Best bird for public/kids shows

[Gumjaw]

Hello everyone! My name is Tyler and this is my first post here!

*yay*

I've come to this forum looking for help planning for the future so hopefully you guys are willing to lend me your thoughts and knowledge. I've looked around at a lot of websites and while there appears to be a wealth of knowledge of the subject of raising and training birds, it's very much mixed and mingled with repetitive base facts, wishy-washy opinions or too much advertising (birdtricks). I have questions that I need answers for so I figure I might as well sign up for some forums and just start asking!

I'm a kids magician from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and my act is entirely pirate themed, I want to add an animal to my show but I don't want to do rabbits (been there) or doves (too cliche). I've never owned a bird but I've decided that I want to make the commitment to owning and training a parrot as a companion and as a partner for my shows. My question is: what is the best parrot for my needs?

Here's what I want in a bird:

- must be big enough to be seen on stage in a school gym or a random festival
- must be able to flight train (i want it to fly because it's a bird and because it's great for the show)
- must be able to learn tricks (i know pretty much all birds can be trained, I'm just listing it here.
- must look flashy (I'm not a fan of the mostly green birds - but i can be swayed)
- must be able to exist without other birds around
- must be social enough to have around children, but not necessarily be touched by them.
- must look good on a pirate

My hope is to begin the acquisition sometime late 2015 so I have over a year to educate myself and prepare. Hopefully you guys are able to help me with that part.

So what do you think?

 

[goalerjones]

This should work...

 

[Gumjaw]

Sweet. Anyone know any pteradon breeders near the GTA?

 

[GW.Joe]

I'm a kids magician from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and my act is entirely pirate themed, I want to add an animal to my show but I don't want to do rabbits (been there) or doves (too cliche). I've never owned a bird but I've decided that I want to make the commitment to owning and training a parrot as a companion and as a partner for my shows.

Hello Tyler,

Welcome to the Forum !!

Where can I get more info about your shows? Website? Facebook?

Joe

 

[Kiwibird]

That was pretty funny In all reality, if you have never owned a parrot before, I think it's an awful lot to expect to be able to train one to the level you want with 0 hands on experience. No matter how much research you do, nothing prepare you to bring one home. Especially big birds. Heck, I grew up with 3 large parrots, 2 were the same species as Kiwi (amazons), I did additional research before adopting him, and I still found myself starring at Kiwi, blood dripping down my hand asking myself "what have I gotten myself into?". Of course, we worked through all that, but they are still very much wild animals who need highly specialized care.

Good beginner birds are typically budgies and cockatiels. English budgies are much larger than the ones you typically see at petsmart, and come in all kinds of beautiful colors. Not to mention, a smaller beak means a lessened risk of the animal biting a child and causing serious injury, such as severing a finger (like a larger parrot could do). Plus, a smaller bird would probably not intimidate young children in the same way a big ol' macaw with a can opener beak on it's face would. And don't let the smaller size fool you, they are still very smart, and can learn recall and tricks.

My final word here- I have tried to be as tactful and respectful as possible, but I do want to share my honest opinion on this- you are looking at a bird for the WRONG reasons. Yes, they are intelligent, funny but things like "must be flashy" and "must look good on a pirate" are ABSOLUTELY NOT valid traits to look for in a bird, or any animal for that matter. They are living beings, not accessories or props. JMO, if those are things you look for, you will be majorly disappointed if you bring home an individual who turns out to be shy or unfriendly. People should get parrots because they love parrots, not as a prop for a show. Again, just my opinion here, but I think you need to consider your true intentions with a living, breathing being and the implications your actions could have (please research plucking, self mutilation, and depression in parrots).

 

[Gumjaw]

Thanks for the honesty! I am looking for blunt honesty more than anything. I've done my research but like i mentionned in thd OP, its hard to really grasp what is required so I've come here to talk to actual owners and trainers!

I've been getting a similar response across the board at other forums so I am mostly convinced against getting a bird for my show. I sincerely wanted a pet as well as a show partner but it seems too many people think birds are unreliable show animals and require to much effort for what they bring to a show.

I have, however, learned ALOT about clicker training which I will most definately try to adapt to whatever creature I get for my show.

Thanks for the comments! Keep em coming if anyone else has further thoughts!

 

[Kiwibird]

I think if you would like a bird as a pet, start small and see how that works. I think for your shows, especially geared towards kids, live animals are probably not a good call.

I do have a suggestion that might work with a pirate act for a parrot- [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-FurReal-Friends-Squawkers-Parrot/dp/B000OV7A62"]Amazon.com: Hasbro FurReal Friends Squawkers McCaw Parrot: Toys & Games[/ame] We have one of these because our bird goes nuts over it, and it is eerily realistic. It moves and you can record sounds for it to "repeat". Plus, all the kids can pet it with no risk to the bird or kids. If you get creative, you could work in a way to have it "sit on your shoulder" on your costume and it's bright and flashy enough to go with a pirate costume. All without the responsibility, care needs and liability of a real parrot.

 

[Freespin]

I grew up with dogs and horses my whole life training them and i must say birds are a whole new ball game. Birds are not easy to train especially if you are new to bird thing! What about something like a dog? Easy to find something trainable, they LOVE to please and show off and they are easier to train. I know a dog doesn't sound very pirate like but you could dress one up to add to the theme and the kids would love it! You could even look out at shelters for a 3 legged dog if you were really committed haha.

What sort of animals have you had experience with?

 

[Kiwibird]

Thought I would add-

Real parrot with fake parrot

It's pretty accurate to size/coloration, and pretty darn realistic. It'll even wear a little eye patch and pirate hat if you want I really think a faux parrot is a good option for what you want to do Ours is a bit beat up, since Kiwi 'preens' it and sometimes nibbles it's toes, but the company did a good job with this toy.

 

[Sterling1113]

It seems you've received some great advice already- and welcome!
A thing I will touch down on though is you mentioned flight training. You'll have to pick up an aviator harness and really really work with your bird on wearing it for extended periods of time while you do shows. The harnesses aren't meant to tether a bird to a stand, keep in mind, so you'll have to compromise a bit there. If you meant free-flight, be prepared for your bird to fly away at any given time. They aren't driven to food the way a bird of prey is, so you'll have to work on recall EXTENSIVELY. Also should the bird get spooked/angry and fly and land on/bite a child, expect angry parents, bad reviews and lawsuits. All things considered unless you're a professional bird trainer it may be best to leave a bird out of the act, in my opinion. Too many unpredictable things could go wrong and hurt a child/the bird/your career.
But they do make fantastic pets, if you want a bird for a companion and not for show.
Not trying to step on toes or be too harsh, that's just my .02.

 

[Gumjaw]

I have experience with dogs, cats and rabbits. Nothing with birds. I really want a live animal since I plan for it to be more than just a prop. I seem to be shifting back towards rabbits as the best thing despite it being terribly standard.

 

[Kiwibird]

Hows this for a compromise

 

[GW.Joe]

I have experience with dogs, cats and rabbits. Nothing with birds. I really want a live animal since I plan for it to be more than just a prop. I seem to be shifting back towards rabbits as the best thing despite it being terribly standard.

Hello again Tyler,

You never replied to me

Where can I get more info about your shows? Website? Facebook? YouTube Video?

Hows this for a compromise

LOVE IT !!!

 

[Birdman666]

Probably something like a greenwing or B&G Macaw for what you are talking about.

BUT something like this takes AT LEAST a year of training...

Not something you can learn over the internet.

Probably not a moneymaker either for an amature production.

Possibly a liability if the bird bites a child...

 

[ImmunoGoblin]

Kudos to you for listening to people's advice with an open mind and not just saying "Oh well, I'll do what I want and go get a parrot anyway!" It's good that you are thoughtful about this decision.

I'll add to what everyone else above said and say that in addition to all of that, you could do everything "right" - carefully select a well-bred, hand-reared baby, nurture it with tons of attention and toys and training, and it might still never have the right personality to perform in your show. They really do just have a lot of their own inherent personalities, as much "nature" as "nurture." If you're dead-set on it, and you do decide to go through with it, consider adopting an adult bird with a known personality and skillset?

I'm all for keeping birds fully flighted, but I personally would not be comfortable with outdoor freeflight in a loud, busy environment like a carnival, kids' party, etc. It just seems too disaster-prone and too much to ask of even a super-well-trained bird.

 

[Birdman666]

I'm all for keeping birds fully flighted, but I personally would not be comfortable with outdoor freeflight in a loud, busy environment like a carnival, kids' party, etc. It just seems too disaster-prone and too much to ask of even a super-well-trained bird.

Sea-World does four free-flight shows a day... with 50+ birds. That is a matter of startle training and conditioning. But they have full time professional bird trainers, and they select birds, from babies, who have that outgoing "show-ey" personality, and then they work with them 8-12 hours per day, for two years to get them to the point where they are safe with the public, and will perform on cue...

I know this because my daughter happens to work at Sea World, and the head bird trainer happens to be the daughter of one of my skydiving buddies...

And yes, we have compared training notes.

And don't even start with the Blackfish hater stuff... because it was highly one sided assasination piece designed to tug at heart strings and get ratings, and was not especially accurate. (If you believe everything the TV tells you, we are in trouble.) For example, those tiny whale holding pens... did they mention those were quarantine tanks for sick whales being nursed back to health, that would have otherwise DIED had SeaWorld not gotten involved...

(But hey, SeaWorld is a mixed blessing doesn't get the same sort of ratings, y'know?!)

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Have you thought about a African raven or crow? They're a lot of work but easily trained. My friend just bought another from corvid ranch to use in his bird show(his first raven flew off about 4 years ago after being mobbed by wild ravens). They're unusual to see and most definitely cool for a pirate