I have made my decision on a new bird!

[Wings]

After quite a few threads, some research, and a conversation with a breeder, I have narrowed it down to two birds. The Timneh African grey, and the congo african grey. Both birds have beautiful hypnotic feathers with a splash of vibrancy. Anyway, in your experiences which grey do you prefer? Besides being duller and less pricy, any other major differences between the two? I am planning on flight training the bird, (taking a course), which is why I didn't decide on a "zon" they are mentioned to have poor sense of direction, and flight recall issues. Not to mention the amazons have a hormonal stage which could greatly impact flying. One of my dreams is to see bird of mine soaring hundreds of feet high, with it's sillouette shadowing while I gaze at the sun. how much would a handfed baby with all supplies cost, discluding the cage as I have one? I am thinking $1500 for the congo and supplies, and 1105 for the timneh?
Thanks for reading
Note I do have experience with other large birds, so please do not say "get a cockatiel" as I already have a cage for larger birds. thanks for understanding!

Please excuse grammatical and spelling errors, hard to type on a tablets touch-screen keyboard lol

 

[Wdlodge]

Get a cockatiel... J/K but I had to say it.

I love both of these birds. You have a hard decision to make. I didn't know you can take a course in flight training your bird. My Sennie was clipped when I got her, so I am taking advantage of this time to bond with her. Eventually I really would like to flight train her. Watch her soar. We have a long road. Can't tell you what I think, not experienced enough, but whatever you decide will be right for you.

After quite a few threads, some research, and a conversation with a breeder, I have narrowed it down to two birds. The Timneh African grey, and the congo african grey. Both birds have beautiful hypnotic feathers with a splash of vibrancy. Anyway, in your experiences which grey do you prefer? Besides being duller and less pricy, any other major differences between the two? I am planning on flight training the bird, (taking a course), which is why I didn't decide on a "zon" they are mentioned to have poor sense of direction, and flight recall issues. Not to mention the amazons have a hormonal stage which could greatly impact flying. One of my dreams is to see bird of mine soaring hundreds of feet high, with it's sillouette shadowing while I gaze at the sun. how much would a handfed baby with all supplies cost, discluding the cage as I have one? I am thinking $1500 for the congo and supplies, and 1105 for the timneh?
Thanks for reading
Note I do have experience with other large birds, so please do not say "get a cockatiel" as I already have a cage for larger birds. thanks for understanding!

Please excuse grammatical and spelling errors, hard to type on a tablets touch-screen keyboard lol

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Since your taking a free flight course go with the Congo

Larger = better defense against predators

And just going to throw it out there, galahs are really good for free flight

 

[Wings]

Good choice, but galahs do not have the dark coloration, so they would look less intimidating to predators looking for a meal. Cockatoos are also mentally unstable and cannot handle the chill of the air if it decides it doesn't want it's feathers, if you know what I mean.

 

[Betrisher]

I know this is a bit far off topic, but if you want to experience the thrill of your bird flying overhead, nothing beats owning a flock of pigeons! I kept them as a teenager and still remember the soaring feeling in my heart as I watched them wheeling around 'way up in the sky. Then, I'd whistle and they'd all come back to me. Sigh. I wouldn't mind having pigeons again, only the divorce would be too costly...

 

[Wings]

Wish I had the means to feed and house a whole flock. That is like 30 pigeons...lol...too much poop...

 

[Betrisher]

I started out with eight and ended up with around a hundred. I was only fourteen when I began and every single aspect of the birds' care was down to me. That included building the loft, which I did with the help of my friends. Happy memories! I bred beautiful babies and got to enjoy my birds for many years until they were all felled by coccidiosis. I spent fortunes on medicine and special stuff to spray and paint on the cage, but the organism was too entrenched by then and every single one of my pigeons died. If I had them again, I'd go with all-metal cages, for sure!

NB. The poop isn't a problem at all - you just scatter sand on the floor and shovel it up each day.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I know this is a bit far off topic, but if you want to experience the thrill of your bird flying overhead, nothing beats owning a flock of pigeons! I kept them as a teenager and still remember the soaring feeling in my heart as I watched them wheeling around 'way up in the sky. Then, I'd whistle and they'd all come back to me. Sigh. I wouldn't mind having pigeons again, only the divorce would be too costly...

My friend has a flock of homing pigeons, they are pretty cool but his don't form any emotional attachment such as a parrot

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Good choice, but galahs do not have the dark coloration, so they would look less intimidating to predators looking for a meal. Cockatoos are also mentally unstable and cannot handle the chill of the air if it decides it doesn't want it's feathers, if you know what I mean.

I don't know... to me I would think a African gray would look like a pigeon? But then, a galah would also look like a pigeon.

Also, I think it's amazing you are going to train a African gray to free fly, not trying to change your choice here. I just thought it was funny you said cockatoos will decide they won't want their feathers, but grays are also infamous known for plucking.

What free flight course are you going to do?

 

[brianlinkles]

Good choice, but galahs do not have the dark coloration, so they would look less intimidating to predators looking for a meal. Cockatoos are also mentally unstable and cannot handle the chill of the air if it decides it doesn't want it's feathers, if you know what I mean.

I don't know... to me I would think a African gray would look like a pigeon? But then, a galah would also look like a pigeon.

Also, I think it's amazing you are going to train a African gray to free fly, not trying to change your choice here. I just thought it was funny you said cockatoos will decide they won't want their feathers, but grays are also infamous known for plucking.

What free flight course are you going to do?

So funny that Coperarabian jumped in before me to suggest the rosie. That is what I was going to say! I have a congo as does Coperarabian , we both have rosies (I'm getting mine today!) Rosies are known for their ability for free flight. Congos are great birds but as said they are prone to plucking I would say in my experience more than rosies. Rosies, love trick training and are very enthusiastic birds. In my experience Congos are much, much more reserved and phobic. My grey is fabulous! I love her and think she is a phenomenol bird. I cannot imagine her or any of my friends grey being as bold about going out there and free flighting as a gahlah. Just my thoughts

 

[Wings]

Copper, the birdtricks website has one, just contact them and ask the ! Also, the greys bright tail fans as they fly, distinguishing it from a wild pigeon, galahs would look more like pigeons imo...

 

[Wings]

Wow, you really think I should get a rosie? I thought I had finally made my descision... going to the bird store tomorrow to ask questions.

 

[khaiqha]

Keep in mind, Greys have a reputation for being bad free fliers. The birdtricks people chose a Grey specifically for that reason (their thinking that if they can train the most difficult bird to freefly, the rest should be easier).

Having a brighter coloration is also recommended for free flying because you can track your bird easier. It's pretty easy to lose a grey bird against the sky, or a green bird that flew into a tree.

I mean, technically you can free fly any parrot, it's just up to you if you want to go against the odds. I mean, as a child I was dumb and free flew a budgie no problems. Also realize that more than species, what will matter is the individual bird and training.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

May I ask how much their program is? I've always had the impression it cost several thousand dollars. I would just LOVE to do their program with Rosie but what info I have makes me believe it's out of reach for me being a poor art univeristy student lol

True about grays being harder to free fly and the bird tricks reason for choosing that particular bird. In my opinion macaws are the best free fliers because of their intimidating size and ability to fly in strong wind, but their lager size is harder to accomadate in a home environment. I think though, that if you're doing their program you'll be able to free fly any bird you choose. They are going to walk you through it and give you one on one time.

 

[Wings]

I will leave it as expensive. You will need to contact them for prices

 

[Wings]

Are rosies more mentally stable than the whites?

 

[khaiqha]

They've said in their blogs that the program starts at 2k. This include bi-weekly Skype training sessions over several months, and then you go out with them to a desert to free fly your bird for the first time.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I'm so confused by bird tricks, why don't they like people talking about the prices?

Galahs are immensely more mentally stable than the white cockatoos. Galahs are closer related to the black cockatoos which are more mentally sound and are not considered velcro birds.

 

[Wings]

I am stickig to greys and budiges, and learn more about budgies cognitive abilities, as well as the greys response to light change and optical illusions using the rival/model method, as well as learning more about birds differentation of objects and color. I think what Dr. Pepperbergs research has inspired me to learn more. I am curious as if budgie intellegence rivals greys, but their inferior size and speach clarity has prevented them to show their huge potential. I might have to write a book. Lol just kidding these findings will be private, and , might share them with you guys though!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I'm reading Dr. Pepperberg's book, it's interesting but hard to read. Her writing style doesn't flow well, and it makes reading it very boring(which is sad since I consider the subject very interesting).