to Hyacinth.

 

[JerseyWendy]

....Go get at least one good bite, hear them scream right next to your ear, look at the damage they do to their house. I believe this for birds from Budgie to Hyacinth.

Ahem... WHAT??? :11:

I completely disagree with this! I've been a big mac owner for going on 7 years now, and have NEVER received a 'good' bite from either one of them. <knocks on wood> Why would one need a 'good' bite from any species to determine whether that's the right companion parrot? For that matter, my 17 year old Nape has never drawn blood or bruised me.

 

[SilverSage]

I should be more specific I suppose. My intent is not to get you sent to the hospital, but to interact with them enough to know that even if your bird does bite you you will not become beak shy and unwilling to handle your bird. I have seen this happen sooooooo many times, all was great until 3 months in or so somebody gets bitten and then they are "unable" to get over it and give the bird the attention they need. I'm actually trying to help someone through this situation right now, and it looks like the bird will be rehomed due to the singular bite.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh man, Dani, that is quite sad. EVERY bird is capable to delivering a bite, IMO.

I sure hope this person can work through those issues!

 

[SilverSage]

Yes they are, regardless of size! Could be I'm just jaded by my experiences with people rehoming "biters" when really they just didn't realize the potential far factor involved because they assumed that by buying a baby they would NEVER be bitten so they didn't wonder "hhhmmm, am I brave enough to handle that much. Beak?" And I want to save them all from the people who are dumping gem on Craigslist, but that just is not realistic so I do actually like to see a first time bird owner get at least nipped before bringing home a bird. I'm not talking the internal amputation level biting that big birds are capable of of course!