Noise Level Conure vs Parrotlet

[Majolica]

Hi, I am possibly looking for a bird. I will preface this with the fact that I know that all birds make noise, and each one is an individual. I'm really just asking about generalities, so that I can try to stack the odds in my favor.

I have a couple of budgies, and I had a parrotlet that died. I loved my parrotlet, and would like to get another, but losing this one kind of tore me up, so even looking at them makes me sad. Anyway, I've considered a different type of bird. I like a bird that can learn tricks, and is interactive. Cuddly is nice, but not necessary.

What I'm most concerned about is noise level. I'm quite sensitive to noise. The parrotlet and the budgies do not bother me at all. I know this is the other extreme, but I was basically traumatized as a kid by the Moluccan cockatoo that we had. I cannot deal with the frequent ear piercing screaming again. I think I could handle high pitched sounds if it is brief. The parrotlet would do that very occasionally if he was trying to demand things. It also can't be as high maintenance as the cockatoo. I do have a job. My other concern with noise is that, while I currently own a home on an acreage (and therefore my birds do not affect neighbors in the slightest), there is a chance that could change. I could even end up renting a room or living in an apartment for a little while.

Anyway, I've done quite a bit of research, and I think I'm leaning toward either a Meyer's parrot or a painted conure. My main question is how these birds compare to budgies and parrotlets noise wise. I've checked out Youtube video's, but it is hard to judge volume from those.

Oh, I should add that although I expect birds to bite on occasion, the cockatoo bit through my ear once, so I'm a little intimidated by biting. My parrotlet could be nippy (he was still young), and that didn't bother me, although I was a little nervous when he was near my face.

 

[ChristaNL]

Majolica- I obviously do not know you, but I sort of get it.
When you are not sure of having to drastically downsize... go for "will fit almost anywhere" and try another parotlet?
Yes..another one will make you sad for a bit (it is the same with me and my greys, I have 2 living and 2 dead-in-the-past and your first one hits you very hard) but if you are worried about noise and beaksize... keep if comfortable.
Bird should be fun and fit in with a person as much as possible.

LOL I wish you could borrow one of the greys and get used to big facefriendly beaks (though no parrots is ever 100% safe of course, these have never bitten in that area)

Noise is relative off course. (ticking clocks drive me bonkers, but I am more or less getting used to the Huge macaw-holler Sunny lets loose once in a while -- weird enough! But that is just me- it is different with everyone.)

Go meet some potential birds and listen to them, and let one pick you (LOL you may be surprised).

 

[Majolica]

Thank you for your response. I totally understand what you mean about noise being relative. And I have kind of a weird issue with certain noises. I can't handle forks scraping on plates! It's as bad as fingernails on a chalkboard for me. Or the sound of clay pots rubbing together. Or cats hissing and growling at each other. But the budgie chatter or the occasional calling of the parrotlet didn't bother me.

Unfortunately, it would be very tough for me to meet a large variety of birds, because I live in a rural area in Nebraska. I know there are some bird fairs in Iowa in the spring, but even those are usually 4+ hours away, I think.

Sadly, one bird that I've been very drawn to is a quaker parrot (although I know they have a reputation for being quite loud, which is concerning), but I'm looking for a new job, and I'm afraid that I may have to relocate to California, at least for a while. :/ "He" makes me laugh. Every time I see him, he shows me his foot and makes a funny squawk.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you! I am so sorry to hear about the potential California relocation! I would not wish that on anyone!!

 

[Squeekmouse]

If your worried about piercing calling, a conure may not be right for you. Even small conures (like my green cheek)can be very loud. Yoda calls out when he is in his cage and he can't see us, it's a piercing sound that can be heard from across the street. Our African Grey is capable of loud calling but he just mutters and chatters quietly unless he's startled.

 

[Inger]

First, I’m so sorry about your parrotlet. Pet-family loss is horrible.

Next, I have a parrotlet myself, and part of the reason I settled on that species is because I googled “quietest parrot” and they are what came up. I live in a very small apartment with thin walls and ceilings. I’m certain the neighbors here her when she is calling me or “warning” me of Very Dangerous Things (the bathroom, the vacuum, and the color turquoise, for example), but anything noisier would likely be a problem.

Now, sometimes I warn people away from them because they are nippy and obstinate but you already know all that. And Bumble does some tricks and, even though she’s female, says maybe half a dozen words (FlockTalk has great training videos).

So my vote is another p’let even though it might open that wound a bit.






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[FlyBirdiesFly]

My Kermit’s flock calls can be pretty loud and piercing, even though green cheeks are supposedly much quieter than other conures. I love conures because they’re very interactive and bond closely to people, but they might be a bit too loud for you. Definitely stay away from sun conures and other aratinga species. I have no experience with parrotlets, but I’ve heard them chirping and it isn’t very loud - as you already know. I think that parrotlets are absolutely adorable but I’ve heard that they can be aggressive and nippy.

I would recommend a female cockatiel. Ducky only calls to me when she’s in her cage, otherwise she’s very quiet. Male cockatiels whistle a lot and are much more vocal, so I’d go with a female. Ducky knows lots of tricks and is very quick to learn - she can do flight recall, wave, spin, wings, tunnel, fetch, basketball, and ring toss. She is also very cuddly and affectionate. Ducky bows her head to beg for scritches and loves to nuzzle against my cheek. Cockatiels are known to have gentle personalities and are not too hyper/energetic - Ducky is content just sitting on my shoulder for hours.

 

[EllenD]

First of all, I'm sorry for your loss, and I totally understand what you mean by "it tore you up", they are family members, just like people, and people who have never had a parrot as a family member don't understand that at all. So my condolences to you for your loss...That being said, I don't know you, but it's quite obvious that you have a lot of love to give a parrot, and there are a lot of parrots out there that need a lot of love...And that includes both hand-raised baby parrots that you would get from a breeder/pet shop, and the adults who are being re-homed and such, they BOTH need to find loving, experienced FOREVER HOMES, no matter what choice you make about where/how you're going to get your next baby...After all, the reason that there are thousands of adult parrots in-need of loving homes is because they went to the wrong people as babies to begin with, right?

***I'm going to address your "noise" concern right up-front and quickly, as I think that it's going to be less of an issue than you think it is. The first thing I'll say is that there is NO COMPARISON between the volume-level of a Moluccan Cockatoo and any Conure, Poicephalus, Cockatiel, Parrotlet, etc. You grew-up with one of the most intelligent parrots in the world, but also one of the most difficult to keep psychologically happy and healthy, as they really are no different than having a 4 year-old human child except that they don't have the same language skills and obviously because they're birds, lol...but there isn't a whole lot of difference between the care a young human child needs and the care a Moluccan needs...And those of us who are personally familiar with the volume level of a Moluccan/Umbrella Cockatoo know exactly what you're talking about,
and there isn't much comparison.

As far as comparing the noise/volume levels between the Conures (in-general) and the Poicephalus parrots (in-general), well, they are two entirely different types of birds in most every way...As someone who bred Green Cheek Conures, Sun Conures, and Jenday Conures for several years, and someone who currently has both a young Green Cheek Conure and a young Senegal parrot (both whom I brought home from their breeders as hand-raised babies of 13 weeks old and 12 weeks old, respectively), the Poicephalus parrots, whether you're talking about a Meyers, a Senegal, a Red-Bellied,
a Cape parrot, and even the Jardines, are overall extremely quiet parrots. I've only personally had my current Senegal as a member of my family (he was 12 weeks-old when I brought him home from his breeder and he just turned 2 years-old this past October), but I have worked for a large Avian/Reptile Rescue for over 8 years now, and as such I've interacted with MANY Senegal parrots, Meyers parrots, and Red-Bellied parrots, as well as quite a few Jardines, and 2 Cape parrots...and none of them, including my own Senegal (who is a male), were at all "noisy" in any way at all. The most talkative/verbal of the Poicephalus in my own experience have been the Jardines, and they weren't at all "noisy" or loud, nor did they scream, etc. They all have their moments, usually when they are playing and get excited, or when my Senegal is flying around the house, that's when he'll let out a scream here and there, but all-in-all none of the Poicephalus are at all "noisy", just the opposite...In fact, if I were to ever have to move into an apartment where I'd have to worry about the noise with my neighbors, no one would even know that Kane (my Senegal) was even living there with me.

Kane is a male Senegal (DNA-tested), he was hand-raised by a fantastic breeder, he's loving and never has bitten me, but he's not a "Velcro-Bird" like my Green Cheek Conure is...He loves to snuggle before bedtime, when he's getting sleeping and I'm watching TV or reading or on the computer, that's when he comes over and wants to get cuddly and he'll fall asleep on my chest/against my neck and under my hair. He loves to have his head/face/neck/back scratched, and he's a great eater, no issues at all with him eating whatever pellets, veggies, greens, etc. I give him. He's also very good at entertaining himself with his toys in his cage or on his play-stands. And that's how most Poicephalus parrots are, they love their "person" and can be very affectionate and cuddly at times, but they are also very happy entertaining themselves with their toys and such. So they aren't the "Velcro Birds" that the Conures are, but you do get the best of both worlds with them....I do however suggest that if you do look at a Meyers parrot (who are extremely similar in personality and behavior to the Senegals and most other Poicephalus parrots, they are all very similar), that you either adopt an adult that has been hand-raised or has been tamed and is used to interacting with people and being a part of a family, and not one that has been used for breeding or kept inside their cage and not interacted with much. I say this because they do tend to be very, very stubborn birds, that would be the worst thing I can say about the Poicephalus parrots, they are very head-strong and stubborn, and sometimes they will just insist on getting their way, and when they don't they let you know they are mad...not by biting or screaming, but by being the "moodiest" birds you've ever seen, lol...Overall I would describe the Poicephalus parrots overall as being extremely intelligent, laid-back birds that love to entertain themselves when their "person" isn't around, but when their "person" is around they love to be loved and love to play with them. They are the best of both worlds, they can be extremely snuggly and cuddly and give you kisses, and at the same time they are just as happy entertaining themselves inside of their cages with their toys. Just all-around smart, loving-yet-non-velcro birds, and who do not present ANY ISSUE AT ALL with noise/volume/sound...They are not great talkers overall though, I don't know if that matters to you or not...My Kane says around 10 words/phrases and has several "contact-calls" with me such as different whistles and "clicks", but when he does talk he sounds like a robot, lol. You can clearly understand what he is saying, it's just a low, robotic voice.

In contrast are the Conures...Overall, in-general, all species of Conures are the "Velcro-Birds", meaning that they want to be with their "person" all the time, and when I say they want "to be" with their person, I mean they want to be attached to their person, lol. I have been around different species of Conures my entire life (my mother bred many species of Conures back in the 80's and 90's, long before most people even knew what a "Conure" was, and before you saw them all over the place)...She bred Green Cheeks, Suns, Jendays, Nandays, Peach-Fronted, Cherry-Headed, and she had a breeding-pair of White-Eyed Conures that never successfully bred. I started breeding Green Cheeks, Suns, and Jendays when I was 16; I only had one breeding-pair of each except for the Green Cheeks and the Suns, I had multiple different pairs of both the Suns and the Green Cheeks throughout the years...The White-Eyed Conures would be the closest in both looks/size/personality and genetics to the Mitred Conures, I believe they are actually very closely related...I also have a close friend from college who has a Half-Moon Conure (Orange-Fronted Conure) who is now 17 years old (my God I'm getting old!!!), and who is an absolute sweetheart.

The Conures are a completely and totally different type of parrot in every single way from the Poicephalus parrots are, so you're comparing two types of parrots that are drastically different in every way except for size. As far as the "noise" and/or "volume" issue, you obviously already know how loud most species of Conures are, specifically the Suns/Jendays and to an extent the Nandays as well...but they are ALL on a totally different level than any of the Poicephalus when it comes to being vocal overall...As I'm typing this my Green Cheek is yelling "My baby! Where's my baby!" over and over again, with an occasional "Cereal!" intermixed (he loves cereal and the box is sitting on the counter)...Some Conures are great talkers, some aren't, but they ALL make lots of sounds/noise, whatever you want to call it, they are simply very vocal parrots.

***It needs to be pointed-out, to be fair, that usually, most of the people who have an actual problem with their Conures constantly screaming all day long (and any other species of parrots who are screaming all day long for that matter) have their Conure's cage located in a spare bedroom, or some back room of their home that they call the "bird room", while when they are home they spend most of their time in the living-room/family-room etc. watching TV, talking, eating, reading, playing video games, on the computer, having visitors over, etc. So their birds, WHO ARE ALL "FLOCK ANIMALS", know that their person/people, or their "flock" are home, they can hear them, but they are in a totally separate room from them, they can't see them, and they don't feel like they are a part of the "flock", which they actually aren't...and so they often scream all day long, every day. And yes, the Conures have a lot of volume when they want to...But instead of simply moving their bird's cage to the "main-room" of their home so that their bird feels like a part of the "flock" and would then happily entertain themselves inside of their cages, they refuse to do that and just complain about how their birds scream all the time and are ear-piercingly loud...So let's be fair to the Conures about that...But I won't lie to you, most-all of the species of Conures that I've ever lived with/been around are extremely vocal, and they have the ability to be extremely loud when they want to be. But there are usually underlying reasons WHY they are screaming loudly all the time...

 

[EllenD]

To be fair, the two species of parrots you're comparing are very different, and I'm trying hard not to seem bias towards either of them, because obviously I'm not, I live with both a Green Cheek Conure and a Senegal Parrot!!! And I love them both dearly, in fact during the warm months my Senegal Parrot goes everywhere with me on his Aviator Harness, he loves the car and looking out the window, he loves walking around stores and seeing people, he loves taking walks in the park and hikes in the woods, and even going on bike-rides with me (on my shoulder, of course, lol)...My Green Cheek likes going sometimes, but not nearly as much as my Senegal does...that is probably just my individual Green Cheek's personality, as I know many Conures who love to go out on their Harnesses...

****The biggest differences between one of the Poicephalus parrots, such as a Meyers Parrot, and any of the species of Conures, in my own opinion, are going to be #1) Conures are extremely vocal while the Poicephalus parrots are not, as already discussed, and then #2) Conures are overall very "hands-on" parrots in that they do usually want to be on you/with you when you're at home, they are extremely cuddly/snuggly and yes, I'd say "clingy" birds, I'm trying to be honest, after-all they aren't called the "Velcro Birds" for no reason...In comparison, the Poichephalus parrots, like the Meyers Parrot, can be and are very affectionate, loving birds that can also be very cuddly and "hands-on", but they don't have the "need" to be that way constantly like the Conures do...That's the most honest and accurate way I can say it...Conures seems to have a "need" or a drive to constantly be with you/on you/attached to you all the time, at least as much as you'll let them be, whereas the Poicephalus parrots, like the Meyers Parrot, can be very much the same way with their person/people, but they don't "have" to be all the time, and they are much better at entertaining themselves, say while you're at work all day...

So basically you're comparing two very different types of parrots with regard to their personalities and normal behaviors. However, they both make very intelligent, loving, awesome family members, it's just a matter of what YOU want in your new baby...If you are wanting a parrot that will constantly want to be with you/on you/cuddling with you/wanting pets and scratches, and will want to be constantly attached to you and love it, then the Conure is the way to go...If you are wanting a parrot that can be very affectionate and cuddly when you'd like them to be, but are perfectly fine with entertaining themselves when need be, but will still be very affectionate and loving with "their person", just in a less constant hands-on way, then the Meyers or other Poicephalus is for you...They are both very intelligent and loving parrots, and they both bond extremely closely with their "person"...I'd say that the Meyers Parrot/Poicephalus is more of a one-person kind of bird, they bond very closely with "their person" and they're happy that way (but will still be friendly with others, as friendly as any species of parrot will be with stranger), while I'd say that some Conures are more-apt to bond closely with multiple people, not all of them, but some...

They are very different parrots you're looking at, but both great choices. If I'm being completely honest with you and to sum-up this post, if "noise" and/or "volume-level" are a big issue with you, then the Meyers Parrot/any Poicephalus Parrot is the way to go over a Conure.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

Another parrot you could look into would be a linnie. Formally lineolated parakeets, they are about the size of a lovebird, but tend to be very sweet and loving. They also have personalities similar to parrotlets but don't tend to get nippy or aggressive. Just another species you could research if you wanted to stay with a small parrot.

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[EllenD]

Another parrot you could look into would be a linnie. Formally lineolated parakeets, they are about the size of a lovebird, but tend to be very sweet and loving. They also have personalities similar to parrotlets but don't tend to get nippy or aggressive. Just another species you could research if you wanted to stay with a small parrot.

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I LOVE Linnies!!! They are such sweet parrots, but not often seen or bred...There used to be a fantastic and quite large breeder/hand-raiser of Linnies, Budgies, and Bourkes about 30 minutes from State College in Huntingdon, PA, and his babies were just gorgeous and so sweet...Too bad there aren't more breeders/hand-raisers of Linnies around. But I'm sure they can be found on birdbreeders.com or birdsnow.com

 

[Majolica]

Thank you so much for all of the responses! (Especially to you EllenD! I really appreciate the time you took to write out those long, detailed responses!) I will look more into Linnies. I actually did look at them a little before I chose the parrotlet, but I honestly can't even remember why I chose the parrotlet over them. Anyway, of the two species I listed, the Meyers definitely sounds like the better fit, versus the conure. Thanks again!