Bird store claims senegals arent a good bird!

[Jaz27b]

Hi all you sennie lovers
Just went to my local bird store for fun, they have hundreds of birds from finches to Loris to Grey's to Catalina macaws. So, I asked if they ever get in Senegals.... The owner of the store said they can but why would I want a sennie with a funny look on his face? I said from all my research, they sound like a perfect bird for me.... Independent yet still love attention when given, on the quieter side, cuddly and funny etc etc. He said that his experience has only ever been selling 2 Sennies, and that they were aggressive, bad one person birds, very bitey, not affectionate at all and that after one year of the ppl who bought one, had returned it due to these reasons.
I said all my research was quite the opposite overall, and that it was from forums not breeders.
I left the shop in disbelief....

In all my reading on here, no one has ever made out that the sennie is so bad! Sure some people may not like them for their particular traits in a bird which is fine of course, but ...... He made them out to be soooo bad!

Your sennie isn't THAT bad overall, is it? (I'm sure you will say no hehe. Which is good coz that's what I want to hear Lol) But if it is, please do speak up.

 

[Birdman666]

It seems they have attitude...

Would this be the same pet store that still tries to sell GRIT to new parrot owners?!

 

[Jaz27b]

It seems they have attitude...

Would this be the same pet store that still tries to sell GRIT to new parrot owners?!

Lol really a store tries to sell grit to new parrot owners??? Now that's different!
The store is family owned, the sister is really nice, but the brother is always a little more.... Not as smiley and friendly as such. Lots of info to give out, just not on the friendliest and happy way so to speak.

 

[thekarens]

Sennies make great pets. No, they aren't for everyone and certainly there can have plenty of attitude, but so can a lot of birds, like green cheeks or zons.

 

[RavensGryf]

Sennies make great pets. No, they aren't for everyone and certainly there can have plenty of attitude, but so can a lot of birds, like green cheeks or zons.

Exactly what Karen said .

No, they are wonderful pets Jaz. That is that man's personal experience with them, and I'm sorry, he hasn't had enough experience (with 2 unsocialized ones) to be able to say what they're like as a whole species!

Plenty of Senegals out there will lay on their back in their owner's hand, cuddle and snuggle forever, give kisses as well as be independent. About the attitude, sure they do, and they have a pretty large beak for their size too... But as Karen said about GCC's or Amazons, does attitude deter people from them? No!

Believe us Jaz, don't believe the bird shop guy who doesn't know what he's talking about..... BUT you know, he could be right and WE could be lying...:20: LOL

 

[SoCalWendy]

I guess it depends on the person as well as the bird. Senegal's aren't for everyone, but same goes for just about any species of parrot. Sennies are temperamental. Some are really lovie dovie and hands on, some aren't. But isn't that true for all parrots? Rio, loves me, but on her bad days there are times when she really tests my limits. I know what she likes and what she doesn't like. She hates it if I try and play with one of her toys. So if I don't want to get bit I don't play with her toys, and I respect her space. Rio can be a handful at times and very loving at other times. I did lots of research before I got a Senegal. And I am still learning because she is still young (20 months) and won't fully matured until 3 years. With all that said... She is still learning too. Finally, she's realized she likes to be on her back and know how to roll over on cue. She can also turn around and she loves to hang upside down like a bat. She makes all sorts of sounds, clicks , whistles, and words. We will laugh at her and she will laugh back. For the people who gave up on thier Senegal at a year shouldn't really own any bird. I gave up on my Myers a long time ago, for probabully the same reason those people gave up thier Senegal's. I regret it to this day. It took me years to get another bird. I had a canary, and when he died I gave up again on birds. Then I got my parrotlet and Senegal. I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[Jaz27b]

hahaha Ravens your right you could be lying! But, i know your not

Their attitude i think should be quite funny, any bird with attitude sounds funny and cute to me Lol.

Ah well, funny bird store. I do really dislike the fact that they judged the whole species on two experiences only, infact i dislike that ALOT, especially when they are a dedicated bird shop!

 

[noblemacaw]

I never owned a Sennie but I have known people that have them. The lady I got my cockatiel from back in 1991 had wildcaught senni and meyers that lived in the same flight cage. They were not tame and only tolerated her. They were very skittish because they were wild parrots.

While I was a member of our local bird club I was asked to sit on a panel that had owners of different kinds of parrots. We each talked about the ups and downs of living with the particular species then allowed the members to ask questions. On my right was an African Grey owner and my left sat a Sennie owner. She was still in high school and she saved for over a year to buy her parrot. Very responsible owner who went out of her way to make sure her Sennie was happy and healthy. Her bird LOVED her and she could do anything to him. I remember her telling me when she visited her mom in Florida she would have her Sennie hide in her hair during the flight down. She never used a carrier for him and seemed to always get away with doing that. I was surprised of the success of her traveling with her Sennie but I also understood why a high school kid could not afford to pay for her bird to travel with her and this was way before airports tightened up security and became more restricted.

What I have learned over the years is people that have pois LOVE their African parrots. I have never met anyone who had pois regret getting their babies. For a bit I did contemplate looking into the African parrots and the Jardines which is a lot like a Poi but for me I am a macaw person through and through.

With Valentino constant attention needs I think the next parrot I add should be a more independent bird. It will probably create a better balance for us and help prevent having two parrots hanging off my person constantly. LOL. I know if I was not living alone I would LOVE to have a BTM but they are so similar to my RFM I think I would slowly go insane with both their care.

If you can try to locally see/handle some Sennies and see if you connect with the species. I learned by talking to owners and experiencing the species I am interested in helps me understand if they are the parrot for me.

 

[Jaz27b]

Thanks Noblemacaw, what a sweet story of the young school girl and her sennie! I can't believe she never got caught with the bird in her hair on the plane Lol. my Lori loved to hide in my hair when it was long enough, and in the hood of my jumper, but he wud always stick his head out to check what's going on so I wouldn't have succeeded taking him on a plane hehe.
Well, I feel back to normal happy get a sennie again after hearing the responses

 

[lindi_s]

Gizmo is an 7 month old Sennie and I wouldn't trade her for anything! She is feisty and independent but also very loveable when the mood strikes her. My husband and I worked hard at socializing her and she is happy to interact with us both, though my hubby is the clear favourite �� Don't let anyone tell you they are terrible pets... Having one in the home is such a joy!!

 

[LadySiobhan]

I have had my sennie for 21 years now and she has been a fantastic bird. She went through a nippy stage, but it passed and she hasn't bit me in probably 15 years or more. Even when she bit it never broke the skin.

 

[EdwardH]

She went through a nippy stage, but it passed and she hasn't bit me in probably 15 years or more.
6 years is a very long nippy stage!

 

[LadySiobhan]

Nah. She was a touch cage aggressive for maybe a year ot two, like I couldn't touch her toys in he cage when she was 4 or 5 ish. You assume she bit before that, but nope...all cuddles as a youngin

 

[BEWolf]

I have a young Senegal hen of about 6 yrs. of age. She is a very loving bird who would rather perch on me than eat, most of the time. She does have an independent streak and she is very clear about what she does and doesn't like. She came to me from an abusive home and was very aggressive and man can she bite. She has made wonderful progress in the time that I have had her. She will probably outlive me, but she will have a home as long as I am alive. I know that I will have to come up with a way to provide for her and my other birds when this occurs and it is something that every parrot owner should give some thought to.
But to get back to your question. I don't think that you could ever find a more loving or loyal companion than my Senegal is. She is smart and lively and funny and she has all the personality that you could ever want to have. Attitude? Yeah, she has that as well, but she is always ready to meet new friends and has never bitten a guest in the time that I have had her although I can't say the same for myself. If she doesn't like something that I am doing or she doesn't like someone getting too close she has this wonderfully large beak that she likes to put to use. Thankfully, she has discovered that she doesn't have to bite to make an impression on me, so she has taken to hitting me with it instead of biting.
Although they have a reputation for not liking other birds very much, I am sure that it is well deserved, she doesn't seem to have any problem with my CAG being on me at the same time as herself or with my Parrotlet either! Now that Parrotlet, that is a bird with some kind of attitude, She thinks she is as big as my Amazon. Any way Senegals are wonderful and fascinating birds and I am so glad that Kiki, my Senegal came to live with me.

 

[RavensGryf]

She went through a nippy stage, but it passed and she hasn't bit me in probably 15 years or more.
6 years is a very long nippy stage!

Robin's "nippy" (more accurately ferocious stage) was about that long at maturity.
Poicephalus in general are at least softly nippy I believe as a means of communication. It's in their nature. They also may be a bit more naturally inclined than most other genuses to 'bite first and ask questions later'. Even in bonded, well adjusted pets.

Female Poi's can be very hard biters as well, but males have more of the reputation, especially when hormones hit every year.

Poi's still have my heart and my loyalty forever! They're my favorites.

 

[Abigal7]

She went through a nippy stage, but it passed and she hasn't bit me in probably 15 years or more.
6 years is a very long nippy stage!

Robin's "nippy" (more accurately ferocious stage) was about that long at maturity.
Poicephalus in general are at least softly nippy I believe as a means of communication. It's in their nature. They also may be a bit more naturally inclined than most other genuses to 'bite first and ask questions later'. Even in bonded, well adjusted pets.

Female Poi's can be very hard biters as well, but males have more of the reputation, especially when hormones hit every year.

Poi's still have my heart and my loyalty forever! They're my favorites.

I think you nailed it. People of this forum love their Sennies and I always read recommendations for them. However, I read from people that are against Petco selling them and they state these are true parrots with real parrot attitudes (whatever that means since all hookbills are considered to be a species of parrot). I also read warnings from people that have piocephalus that they are not for everyone I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a more independent bird. Do not get me wrong I love Captain Jack (I love a sweet macaw personality) but it seems like (even by going by other macaw owners with any macaw species) that a lot of tame macaws are attention seeking birds. I am sure a lot conure owners can relate more to someone that owns a macaw then someone that owns a more independent bird.

 

[RavensGryf]

Thanks Abigail... . They are definitely different than many parrots out there. You'll hear me talk about Poi's in general in the same breath as Senegals since my experience over 20 year with not only Robin my Red Bellied, and having Griffin, but knowing others and hearing stories through the years as well, has lead me to know that the members of this genus are all similar (though not as familiar about the larger Poi's Jardines and Capes). Although Poicephalus in general are more resistant to behavior problems such as plucking for non-medical reasons than most other genuses, the Senegal is the one that you "may" occasionally hear of being plucked. They are probably slightly more "intense" than the other smaller Poi's generally speaking.
No other bird species have potential to be as cuddly then at the same time as naturally independent.. It's usually more or less one or the other.

 

[RainbowRose]

Hi all you sennie lovers
Just went to my local bird store for fun, they have hundreds of birds from finches to Loris to Grey's to Catalina macaws. So, I asked if they ever get in Senegals.... The owner of the store said they can but why would I want a sennie with a funny look on his face? I said from all my research, they sound like a perfect bird for me.... Independent yet still love attention when given, on the quieter side, cuddly and funny etc etc. He said that his experience has only ever been selling 2 Sennies, and that they were aggressive, bad one person birds, very bitey, not affectionate at all and that after one year of the ppl who bought one, had returned it due to these reasons.
I said all my research was quite the opposite overall, and that it was from forums not breeders.
I left the shop in disbelief....

In all my reading on here, no one has ever made out that the sennie is so bad! Sure some people may not like them for their particular traits in a bird which is fine of course, but ...... He made them out to be soooo bad!

Your sennie isn't THAT bad overall, is it? (I'm sure you will say no hehe. Which is good coz that's what I want to hear Lol) But if it is, please do speak up.

Woooow really?! I'd say maybe 85% of what he said is BS. Seriously. I just got a senegal a few weeks ago, he is 15 and needed to be rehomed from a friend of mine, and yes he was bitey the first few days bc he was nervous and went through a huge change! I'd be bitey too!! He grew up with them As a baby. After 3 DAYS I got him to trust me so much that I can pet him wherever I want without any biting. I pet his head his belly his back under his wings etc etc. If I rile him up we play a mimicking game and he gets excited and might chirp loudly for like, a minute. Half the time he makes funny clicky or quiet whistly noises, and the other half of the time he is silent. I wanted a quiet parrot so I was nervous getting him but wow he is perfect. He won't bother me until I wake up and uncover his cage, then he knows he can chirp. He learned soooo fast.

My only issue currently is that he has full trust in me, but won't let my man or anyone else near him. He tries to bite through the cage bars like he did with me the first few days. I don't know if this is because it's still too soon after rehoming or if he is a one person bird. But what I am told he was friendly with multiple members of his previous home as long as they gave him attention. One person stopped giving attention for an extended period of time so he became angry towards that person. He probably felt abandoned. But I hope he comes around and will at least let my man pet him because my last parrot he loved and could come in and take him out as he pleased.

Other than that I'm so happy with this bird it is ridiculous. He has an attitude for sure but he's funny about it. Like I said he has an attitude but he doesn't bite me. It's not that kind of attitude. He just expects what pleases him and is a little spoiled hehe



Oh and not only that, he is not bothered by my other cage with 2 small parrots in it, and they are not bothered by him. They don't call to each other I think because they are so different and the senegal was never around other birds. The Kakariki and Turquoisine I have both live in the same cage they are buddies but super quiet birds. Almost silent minus little peeps haha

 

[RainbowRose]

I remember her telling me when she visited her mom in Florida she would have her Sennie hide in her hair during the flight down. She never used a carrier for him and seemed to always get away with doing that. I was surprised of the success of her traveling with her Sennie but I also understood why a high school kid could not afford to pay for her bird to travel with her and this was way before airports tightened up security and became more restricted.

Wow! How is that even possible? Wouldn't it try to come out or fly or make noise?? Wouldn't other passengers see it? That is remarkable! I am impressed LOL I can't believe she had no issues doing that!

 

[RainbowRose]

Robin's "nippy" (more accurately ferocious stage) was about that long at maturity.
Poicephalus in general are at least softly nippy I believe as a means of communication. It's in their nature. They also may be a bit more naturally inclined than most other genuses to 'bite first and ask questions later'. Even in bonded, well adjusted pets.

I agree. You need to really be in tune with these birds and I think with any birds. Yea mine has an attitude but I know when he is calm and/or happy and can go to him or when he feels like coming out.

Even with my last bird, if he was foraging on the bottom of his cage and I went near him he would try to bite. But when he went 5 inches higher up to his perch it was safe to get him. He would make this little aggressive face but I knew him and knew he wasn't gonna bite, just trying to be intimidating to my hand until he realized I came slowly to him and wasn't hurting him. He didn't bite me ever.

You just need to know your bird's behaviors.