Heya! New here

[Lullabye]

Hello, I'm Ava from PA and I have been trying to decide what kind of parrot would best suit my family. This seems like a friendly and knowledgeable forum, so I thought I'd introduce myself!

I have had birds in the past, growing up with a parakeet who (despite my immaturity and lack of knowledge on parrot care) lived to be 10. On hindsight, it makes my heart hurt to think of that little girl and everything I know about them now. She must have been very lonely.

Other birds I have owned were cockatiels, finches, and a lovebird that I hand raised, but ultimately gave to my (grown) nephew because the little bird was so impossibly in love with him, lol!

Unfortunately, my family suffered a house fire and we had to rehome our flock so we could pick up the pieces and find a new place to live. It has been 7 years and we are ready for a new parrot. My only bird at the moment is a pretty little canary.

I am looking for a small to medium sized parrot with intelligence and lots of affection. I don't like to cage, unless it's bedtime or for safety reasons. Any suggestions?

 

[Riley's mom]

Hi and Welcome!!!! Sounds like you have had a tough time. We suggest to people that are venturing into "big bird" territory for the first time to do your research. Greys and Amazons are a good choice. There are different kinds of Amazons. There are different kinds of Amazons that you can look up and see which might fit in your family better. The Severe mini macaw is a ham and a medium size. Good luck. We are here if you need us.

 

[Spiritbird]

Welcome Lulabye 10 years for a parakeet is a long life. I have a Timneh African Grey. She is small (290g) and very loving. Intelligence is a given in an AG. We play and she is learning tricks. Look up Timnehs on the internet and read about them.
They are a wonderful bird. Others will have more suggestins for you. Keep us posted.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I love conures, but they might not be right. They need a cage sometimes I'd say. They are very much velcro-birds (at least duskies). I've seen people doing something in their home while their parrot is at the other end of the room on a perch. That wouldn't last long with a conure - they're right on top of you unless they are in a cage, or at least closed in their own room.

 

[Lullabye]

Thank you all for the welcomes and suggestions! My husband has mentioned the Grey before, but I'm concerned about how much time one would demand of me. Not that I wouldn't want to spend as much time as possible with him (or her), of course! But I have heard they have the intelligence of a young child. I haven't the slightest clue how to stop bad behavior with a bird that smart!

Sun conure was another type we had looked at and discussed, but after careful consideration -mostly for our neighbors sake, we decided not to go there. Pity, because they are strikingly beautiful!

On the smaller side, I had the opportunity to meet an amazing little Senegal, and he was a complete darling! I have heard they can be territorial over their favorite person, though. Is that avoidable if he gets lots of socialization?

I still have a lot of research to do!

 

[BlueToast]

welcome to the board