Best “beginner bird” suggestions

[User3167]

Hello folks! I am well aware that there is no such thing as a “beginner bird” but would anyone have any recommendations for a bird that may be better for someone who hasn’t had any experience with parrots? I’m looking for a medium/small sized bird preferably that isn’t too noisy, but I wouldn’t be to picky.
Thanks in advance.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

A hand raised cockatiel is pretty much a perfect easy bird. They are seldom biters and are not very noisy. The males are great whistlers and can learn a few words. Females are quieter, less outgoing and rarely whistle or talk.

I currently have budgies (lots of them) and I adore them, but they're almost never hand raised, so you need to finger tame them yourself. Unless the budgie is less than three or four months old it can take a while for them to calm down and trust you. Budgies are also more nervous and flighty than cockatiels. Males are more vocal than females and can learn to talk. Females are usually less sociable than males.

if you can get a young English Budgie they are much calmer and more docile than regular budgies. They are about 50% larger than regular budgies, with longer fluffier feathers.

Hand raised Green cheek conures are wonderful birds about the size of a cockatiel but with larger, more parrot-like beaks. They can be nippy as they mature.

Other parrot forum members will add their choices.

I hope you find a bird that fits your lifestyle. Good luck.

 

[User3167]

A hand raised cockatiel is pretty much a perfect easy bird. They are seldom biters and are not very noisy. The males are great whistlers and can learn a few words. Females are quieter, less outgoing and rarely whistle or talk.

I currently have budgies (lots of them) and I adore them, but they're almost never hand raised, so you need to finger tame them yourself. Unless the budgie is less than three or four months old it can take a while for them to calm down and trust you. Budgies are also more nervous and flighty than cockatiels. Males are more vocal than females and can learn to talk. Females are usually less sociable than males.

if you can get a young English Budgie they are much calmer and more docile than regular budgies. They are about 50% larger than regular budgies, with longer fluffier feathers.

Hand raised Green cheek conures are wonderful birds about the size of a cockatiel but with larger, more parrot-like beaks. They can be nippy as they mature.

Other parrot forum members will add their choices.

I hope you find a bird that fits your lifestyle. Good luck.

Thank you! I have considered cockatiels but I’ve heard that they can be very dusty. Have you had any experience with that?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Yes. Cockatiels are dusty and if you are worried about sensitive lungs you may want to consider the green cheek conure which is not a dusty bird.
I have bad asthma and my 19 budgies are quite dusty. I had a lung scan recently which showed no evidence of overexposure to bird dust. I do run hepa filter units constantly in my home and they remove a lot of bird dust from the air.

 

[User3167]

Thank you!

 

[wrench13]

IF you can find one, what are known as BeeBee parrots make excellent 1st time parrots. Also known as yellow wing/yellow chevron parrots or their latin name Brotogeris. A bit larger then a budgie, they are well known for being very human oriented and in the wild will seek out human companionship. They are playful, inquisitive and bold beyond their size. ANd love to cuddle with people. Like a conure without the nippyness. Ours was a treasure!

 

[User3167]

IF you can find one, what are known as BeeBee parrots make excellent 1st time parrots. Also known as yellow wing/yellow chevron parrots or their latin name Brotogeris. A bit larger then a budgie, they are well known for being very human oriented and in the wild will seek out human companionship. They are playful, inquisitive and bold beyond their size. ANd love to cuddle with people. Like a conure without the nippyness. Ours was a treasure!

Thank you!

 

[User3167]

IF you can find one, what are known as BeeBee parrots make excellent 1st time parrots. Also known as yellow wing/yellow chevron parrots or their latin name Brotogeris. A bit larger then a budgie, they are well known for being very human oriented and in the wild will seek out human companionship. They are playful, inquisitive and bold beyond their size. ANd love to cuddle with people. Like a conure without the nippyness. Ours was a treasure!

What would You recommend feeding one?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Where (general region) to you live? Here in the US, Florida, Texas and California are the States with the most bird owners and bird breeders, so if you were willing to travel to one of these States you will be more likely to find one of the less common species like Bee Bee parrots. Where I live in Maine, parrots are harder to find, especially when you're looking for a rare species.
Rarer species are more common in Europe and Australia.

 

[kme3388]

May I ask if you’ve considered other mammals as a pet? Parrots can be challenging. They can be picky eaters, messy, loud, destructive, and the list can go on. Depending on what parrot species you go with they can live 20+ years. One of my parrots is well known to live past 50 years. These are long term commitments. If it doesn’t work out it is a huge possibility that this parrot will go home to home, and have several owners because of their long lifespan. It’s not really a healthy lifestyle for the parrot. They also aren’t necessarily nice unless handled on a regular basis. I myself never recommend parrots as pets. It’s not meant to be rude, or mean.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I frequently cringe inside when I hear people say they want to adopt a hand fed baby parrot that has a life expectancy of over 30 years.

When its a young person in their teens or early twenties, I think about how disruptive my lifestyle was at that age with school, dorms, apartments and roomates, and of how much I have grown and changed since I was that young.

When its a person nearing or over 60 years old, I think of how sad that bird will be when they lose their human companion while still in their prime of life years

 

[wrench13]

What would You recommend feeding one?

Ideally similar to most parrots - 60% veggies of various sorts, 30% pellets, 10% fruits & seeds. Percentages can vary but most should be veggies and pellets.

 

[User3167]

May I ask if you’ve considered other mammals as a pet? Parrots can be challenging. They can be picky eaters, messy, loud, destructive, and the list can go on. Depending on what parrot species you go with they can live 20+ years. One of my parrots is well known to live past 50 years. These are long term commitments. If it doesn’t work out it is a huge possibility that this parrot will go home to home, and have several owners because of their long lifespan. It’s not really a healthy lifestyle for the parrot. They also aren’t necessarily nice unless handled on a regular basis. I myself never recommend parrots as pets. It’s not meant to be rude, or mean.

Yes I actually have rabbits and geese. I am aware how challenging parrots can be and have been researching and on and off considering for around 5 years now I’m still not certain on anything as I don’t want to purchase a bird and then find that I might not be the right owner for one and be forced to give it away, I appreciate your input! I’ll let y’all know if I decide on anything!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Birds are very challenging pets and I'm happy to hear that you're giving this decision the serious thought it deserves. The birds thank you, too!

I've never had a dog, but they seem pretty high maintenance pets, too. I see people walking their dogs out there in the dark in the coldest months of winter in Maine and I know I wouldn't want to do that! But dogs must be walked and I give their owners a lot of credit for braving the elements. Cats seem comparatively easy. Face it. All animals have inconvenient needs. Birds are just harder for most people to understand. They're unpredictable, destructive, messy, sometimes act like wild animals, and are much harder to find good "sitters" for if you want to go on a vacation.

 

[Inger]

Birds are very challenging pets and I'm happy to hear that you're giving this decision the serious thought it deserves. The birds thank you, too!

I've never had a dog, but they seem pretty high maintenance pets, too. I see people walking their dogs out there in the dark in the coldest months of winter in Maine and I know I wouldn't want to do that! But dogs must be walked and I give their owners a lot of credit for braving the elements. Cats seem comparatively easy. Face it. All animals have inconvenient needs. Birds are just harder for most people to understand. They're unpredictable, destructive, messy, sometimes act like wild animals, and are much harder to find good "sitters" for if you want to go on a vacation.

Birds are more of a lifestyle than a pet, IMO, since there are so many things that are toxic to them. No more nonstick cookware, you spend a lot of time researching whether appliances like air fryers, toasters, hair dryers and other hair tools, space heaters, etc. have hidden nonstick coatings, no more candles (not even unscented)/wax melts/air fresheners, chemical cleaners, self-cleaning ovens, microwave popcorn. Birds really prefer a regular schedule (some are more sensitive than others of course), if you have dogs or cats, you can never ever let them be out together because it only takes one instant for that predator instinct to take over and result in a tragedy. This is really an incomplete list but it gives an idea of the changes required to share your life with a bird. For me, 100% worth it to have my littlest bestie in my life, but sometimes it gets to be a lot all the same.

 

[GivemeSeedsorgivemeFlesh]

As a new unintentional bird owner myself I would not feel qualified to have anything more than my one solitary budgie. Budget is also a huge factor. Vet bills for one would be all I could manage, and even that would hurt. Thankfully I didn't have the cost of detoxing my kitchen since I was already on the toxic free boat. I am often sorely tempted by adorable pictures of other birds, (Ahem..adorable Rosy Bourke...)but taking care of just one little guy has already proven to be really complicated. Just recently I had to evacuate with the birdie due to hazardous gasoline fumes, and keeping him away from deadly hazards in someone else's toxic house during the evacuation was a nightmare. So I guess I would think about whether I could manage possible emergency situations, vet bills, and the like before taking on any new charges. It also complicates travel.