Thinking about getting a new bird!

Well, sadly my little parakeet Mango just died, and I can't stand looking at an empty cage... so after looking online a bit, I've come up with my top two:

I e-mailed about this little guy on Friday, and haven't gotten one back, so just in case I started looking for more.

I found these two!

Now I just can't decide!! What do you guys think?

 

Alright I don't mean to sound blunt but I want you to consider everything. (Keep in mind I have a pyscho conure as well)

Parakeets are FAR from conures. Conures are AWESOME pets. I love them but they are not for everyone.

What are your living conditions? Do you live in an apartment? Condo? House? How close are your neighbors if you live in a house?

How much space do you have for your birds cage? What size cage do you plan on using?

Are you looking for a bird that wants to be with you or just to be there?

How much time do you plan on having the bird outside of the cage?

How many other pets do you have?




Personally I wouldn't adopt any of the links you posted. I hate nandays. They are the LOUDEST birds I have met. Its not only loud but its a shrill that is earpiercing. I own a blue crown conure (which is known for being the loudest) and I would take 5 blue crowns in a room over 1 nanday. Their call is just such a shreik.....

Then adopting two greenies that are "inseperable" in the add but say nothing else and being at that price only leads me to believe they are a breeding pair and probably not as nice as you think. Or they have other underlying issues. I know many people with a "pair" of greenies but generally they are people friendly first THEN are introduced to another bird. Keep in mind I would also keep a second cage just in case things go south.

The biggest red flag in both ads is that NEITHER lists a sex. Generally sexing a bird is SUPER important. Not only for the fact of knowing but also so that if something happens there are some medicines that are only okay for females and others that are only okay with males. Not knowing the sex makes me that none of these birds have had consistent vet visits with a certified avian vet.

 

I realize that conures are very different from parakeets, but everybody has to start somewhere. I started looking into bigger birds than parakeets because I wanted a bird that would interact with me a little (or a lot) more. And I still am just looking, I'm only e-mailing the owners to see how human friendly and trained their birds are.

* I live in a house with neighbors very nearby (right next door)
* cage- well that's why I'm here! I still need to learn a couple things before I adopt a bird
* I would love a bird that I can play with all the time and take out of the cage at least once a day and let it wonder around with me for as long as I can
* I have 3 cats in the house, but they go outside a lot and if they weren't outside when I wanted to play with birdie I would either put them out or put them downstairs for a bit. Other than cats... fish

As for the nanday, I don't really mind a loud bird. In fact, I think it's pretty cute!

And the two green cheek conures: I don't plan on getting them if they aren't people friendly- I can at least inquire about them can't I?

If I do decide not to get either of them, where do you recommend I start looking?

 

I don't know much about bigger birds, but I do know that I love my cockatiel!

I used to have a parakeet an when it died, I got the cockatiel. She is MUCH more personable than the parakeet.

So if all else fails, go with one of them!

 

Haha, you think its cute now.......

Imagine that hours out of each day. Trust me my bird is considered very quite as far as sun, nanday, sunday, jenday, blue crowns, etc go and he screams for ATLEAST an hour each day straight. The cats concern me as I have a friend whose bird was attacked by her declawed house cat and almost got killed. Birds are allergic to cat saliva. I have two cats and a bird with no issues at all but still a huge concern.

How long is as long as you can? An hour? 5 hours? This is very important as most birds are very social and you are more likely to run into screaming, plucking, etc. Your neighbors will not like a screaming nanday I promise. I live about 40-50 feet away from my neighbors and we have brick houses and they can hear my bird. They don't mind it as he generally does it when no one is home but they CAN here him which can lead to complaints.

If I were you I'd personally look into meeting a few birds. See what happens. See what kinds you like, she what you don't like. Try to visit a couple times so you can see how they really act.

How much did you have your parakeet out?


oooo another question. How much do you plan on spending on your bird? My conure goes through about $100 worth of toys a month. I buy some and make some. I rotate his toys once a week to give him something new. I have about ~20 different perches for him. Most of which are natural wood ones. Then you also need to keep in mind the cage. Most people do not have a proper cage size for the bird they have. Generally they need about a "cockatoo" sized cage, manufacturers genereally mark their cages too small.

I highly reccomend avianavenue.com there are MANY people on there with almost every bird imaginable and they can answer any questions you may have I'm on there. My user name is cosmolove. I have a blue crown conure named ralphie. Conures are a ball you just want to think about the noise level not only for you but others living in the house and your nieghbors.

EDIT: lovebirds and cockatiels are my FAVORITE types of birds! I miss my lovebirds (RIP) they were the most fun and clowny birds I ever had. Everyone I know with a tiel loves them more than anything. I've never had the luxury of owning one.

 

Ok, so maybe the nanday is out...

I don't think I've got to worry about the cats too much. Whenever I take out my birds, I make sure that there is NO way the cats are able to get to them.

On average, I'd say I'd be able to take them out and play at least four hours, probably five or six. I took the parakeet out for about three to four hours daily and could probably manage a couple more for a more personable bird.

Edit: Oops! My computer said my message was ready to post! Anyways, toys aren't a big problem as I love buying things for my pets! I can't leave a pet store without buying something!

 

Okay that's not bad. Are you at all afraid of birds biting or anything?

I definitely reccomend meeting some lovebirds and cockatiels (tame ones) they are the best plus they're not SUPER depanding.

Greenies are quiter I still dislike their shriek but its just higher pitch but they are a much quiter bird and aren't known for screaming. They are known for also being nippy too.

I really like senegals too. They are more timid but cute. My friend owns one and she can be noisy but its usually a quite cheerful chripy type noise.

Uhhhh I'm trying to think of all my favorites. Are you just looking into small-medium sized birds?

 

As long as I know and can trust a bird, I'm not afraid of them biting. I was looking into lovebirds as well. I don't know why, but I've never been much into cockatiels... even though they do seem like very sweet birds!

Yes, just a small-medium size bird as the only other birds I've owned are parakeets.

Thank you so much for your help!!

 

My lovebirds where the biggest clowns. I actually had a pair, they were retired breeders. I would get one or even two but I'd keep them caged separately. They are super fun and will get into everything. They can be big cuddle bugs but then still are super huge personallity. I got to hand feed a clutch of lovies and they were all so much fun.

They don't need as large of a cage either which is nice. Smaller birds = smaller toys = cheaper cost!

My friend reccomended you look into linnies too they are smaller but still cute

 

Can you get Rainbow Lorrikeets in America? If you can I would defiantly recommend them.

They're are both long lived, talkative and incredibly playful. My family had one for about five years (we had to give him away in the end) and he provided endless amusement, he loved to swing on ropes and other wooden toys and play with a jingling cat ball. He would chase it for hours on end and role around on his back shaking it in his foot like a babies rattle. They can also talk really well and learn lots of tricks, he could say hello, goodbye, Pedro (his name) lots of different whistles, the phone and even a convincing meow, and if you watched him he would often burst into improv accompanied by plenty of interpretive dancing.

They do have several cons though. Firstly, they can be loud if they are bored or angry. If you don't pay them enough attention then they will scream for as long as it takes to get it. Secondly, when they get angry (and they will) they can develop a bit of a bad attitude. They have a very strong bite that will draw blood. I find that keeping they're wings clipped will keep their bad attitudes in check, and they can get along with other species of birds such as budgies if you are lucky and very very careful which may be of help in keeping them happy, but never count on them getting along.

Another con is they're diet. They are nectar feeders, thus they need special food as well as plenty of fruit and veg (never avocado!). We would freeze cobs of sweet corn for ours. They go nuts for corn and one third of the cob would keep him busy for hours.

Also, try to get a hunk of hardwood for them. They like to sleep in hollows and they need to chew to keep they're beaks short (believe me you will want their beaks to be short!) so if you gibe them a large piece of bird safe wood, they will usually chew themselves a hole to sleep in. Pieces with knots in them are best.

 

Can you get Rainbow Lorrikeets in America? If you can I would defiantly recommend them.

They're are both long lived, talkative and incredibly playful. My family had one for about five years (we had to give him away in the end) and he provided endless amusement, he loved to swing on ropes and other wooden toys and play with a jingling cat ball. He would chase it for hours on end and role around on his back shaking it in his foot like a babies rattle. They can also talk really well and learn lots of tricks, he could say hello, goodbye, Pedro (his name) lots of different whistles, the phone and even a convincing meow, and if you watched him he would often burst into improv accompanied by plenty of interpretive dancing.

They do have several cons though. Firstly, they can be loud if they are bored or angry. If you don't pay them enough attention then they will scream for as long as it takes to get it. Secondly, when they get angry (and they will) they can develop a bit of a bad attitude. They have a very strong bite that will draw blood. I find that keeping they're wings clipped will keep their bad attitudes in check, and they can get along with other species of birds such as budgies if you are lucky and very very careful which may be of help in keeping them happy, but never count on them getting along.

Another con is they're diet. They are nectar feeders, thus they need special food as well as plenty of fruit and veg (never avocado!). We would freeze cobs of sweet corn for ours. They go nuts for corn and one third of the cob would keep him busy for hours.

Also, try to get a hunk of hardwood for them. They like to sleep in hollows and they need to chew to keep they're beaks short (believe me you will want their beaks to be short!) so if you gibe them a large piece of bird safe wood, they will usually chew themselves a hole to sleep in. Pieces with knots in them are best.

I just want to add a couple things. Lorikeets are actually known for NOT getting along with other birds. I had the pleasure of working with one and loved him but he almost got "posessed" around other birds. He never did anything to hurt anyone but he acted like if we weren't there he would have.

Another HUGE con to them is their poop. Its generally straight liquid. They can also shoot it. The one I knew had amazing aim, he could shoot through the cage bars at people. He'd do it just to get a reaction out of people. He was also iffy about people in general.

I've also noticed after meeting many that many of them are nippy.

I love loris, I actually almost bought one before I got my conure. Changed my mind after realizing how much I had to change out their food and clean their cage each day.

 

Sorry to hear about Mango~About 16 years ago I found a Quaker, still with us today. He'll be 21 years old in July according to his birth date on his band. - I had parakeets and cocktails in the past. Cockatiels are very sweet unless they have a clutch of eggs, then their personality changes, which is understandable.
My Quaker has an amazing vocabulary. He speaks clearly and sounds so humanlike it's scary. His laugh sounds like he's from a horror movie!
He can be very nippy though. I'm sure if I had him as a handled, hand-fed baby he would be different today, but he was 4-5 years old when I found him. But his bite hurts!
He is not a loud bird, he can if he wants but he is good in the sound department (95% of the time) He actually will whisper words when he first gets covered for bed, knowing he has to be quiet. He comes out and sits on top of his cage, takes flight once in a great while. He likes to stay near his cage.
The larger the bird the harder the bite. Keep in mind birds can crack nuts with their beak so imagine what it feels like on your thumb or finger!

 

Just came back to post a video link to my bird. He can be loud but not nearly as loud as Nandays IME.

While quakers are legal in minnesota, if even plan on moving to any of these states (I could be missing a couple) they are illegal in these states. California, Conneticut, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Pennsylvania (will euthinize if found), Rhode Island, Tennessee, and wyoming.

Then you need a permit for one in Kansas, Maine (apparently its really hard to get a permit in maine), and new jersey.

 

Adorable e-watson!
Thanks for posting that e-watson You are absolutely correct - I forgot to mention that they are illegal in some states. They (Quakers) can and do survive in cold out door climates, can be a threat to native species and can be agricultural pests.

Just listened to your first video e- and the quaker is just a loud - He lives at my Moms and He will scream just like that when he smells cooking!

Some birds do have an annoying piercing scream. I found that my cocktails were not very loud at all, actually very sweet,lovable birds.

 

I just want to add a couple things. Lorikeets are actually known for NOT getting along with other birds. I had the pleasure of working with one and loved him but he almost got "posessed" around other birds. He never did anything to hurt anyone but he acted like if we weren't there he would have.

Another HUGE con to them is their poop. Its generally straight liquid. They can also shoot it. The one I knew had amazing aim, he could shoot through the cage bars at people. He'd do it just to get a reaction out of people. He was also iffy about people in general.

I've also noticed after meeting many that many of them are nippy.

I love loris, I actually almost bought one before I got my conure. Changed my mind after realizing how much I had to change out their food and clean their cage each day.

I don't think a lorikeet is the bird for me based on what's been said... thanks for the ideas though!


Oh my goodness e-watson, your bird is so adorable! Conures are definitely high up on my list, I have been looking at quakers too, along with others. I think the nanday is out and I'll see what information I can get on the two green-cheek conures and go from there.

 

I just want to add a couple things. Lorikeets are actually known for NOT getting along with other birds. I had the pleasure of working with one and loved him but he almost got "posessed" around other birds. He never did anything to hurt anyone but he acted like if we weren't there he would have.

Another HUGE con to them is their poop. Its generally straight liquid. They can also shoot it. The one I knew had amazing aim, he could shoot through the cage bars at people. He'd do it just to get a reaction out of people. He was also iffy about people in general.

I've also noticed after meeting many that many of them are nippy.

I love loris, I actually almost bought one before I got my conure. Changed my mind after realizing how much I had to change out their food and clean their cage each day.

Oh I agree totally! Our lorry would save up his morning poop for as long as he could just so he could open fire on anyone foolish enough to remove the sheet from his cage in the morning. I actually had to fling the sheet of and then jump to the side to avoid it! He only did it once a day though.

And you completely right about their social skills, I should have made that clearer in my original post and I apologise for that.

What I was trying to say is that, despite their reputation, some lorrikeets can form very close bonds with other species of birds, even when they have plenty of fellow lorrikeets around.

Pedro was best friends with a budgie named Sweety, who belonged to a close friend of mine. When ever they met they would spend ages grooming each other and sleeping together all snuggled up on the perch. Pedro even shared his corn, and he would never share it with a fellow lorrikeet. Also, while I was at the local wildlife preserve I noticed a scaly breasted lorrikeet and a rainbow lorrikeet sharing a nesting box together! They were all snuggled together in the tiny space and they groomed each other. According to the ranger these two have been the best of friends for years despite there being dozens of other rainbows and scallies around for them to be friends with.

I wouldn't recommend that you put a random bird in with your lorrikeet expecting them to get along, because that would never happen and it would be a very dangerous thing to do. I just wanted to say that there are exceptions to every rule.

 

Any morning poop can be deadly I swear my guy poops about the size of his head right when I get him out of the cage in the mornings. Its insane!

But I would look into

Sun conures, Blue crown conures, golden conures, etc. If you want one that talks your best bet is find a adult bird that is looking for a home. Generally the owners will know the personallities. But All three I just listed are known for being loud.

 

I highly recommend a green cheek conure... look for a breeder in your area... if you can't find a green cheek breeder ask at pet stores and advertize... I bought my pineapple green cheek from a breeder for $100 last june from a local breeder.... he was handfed and very friendly... he is a big clown and absolutely LOVES people... I cannot say enough good about green cheeks!!