Umbrella33
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New to forum and like to welcome myself as a new member here . Like to know a good parrot to start off with thanks guys
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Puck
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- Mar 8, 2015
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Hi Umbrella33! It's great that you're seeking out information before going bird searching! There are a lot of opinions on the best bird to "start with," though the important thing to remember is that your "starter bird" is also your bird for all its life, so definitely keep that in mind. There is SO much to learn about birds before getting one (and here is an excellent place to do that), though I will myself say that I personally think that budgies are waaaaay underrated--they are AMAZING little birds and make such amazing pets. However, I am sure there are people who can give you lots more info and better suggestions on this forum than I ever could, so for now I'll stick with being the one to say welcome to the ParrotForums family! 
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RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Welcome, and thanks for joining!! There are so many different species, sizes, and temperaments to make choosing the right parrot an exercise in inquiry and education.
Might begin by assessing your living situation in terms of noise tolerance, presence of young children, and other pets. Some species require far more attention, so time availability is important. What are your expectations, and might size of the beak be intimidating?
You might also do a bit of reading from each species subforum, as well as other threads where folks have worked through the same question. Some of these with great member discussions:
http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/65331-help-choosing-my-first-bird.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/questio...eeded-breed-whether-i-have-suitable-home.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/8769-so-you-want-get-parrot-first-time.html
Feel free to post if you have specific questions!
Might begin by assessing your living situation in terms of noise tolerance, presence of young children, and other pets. Some species require far more attention, so time availability is important. What are your expectations, and might size of the beak be intimidating?
You might also do a bit of reading from each species subforum, as well as other threads where folks have worked through the same question. Some of these with great member discussions:
http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/65331-help-choosing-my-first-bird.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/questio...eeded-breed-whether-i-have-suitable-home.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/8769-so-you-want-get-parrot-first-time.html
Feel free to post if you have specific questions!
OP
Umbrella33
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Thinking about getting a cockatoo or African grey
Puck
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- Mar 8, 2015
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Both of those birds are major investments, and I don't mean monetarily. When it comes to time, resources, and ability to understand behavior (not to mention patience!), toos and greys are both extremely high level birds. The big toos, in particular, can end up with some serious behavioral issues if not raised correctly and with enormous dedication. Just something you should be aware of before you even consider either of these birds.
Also, you say "cockatoo"--this makes me think you probably need to do quite a bit more research on toos before you even begin to think about getting one because there are many, many kinds of cockatoos and some of them are nothing alike. My parrot is a cockatoo--a rose breasted cockatoo--but she is small, grey and pink, and has many different behavioral tendencies from some of the larger cockatoos such as the Moluccan and the Umbrella.
Note that if you are considering a larger cockatoo such as an M2 or a U2 then you need to make sure you are prepared. Do you have several hours a day to spend with your bird? Are you ready to possibly spend a thousand dollars a month or more supplying the things that it needs, from a constant supply or toys to fresh foods to vet visits? Do you have the space to keep the enormous cage it will need and the numerous playstands? Have you ever heard a larger too scream? Can you handle the noise? Do you live alone? If not, can your housemates handle the noise? Are you ready to become an expert on socialization so this too can live a happy, satisfied life and not become a plucker or act out its frustration on a daily basis in other ways? Do you live in a house? (Because a cockatoo is NOT a great pick for a home where the neighbors are only walls away).
Honestly, I NEVER recommend a cockatoo to someone who has to ask for recommendations for a bird. People who are educated enough on birds to handle a too make their own decision to get them. If you need to ask what kind of bird you want, a cockatoo is not for you. That would be my opinion. A grey is also not the best bird for someone who is not well educated in birds, but a cockatoo often ends up a disaster--and I mean for the bird, because there are not many good homes for cockatoos so they end up stuck in shelters.
EDIT: Re-reading that post it came off harsher than I intended, and I apologize if I sounded harsh! I am not trying to discourage a bird lover from looking for the perfect bird for them by any means! I just wanted to point out the downsides that come with cockatoos because I have seem waaaay too many birds in bad circumstances, and it breaks my heart! My suggestion for you would be to volunteer at a bird rescue or shelter and get some real one on one interaction in with the different kinds of birds. This will also teach you a lot about what each kind of bird needs and about bird behavior in general, making it an awesome course of action overall! I wish you well in your search, and hope that you find your perfect friend.
Also, you say "cockatoo"--this makes me think you probably need to do quite a bit more research on toos before you even begin to think about getting one because there are many, many kinds of cockatoos and some of them are nothing alike. My parrot is a cockatoo--a rose breasted cockatoo--but she is small, grey and pink, and has many different behavioral tendencies from some of the larger cockatoos such as the Moluccan and the Umbrella.
Note that if you are considering a larger cockatoo such as an M2 or a U2 then you need to make sure you are prepared. Do you have several hours a day to spend with your bird? Are you ready to possibly spend a thousand dollars a month or more supplying the things that it needs, from a constant supply or toys to fresh foods to vet visits? Do you have the space to keep the enormous cage it will need and the numerous playstands? Have you ever heard a larger too scream? Can you handle the noise? Do you live alone? If not, can your housemates handle the noise? Are you ready to become an expert on socialization so this too can live a happy, satisfied life and not become a plucker or act out its frustration on a daily basis in other ways? Do you live in a house? (Because a cockatoo is NOT a great pick for a home where the neighbors are only walls away).
Honestly, I NEVER recommend a cockatoo to someone who has to ask for recommendations for a bird. People who are educated enough on birds to handle a too make their own decision to get them. If you need to ask what kind of bird you want, a cockatoo is not for you. That would be my opinion. A grey is also not the best bird for someone who is not well educated in birds, but a cockatoo often ends up a disaster--and I mean for the bird, because there are not many good homes for cockatoos so they end up stuck in shelters.
EDIT: Re-reading that post it came off harsher than I intended, and I apologize if I sounded harsh! I am not trying to discourage a bird lover from looking for the perfect bird for them by any means! I just wanted to point out the downsides that come with cockatoos because I have seem waaaay too many birds in bad circumstances, and it breaks my heart! My suggestion for you would be to volunteer at a bird rescue or shelter and get some real one on one interaction in with the different kinds of birds. This will also teach you a lot about what each kind of bird needs and about bird behavior in general, making it an awesome course of action overall! I wish you well in your search, and hope that you find your perfect friend.
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OP
Umbrella33
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Okay thanks for all the info and what is the best parrot for us in your opinion .
OP
Umbrella33
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The conure seems to have a good attitude and tame
Puck
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Honestly, I don't know very much about your situation, Umbrella, so I can't even answer that question with my personal opinion! Could you tell us a little more about where you live, how much room is in your house, how many people are in your household, whether there will be children around, whether there will be pets, what you're looking for in a bird, etc? There are so many awesome types of birds, we need more info to even make suggestions!
Conures are, indeed, generally friendly birds--but don't forget that each bird is an individual! Did you take some time to read the links Scott gave you? A lot of this information is in those. Like I mentioned above, the very best way to pick a species is to volunteer with birds and get to know them in real life instead of off a webpage. Are there any rescues or shelters near you?
Flboy
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- Dec 28, 2014
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Welcome to you!
Lots of good advice above.
Good for you for researching and reaching out!
Glad you found us. Welcome.
Good for you for researching and reaching out!
Glad you found us. Welcome.
EllenD
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I would agree that it's very difficult to recommend a good pet bird to be someone's first pet bird without knowing the answers to the questions already asked by puck...do you live in a house or an apartment, how much space do you have for the bird, are there noise restrictions where you live, how much time per day do you have to dedicate to spending with your bird, how much time per day can the bird be outside of his cage (i.e. what is your work schedule), do you live alone or with a spouse, do you have roommates, what are you able to spend monetarily per month for food, supplies, and most importantly can you afford monthly vet care with an avian vet, and so on...each bird breed is very different, and each individual bird is very different, so knowing your lifestyle and your living situation helps enormously as most birds end up in rescues or on Craigslist because the owner did not research the bird before getting it.
And yes puck said exactly what I was thinking when I read that you were thinking about getting "a Cockatoo", that tells me you need to research a lot more before thinking about even looking at different breeds of cockatoos, as they are very different from each other, and definitely not a parrot that is recommended to someone that has never owned any bird before...I have 30 years worth of experience owning and breeding birds and I would never even consider an Umbrella Cockatoo or Moluccan Cockatoo, as they require way more time than I can provide them (constantly) and I would never want to be the reason a Cockatoo ends up in a rescue or starts to pluck and self-mutilate, which is exactly what happens every day to cockatoos purchased by owners that aren't ready or prepared for them. Essentially, the larger Cockatoo breeds are exactly like adopting a 3-4 year old human toddler, and if you wouldn't want to do that then you don't want to get one. The behavioral issues they commonly develop are a horrible thing to have to deal with and the reason rescues and shelters are full of large Cockatoos, African Grays, and Macaws.
Conures on the other hand can be a great first bird, but once again the different breeds of conures are very different from one another, so we need to know more about you lifestyle and living situation before recommending one. A green cheek conure, for instance, is a great bird to have in a small apartment with close neighbors, but a Sun conure or a Jenday is probably not because of the noise level.
Welcome to the boards, and we'll all be happy to give you some advice once we know the whole picture!
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And yes puck said exactly what I was thinking when I read that you were thinking about getting "a Cockatoo", that tells me you need to research a lot more before thinking about even looking at different breeds of cockatoos, as they are very different from each other, and definitely not a parrot that is recommended to someone that has never owned any bird before...I have 30 years worth of experience owning and breeding birds and I would never even consider an Umbrella Cockatoo or Moluccan Cockatoo, as they require way more time than I can provide them (constantly) and I would never want to be the reason a Cockatoo ends up in a rescue or starts to pluck and self-mutilate, which is exactly what happens every day to cockatoos purchased by owners that aren't ready or prepared for them. Essentially, the larger Cockatoo breeds are exactly like adopting a 3-4 year old human toddler, and if you wouldn't want to do that then you don't want to get one. The behavioral issues they commonly develop are a horrible thing to have to deal with and the reason rescues and shelters are full of large Cockatoos, African Grays, and Macaws.
Conures on the other hand can be a great first bird, but once again the different breeds of conures are very different from one another, so we need to know more about you lifestyle and living situation before recommending one. A green cheek conure, for instance, is a great bird to have in a small apartment with close neighbors, but a Sun conure or a Jenday is probably not because of the noise level.
Welcome to the boards, and we'll all be happy to give you some advice once we know the whole picture!
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