What bird is right for me?

[Georgie]

I am looking to get a bird in the near future. I want a small parrot species that would be good in an apartment. This is my first bird, and while I have done some research, I know that I know next to nothing about having a bird. Aside from fish, there are no other pets in the apartment.

What I am looking for in a bird:

I want a sweet, friendly bird as a companion more so than just a pet. It can't be too loud due to living in an apartment. I do not mind if the bird only really bonds to me so long as it can be handled by other people without issue. I want a bird species that can handle change and being alone for part of the day better than others, but I know I will provide the bird several hours a day of attention and try to keep changes down to a minimum. As for a budget, I really can't spend more than 300 or so on the initial costs (meaning the bird itself, cage, food, toys, etc. and not ongoing expenses) but price is somewhat negotiable.

Species I am interested in:

Cockatiels- I think a cockatiel might be my best option. A childhood friend had one that despite a lack of handling, was still pretty friendly. With proper handling I can see how they could be excellent birds.

Pacific Parrotlets- I think they are precious and they seem to be all of the parrot personality in a little quieter body.

Quakers- I know they can be loud, and they are illegal in some states (which could pose a problem if I ever move). However, I totally fell in love with their antics (in theory at least!).

GCC- I really love their antics as well (I died laughing watching one praise itself for knocking over a cup on youtube), and I know they are one of the quieter conures. My main worry is cost.

Pinous species- I have read about their personalities, and I think I might really like them. However, cost could be a huge problem

Poicephalus species (primarily Senegal)- Same as Pinous species

 

[god61021]

ok well I currently am a big parakeet person. hand raised budgies or grass parakeets are awesome and quiet.
when I was younger I owned a red belly parrot (poicephalus) and he was quiet and awesome though very needy, and alot more painful bites then my parakeets.
I have never owned one but my neighbor owns a cockatiel and I can hear its voice from inside my house so it can be a little louder.
my mother had a quaker and that bird was the devil, always screamin, mean as hell, and completely plucked except its head.
but since birds are like people Im not sure how much of this can be blamed on the species of bird and not just that birds personality.
I have never owned a conure since they can be loud birds and screamers drive me nuts. lol

 

[wenz2712]

Hello and welcome to the forum

I would say, either a Senegal or a Pionus would meet with everything you are looking for in a Bird

 

[god61021]

oh and .......parakeets are anywhere from $30 for a hand raised budgie on up to oh $125 or so for a bourkes parakeet. my red rump parakeet was $75 and shes the sweetest bird ive ever met. though we are only 1 week into our relationship.

 

[Georgie]

Hello and welcome to the forum

I would say, either a Senegal or a Pionus would meet with everything you are looking for in a Bird

With my limited budget (around 300 US dollars) could I afford either? As far as I understood their initial costs were much, much higher and I wouldn't want to not give the bird the proper environment.

 

[god61021]

In my area they are gonna start at about $375 and go up from there.
quakers about $175
cockatiels about $80
gcc are $275 - $500 I believe depending on the variety

 

[FutureDVM]

It sounds like a crimson bellied conure would fit your situation perfectly. Unfortunately, I think they would be out of your budget since they generally run anywhere from $350 to $600. A pionus would also be a great choice but they are even more expensive than crimson bellies.

I guess with your budget I would probably recommend a cockatiel, green cheek conure, or lineolated parakeet.

 

[artemis]

If price is a big concern, don't forget to look at rescues in your area. While they may charge an adoption fee, they're mostly concerned with finding each bird just the right home, and may be willing to work with you if they're convinced you'd make a good birdie parent. Does your $300 budget include the cost of the cage as well as the bird? If yes, definitely look at the smaller species first, as they're cheaper to buy and to house.

 

[cdog]

I would say stay away from conures, even gcc's, and quakers because they are all LOUD. Don't believe what you hear about gcc's they are still loud and would not be a good apartment bird. I say either go with a cockatiel or if you can find one in a rescue get a senagal or other poi. You could also look for rehomes because usually the bird will come with the cage and supplies and it is a lot cheaper than buying from a breeder or petstore.

 

[greycloud]

Welcome to the forum!
You say you don't mind if the bird bonds with you but must be able to be handled by others. They may not happen. Even little budgies have favorites and may not feel comfortable with others. I agree that Gccs can be loud. One of my loudest birds was a blue head pionus. Here senniies(pois) and pionus start at about $450-$650.
Tiels are wonderful little birds but can whistle very loud and constant.
Parrotlets are not for beginners. They are very big birds in tiny bodies. Think of an amazon. That is their personality.
Quakers can be very loud but are wonderful birds.
Linnies may be the bird for you. They have the ability to talk, are very sweet, bigger then a budgie are known to be very easy going.

 

[Georgie]

I had a feeling I should stick with a cockatiel or rescue one of the more expensive but quieter species. I still rather like GCC but I feel like I need to meet one first before I can judge whether or not it might be too loud.

Welcome to the forum!
You say you don't mind if the bird bonds with you but must be able to be handled by others. They may not happen. Even little budgies have favorites and may not feel comfortable with others. I agree that Gccs can be loud. One of my loudest birds was a blue head pionus. Here senniies(pois) and pionus start at about $450-$650.
Tiels are wonderful little birds but can whistle very loud and constant.
Parrotlets are not for beginners. They are very big birds in tiny bodies. Think of an amazon. That is their personality.
Quakers can be very loud but are wonderful birds.
Linnies may be the bird for you. They have the ability to talk, are very sweet, bigger then a budgie are known to be very easy going.

I have not looked into Linnies, as I am not quite sure where to find them but they may be a good option. Also, it could have been the tiel I knew that was so quiet, but noise like chirping and whistling shouldn't be a problem so long as it isn't screaming and not unbearably loud. And as for bonding, while I know that the particular bird may not feel comfortable with others, but I would like a species that would more likely be tolerant of others.

 

[greycloud]

Here you go![ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST6cp4t872k]Cheney Bird, green cheek conure, screams his head off. - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Georgie]

Wow that video was enlightening! It goes to show that while they have a reputation of being quieter, that makes no guarantee. As far as I was aware, species like cockatiels and the smaller birds (like budgies) don't scream like that. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Edit:

Greycloud, my hat goes off to you. A linnie would be absolutely perfect....if I can find one. Thank you for pointing me in that direction.

 

[cdog]

Gcc's are called quiet conures not quiet parrots. Conures are a very loud species and even the small ones can be very loud. Cockatiels and budgies don't scream like that but they can be constant. My sisters parakeets only stop making noise when they sleep. They aren't as loud as conures but I can still hear my sisters budgies on the other side of my house. Living in an apartment really restricts the kinds of parrots you can own, that being said if you really like one species, lets say an amazon, then you should just wait until you live in a house because you don't want to settle for a smaller bird just because that's all you can have. Don't look into "begginer" species, find a species that you really like, even if that means they are loud, and wait until you can own one. Don't get a budgie or a cockatiel just because that's all you can have in an apartment because you will end up still wanting the bigger bird and not really liking the budgie or cockatiel.
Remember that the bigger the bird the louder they can scream. Pois are said to be a very quiet species but they can be loud when they want to so you should he cautious of having one in an apartment. Find a species you really like then type in that species screaming on youtube and turn your volume all the way up, that should give you an idea of how loud they are.

 

[Georgie]

Gcc's are called quiet conures not quiet parrots. Conures are a very loud species and even the small ones can be very loud. Cockatiels and budgies don't scream like that but they can be constant. My sisters parakeets only stop making noise when they sleep. They aren't as loud as conures but I can still hear my sisters budgies on the other side of my house. Living in an apartment really restricts the kinds of parrots you can own, that being said if you really like one species, lets say an amazon, then you should just wait until you live in a house because you don't want to settle for a smaller bird just because that's all you can have. Don't look into "begginer" species, find a species that you really like, even if that means they are loud, and wait until you can own one. Don't get a budgie or a cockatiel just because that's all you can have in an apartment because you will end up still wanting the bigger bird and not really liking the budgie or cockatiel.
Remember that the bigger the bird the louder they can scream. Pois are said to be a very quiet species but they can be loud when they want to so you should he cautious of having one in an apartment. Find a species you really like then type in that species screaming on youtube and turn your volume all the way up, that should give you an idea of how loud they are.

I think I will be very happy with a linnie as it seems to really what I am looking for in a bird right now. I know some people treat the "beginner's species" as starter birds and then move on, but I know I will not do that. At this point in my life, they seem to be an excellent option, and I know that I will give it excellent care so long as it lives. Your advice to wait is excellent though, because no bird should be tossed out after their owner finds a bigger and better bird.

 

[greycloud]

You can try looking on birdbreeders.com for linnies. Many breeders will ship.

 

[Georgie]

I did some looking around online and I found a breeder close enough to me that I could either drive there or have him meet me halfway. We will see though if that actually pans out, however. If not, is shipping a good idea? And how much does it usually cost?

 

[evesta]

So glad you are looking into linnies!!! I got my two baby boys a few months ago and they are wonderful. They are great "beginner birds" but they will charm you, you definately won't feel you are missing out on anything despite their little size. Besides being adorable, they can talk, are not overly nippy, love to play, often cuddly, quiet, hang upside down, lay down to sleep and eat with their feet Lots of fun in a small package. And if you decide to get more than one they will stay sweet even if housed together.

I would say the only down side to linnies is the cost, greens usually start around $150 around here and they can be difficult to come by.

Honestly I really think they are a perfect little parrot for people looking for a bird that is laid back, friendly, quiet and can talk. Hopefully they are catching on in the US and they will become more common and cheaper here. Be warned though, pretty sure linnies are addictive, you will want one in every color and because of their small size linnie people tend to "collect them all." lol

 

[Georgie]

So glad you are looking into linnies!!! I got my two baby boys a few months ago and they are wonderful. They are great "beginner birds" but they will charm you, you definately won't feel you are missing out on anything despite their little size. Besides being adorable, they can talk, are not overly nippy, love to play, often cuddly, quiet, hang upside down, lay down to sleep and eat with their feet Lots of fun in a small package. And if you decide to get more than one they will stay sweet even if housed together.

I would say the only down side to linnies is the cost, greens usually start around $150 around here and they can be difficult to come by.

Honestly I really think they are a perfect little parrot for people looking for a bird that is laid back, friendly, quiet and can talk. Hopefully they are catching on in the US and they will become more common and cheaper here. Be warned though, pretty sure linnies are addictive, you will want one in every color and because of their small size linnie people tend to "collect them all." lol

I certainly hope I have as much luck with my linnie as you do with yours! I actually prefer their small size for a whole variety of reasons, especially because I am a newbie when it comes to birds.

 

[friedsoup]

Green Cheeks are great birds for apartments as long as you keep the noise level they live in down (no loud music or tv's) I had a pair who traveled with me for two years staying in Hotels, which had no pet policies and never had a problem and I kept them socialized by taking them to flea markets and home depot and pet stores (to let them pick out their own toys) and letting anyone who asked handle them so they knew strange ppl were just new friends who give scritches. But understand they are very smart so you might need to get three locks keyed alike for their cages, one for each door. of course I kept them clipped and learned to do it myself so I could check every time we left the house so no accidents. Two years and 9 state no problem until I decided they need to sit on a covered porch while I worked they learned to scream at the wild birds and I had to rehome them I have a senegal now and he is the love of my life but I still miss my GCC