Alexandrine Parakeet info

[Casey]

I was reading another post about recommending a bird and the Alexandrian parakeet was suggested to someone else.

I currently have a sweet GCC, he never tries to bite, snuggles with you, goes to everyone in the family.

I've looked at 2 lilac crowned amazons and a grey. The store has 9 CAG's hatched the 1st week of May that are being hand fed.

A picture of the lilac I've been handling at a parrot store is below, my wife thinks he's mean he's about 7 months old now and talking. She's not as accustomed to birds as I am and he tried to nip at her. The other one is about 2 weeks older also talking and teaching each other words (they are caged together). They both say hello and wuda wuda wuda. He has about the same personality, but I'm much more comfortable with the one pictured below. He is a little nippy. I just push my finger back into him and he lets go and squeaks his displeasure at me.

The store also has a panama amazon, very sweet younger bird. He's more $ then a grey though.

We're looking for a bird with the personality of our GCC but that is a good talker.

I google'd the alexandrine and they seem sweet and can talk.

Please provide some opinions about the Alexandrine.
Thanks,

 

[Casey]

Did I post this in the wrong area?

 

[wenz2712]

Hi Casey and welcome to the Forum... You have posted in the right place!

I cant give you any advice on an Alexandrine as I am not familiar with them, but I am sure someone will come along shortly that can help.. I can give you advice on an Amazon though

 

[Casey]

Hi Casey and welcome to the Forum... You have posted in the right place!

I cant give you any advice on an Alexandrine as I am not familiar with them, but I am sure someone will come along shortly that can help.. I can give you advice on an Amazon though

Wenz,
Thanks for the offer! ACCEPTED!
I'm considering a larger companion bird that would live along side our GCC.
You can see the picture of one of the Amazon's I'm considering. The other type is a grey. I've been around a few in the local parrot store. A friend also has one that is a shy talker with limited vocabulary, but is very loving, and will go to almost anybody. her name is Sylvia.

I inquired about the Alexandrine as an alternative to a amazon or grey.

We're looking for a companion bird with great personality like our gcc (he never gets nippy or bites, is loving, etc) and is potentially a great/good talker. I know not all birds will speak. But I'm looking at types that have the greatest potential. When I choose; it will be a hand raised bird that is already starting to talk like the lilac pictured above.

Thanks,

 

[wenz2712]

Amazons are great companions.. They can be funny and most are good talkers... They do require alot of attention and need various toys to keep them amused! They can become one person Birds ... Codie, my YC Amazon will only tolerate me.. I have had her since she was 11 Weeks old and she is now 8 Months. I talk to her all the time and include her in everything I am doing.

If I go out then she is quite happy to amuse herself with all her toys in her Cage.

Having said all this, Amazons can be very noisy... Codie screams when I leave the Room... I am still working on this one, by ignoring her when she does it! If you dont think you can tolerate alot of noise, then maybe a Grey could be a better choice, or as you have mentioned, an Alexandrine!

I hope this has helped you in some way

As with any Bird,they need to be treated gently and need alot of time and patience!

 

[Casey]

Thanks wenz, really considering a grey, but want more info on the alexandrine

 

[mrob]

Hiya
Alexs are great birds. AMAZING mimics (apparently the boys are better than the girls)- but dont seem to talk in context so much.. In my experience different personality than a conure - my alex is not cuddly at all. Also they have VERY strong beaks and are extremely destructive. More so than any bird i have ever had!
You will need to be careful with a smaller bird like a conure especially if you get a bigger one - they may never get along, Conures tend to have short man syndrome and can get a bit jealous of an interloper so you have to be very careful that your conure does not get hurt or killed if they have a fight.
I love my alex dearly but he is definitly not the easiest bird I have ever owned - just the destructiveness makes it very important to birdproof. Compared to my Eccie he does a LOT of damage - have to be very careful he doesnt chew through electric cords etc.
They are much more like 'bird' birds - whereas i forget my other birds are even birds. Does that make sense? lol That may be because I got him quite late but he was handraised...
Make sure you get a handraised baby no matter what you decide, make sure they 'choose you' and dont take the breeders word for it. Go and get to know the bird first
Good luck and let us know what you decide!

p.s. i thought i would mention, my ALex and CVockateil got along very well. Would even groom eachother (although the little bird liked the alex a lot more than he liked her I think). She was devastated when he got out (I got him back eventually) and then he was devastated when she died. Even though he mostly ignored her, they were company for eachother...

 

[Mchal]

Well I can't give much of a general opinion as I only have an Alexandrine but I'll tell you what I know!
They aren't cuddly birds, although Bert loves having his beak rubbed, but they are SO social. My alex always wants to be out and around everyone, he doesn't like being petted but he has to be on me or around me and is always making noises at me (he can't talk yet).
And they do have destructive beaks, they chew constantly, but that really isn't an issue if you are proactive about it. Bert always has toys in his cage to chew on and if he is out we have something for him to chew on or some seed treats for him to eat and that means he doesn't chew the things he's not supposed to!

I suppose they aren't really for everyone and they really do have to choose you, but honestly they have such beautiful, intelligent, curious personalities! I love Bert more than anything, and we have had our ups and downs as they can be very stubborn! But it's so amazing to have a bond with such special little birdy! If I had to sum up having an Alexandrine in one word, it would have to be rewarding

Oh and Bert was hand raised, it's like having a big sooky baby. Also I'm really not sure how they would go with another bird, but I have read that before that they aren't the best with other birds so you might have to keep them separated.

Good luck! Let us know how you go

 

[lene1949]

The Alexandrine is a larger cousin of the Indian Ringneck... Their temperament is very stable... They're not cuddly birds, but they really enjoy your company... Their bodylanguage, I find, is very easy to read (Max is so cute, when he's pissed off, and he still doesn't bite).. Max also reads me very well.. If I'm just a little bit stressed, he gets pissed off...

Max is very quiet, maybe just one or two loud vocalisations per day, lasting for only seconds.

You can't go wrong, if you get a handraised Alexandrine...

 

[odge]

We have a pair of Alex's that we handraised and they are great - especially the male. He is the talker and is so gentle. We would have no problem putting him on an 8 yr old. The hen can be a bit nippy - she likes to bite hubby when he is putting the food in the cage if he's not doing it fast enough for her liking.

They definitely aren't cuddlers, but do love to be on you. Our hen makes a bee line for me when she gets out of the cage then she just sits on my shoulder asking for kisses.

I don't think they are as loud as a ringneck and their temperment seems to be more steady as well. They also don't seem to be as territorial as some birds.

They are also easy to train and respond really well to praise.

However, if you do get an Alex, be prepared to have your shirts debuttoned and zips with teeth missing.

 

[Mchal]

Hahaha Odge! Bert has de-buttoned many shirts, my dad came over the other day and Bert proceeded to unclasp his watch. He also loves the strings on hoodies, that is probably his favourite!

 

[khushika]

Hello i am new to this forum.
Am i in the correct post?
Anyway i just wanted to ask for help for my bird he is an Alexandrian parakeet and is one year old.
We clipped his feathers when he was 6 or 7 months old and the feathers have not grown back.
Also he has removed his tail feathers many time and they grow back but deformed or he nips them very badly and breaks them everytime it grows
My parents say that it is happening because of the clipping we did. I don't know what's going on.
His flight feathers grow and he rips them badly.
Pls help!! Any advice could be helpful.
Thank u