First time potential bird owner

[Mountandrew]

Hi, my name is Andrew and I'm wondering what type of bird would be best for me before I make any rash decisions and buy a bird that I would unintentionally neglect. It's always best to check first!

If I were to get a bird, it would be my first time owning one. I can look up simple guides on how to care for a bird but finding an answer for my specific situation can be hard.

I work at home and am on my computer 12+ hours a day. I enjoy playing with animals but sometimes I just don't have the time. I'm looking for a type of bird that doesn't need too much attention. In a day, I could spare around 3 hours of play time/exercise for the bird.

Any recommendations about what breed would be fine with my life style? If available, I would need a brief description or explanation on why that breed would work in my situation.

Thanks!

 

[wrench13]

Hi Andrew. Birds really not easy care pets, they take work every day to clean and make sure they are fed well, veggies, fruits and pellets. And even a little budgie or parakeet is a 15 to 20 year commitment . Bigger parrots are much longer lived. So birds are not a whim kind of pet. If you decide that that's for you, we here can offer a lot of info and help.

 

[Mountandrew]

Hi Andrew. Birds really not easy care pets, they take work every day to clean and make sure they are fed well, veggies, fruits and pellets. And even a little budgie or parakeet is a 15 to 20 year commitment . Bigger parrots are much longer lived. So birds are not a whim kind of pet. If you decide that that's for you, we here can offer a lot of info and help.

Of course I'll have enough time for cleaning their cage (or them) and feeding. When I say 3 hours I mean for playing or interacting with them.

 

[psychocircus91]

Do you know anyone with birds? The BEST thing you can do is spend some time at a rescue or around someone with birds. It's hard to get a real feel of what it is like living with parrots if you haven't had much exposure.

Other than the time/attention factor you mentioned, can you tell us what you're looking for in a bird in terms of personality, affection, playfulness, trainability, ect.

 

[Flboy]

Sorry, not going to vote on this for many reasons!

 

[Mountandrew]

Do you know anyone with birds? The BEST thing you can do is spend some time at a rescue or around someone with birds. It's hard to get a real feel of what it is like living with parrots if you haven't had much exposure.

Other than the time/attention factor you mentioned, can you tell us what you're looking for in a bird in terms of personality, affection, playfulness, trainability, ect.

One of my close friends had a cockatoo and I've spent a good time playing with her because she was so lively and that's what kind of got me thinking. My friend recently moved, however, so I can't really get the feel of caring for them first hand unless I meet someone else who is closer.

As for personality, I'd love to have them chill on my shoulder or walk around my room and let them be free (of course I will cover up wires and remove sharp objects). It would be nice if they were quiet but also had a fun personality and warm up to others easily.

 

[Mountandrew]

Sorry, not going to vote on this for many reasons!

And I'm guessing those reasons are negative reasons? I'm asking for help...

 

[jugoya]

I'd look at a smaller bird; if you work from home that means you can set up the bird with a cage set up and several other options in there with you. Which you means aren't tenically leaving the baby alone.

Cockatiels; Parrotlets; and Indian Ringnecks are independant but reactive birds.

I personally would reccomend one of the first two in this case however.

 

[BeatriceC]

I'm going to second (or third) the idea of spending some time volunteering at a rescue and working with birds of various species to get a better idea of what they are like. I can't really recommend one species or another because they all have their pros and cons. We have three high needs birds and one that doesn't require so much anymore due to his extremely advanced age. We get away with it because I'm a housewife and hubby is retired. We literally have all day every day to spend with them (unless the teenagers need something, then only he's around). My perception on how much time they take is skewed because I'm interacting with them all day in between housework and stuff. Another factor to consider is your own temperament. I'm okay handling birds with attitude but somebody else might be put off by the kind of attitude my Senegal has (he has a bigger 'tude than the macaw). Do you want a bird that will be friendly with lots of people or are you okay being the only person who can handle the bird. Some species are more family friendly than others. These are all things you need to consider.

 

[MonicaMc]

The larger the bird, the bigger the expense.


With a small bird, you are looking at a minimum of $100-$300 just for basic supplies to keep the bird happy and healthy.

A medium sized bird, you are probably looking at a around $300-$800.

A larger species could easily be $800-$3,000.



You don't include information on "where" you live (a house with close neighbors? an apartment? a condo? townhouse? or some place with property?), and how much room you have to spare. This info may be important because some species do not make great neighbors! And some can literally destroy your home! (think.... toddler with a can opener on their face running willy nilly through the house, seeing what they can chew up!!! it's not just cords! but tables, chair legs, the couch, the walls, windowsills, etc!)

A vet visit is recommended after purchasing a bird, and for a good initial exam, you'll be paying around $180-$300. Then there are the ongoing monthly costs of birds. You may spend as little as $20 or as much as $300 or so. This could be food, toys, perches, maybe new dishes...



So I'm afraid that it's really hard to recommend an ideal species... and even if you decide on the ideal species for you, you could end up with a bird that is not ideal for you.


If you have any rescues, bird/parrot stores, or even club clubs in the area, this would be the best way to get to know some of the various species and get to know the various birds.

BTW, not knowing what state you live in, but quakers are outlawed/banned in certain states. I live in a state where quakers are legal, but not 15 minutes from where I live, across the border, quakers are banned! And if found, quakers can legally be confiscated and killed. (no surprise, there are actually quakers in this state!!! because people illegally cross the border with them...)

 

[Mountandrew]

The larger the bird, the bigger the expense.


With a small bird, you are looking at a minimum of $100-$300 just for basic supplies to keep the bird happy and healthy.

A medium sized bird, you are probably looking at a around $300-$800.

A larger species could easily be $800-$3,000.



You don't include information on "where" you live (a house with close neighbors? an apartment? a condo? townhouse? or some place with property?), and how much room you have to spare. This info may be important because some species do not make great neighbors! And some can literally destroy your home! (think.... toddler with a can opener on their face running willy nilly through the house, seeing what they can chew up!!! it's not just cords! but tables, chair legs, the couch, the walls, windowsills, etc!)

A vet visit is recommended after purchasing a bird, and for a good initial exam, you'll be paying around $180-$300. Then there are the ongoing monthly costs of birds. You may spend as little as $20 or as much as $300 or so. This could be food, toys, perches, maybe new dishes...



So I'm afraid that it's really hard to recommend an ideal species... and even if you decide on the ideal species for you, you could end up with a bird that is not ideal for you.


If you have any rescues, bird/parrot stores, or even club clubs in the area, this would be the best way to get to know some of the various species and get to know the various birds.

BTW, not knowing what state you live in, but quakers are outlawed/banned in certain states. I live in a state where quakers are legal, but not 15 minutes from where I live, across the border, quakers are banned! And if found, quakers can legally be confiscated and killed. (no surprise, there are actually quakers in this state!!! because people illegally cross the border with them...)

Confiscated and killed? That's HORRIBLE! Who would do that to a pet that has already been cared for... I understand the confiscating, but the killed part is over the top...

I understand your explanation, though. I'll probably go to a local shelter that cares for birds and find out more.

 

[BeatriceC]

The larger the bird, the bigger the expense.


With a small bird, you are looking at a minimum of $100-$300 just for basic supplies to keep the bird happy and healthy.

A medium sized bird, you are probably looking at a around $300-$800.

A larger species could easily be $800-$3,000.



You don't include information on "where" you live (a house with close neighbors? an apartment? a condo? townhouse? or some place with property?), and how much room you have to spare. This info may be important because some species do not make great neighbors! And some can literally destroy your home! (think.... toddler with a can opener on their face running willy nilly through the house, seeing what they can chew up!!! it's not just cords! but tables, chair legs, the couch, the walls, windowsills, etc!)

A vet visit is recommended after purchasing a bird, and for a good initial exam, you'll be paying around $180-$300. Then there are the ongoing monthly costs of birds. You may spend as little as $20 or as much as $300 or so. This could be food, toys, perches, maybe new dishes...



So I'm afraid that it's really hard to recommend an ideal species... and even if you decide on the ideal species for you, you could end up with a bird that is not ideal for you.


If you have any rescues, bird/parrot stores, or even club clubs in the area, this would be the best way to get to know some of the various species and get to know the various birds.

BTW, not knowing what state you live in, but quakers are outlawed/banned in certain states. I live in a state where quakers are legal, but not 15 minutes from where I live, across the border, quakers are banned! And if found, quakers can legally be confiscated and killed. (no surprise, there are actually quakers in this state!!! because people illegally cross the border with them...)

This. All of it.

On the damage, when it's light out, I can take a picture of the back side of one of my kitchen cabinets (that forms the divider between the kitchen and what should be an informal dining room but in reality is the bird room/office). MrC's daughters, when they were teenagers, let Goofy out of his cage during the time they got home from school and when he got home from work and then couldn't get him back in (yes, I know, it's been 15 years...it should be fixed by now, but it's just got a plywood board over it). Goofy ripped out a very large part of the cabinet back. And Goofy's only a "medium" bird. There's other smaller things that have been damaged throughout the years, most repaired, some not. It's just part of living with birds. The second you take your eyes off them, something gets chewed on.

 

[glutes]

What you are describing does not exist! Birds CAN be quiet, chill, and friendly, but ALL OF THEM are high maintenance, make varying levels of noise, messy, destructive, moody, and let's not forget that they have beaks.... One bird I can think of for you is a dove. They are not very intelligent, and are basically born tame. You do need a spacious cage for them to fly however. You might opt for a finch or canary, but they won't be very tame.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[SirEdwin89]

I would rather make anti-suggestions than suggestions. In your shoes, I would probably go ahead and cross Cockatoo's and African Grey's off your list. Greys can be difficult because of how cautious they are. Generally speaking, a grey is going to view absolutely everything new as the devil himself and hate it. It can be difficult to figure out what your new family member likes when they have to see it hanging outside the cage for a month before they will trust it enough to not think it will eat them. They are also a species that is more inclined to start plucking.

Cockatoo's are just not a good fit for most people. They can change moods almost instantly. One second they are happy having a good time, the next second they are mad at you, then sad, then happy again. They are also incredibly needy, and loud, and the medium to larger ones have a bite like getting your hand/finger slammed in a car door. And when I say loud I don't mean annoying loud, I mean physically painful loud. They are single handedly the most rehomed/abandoned/sent to rescues species because of just how difficult they can be. And generally speaking, the process of realizing they weren't the right fit, will cause huge numbers of issues for them.

I would say out of what you mentioned, just as a more universal "good first bird" choices, Are Cockatiels, Some of the Conures Green Cheeks especially are more commonly a bit more on the affectionate/less moody side, or quakers if they are legal where you live, as they are a smaller bird, but have huge personalities.

I feel like this next point is fairly crucial though. Birds within the same species can have *drastically* different attitudes and personalities. For example, just because Cockatoo's are known to be super cuddly snuggle bugs, doesn't mean you won't find some that are very stand-offish. And just because Cockatiels are usually very docile, doesn't mean you won't find one that's a complete little butt-hole.

Just trying to stress that there are no guarantees, and the best guidelines are at best very generalized blanket statements.

 

[sonja]

I agree with everything that SirEdwin89 said, but I want to doubly re-enforce one point: DO NOT GET A COCKATOO!!!

 

[Jayyj]

I'll add a few comments.

As far as noise goes, it's a tricky one to gauge. I understand not wanting an overly loud bird - coping with loud repetitive noises was one of my biggest concerns when I first started looking at birds. Different species do have different noise levels but also the timbre of different species makes a big difference. Cockatiels certainly wouldn't register very highly on a decibel meter compared to cockatoos or macaws but some people struggle with them because of the pitch. I find certain conures impossible to be around if they're making a lot of noise and it's at least as much about the type of sound as it is the volume. On the other hand, if your noise concerns relate to neighbours as well as yourself, high frequency sounds carry less well through walls and windows than lower ones, so a cockatiel is a lot less likely to get you into trouble with the neighbours than the dinosaur with a headache roar of a large macaw.

Lastly on noise, don't believe everything you read on the internet: there are some inaccuracies out there on the various species comparison charts and other people's opinions aren't a substitute for first hand experience. Whatever species you're interested in, be sure to spend enough time around them to hear how loud they can get.

One thing I don't think has been mentioned is that you don't mention living with anyone or what your family situation is but some birds do far better around different groups of people than others. To a certain extent this can be influenced by socialising the bird but if you live on your own it's important the bird can cope when strangers arrive in their space and some species are better at that than others. Some species have a reputation for picking a favourite and furiously defending them from interlopers. The larger cockatoos for example are notorious for this. The last thing you want if you live alone is a bird that kicks off every time someone comes to visit - you may laugh at the idea of your pet bird seeing off a prospective girlfriend or boyfriend but it genuinely happens!

If you're working from home during the day it should be possible to train the bird to be used to being out of the cage whilst you're home but not needing constant attention. Birds have a busy schedule of preening, toy destroying and checking to see if the treat fairy has visited recently - there's plenty they can be doing without needing you constantly on hand. My bird's cage is open if I'm home but she doesn't get constant attention for the whole time and she's quite happy entertaining herself if I have things to be getting on with. Three hours plus a general ambient company throughout the day is very different to three hours then back in the cage being ignored for the test of the day.

Hope that's of some help. Birds aren't the easiest pets and there's a lot of stuff to think about but the more research you do the more it should become clear what direction to go in.

 

[LeaKP]

As I say to everyone who listens to me...a dog loves you and it's normal. Cats will even tolerate you and that's normal. But when a bird loves you...now THAT is cool!

Get as much handling as possible st rescues, maybe at pet shops, breeders, etc. get a feel for which bird feels like a good fit. At some point, one will choose you and you'll have your friend! When you're the chosen one, there's no looking back. I would agree, though, that the cockatoos are for very experienced owners and the greys, while I own one and have had them all my life, are to be viewed with a grain of salt. If one chooses you, study well and be informed. Mine have always been well adjusted and fun but I also work on socialization and introducing new things regularly but you need to do that with all birds.

Read on the forums here, lots of good advice.

I, personally, am a bit biased towards the GCCs and cockatiels!

 

[Flboy]

Sorry, not going to vote on this for many reasons!

And I'm guessing those reasons are negative reasons? I'm asking for help...

Thank you for not taking offense at my short reply! I rub many folks the wrong way!

A bird is such a commitment and relationship! When I first saw your post, I took it as someone sitting down to pick out a wife/husband out of a catalog!
Us humans think nothing of ripping apart relationships, but to a parrot it can be devastating! They really are NOT pets!

I know you did not post with that sort of flippancy! Spend your time in shelters and learn real love!

Again, not coming back at me shows a level of maturity I lack!

 

[MonicaMc]

One bird I can think of for you is a dove. They are not very intelligent, and are basically born tame. You do need a spacious cage for them to fly however.

Hey now! My pigeon takes offense to this!!!! :28:


Actually.... I don't have a pigeon... I found one... and with any luck, she'll be heading home on Friday! About 120 miles away and through a mountain range! I'll be dropping her off with someone on Thursday, and then he's driving her back the following morning. I would have happily taken her home myself (only a 2+ hr drive! no big deal!) if there was no other way to get her home.

But seriously! Although some doves and pigeons can be stupid, they do have their pros! I mean, you aren't going to get screamed at or bitten like you would with a parrot! Although they can't learn to talk (or, probably wont), they do make soothing noises! (there's been a few times I've wondered why I didn't get into pigeons and doves instead of parrots? Not to say that I'd ever give my guys up! but really! they can still make great pets!)

If you have the space for an outside pigeon coop, you can FREE-FLY your pigeons outside!!!! Where my sister lives, I occasionally see a flock of white pigeons/doves flying around in the evening. I don't know where they live, though! Although there is a potential danger for predators, at least the bird(s) can get exercise and sunlight! Something many parrots are missing out on!

Not only that, but they can be trained to perform behaviors just like parrots can! Maybe, albeit differently, but they can still learn many behaviors!

Greys can be difficult because of how cautious they are. Generally speaking, a grey is going to view absolutely everything new as the devil himself and hate it. It can be difficult to figure out what your new family member likes when they have to see it hanging outside the cage for a month before they will trust it enough to not think it will eat them. They are also a species that is more inclined to start plucking.

As per Pamela Clark, all of this information about greys is FALSE if the birds are never clipped as juveniles. That is, they are allowed flight as they grow and mature. She's a breeder, and used to clip her baby greys before sending them home, but through the years, learned that greys became rather confident and outgoing birds if allowed to fully fledge and stay flighted rather than being clipped.

I find this interesting info.

 

[snowflake311]

What pets do you have now?
What pets have you had in the past?
What happened to those past pets?

You need to be around birds to know if they are right for you. Rabbits make great quite easy pets. Why do you want a bird? Ferrets are awesome too.

There are days when I don't feel like walking the dogs but I do anyways because I love them and they need it. Same goes for my conure. There are a few days I just don't feel like dealing with his nips (he is still a new baby learning). I still let him out because I love him and don't want to be a selfish jerk. He needs me. The love of a bird is a strong one and like no other.That is true.

With any pet you are going to have to take the time to care for it. Even my fish are work. Sure there might be a day that is really crazy and you might not have time. But to just not feel like it....

Our 2 parakeets are really easy but messy. Cockatiel are IMO the best starter bird. They are mess with the dander but so cute.