Picking out the Right Bird?

Question

I'm getting a bird. my mom is gonna help me alot (she had some growing up).
And i wannted to know some pros and cons on types of birds!
So what do you have to say..?

Answer 1

Well, being a novice you might want to start with a budgie/ parakeet.


parakeet/budgie---- PROS--

very cute
come in a lot of different colors
easy to take care of
not expensive
everything you need for them is easy find and inexpensive
they live about 9-12 years
can be kept in a small cage
can be kept in any home
they are an animal (of course!!)
can be kept alone or in a big group
small
doesn't hurt when they bite

CONS-----

They are messy in their cage (not all of them but most)
They can be very loud
are very hard to tame (from my experience)
take forever to teach to talk!
they are the scaredy cat of the group of birds
they don't warm up to you (most of the time)
prefer it if you just look at them from afar



Cockatiel- also good for a beginner.

PROS

very cute
come in a few different colors
funny to watch
like to be with people
like to come out of their cage
very easy to tame
very easy to teach to talk
price is about 50-100 dollars (which isn't expensive, shelters and rescues have some for about 35 dollars)
Can be kept in most homes
are not illegal to have
like to be alone or in a group
low matanince
food and supplies are cheap and easy to find
live 10-15 years
they are an animal !!
bond very quickly with people
love to whistle tunes at or with people
very easy to train (tricks and such)

CONS

they can be very noisy if destressed
can bite hard (but are usually very gentle)
if they have a mate they will bond with it instead of you (that is true with any bird)
they sometimes get bored very easily
depending on where you live they can be very expensive (but not normally)
people like to try and cheat you when they sell them (this bird is so special because it is a pied cockatiel , which is really only worth like 5 or 10 dollars more than a plain one)
need a bigger cage
need a lot of toys





Those are really the only 2 I would recomend for a begginner

Good luck with your new bird!!

Answer 2

i think you should go to your local pet shop or breeder and check out all the birds there i would recomend pyrrhura species of conure or senegals,meyers or pionus parrots all of these birds look fantastic they awesome personalitys are not really noisy and have the potential to talk and they are easy to keep
or you could go for greys amazons or cockatoos however amazons and cockatoos can be very noisy and they also need a lot of attention and can start to feather pluck when not given the appropriate attention but they all have amazing pet qualities and are excellent talkers
hope this helps

Answer 3

I had lots of birds a few years ago, most of them rescues from drug raids. The sheriff dept brought them to me to rehabilitate. Birds are noisy, period. But I love them. Parakeets, cockatiel's and finches are fun and not too noisy. My favorite was my sulfur crested cockatoo Zoey. Cockatoos can be needy and demand a lot of attention. African Grey's are super talkers, moderate in temperament usually also. I suggest a book on birds and learn the right way to handle , care for and feed your new best friend.Good luck hun.

Answer 4

Most birds are very high maintenance. Be prepared for that. I've had lots of dogs (german shepherd, papillon, mutt, goldie, lab, another mutt) and my parrot is, so far, the hardest to take care of in my opinion.
Here's some sites to look at:
http://www.petbirdpage.com/
http://www.petpublishing.com/birdtimes/breeds.shtml

http://birds.about.com/od/breedsofbirds/a/choosingabird.htm
http://birds.about.com/od/breedsofbirds/tp/topbirds.htm
If you look to the left side of the two sites above, you will see more topics pertaining to birds. I'd also talk to breeders.

I did want a sun conure, but they're very loud!

You can talk to some other bird owners here for advice:
http://www.birdboard.com/forum/index.php
http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/community/

This is the kind of bird I have...a Red Lory.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=15&cat=1840&articleid=2306
http://www.lorikeets.com/reds.htm
Lories are not as common as other pets. They eat nectar and are rather messy, but they're the clowns of the bird world. They're very active! They will do the craziest things to amuse themselves. Mine loves to take showers with me, sleep on its back under the covers, throw objects like pens in cups of water to get a splash, throw things off a table just to see it fall, has a tiny teddy bear (his size) we call "Sugarbear," only likes women (hates men), among some other things. You can do a search on lories or lorikeets. Rainbow lorikeets are popular as pets. They have a a high-pitched screech but are generally quieter than most other parrots. They're very "in-your-face" and active and mischevious. They're also possessive...mine is possessive of me lol. He does not appreciate anyone else stealing my attention from him. That may or may not be for you.

My brother's two budgies love everyone, but most parrots only tend to bond with ONE person! And you never know who that person is going to be. My bird loves me and only me. He doesn't like anyone else, especially my boyfriend lol. He wants to be with me all the time and will whine like a baby if I leave the room. Sometimes he will even chase me lol. One time he even chased me to the garage (he thought I was going to drive away) and tried to jump in my car to go with me. He loves car rides!

Good luck with your new bird. Birds really have attitudes like no other pet. They rule all they see lol. You'll be their slave, you'll see. But they're great characters and the only pets that can say "I love you!" back. Don't forget they need LOTS of attention. Normally, the bigger the bird, the bigger the commitment. And they need lots of entertainment...LOTS of toys! And don't just give them a seed diet. All birds need fruits and veggies too! Make vet appointments too. Be patient with him and you'll love your new bird. Feel free to email me if you would like.

Answer 5

I feel you need to figure out what you are willing to deal with when it comes to birds to help you decide to make your decision.