Thinking of buying a bird, looking for advice.

[Naledbet]

For the past few months now I have been considering buying a parrot. I have been especially interested in Amazons and Conures. I probably won't be getting one for a while but I would love to get info/opinions on those particular species.

EDIT- Also, what is the general stance on birds in dorms? I hope to be off to college next year and need to know.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Also, what is the general stance on birds in dorms? I hope to be off to college next year and need to know.

Apparently dorms have changed since I was in one as when I was in one no one in their right mind would even consider bringing a parrot to a dorm.

I know of no dorms that allow pets, especially not parrots. You will not be able to hide them, they WILL annoy your neighbors, and if the dorms are anything like they were in my days the parrot would most certainly not survive a year there let alone several years.

In a dorm you cannot control the conditions which are relevant to keeping a parrot heathy - more importantly you can't control the behavior of roommates or neighbors and that behavior can have deadly consequences for a bird.

Again perhaps dorms have changed since I was in one - but I cannot overstate my view of dorms and parrots: dorms are a death trap for parrots. Do NOT get a parrot if you are going to live in a dorm.

If you get an apartment you can find plenty of options that would work for a bird. And now apparently they are many "apartment style" dorms, but these are generally reserved for college juniors and seniors. Even in these apartment style dorms you have no rights and no say in what goes on. If you rent an apartment your landlord cannot come in and make renovations on your home (though I had one who tried). Apartment style dorms are fully and completely the property of the university - they could walk in and do all sorts of work that could be very hazardous to a parrot with very little notice to the tenants.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Also have you considered when you'd get to be with the bird and what you could do with him/her in a dorm?

Your about to go off to college - no matter how much you prepare you cannot have any conception of what your life will be like a year from now. Classes will take up a lot of time, class work will take up more, then there is "social activities." Are you going to refrain from most the of normal college activities because you have the responsibilities of a parrot? Or are you going to go out and do the normal activities and neglect the bird? You may think you'll find a happy medium, but that means compromising on both ends.

Perhaps your college life will be the perfect setting to have a parrot but I HIGHLY HIGHLY encourage you to wait until you get settled in in college to make that decision.

 

[Naledbet]

I'm not planning on buying something right now anyway. I have been hoping to find a decent apartment near the school( Haven't been to the campus in a month or two.)

I feel like if I could find a fairly nice apartment than I could probably care for a bird once I was settled and used to the college life. If I get to school and it is just really overwhelming and I have no time for anything than I will not bring a pet into that kind of living condition.

That said, any information on Amazons/Conures?

Edit- I've actually been reading a little on these birds and it seems like a conure or a grey would be a better match. Don't think I can handle an amazon.

 

[Jez]

I ran into the same problem...

I've been thinking about getting a bird for a long time - and I was coming close - then I remembered about college.
Like AD said, you can't hide one... maybe you can hide a snake or something more clean and quiet...

Right now I'm looking for an older bird that someone can't take care of anymore, or just to look for birds while someones on vacation or whatever.

At least I know I'm not alone now!

 

[Jez]

I'm not planning on buying something right now anyway. I have been hoping to find a decent apartment near the school( Haven't been to the campus in a month or two.)

I feel like if I could find a fairly nice apartment than I could probably care for a bird once I was settled and used to the college life. If I get to school and it is just really overwhelming and I have no time for anything than I will not bring a pet into that kind of living condition.

That said, any information on Amazons/Conures?

Edit- I've actually been reading a little on these birds and it seems like a conure or a grey would be a better match. Don't think I can handle an amazon.

Also,
I don't know if I would bring a bird to college if I could...
They need a lot of attention - which may take time out of studying and working which would end up in lower grades, and grades are important in college.
I think I'm going to wait to graduate...

 

[Auggie's Dad]

If you do get an apartment and settle in and still want a bird then I would be the first to encourage you. I hope I didn't come off rude, but it is disturbing how many people bring home birds for all the wrong reasons when they aren't prepared.

Having given my lectures though, if and when you are prepared I'd encourage you to check out conures. Sure, I'm a bit biased (see the picture) but most conures really are great birds that are moderate to small sized for a parrot and relatively easy to handle for a first time parrot owner.

Amazons could be harder for a first bird. I'm also skeptical whether greys would be good as a first bird - not so much because of their attitude but because of their needs. They are exceedingly intelligent, and if you don't provide them with intellectual stimulation they will either find some by doing things they shouldn't or they could develop problems.

There are MANY types of conures you could look for. My picture is my Dusky conure. Duskies are not the most colorful by any means, but they are the most cuddly. If you want a lovey bird duskies may be the best choice in conures. Sun conures are very colorful and nice to look at with a temperament fairly similar to duskies but more playful than cuddly. If you have a sun conure you will always have a source of humor. TexDot may have more to add about suns, and he can also give a first hand account of green cheeks. GCCs are a little bird not to be overlooked. If I were looking for another bird green cheek conures would be on my short list. They are little birds with a big bird attitude but mainly in a good way. They play like they are big, they prance around like they own the place, but they are (generally) gentle, social with people, and they are one of the quieter conures.

There are MANY other conures but those three seem to be the most common and at least in my book they are a good reference point to compare other conures to.

Don't be deceived by the size of a conure though - many conures are as loud or louder than their much larger cousins. If you want to enjoy peace and quiet at home conures are not the way to go.

 

[Naledbet]

If you do get an apartment and settle in and still want a bird then I would be the first to encourage you. I hope I didn't come off rude, but it is disturbing how many people bring home birds for all the wrong reasons when they aren't prepared.

Having given my lectures though, if and when you are prepared I'd encourage you to check out conures. Sure, I'm a bit biased (see the picture) but most conures really are great birds that are moderate to small sized for a parrot and relatively easy to handle for a first time parrot owner.

Amazons could be harder for a first bird. I'm also skeptical whether greys would be good as a first bird - not so much because of their attitude but because of their needs. They are exceedingly intelligent, and if you don't provide them with intellectual stimulation they will either find some by doing things they shouldn't or they could develop problems.

There are MANY types of conures you could look for. My picture is my Dusky conure. Duskies are not the most colorful by any means, but they are the most cuddly. If you want a lovey bird duskies may be the best choice in conures. Sun conures are very colorful and nice to look at with a temperament fairly similar to duskies but more playful than cuddly. If you have a sun conure you will always have a source of humor. TexDot may have more to add about suns, and he can also give a first hand account of green cheeks. GCCs are a little bird not to be overlooked. If I were looking for another bird green cheek conures would be on my short list. They are little birds with a big bird attitude but mainly in a good way. They play like they are big, they prance around like they own the place, but they are (generally) gentle, social with people, and they are one of the quieter conures.

There are MANY other conures but those three seem to be the most common and at least in my book they are a good reference point to compare other conures to.

Don't be deceived by the size of a conure though - many conures are as loud or louder than their much larger cousins. If you want to enjoy peace and quiet at home conures are not the way to go.

A Dusky or a Sun are the main type of conures I was looking at. I really don't want to end up with a ton of birds. I would prefer an intelligent bird over one that is a good "beginner" bird. I would rather have it a little rough at first than end up buying multiple birds. I was initially leaning toward a Dusky until I read some stories about greys and how smart they seem. The intelligence is really the thing that makes me want a bird over say, a dog. They have opinions, they argue, they have very distinct personalities.

Oh and don't worry, been reading around here for a while, I knew you weren't rude

Jez- Yeah, I will probably end up waiting until after I graduate as well. I am just not sure what college will be like though. I want one as soon as I am able to care for the bird's every need. I understand these animals are life-long commitments and I really want to do everything I can to make it happy.

P.S- I just re- read that and I want to clarify.

I DO NOT think that only greys have opinions/personalities etc. I was just stressing that intelligence generally means the bird will be more... I can't explain it.

 

[danewillow]

I've actually been reading a little on these birds and it seems like a conure or a grey would be a better match. Don't think I can handle an amazon.

If you can't handle an Amazon, a Grey won't be any easier. Our Grey is way more sensitive and meaner than our Amazon. He only likes me and will bite anyone else. Our Amazon is pretty laid back. Both are extremely noisy. Right now our Grey is SHRIEKING. Our Amazon came from a home with children and cries like a baby on a daily basis. That's when she's not yelling HI ROCKY!!! or singing opera. We live on 3 acres and only have one neighbor that is semi-close. I know they can hear our birds occasionally and I worry that they'll get annoyed. I couldn't imagine living in an apartment with either of these two.

Julie

 

[she72devil]

Just keep in mind that sun conures are LOUD, they love attention and when not getting will let you know lol mine does.
and with any parrot, they live a long time, so you have to be prepared to have a perpetual 2 yr old for many many years, conure life spans are approx. 20 to 30 yrs.
I read up on about 10 different types of parrots for over a year before deciding on a sun conure, and then I got him from a rescue lady here in Michigan.
So before making the decision, check out many birds and think long and hard, nothing is worse then not being able to handle it after the bird is bonded with you and having to give him up.