Another one of these threads (sorry)

[psychocircus91]

So, I am in the market for a parrot again and am just looking for some input.

The parrots I really have my eye on currently are macaws (likely B&G or GW) and galahs.

I know these species are very different from eachother, but I'm still very torn. (I have also considered TAG, hawkhead, and eclectus)

A little about me:
I am buying my first house on my own.
My minimum amount of time available to the bird would be as follows:
Monday and Tuesday: 4 hours minimum
Wednesday and Thursday: 2 hours minimum
Friday: 3 hours minimum
Saturday and Sunday: 5 hours minimum.
My schedule is consistent on a weekly basis, however work hours vary by day. The above hours are absolute minimums, but I want to be realistic.

Growing up, we have had cockatiels, conures, budgies, lovebirds, and a goffin cockatoo.

A couple years ago, I had a deposit on a Hahns macaw, however a loss in the family caused me to cancel my deposit. If i already had the bird, we certainly would have worked through it, however since I did not yet have the bird, I decided it would not be the best time.

All input/advice is welcome!

 

[chris-md]

Hello and welcome!

What exactly are you looking for from the bird? And what kind of space are you looking to dedicate? Does your new house (congrats btw!) have space for the 4'x5' cage required for a greenwing?

I think your choice will come down to these. You have the time and experience for just about any species you're heart desires.

For me, the dust given off by the galah would be a deal breaker. Cleaning up after s bird is bad enough but I've heard too many stories abou the dust getting EVERYWHERE that I'll never have a cockatoo or African grey.

 

[psychocircus91]

Hello and welcome!

What exactly are you looking for from the bird? And what kind of space are you looking to dedicate? Does your new house (congrats btw!) have space for the 4'x5' cage required for a greenwing?

I think your choice will come down to these. You have the time and experience for just about any species you're heart desires.

For me, the dust given off by the galah would be a deal breaker. Cleaning up after s bird is bad enough but I've heard too many stories abou the dust getting EVERYWHERE that I'll never have a cockatoo or African grey.

Thanks! A house has not yet been officially purchased, but I am always planning in advance. I am currently viewing houses with a realtor, and a bird is on my brain while I'm viewing. I will absolutely be able to provide an appropriate size cage to whichever I chose. I would love to also have an outdoor aviary, as we had growing up, but that is not a definite.

Having a Goffin in the past, the dust does not bother me.

I am very open in what I want in a bird, which is making my decision so tough. I would be very happy with playfulness and cuddliness, but am also okay with a bird that is content just sitting with me or hanging out with me around the house.
My biggest concern is time, for those two-three days a week when I only have a couple hours available. Having a bird that will be somewhat adaptable and able to entertain itself is a must. I loved our goffin, but would not be comfortable having one because of the time factor.

 

[chris-md]

This makes your decision easier. Since you're wide open, Go visit some at a breeder or rescue, and let your future companion choose YOU. With you're experience, Internet reading isn't going to do a darn thing for you. You need to get out and meet some birds.

 

[RavensGryf]

Since you are so open about what characteristics appeal to you, that opens the door for many species . Why not visit bird stores or rescues with an open mind and see what happens?

I know that for me personally, I love that my guys are independent and I'd not want it any other way. But since we all are different, and many people don't mind a more dependent species, maybe ask yourself with the spare time you have available, do you want to (or can you) devote ALL that time to the bird? I know a lot of the time when I am at home, I'm not doing "nothing" and can't always have a bird with me, then again every household and routine is different. I know that if I was any busier, I'd go nuts some days if I had the more demanding species, and would get absolutely no 'me' time lol.

 

[psychocircus91]

Since you are so open about what characteristics appeal to you, that opens the door for many species . Why not visit bird stores or rescues with an open mind and see what happens?

I know that for me personally, I love that my guys are independent and I'd not want it any other way. But since we all are different, and many people don't mind a more dependent species, maybe ask yourself with the spare time you have available, do you want to (or can you) devote ALL that time to the bird? I know a lot of the time when I am at home, I'm not doing "nothing" and can't always have a bird with me, then again every household and routine is different. I know that if I was any busier, I'd go nuts some days if I had the more demanding species, and would get absolutely no 'me' time lol.

I definitely know what you mean. The hours I listed in the original post I think are very realistic for out of cage, close supervision time. Time that the bird can physically be on me will be slightly diminished for things like eating, cleaning, relaxing, ect, but not by much.

Getting a chance to interact with various birds would certainly be ideal, but I've found the options somewhat limited around me (Baltimore, MD). It's also good to hear from different owners since the temperament of baby birds can definitely be different than adults and birds going through "Puberty."

 

[chris-md]

I'm inside the dc beltway. A great place to go is dj feathers aviary, in the shadow of Dulles Airport. There are also a few breeders that advertise on birdbreeders.com in the Baltimore area.

 

[psychocircus91]

Here's Nikki; Easily the most substantial bird of my lifetime.

Here's me and Stormy, my very first bird I could call my own.

 

[ZephyrFly]

Nikki looks beautiful but your cockatiel was a right little bundle of cute fluffy podge.
My only thing to add, as you haven't 100% decided on a species is go look at/volunteer at some bird shelters.
You might find someone you didn't think of.

 

[Anansi]

Hahaha! Love the pics! You're pretty much beaming in that pic with Stormy. Came into your love for birds early, eh?

Since the hours you've given are your minimums, I think you'll be just fine. Main thing is to work at making your bird independent enough to entertain himself while you're not around. Providing a good variety of shredding and foraging toys will help quite a bit with this.

And I agree with the advice given by the other members regarding going out to meet a variety of birds to help your choice along.

Yes, it's true that many birds change appreciably during their puberty stages. You'll find this to one extent or the other in all the birds you've mentioned. Testing their boundaries and such.

If you get a very young or baby bird, it's just a stage you'll have to ride out. You know, just like having a child that one day becomes a teenager. They wild out for a while, but the hope is that you've raised them well enough that they don't go too crazy and eventually return to some semblance of sanity. Lol!

The advantage of getting such a young bird is getting in "on the ground floor", so to speak. Puberty is the toll paid for that advantage.

Some people, however, opt to purchase/adopt a bird that is past the age of puberty so that they feel like they know the adult personality of the bird they'll be getting. Just personal preference, there.

I don't own any of your three current prospects, so I can't give an account of my personal experience with those birds and their specific challenges or quirks, but hopefully someone will be along who can help in that regard.

Please keep us updated with whichever one you choose!

 

[psychocircus91]

Nikki looks beautiful but your cockatiel was a right little bundle of cute fluffy podge.
My only thing to add, as you haven't 100% decided on a species is go look at/volunteer at some bird shelters.
You might find someone you didn't think of.

They were both adorable in their own way and as corny as it sounds, changed my life forever

Hahaha! Love the pics! You're pretty much beaming in that pic with Stormy. Came into your love for birds early, eh?

Since the hours you've given are your minimums, I think you'll be just fine. Main thing is to work at making your bird independent enough to entertain himself while you're not around. Providing a good variety of shredding and foraging toys will help quite a bit with this.

And I agree with the advice given by the other members regarding going out to meet a variety of birds to help your choice along.

Yes, it's true that many birds change appreciably during their puberty stages. You'll find this to one extent or the other in all the birds you've mentioned. Testing their boundaries and such.

If you get a very young or baby bird, it's just a stage you'll have to ride out. You know, just like having a child that one day becomes a teenager. They wild out for a while, but the hope is that you've raised them well enough that they don't go too crazy and eventually return to some semblance of sanity. Lol!

The advantage of getting such a young bird is getting in "on the ground floor", so to speak. Puberty is the toll paid for that advantage.

Some people, however, opt to purchase/adopt a bird that is past the age of puberty so that they feel like they know the adult personality of the bird they'll be getting. Just personal preference, there.

I don't own any of your three current prospects, so I can't give an account of my personal experience with those birds and their specific challenges or quirks, but hopefully someone will be along who can help in that regard.

Please keep us updated with whichever one you choose!

Yes, I definitely found birds young. I believe I stumbled across a cockatiel book at wal-mart when I was eight or nine; the rest was history.

I am somewhat leaning towards the Galah, as I absolutely loved having a cockatoo around, but there is just something about a big interactive macaw.

 

[chris-md]

The macaws will likely be a bit more independent

 

[psychocircus91]

The macaws will likely be a bit more independent

Generally speaking, I agree (based on research only). However, I have read the galahs are in their own category as far as toos go. Less needy than the white toos (not undermining the level of attention still required).

My biggest fear is having a bird that is not well adjusted and is a plucker. I will truly be dedicated to this companion, however I will continue to be realistic about my time available. If i was retired and home near 24/7, I would get a white cockatoo species, but this isn't realistic. I also want to keep my bird flighted and train to use a flight harness.

 

[chris-md]

My biggest fear is having a bird that is not well adjusted and is a plucker.

Oh those rascally pluckers.

 

[ScooterMcTavish]

One thing that worked well for us was we contacted a breeder with a variety of different species, and described the main characteristics we were looking for. These included:
- Speech ability
- Flock vs single person preference
- Lower tendency to pluck
- Ability to self entertain if needed

The breeder brought three birds to our meeting, one of which would never have been on my list (a DYH Amazon). Of the three we met (Galah, CAG, and DYH), guess which one picked us?

I also love the concept of a rescue bird if you feel experienced enough to handle one. That being said, I'd suggest finding out as much as you can about the rescue, and if it came from a situation similar to the one you will offer it.

Have fun shopping!

 

[psychocircus91]

Hey guys,
thanks for everyone's input. I have decided on a galah!
While so many birds sounded appealing, once I just envisioned my daily routine and pictured myself living with each bird, I found that a galah would be the best fit. I will keep you guys updated moving forward.