Parrot for First Time Owners?

[ParrotBlue]

"i don't know where to post this so i posted it here"

my friend is asking me to ask you guys what is the best Parrot for First Time Owners?

he wants a parrot that dosnt scream a lot and that is highly trainable and can learn to free flight and can speak very well and mimic peoples sounds....

he wants a parrot that does not need so much work with and is easy with you and is very friendly even if not tamed.... he also doesn't want it to bite.

he is thinking maybe:

African Gray,
Umbrella Cockatoo,
Galah,
Alexanderine,
Amazon,
Indian Ringneck "like i have "
Sun Conure,
Macaw,

~~~~

you guys can also suggest us other Parrots that are not in this list.

thanks!!!

 

[SilverSage]

Well, I think he will never find a bird like that. First of all, all birds are a LOT of work, if you are treating them right.

Second, most parrots that are good talkers are also very loud.

All parrots are highly trainable and can learn free flight but that is a LOT of work. No one who wants an easy bird will be able to accomplish this.

No bird is easy, and no bird is friendly if they are not tame.

Also, no bird "won't bite" birds bite for many reasons, and they need proper training, socialization, and care to keep this from happening. Even a poor diet, like all seeds, can make a bird feel ill and bite you because of it. If he wants an easy pet that won't bite, I suggest he get a fish.

All that said, that does not mean he can't own a parrot, only that his expectations are unrealistic. I may sound harsh, I am sorry, I have just seen so many sad cases of people wanting an easy pet and getting a bird, and the poor bird suffering.

As for the birds you listed:
African Gray - Highly emotional; not easy. They tend to make a lot of noises from their surroundings like beeps from microwave, or the sound of running water. They are much more likely to imitate these noises than human speech. They are one of the most commonly rehomed birds because of their high level of need matched with the fact that they do not all learn to talk, and that is what people want from them.

Umbrella Cockatoo - NO! Of all the birds in the world, I would say most parrot owners would put this bird in the top three birds NOT to have as your first bird! These birds have EXTREME needs! They are LOUD and when they bite they can RUIN your face or hand. I have met someone who had her finger internally amputated by an Umbrella Cockatoo!

Galah - Still a Cockatoo, still needs a lot of attention. I don't know much about them, hopefully someone else will chime in here.

Alexanderine - again, not much experience here, so someone else please enlighten.

Amazon - These are very smart birds, but also very destructive and VERY LOUD. If your friend doesn't want a loud bird, do NOT GET AN AMAZON.

Indian Ringneck - These are nice birds, but they will never be snuggly like some of the others. They also have a very loud voice.

Sun Conure - basically known to be one of the loudest conures. Very pretty, but very loud as a generalization.

Macaw - What kind?? There are SO MANY kinds, and you know what? Just like all parrots, they bite sometimes. Have you seen the beaks on these things? Some of these birds can take their own cages apart, even if the cages are padlocked together. And when they are loud, they are LOUD!

Did I mention that:
Every parrot can be very loud, and anything with a "high talking ability" will be among the loudest?
Every parrot will bite sometimes, and you have on your list some of the birds capable of giving the worst bites?
Every parrot will be messy - no exceptions.
Every parrot will be a LOT of work, unless you are neglecting the poor thing.
Every parrot deserves and owner who does research, and carefully chooses the right pet for them.
Every parrot is expensive. Often the proper cage is at least twice as expensive as the bird itself. They also need regular vet care, and that costs a lot more than it does for dogs and cats. They also need lots of toys to shred, lots of nutritious food, etc.

So in the end, there are many "good first birds" out there - you didnt put many of them on your list. Also, no matter what bird he chooses it is going to be a LOT OF WORK and cost a LOT OF MONEY and not match many of the things you put on the list. I hope he changes his mind, for the sake of the bird.

 

[weco]

None of the birds in his list are guaranteed trouble free, actually, I don't know of any parrot that fits his criteria. While he probably doesn't want to take the time, he should at least read/learn about the birds on his list, so he might be able to narrow his list.

After he has a basic knowledge of those species, it would be a good idea for him to find breeders of his choices, so he can observe them.....the larger the bird the more attention/work they normally require and although people do it all the time, it really is not a good idea for a person who has never owned a companion bird to start out with a large parrot.

Sorry I can't offer better information to your friend.....

 

[lucy1]

I'm guessing your friend has met your gorgeous ringneck and thinks a parrot would be a cool pet..?

I think the only breed covering all the points they want is one of these;
[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000UTF3D0?cache=6130090268a26f1151fa0ddd85572a64&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1407266029&sr=8-3#ref=mp_s_a_1_3"]Pirate Pete The Repeat Parrot:Amazon.co.uk:Toys & Games[/ame]
Added bonus of cheap maintenance

I have little personal experience with galahs, ringnecks and alexandrines, but from the list of 'wants' from your friend, the African Grey, Umbrella cockatoo (or any of the white Toos), sun conure and macaw are a whopping big fat no. Amazons can make good first birds, but I don't think they're really what your friend is after.

Why not get your friend to join up and give us some details and have a browse in all the species sections?

 

[Phlox]

I recommend this one:

It will never be loud, or messy, will never bite and will learn to talk when you put the batteries in.

It can't really fly, but you could take it outside and throw it really hard.

This is the only bird in the world that will meet your friend's requirements.

 

[ParrotBlue]

@Phlox @Lucy1 LOL ill get him that bird and see if he likes it

ok without that list....what do you guys suggest as a "First Time Bird"?

something you prefer or you would suggest for anyone thats new to bird owning...

 

[SilverSage]

I would not suggest ANY bird for someone with the list above. I would also not suggest any bird for someone who plans to "upgrade" to a different bird later, as birds have long lifespans and deserve to be loved their whole lives. With that said, I think Green Cheeked Conures, Quaker Parrots, and Cockatiels are all excellent first birds. Cockatiels can learn to whistle tunes sometimes, and GCCs and Quakers both have some talking ability. Pionus may be a good match, but they are not fantastic talkers, and Senegals I think also tend to be a good first bird, though I have never had one.

 

[Birdman666]

"i don't know where to post this so i posted it here"

my friend is asking me to ask you guys what is the best Parrot for First Time Owners?

he wants a parrot that dosnt scream a lot and that is highly trainable and can learn to free flight and can speak very well and mimic peoples sounds....

he wants a parrot that does not need so much work with and is easy with you and is very friendly even if not tamed.... he also doesn't want it to bite.

he is thinking maybe:

African Gray,
Umbrella Cockatoo,
Galah,
Alexanderine,
Amazon,
Indian Ringneck "like i have "
Sun Conure,
Macaw,

~~~~

you guys can also suggest us other Parrots that are not in this list.

thanks!!!

There are zero parrots out there that aren't a lot of work. None! If that's what your friend really wants, they make those stuffed macaws with the tape recorder inside. They don't bite, they don't poop, and they repeat what ever you say...

As to your list.

1. African Gray. Best talker of the bunch. Not necessarily the friendliest. Can be stand offish. Can be biters. Can be pluckers. Get handled on their own terms.

2. Umbrella Cockatoo. How did the most notorious of the scream n plucks get on a list of "low maintenance" beginner birds?! Simply put, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!

3. Galah. Actually might not be such a bad choice, except they're not one of the better talkers from what I understand. Great in a lot of other ways. played with a lot of them. Never owned one. BUT again, ANY too requires a significant amount of work and attention. Otherwise, you will create a neurotic plucker.

4. Alexanderine - honestly, this is one I don't have all that much experience with, believe it or not. These weren't thrown away that often in Cali.

5. Amazon, good talker. Loud. Messy. They are hardy, and are generally fine not getting handled as much, and there are even times when they don't want to be handled. BUT an amazon who does not get handled a lot WILL bite. Count on it!

6. Indian Ringneck - honestly, this is also one I don't have all that much experience with, believe it or not. These weren't thrown away that often in Cali.

7. Sun Conure, - tend to be on the loud side, and they are not good talkers. Cuddly as hell, great trick birds, but... not really talkers. If they don't get enough attention, they can be attention screamers.

8. Macaw - Same attention needs as a human toddler - Reference ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! above. Doesn't belong on the list. Toos and Macaws are the HIGH MAINTENANCE side of the scale.

You didn't mention poi's... though they are also known for being somewhat attitudinous at times. They generally fall into the much less needy category. But they will have 'tude... count on it!

 

[Birdman666]

i recommend this one:

it will never be loud, or messy, will never bite and will learn to talk when you put the batteries in.

It can't really fly, but you could take it outside and throw it really hard.

This is the only bird in the world that will meet your friend's requirements.

that is exactly the bird i was thinking of!!! You posted this while i was drafting my response... It's perfect!!!

We actually had one of those things down at the rescue, that we used to direct some of our more "misguided inquiries" towards. If they didn't like that one, there were a few, like my Ruby, we would show them...

Ruby knew how to make a lasting impression on a nubie...

(Of course it was in the shape of a triangle, but...) Just kidding. They never got close enough to get the little triangle. (That would be me, running interference. Ruby gave me quite a few of those in the 8 months I worked with her!)

 

[sonja]

As others have said, your friend's desires are completely unreasonable. He needs to do a LOT more research before even considering getting a bird of any species.
Maybe he can volunteer at a rescue to get a taste of how much work birds are, as well as exposure to different types of birds if he decides to move forward with getting one.

 

[SilverSage]

Nice! I just told someone whose daughters want a bird to send them to my house to clean cages. Maybe after that they wont be so keen on it. I am thinking also they should visit at breakfast, and hear everyone hollering for their food. I dont have any real biters, or I might employ that strategy as well As much as I love parrots and dont know how anyone could not want to live with them, I have seen far too many cases of people owning them that should not, and it is heartbreaking. ParrotBlue, that is why we are so adamant about what birds NOT to get, and what ideas are NOT true.

 

[SparkkiSparkS]

I'd say IRN just because mine is so lovable and easy but I know not all of them are like that. Maybe a cockatiel?

 

[Birdman666]

Ruby was a particularly evil hybrid macaw. Half Greenwing and half scarlet. One of the smartest birds I ever worked with, but very opinionated, extraordinarily manipulative, and she didn't suffer fools gladly...

She had the worst of both breeds. Greenwing dominance issues, and Scarlet beakiness issues.

So, she was my ambassador to those folks who were really terribly unsuited for macaw ownership, that thought they wanted one. (i.e. self centered status bird types - you know the ones I am talking about.) Ruby took the "made you jump game" to extremes... and she was known to play the "made you bleed" game. (Played that one with her a few times!) "HOLYCRAP! WHY WOULD ANYONE GET ONE OF THOSE MONSTERS?!"

Oddly enough, Ruby ended up going to a newbie. Ruby picked her, and that woman could do no wrong... Been with her for over 10 years now, so I guess Ruby was just waiting for the right one to come along and refusing to settle...

 

[Colorguarder08]

I suggest a pet rock you don't even have to feed them. Seriously why don't people understand research is nessisary for ANY pet even a dog or cat you need to see which breed or species YOU ARE BEST ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF. No animal is going you meet yours needs you have to meet its needs. Your friend needs to research the bite force of different species a macaw can break a nickle in half imagine the damage it can do to your hand. Your friend has NO CLUE about birds who best communicate through body language how is he going to tell when a bird is feeling threatened and ready to bite. Even a lovebird can draw blood if they want to.

 

[4dugnlee]

HAHAHAHA...is this for real???

There's no such bird that your friend is asking for...if there was, EVERYONE would have one. With a list like that, your friend should not get a bird or any other pet!

(just a note...my bird just BIT me because I startled him...I guess sun conures are out...)