new bird recommendations

[kimbell]

Hello all,
I have decided that in the next 6 months to a year I am going to add another bird to my flock. I have already owned my green cheek conure for almost 3 years now, and I have considered getting another bird very carefully. I am making this post to get recommendations!
I am looking at different kinds of birds to make the right decision on what I should get.
My green cheek conure has a very strong personality, and I think that I would like a bird that is maybe a little less headstrong than conures are known to be. I am only considering birds on the smaller end of the spectrum, and birds that are not known to be extremely loud. (yes, I know all birds are loud)
so far, I am most interested in a lovebird or a cockatiel. However, I don’t know much about lovebirds and would be happy if anyone had any input on owning one.
if anyone has any recommendations on birds I should look into, please feel free to drop a name!

 

[Sunnyclover]

I was literally in the same situation (with my sun conure) and wanted a 2nd bird but worried my Ollie would freak out and didn't really want another conure because I was scared they'd bond and ditch me so was thinking of getting a cockatiel or a budgie. After months of going to bird shops and trying to find a birdie who we had a connection with but it just wasn't happening. Well finally last week we found our new family member! A Nanday Conure we named Finley. So far he is the perfect for our little family. He is larger than Ollie but because he's so young he's pretty submissive towards him. Luckily Ollie is not super into Fin (a bit jealous though) or vise versa so I'm not immediately in danger of loosing my bond with Ollie or starting one with Finley. I know it's only been a week and know it's possible for things to change so we're off to a good start. My advice is that you should let the bird pick you, even if it's not what you were expected or imagined. I too did not think another Conure would be what I wanted but Fin is (so far) exactly what we needed! Nandays are supposed to be kid, cuddly and intelligent, so far he lives up to those expectations. He is still being weened (which it was unexpected when we brought him home and he wasn't) but other than that he's perfect! He's already mostly potty trained and has not bitten once so far!

 

[chad246emr]

If you want something small, and don’t want anything louder than a green cheek conure, a cockatiel or a hand fed lovebird would be my best recommendation. Cockatiels are great smaller birds and if you get a male you’ll be entertained with their whistling. If you find a hand fed love bird, they make amazing pets. I had a violet masked love bird who was hand fed, and she was an absolute doll. One of the most tame birds I’d ever met. She passed unexpectedly a while back and I was very grief stricken, but she was an amazing bird.

I’d also recommend looking for a hand tame budgie. Very smart birds, not to be underestimated for their small size. Tons of personality in a tiny package, without a lot of volume.

 

[reeb]

I have done my own research on having a lovebird along with my other birds. From what I have found, lovebirds can be quite aggressive towards other birds, due to having quite territorial personalities. There are exceptions to this I am sure, and others on the forum may have better information, experience and advice. Lovebirds can be aggressive towards birds that are bigger than them (like conures), and in doing so put themselves at risk because a larger bird can do a lot more damage to them.

Cockatiels on the other hand are very mild mannered (particularly females), so they are unlikely to provoke other birds. My cockatiel, for instance, is so relaxed that even when my budgies have a go at her she doesn't react with more than a hiss. However, they might react if another bird is very aggressive, so it is very dependent on your conure and his/her personality. You mentioned that your green cheek has a strong personality, so when you get a new bird (whether a cockatiel or not) you just need to watch for any domineering or aggressive behaviour.

Another option is getting a second conure. It is much more likely that birds of the same species to get along together of course. There are lots of people with different species together though, so I am sure others have a better idea of GGCs with other species.

Good luck!

 

[LordTriggs]

much like the others here, a cockatiel jumps out as the perfect match for what you'd like, just remember to up the dusting if you do get one. Their feathers get EVERYWHERE

 

[Carl_Power]

Maybe a Quaker Parrot? 12 inches fully grown, not much bigger than a Conure. They are silly and fun, not too loud and really smart, not that messy or too hard to look after. My Quaker is really loving and pretty quiet, he rarely makes loud noise, loves cuddles and playing and makes me laugh constantly. They have a high capacity to be great talkers too and mimic and much like Conures, they are a big Parrot in a small package.

You are guaranteed laughs lol. Once Xander tried swooping me and thought he could pick me up by my head and im 6ft 4 he did it again yesterday and stole a french fry from my dinner plate and later on he came up to me with a pumpkin seed in his mouth, dropped it near me and told me to step up lol, i never laughed so hard ever.

Really beautiful, fun, smart, nice natured birds i think. Good luck deciding and do let us know and share pics please x

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I would definetly recommend a cockatiel. Ducky is super smart, eager to please with his tricks, super affectionate, and loves skritches. He has NEVER bit anyone hard enough to really hurt, and my favorite thing about him is when he gently nudges my cheek and tilts his head to get scratched. He is by far my most laid back and gentle bird. My GCC Kermit can be a bit of a bully to him, but not much more than chasing him off my shoulder or stealing his food because he’s jealous. So keep that in mind, that if you get a cockatiel your conure would most likely be the dominant one. I know nothing about lovebirds, but I have heard that they can be very aggressive toward birds that are bigger than them. I also love parrotlets, but again they can be fearless and aggressive toward other birds. Budgies are great but not as interactive as say, a tiel or conure. They will happily hang out with you or sit on your finger, but usually don’t like to be touched or cuddled. Of course, there are exceptions and every bird is different.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'll just chime in to wish you good luck, and say "good for you" for thinking it all over so carefully.

Oh and by the way.. Carl... step up! Too funny!

 

[kimbell]

Thank you all very much! I think that you have all swooned me over to get a cockatiel. It's good information to know that the males are the ones who whistle more, because I wanted my next bird to be a female but I would love more of a whistler so I think I might get another male (my conure is already a male) and I think they would be a great pair. I just hope that Pico, my conure, takes well to another bird. Sometimes he is aggressive towards things for no real reason. Mostly inanimate objects but he's never really seen another bird before so I don't know how he would act.
Thank you all very much! i'll keep you updated!

 

[bug_n_flock]

Cockatiels are FABULOUS companions, but a word of warning here: They absolutely can be *loud*. And I mean, LOUD. When they want to be. Alex is a gem of a bird and I would not trade him for literally anything on this earth, but he can be quite insistent at times. He will wake me up at sunrise whistling(if he can see my feet) or shrieking unless he is covered up tighttighttight, and even then sometimes he finds a teeeny patch of slightly less dark where he will pace back and forth to whistle or shriek until I stop being stubborn and get up(no way was I asleep thru it). If he hears sirens ohhhhhhh boy you better hope he is nowhere near your ear. He shrieks at the door if someone knocks... I deal with it, and it absolutely is NOTHING compared to an umbrella cockatoo or anything, but my darling little yelling yellow bird has it in him to be quite the pest. When I lived in an apartment with an amazon, a lovebird, and him, it was his calls I was most worried about getting a complaint over. He wasn't as loud as either of the other birds, but the lovebird call, or at least Adrian's, was not persistent. One and done. And the Amazon's happy yelling is a much lower pitch. Kind of like a chronic smoker getting excited and yelling vs. a newborn baby wailing, if that makes sense.

Long story short? I highly suggest you spend some time with an adult male tiel throwing a temper tantrum just to be sure it is an ok noise level.

Personality-wise, they are darling little precious babies... and grumpy little snots. I adore 'tiels.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Cockatiels are FABULOUS companions, but a word of warning here: They absolutely can be *loud*. And I mean, LOUD. When they want to be. Alex is a gem of a bird and I would not trade him for literally anything on this earth, but he can be quite insistent at times. He will wake me up at sunrise whistling(if he can see my feet) or shrieking unless he is covered up tighttighttight, and even then sometimes he finds a teeeny patch of slightly less dark where he will pace back and forth to whistle or shriek until I stop being stubborn and get up(no way was I asleep thru it). If he hears sirens ohhhhhhh boy you better hope he is nowhere near your ear. He shrieks at the door if someone knocks... I deal with it, and it absolutely is NOTHING compared to an umbrella cockatoo or anything, but my darling little yelling yellow bird has it in him to be quite the pest. When I lived in an apartment with an amazon, a lovebird, and him, it was his calls I was most worried about getting a complaint over. He wasn't as loud as either of the other birds, but the lovebird call, or at least Adrian's, was not persistent. One and done. And the Amazon's happy yelling is a much lower pitch. Kind of like a chronic smoker getting excited and yelling vs. a newborn baby wailing, if that makes sense.

Long story short? I highly suggest you spend some time with an adult male tiel throwing a temper tantrum just to be sure it is an ok noise level.

Personality-wise, they are darling little precious babies... and grumpy little snots. I adore 'tiels.

My cockatiel is actually very quiet. My GCC is much louder than my tiel. The only time Ducky really makes any noise is when he hears me somewhere in the house and he’s in his cage, or if I leave the room. What temper tantrums?

 

[bug_n_flock]

Yes. I know your tiel is quiet. However, not all tiels are quiet. You grant your bird is the exception on whistling, why are you opposed to seeing he (edit to fix pronoun, sorry)may be the exception on that as well? I am only advising someone to be responsible and see what they are getting into before they do so.

What's up? Maybe we should pm, it seems like you and I may have some beef to hash out? Your comments in response to mine seem to be combative? Don't want to steal the thread, but hey lets figure this out, yeah?

Sent from phone

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I’m not arguing with you. I’m simply offering my experience so people can see that every bird is different. Of course not all tiels are quiet! I haven’t been around enough cockatiels to say that either mine or yours is the exception. Anyway, tiels are the best, aren’t they?

 

[bug_n_flock]

Glad I'm mistaken. Text only interaction isn't the easiest. my bad! Tiels are absolutely amazing critters!

Sent from phone

 

[kimbell]

thank you very much for your input! that is definitely something to consider. My GCC shrieks in the mornings too, he is a pain. luckily he is quiet if I completely cover his cage but God I don’t know if I could handle two shrieking birds that early!!! lol. It also worries me with my living situation, because I am in college and have random roommates who might not be as tolerant with my bird noise as much as friends or family would. I will just have to be observant with the personality of the tiel I choose before I lock it down and purchase one