Which Birdie Friend Is Right For Me?

[Cheerio_Hedgie]

When I was younger, I had two parakeets, a cockatiel, a some lovebirds. I dont know exactly what I want now but I would prefer it be something different. I am willing to spend any amount of money with a limit of $500 (I can go over but I would prefer not to) and I have a size limit, I dont want anything too big. I have plenty of space and I have plenty of free time on my hands. I also want something that is affectionate and Im not too concerned about looks. Any ideas?
(Btw, Im going to post this cause I think it looks cute )

 

[mrgoogls]

hi welcome. i see your new here! welcome again! if you ever have any questions feel free to PM me . you could have a TON of different choices. it would help if you can giveme a MAXIMUM amount you want to spend on just the bird(not including cage and toys.) not just what you prefer. the absolute MAX you will go. and the MAX cage size. because big birds need big cages, the max cage size will help.

is noise a conern? any other specifications? if you can give a bit more info i can help a TON more. now i could just list off a ton of birds. if your specific i can try to find the best bird for you. like what i have above and how much time you have for 1 on 1 time EACH DAY, money for toys(some birds like different toys) ect. thanks!

welcome again!!

PS: I knwo what you mean. some of those litte bird things you can post are very cute!

 

[Cheerio_Hedgie]

Oops, meant my MAX is $500. Didnt mean to confuse ya.

I dont mind noise but I dont want one that will be screaming all day cause my cat gets frightened by sudden loud noises easily and I dont want that to be a daily occurence with her.

I can spend a max of $70 a month on food and toys and I will provide an ample amount of time out of the cage when Im home and awake.

I can spend maybe about nine hours a day at most (I have weekends off) and when Im not home, I have a roomate who always is and Im sure she wouldnt mind tending to the bird throughout the day if needed.

I DO NOT want a large bird. I DO NOT want to get a bird like an african grey when I have not had a bird in five years.


(I swear, if only birds looked like them in real life. But it isnt possible, the world would have already exploded of cuteness overload).

 

[Cheerio_Hedgie]

I've been doing my own research and one that really suits my interest is the diamond dove. Do you or anyone on this site know how they are as pets?

 

[mrgoogls]

i have never heard of that. but that isnt a parrot. lol.

well if you want a cheap, small bird that is cuddly. a green cheek conure would be good. maybe a sun conure. but they are USUALLY a bit more than 500. but you may find one cheaper. they are also much louder but dont need as much 1 on 1 time. a quaker might work. i am getting one in a week or 2. he is awsome. they stay pretty small, nice as long as you play/interact consistantly, talk very well, very very smart. they can be a BIT loud to say the least. but its not crazy. mostly a bit in the afternoon and evening like most parrots.

you should research each of these to find if they suit you. if they dont, let me know ill give you a few more.

 

[Cheerio_Hedgie]

I'll consider conures. I am fond of the Green Cheeked Conure but we dont have any conure breeders locally besides Petco (And our petco's conditions are one of the worst I have EVER seen so that will never be an option for me).

And I know doves arent parrots but it was worth a shot asking.

I always research. Plus I am getting one around Halloween so I have plenty of time to figure out which species I want.

 

[DebsFlock]

Think about what characteristics you want. GCC are sized right and priced right, they can be cuddly, but they are energizer bunnies. Endlessly entertaining, but mine doesn't know how to just hang out. I don't think they are easy birds, particularly. My GCC is harder to keep well behaved than my Cape Parrot. 'Tiels are cuddly and you are familiar with them, but you may want a bit "more" bird this time around.

 

[mrgoogls]

teils could be a good choice like DensFlock siad. they fit your wants and you had some before. you could try parrotlets. they may be a bit harder to find though. they are very small. i dont know exactly the price though. ill try to com up with some more ideas for you

 

[chadwick]

What about sun conure they sell for 350 around my area

 

[Pookamama]

I have interacted with doves at a local bird rescue. The coordinator said they make excellent pets, very gentle. The males make beautiful cooing noises. I found them to be very tolerant of interacting with me as a complete stranger! They are also beautiful. I don't know much about them besides that, but they are totally worth looking into!

 

[Rana]

Sunconures can be LOUD, with the cat being spooked easily i really wouldn't recommend one.

GCC seems to be quite perfect really, if you have about 9 hours to spend with them that is pretty good, for their size they have about 3 times the personality and they are relatively quiet. between my gcc and the hahns macaw - the gcc is MUCH more demanding (maybe he is also a bit more spoiled since he was "our first baby")

Sun conures are a little bigger, but like i said when they screech they will make your ears bleed, i've heard of many people falling in love with their stunning colours but having to end up getting rid of them because of noise complaints from neighbours (not much of an issue if you are located in a rural area though), or because they couldn't handle the noise themselves.

 

[aliray]

About Diamond doves as pets. When I went To the bird fair last Sunday I talked to a diamond dove breeder. He told me that you should get both a male and a female and keep them in the same cage by themselves. According to him if you don't provide a nest they will not breed. however the male sings to the female during the day and they keep each other company. Do not keep them with any hookbill type birds, in the same cage as they will kill them .He said they make really nice pets but are not as interactive as say a conure

 

[Erinsmom]

If you don't want a squealer i would stay away from Sun Conures. I was owned by one for 20 years and LOVED every second of it but they can be very demanding and noisy. I have heard some of the other varieties are not as loud???? Conures here run from 350 -500 depending on type...age and whether they were hand feed or not.

Paroletts are only 4 inches tall BUT have the temperament of their larger cousins. You have to be careful homeing them even with another of their own kind as they have been known to kill each other. They are abundant here in Colorado and run about 200 bucks depending on color

Cockatiels if handfeed babies are great and the females don't usually get too loud. For some strange reason they are HARD to find where I am at but when you do your usually on a waiting list and they can run you from 75 for a home accidental breeder to 300 for a show quality. average is about 125