Choosing a bird

[CaptMicha]

This is about choosing a bird other than a lovebird but I couldn't place it in the other bird forum b/c it didn't fit into one bird category.

My mom said I can get a horse if I get good grades. Well, I want a parrot! The horse can come later... :)

Five years ago:
I never really had lovebirds in mind in the first place, I just knew that I was going to get a bird.

Some how, I began looking up lovebirds and based on what I know of lovebirds now, I was really misled by my research. Of course I wouldn't trade Daisy and Clover now for the world but I was mislead.

I was looking for what everybody wants in a pet bird. One of those parrots who loves cuddling, being petted, performing tricks, coming all around the house with me and basically what you think of when you think parrot. Ok... Maybe not so much the biting.

But I read that lovebirds are all that in a little body. Some of you guys agree but I feel that that's not accurate, they're different. They're unique.

So... Back to that ideal "parrot" type bird. I guess I mean kind of like a macaw/cockatoo type bird. I would LOVE to have that kind, so I'm doing my research and want to start saving up money for another big cage and all that another bird would need.

From what I read tonight, a Nanaday Conure seems like a good choice and are only a foot long. They like water, like being cuddly, they talk, and like interacting with their owner. <- That's basically the kind of information I found on lovebirds. Nothing mentioned the loudness, difficulty bonding to owner if you have a pair, the nipping, etc.

But what are differences between a Nanaday and a Sun? Or the other kinds? Besides being very loud? Aren't they the loudest of the birds up there with the Greys and noisy like but louder than lovebirds?

Are Quakers more like the macaw parrots or like lovebird type parrots or something else?

And I don't get what a parrolet is!

Or any other suggestion. A parrot on the smaller size of the scale is ideal.

And, can this new bird be kept in the same room as Daisy and Clover or will the new bird be stressed out from my bird's constant loud chatter? How do I know if D & C will attack her? Or vice versa? Would they be able to play together?

There's so many birds.... Somebody point me some where! But no more bird info that only mentions pro's and doesn't mention cons.

[LauraO]

There is no such thing as a perfect type of bird cause every species is filled with individual personalities. There are some species that are known for diffrent traits such as the Caique being crazy and playful or meyer's parrots being quiet and subdued. I have two meyer's parrots that are known to be cuddly and quiet birds that are smart and can say a few words. However, the two I have are totally opposite of each other. My meyer's Koa is the bird everyone wants. Cute, cuddly, quiet and he doesn't bite. My meyer's Cookie is the bird nobody hopes for when thinking about bringing a parrot into their lives. He's afraid of hands, likes confrontation, bites, is needy, screems really loud, is the messiest eater of the flock, and chews on the house. So my :2cents: is that it's always a crap shoot no matter what species you get.

I will tell you that you if you are complaining about lovebirds being loud then you DON'T want a macaw, a cockatoo, a loud conure, an amazon, a quaker, an indian ringneck or alexadrines, or any other parrot that's known for making lots of noise:omg: . We have an alexandrine that screams and it is TOTALLY annoying and we haven't gotten used to it.

I will also tell you if your complaining about being bitten by your lovies, then you definately need to ask yourself if you can handle the possibility of having a big bitey bird. Luckily, my grey has toned down his biting but I still get a nice gash every once in a while, and I am always afraid of him for awhile after. Larger parrots also take a lot more time, money and will be around til' you are an old man depending on the type you get.

As you know, a lot of folks on this board have had good luck with the green cheek conures. They are known to be a quieter conure with a good but not crazy lifespan, are smaller parrots but intelligent and are playful. I think something their size would be a good step up from a lovebird. My meyer's are two to three times bigger than green cheeks, but I'm very grateful I had them awhile before bringing home our grey Mijo. Going from a lovebird beak and intelligence to a grey would have been too big of a jump for me and Mijo would have suffered.

Good Luck:clap:

[graushill]

Hi Micha,

I think Laura gave you a really good, thought-provoking answer. I won't expand too much on what she said but I did want to emphasize her point about if you feel lovies are a bit too much in the noise/bite department, then you must seriously reconsider getting a much bigger parrot, like a macaw for instance. I agree with you that lovies are not for everyone, specially if what one wants is a calmer, cuddlier companion bird. But trust me, the generalisations regarding different bird species are not very reliable either. And most of those generalisations really don't apply when birds hit their hormonal years. My family has a wonderful amazon, who's been our companion for many, many years (he belonged originally to my grandma) and while he's now as sweet as can be, he was a terror during his teens. He attacked and seriously injured my grandmother whom he adored without any provocation that she was aware of at least. Bigger birds can be a lot of fun but they can be very dangerous too. Just my :2cents:.

Good luck with finding the perfect bird companion for you!

Gloria

[jknezek]

I agree completely with the second post. A larger parrot is a whole lot different from lovies, some ways good and some ways bad, but certainly a lot more expensive and difficult. And every large parrot is a lot different from every other. So in your cuddly species, you may end up with an aloof bird. Or in an aloof species, you might end up with a cuddler. There is no way to know until the birds mature (and let's not even talk about that oh-so-fun period of adolesence and sexual maturity. or rather, let's talk about it, because I bet it would cut in half the number of people that buy large parrots...)

I would rather not own a parrot than own a cockatoo, and I love having birds in the house. I've had needy girlfriends in my past that I had to break up with because I couldn't handle it, and a needy girlfriend has nothing on a cockatoo. Plus, I think anyone thinking of buying a cockatoo or a large macaw ought to get one of those jungle sounds CDs that has bird noises on it and play it at the highest decibel their stereo can handle. And play it that way for an ENTIRE DAY. Figure out if you can live with that kind of noise, because I know I can't.

That being said, there are some wonderful birds out there. I own a male eclectus and, other than my fiance, he is the best thing in my life. You, however, want a cuddly bird and for the most part, that doesn't describe ekkies. You might want to look at the smaller macaws, military or hahns, though they have huge beaks, tend to bond to one person, and can still be loud (generalizations about a species are almost worthless, but I'm giving them anyway, sorry). Still, they are known as playful, intelligent, and loving parrots.

You also cannot fear the beak. Larger birds are so intelligent that they will know you fear the beak, and they will take advantage of you to no end. If you are afraid of bites, don't get a larger parrot, you are asking for trouble.

Also, take a look at quakers if they are allowed in your state. Quakers are really a nice size, playful, smart, talk well, love to interact. My fiance's family has one, and while she's a little bit vicious, I was told she used to be very sweet until my fiance moved out for college (my fiance was her chosen person). Quakers don't have huge beaks, don't have the loudest voices (though it can be a little tiresome and piercing), and can be really a nice step up in size and personality from a lovie.

Again though, look at your motives. Larger parrots cost a lot. Food, toys (macaws and cockatoos can run hundreds of dollars in toys a year as they destroy them faster than dogs and bones), cages, ruined furniture, etc.

Like you, I found lovies to be not quite the ideal companion for me. But stepping up to a bigger parrot is not something you can really be prepared for. Especially if you end up with a difficult bird. I was blessed with my easy-going ekkie, but there are a lot of large parrots in shelters from people that did all the right things, but just couldn't handle the nature of the parrot they ended up with.

Good luck!

[Eliza]

I was looking for what everybody wants in a pet bird. One of those parrots who loves cuddling, being petted, performing tricks, coming all around the house with me and basically what you think of when you think parrot. Ok... Maybe not so much the biting.


Please don't take offense at what I am writing, CaptMicha. There are some issues that I feel WE ALL, as parrot owners, need to address:

The problem here is that humans sometimes forget that parrots were not put here on this Earth simply for human enjoyment.

Some parrots enjoy cuddling, many don't.

Some parrots can learn tricks (you've seen the trick column in Bird Talk, I'm sure), many won't.

Some parrots will talk, many cannot.

Like humans, parrots have free spirits and free will. There is no way to guarantee that a parrot will like being cuddled-petted-kissed. You can't guarantee that a parrot you bring home will want to learn to put a ball in a basket or learn to fly to you on command. You can bring home a bird that spoke in human words at great length for its previous owner... but it won't utter a sound for you.

Sure, I've seen cuddle-loving birds. I've seen them in many species, from budgies, lovies and 'tiels to conures, cockatoos and macaws. I've been told to "Step up" by a grey, "Go potty" by a macaw and "I love you" by countless birds. I've seen lovebirds who want to ride about in their caretaker's shirt pocket for hours at a time or who want to lay on their backs in the palm of someone's hand. That doesn't mean that all parrots will do this, even if you dedicate hours of your day interacting with them.

It's much like deciding to have a human child and expecting that child to speak 3 languages, be an accomplished equestrian, letter in 3 school sports, make the debate team and be at the top of his or her graduating class. Sure, there are folks like this out there. We all probably know one. And I'd like to say that most parents out there do their best to give their child the love, motivation, encouragement and opportunities to succeed in life. But when it is all said and done, we're all victims of free wil or circumstance.

The point that I am trying to make is that while it's fine to WANT a bird that will cuddle, will learn tricks/talk and will enjoy your company it's important to NOT expect it. Consider it a gift, if you will. The icing on the cake.

Another concern is the biting issues. There are several avian-only shops in my area and as one owner put it, it's not IF a bird will bite you, it is WHEN. It goes part and parcel with bird ownership. True, it doesn't always happen. The chance is always there, though. From the smallest parrotlet to the largest macaw, parrots are PREY animals. Their motivation in life is to eat, sleep and protect themselves. That's when the beak comes in handy.

All this said, I don't think that it is wrong for you to explore the possibility of bringing another species of parrot into your home. I'd advise you to spend a year or more researching the variety of species out there. As Laura suggested, a green cheek conure (or one of the other pyrrhua species, like a black capped or maroon bellied) might be a good choice for you. Perhaps a cockatiel is another species that you might want to consider.

Again -- I hope that you don't take offense to what I have written. I hope that you find what works for you.

Best of luck,

-e-