Choosing A Pet Bird

[Davo86]

Hi all,

Basicly i'm in the process of deciding which species of bird I want to keep, and I'm looking for something that is medium sized that is fairly easy to tame and will be ok living in an indoor cage,

My initial thoughts are a Cockatiel, a pair of love birds of some kind (although i've read these are hard to tame) or my preferred option a Kakariki.

I possibly should also mention that I have grown up around smaller aviary birds like Budgies, Canaries and Finches, (currently have around 20 canaries in an outdoor aviary) so would like it to be something a little bigger.

Thanks in advance
Dave

 

[hopkigg]

Hi all,

Basicly i'm in the process of deciding which species of bird I want to keep, and I'm looking for something that is medium sized that is fairly easy to tame and will be ok living in an indoor cage,

My initial thoughts are a Cockatiel, a pair of love birds of some kind (although i've read these are hard to tame) or my preferred option a Kakariki.

I possibly should also mention that I have grown up around smaller aviary birds like Budgies, Canaries and Finches, (currently have around 20 canaries in an outdoor aviary) so would like it to be something a little bigger.

Thanks in advance
Dave

We have got an african grey, he was really easy to tame and is very loyal to his owner. He is nearly 2 years old now is talking loads.

 

[Davo86]

We have got an african grey, he was really easy to tame and is very loyal to his owner. He is nearly 2 years old now is talking loads.

Thanks for the suggestion hopkigg, I really do like the larger parrots and macaws but atm I'm looking for something a little smaller that is at most 12inches tall

 

[JenCliBee]

We have got an african grey, he was really easy to tame and is very loyal to his owner. He is nearly 2 years old now is talking loads.

Thanks for the suggestion hopkigg, I really do like the larger parrots and macaws but atm I'm looking for something a little smaller that is at most 12inches tall

black headed caique are stunning little birds and very easy to tame and in the size range your looking for


jen

 

[Davo86]

black headed caique are stunning little birds and very easy to tame and in the size range your looking for
jen

wow thanks for that Jen, never seen them before and they look amazing,
Just googled them and have seen that they sell for between £350 and £650 is this about right?
if so then I don't think I'll be able to afford them, if I ever can find any nearby that is

 

[3ndl3r]

Cockatiel, Cockatoo maybe?

 

[guppy fan]

You could get a Pocket Parrot. They are pretty small.

 

[JenCliBee]

black headed caique are stunning little birds and very easy to tame and in the size range your looking for
jen

wow thanks for that Jen, never seen them before and they look amazing,
Just googled them and have seen that they sell for between £350 and £650 is this about right?
if so then I don't think I'll be able to afford them, if I ever can find any nearby that is

LOL, yes m8 that lower range price is about right for one think they average about £450, they are a tad on the expensive side but as you say a very stunning little bird

 

[sandfire]

If you want a parrot type bird and a tame one, I recommend getting 'hand reared' which because of the effort involved pushes the price up, aviary bred birds do not adapt as well to caged life and you can't guarantee they tame down... unless they were handled regularly in the nesting box and their parents don't always like humans handling their chicks, unless in my experience are tame themselves.

I recommend hand reared Senegal Parrots, or for something little smaller I found Bourkes really loving and friendly I adopted one who was attacked by a budgie and was blind in one eye (his name was blinky) who tamed down in a month, he was so gentle and sweet natured. I bought him a mate and she was the same way, stunning birds as well…pink!

I bred budgies for years and still have a real soft spot for them, you can't beat their characters.

 

[Davo86]

Thanks, I' had read that would be the best route to go, even if it did cost a little more,
I think at this rate its all going to come down to what species I can actually source in this area

 

[The Village Idiot]

I think the above recommendations are quite good. I've also met some pretty great Lories. The problem with them is that you have to feed them nectar (pain in the butt) and fruit very frequently, and because of their high fruit diet, they poop ALL THE TIME.

The best advice I can give you is, no matter how cute they look, and no matter how much someone tells you they are great, DON'T get a Conure. The Maroon Belly is all right, but anything else is going to scream and drive you insane.

 

[nosoup4you]

I had a rainbow lorikeet for many years when I was growing up...they are very smart birds.

 

[BlueGuppy]

What abotu a ringneck parakeet?

My mom has a yellow ringneck parakeet named gus. He is sooo sweet and talks. My mom lets him loose in the house and he is good at not pooping on your shoulder.

 

[sandfire]

What abotu a ringneck parakeet?

My mom has a yellow ringneck parakeet named gus. He is sooo sweet and talks. My mom lets him loose in the house and he is good at not pooping on your shoulder.

Ringnecks make great pets and are not to expensive, but they are quite large from head to tip of tail would need large accomodation, I second the information on Conure's...VERY loud! Every bird should come with year supply of ear plugs for you and your neighbours!

Making me broody for a bird now...but with three dogs and fish tanks, I might be pushing it just a bit

 

[jonp]

Opinion round here is that african greys are the work of the devil

My better halfs parents had one for around 15 years and it never tamed down (later transpired it was probably an illegal import snatched from the wild). it would wind the dog up until she barked just to watch it get told off, it also worked out how to drop the sloped sides of the cage (outside the bars to catch any falling rubbish) onto the dogs head.

It would attack anyone that went near its cage, except my partners mum, and if it was let out the cage would creep up to people and nip the back of their ankles or grab the fleshy part and shake it if in a particulaly evil mood.

Dont know what other peoples experiences are but in the end they took it to a sactury up north which they had over 150 greys that had been abandoned by their owners. They can also live 100 yrs+