Which bird should i pick

[dodsonjames]

Hi there, im new to forum!
Im looking into getting a parrot and am looking for some suggestions, or species specific things i should be aware of. ill start with backround information

I have owned a peach fronted conure and a parakeet for quite some time. I also have experience with a friends african gray. I recently graduated college, moved home, and have a full time job in the finance industry. My normal hours of work are from 8-4:30 M-F, and i dont suspect them to change or increase. I am currently saving to get my own appartment or a house that i will find a roomate to live with me. I absolutley love birds and have spent lots of time reading and learning about all types.

I am currently looking into getting a new bird, and am stuck looking at a few types. im looking for a smaller large bird(if that makes any sense). I am not currently looking into the large Macaws or large cockatoos, because of lack of experience and maybe not having the time that they deserve. As of right now i think i have narrowed it down to an Hahn's or noble Macaw, electus, or Lilac-crowned Amazon. I like these types because of their intelligence and ability to learn tricks and talk, without being extremely demanding(like an umbrella cockatoo).

What do you guys think about my situation, and time to handle and train these birds. What about the difference between hahns and noble macaws? i cant find many differences in those two types, except a little size difference. I read that the lilac crowned is suppose to have a more easy going temperment compared to other amazons, is this true? So please help me out and give me opinions on these different types, or other types that might fit what im looking for. PS money is not an object for me.

 

[TexDot33]

I have to run out ... more later ... but the Eclectus is my vote for now ..

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I don't know these species well enough to give detailed compare and contrasts, but I'd second Tex's opinion on an eclectus sounding like a good match.

Perhaps this is your plan already, but I'd HIGHLY recommend you get your living situation worked out before you get your heart set on any parrot for a few reasons. First off is the obvious: some landlords will not allow pets. Also some roommates could not be trusted around parrots - parrots are quite sensitive to their environment as you likely know, but are potential roommates going to commit to learning about parrot health? Will potential roommates know not to use common air fresheners or teflon pans, etc. Lastly, and perhaps easiest to overlook, is that when you move it will likely take some time to get the new home set up properly. You'll be getting new furniture, rearranging, and so forth. This all would make an additional stress and challenge for a bird adjusting to its new home. So I'd recommend by all means learn about the birds and check them each out, but be sure you are settled in to the new home before you fall for any parrots.

 

[bird perch]

I will third the vote on the Eclectus. Good job on doing your research and not jumping into parrot ownership.

 

[dodsonjames]

thanks auggie, i sorta forgot about how hard it can be for any bird, especially a large one, to move and switch houses. Our conure use to be so adapted to always switching houses and places that i sort of forgot other birds might not be that way.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

They certainly might deal with it quite well, but to build a good relationship you want to make settling in to the new home as easy as possible for the new bird.

 

[Madelaine]

Eclectus are very well tempered.
But an Amazon can be just as nice.
Eclectus will probably be more mellow and less of a show-off than an Amazon.
I have a Blue Front, we got him secondhand, but he is a talker and a character! He is a male though and will sometimes get hormonal and a little testy with me.
But I thing either an Amazon or an Eclectus is a good choice.
Macaws certainly have bigger beaks and all parrots will bite at some point in their lives. So keep in mind how much you can stomach as far as biting goes.
But that's just my opinion from my working with those birds. =]

 

[Madelaine]

From my reading, Eclectus tend to be the more sensitive of your choices and may not react as well to moving as another.

 

[phearcat]

After 6 months of hanging out at my local exotic birds shop playing with the birds we finally decided on a Hahn's Macaw.

Made our decision based on:

Wanted a small sized bird was manageable, The Hahn's is the smallest Macaw is (12 inches at fully grown). Even though we visit the large cockatoos and blue and gold and red all the time they are still so powerful and scare me. Even amazons are notably larger than the Hahn's and still intimidate me.

Wanted a talker, met a lot of conures species and and they are sweet and small and easy to manage but they are known to be loud and typically not talkers.

Temperament, this is why we eventually steered clear of the lesser crested cockatoos, Indian ring neck, severs macaw and a few other species. The best behaved guys from my experience were the Hahn's, Eclectus, and certain conures. Cockatoos are super sweet birds but they are also incredibly demanding and can destroy your furniture

Lots of good choices out there. Size was sort of a big deal because even though the Eclectus and the Amazons are really good birds they were still just a bit too large and scary for my kid.

The Hahn's and Nobel are very similar in terms of temperament. The Nobles are larger and stockier than the Hahn's but but they look very similar side in appearance. Nobles are also a lot more rare and expensive too. I would own either one but the Nobles are darn near impossible to find so again we ended up with a Hahn's.