i have always wanted a bird. right now i have a dog and a cat and live in a house that isnt very good for a bird (the heat and air doesnt work very good, in the summer it gets really hot and in the winter it gets really cold) but im hoping to be moving soon and i would really like to get a bird. i have done some research on the quaker parrot and the african grey and they seem like very complicated birds for a first time bird owner. what kind of birds are good for first time bird owners but are still really smart, are capable of talking and are very loving?
2006-08-22 15:04:31 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Birds
Get a male Cockatiel. They are very smart and loving birds. I have one with a 30 word vocabulary. He also whistles the Marine corps anthem, the Andy Griffith theme, and the filght of the bumblebee. I take him wherever i go, rides on my shoulder, even to the grocery store. His wings are clipped of course, but he did fly off once when he was scared by a loud car. I was heart broken, went inside crying. A few minutes later i heard Uh-OH Momma Help!!! opened up the front door and there he was just waiting for me to open it. He even takes showers with me, he sits on the shower head, and whistles the wolf whistle and says Momma's Pretty!!! He sits in his cage and calls Here kitty kitty, over and over till the cat comes to the cage. then he yells Uh-Oh Momma Help!! Bad Cat!! Uh-oh Momma Help!!! until i shoo the cat away. Too Cute. I love my Nuisance birdie!!
2006-08-22 15:37:51 · answer #1 · answered by kalabear1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start with a Jenday Parrot. My experience has been that they are very loving, semi-quiet, and smart. My Jenday says "Santa Claus" You need to go to a reputable bird store that hand feeds them and talks to them alot. Spend time getting to know the different personalities. Don't pick a skittish or nervous bird. They are all different. When they like you, you will know. They are very picky as well. Jenday's are beautiful, and less noisy than the Nanday or Sun Conure. African Grey's are great too. You will need to study up and ask a ton of questions and visit the pet store before making a choice. They need a ton of attention or they will be noisy and unhappy. Good Luck
2006-08-22 22:21:03 · answer #2 · answered by stinkycheezface 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ur lucky...i owned a quaker...they are freakin wonderful birds...and dont worry about the weather...our quaker lived in Puerto Rico...where it is summer all year round...and in New Jersey...where the winters can be brutal....ur other pets should bother it and the bird wont bother them...our quaker was actually a bit brave...i would attack cats...lol...but dont worry...
quakers are wonderful birds...the talk a lot and are extremely loving...i had mine for twelve yrs...it actually died this summer...it had a heat stroke...the temperature went over 112 degrees and we went camping, we took her w/ us...big mistake...=(
i have this terrible guilt...we should have left her home for those two days...the apt we lived in was a/c'd...=/
anyways...just realize that these birds will sometimes pull something known as a blood feather...when this happens...the bird can bleed...a lot...you should take it to the vet asap b/c it may bleed to death...and use listerine to clean the area (it will sting the bird but it just they keep biting the area and it can get infected) and u may have to hold the bird so it doesnt keep biting itself...we had ours for those 12 yrs and and it pulled the feather 3 times...so keep a watchful eye...but dont worry so much about that...its mostly an accident...
well if u get a bird (get the quaker...) its a great pet....
[Rest In Peace, Pepe] =)
2006-08-22 22:17:11 · answer #3 · answered by ξℓ Çђαηφσ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cockatiels are great. Wonderful personality, very friendly if you treat them right. My first cockatiel caught me putting my arm around my girlfriend (now wife) and flew over to us and bit her on the ear. Parakeets are a lot of fun, too. My last parakeet (who died last year at the age of 11) imitated the smoke alarm and barked like the dog, but I was never able to get him to say "Here, kitty, kitty." If you want a showier bird check into the various cockatoos. They share many of the same personality traits and love people. My Goffin's cockatoo Christopher took control of the house the minute we brought him home. He jumped down on the floor, spread his wings, and chased our two collies and our terrier through the house. When they acknowledged he was the boss, he took on the two cats and soon had them cowed.
A big drawback to a larger bird is noise. If you live in an apartment, you might have issues with neighbors or the landlord.
2006-08-22 23:11:23 · answer #4 · answered by davidepeden 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cockatiels, deffinately. Most aren't very good talkers, but some are. Get a male if you are really interested in trying to teach it to talk. Most can at least learn to whistle a song or two. They are VERY sweet, loving, social and cute, if handled well and treated with love and respect. They are also relatively quiet, compared to other birds like quakers, and their "start-up" costs are lower (the cage price, the bird itself... vet bills, food and toys make up for that in the long run though.)
2006-08-22 22:58:00 · answer #5 · answered by ziz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would get a cockatiel. They are loving and they do talk some! I would get a male though....most females don't talk. As for the quaker...I have one and she isn't complicated at all. I have 2 cats in y house and 2 children. She doesn't bite us EVER and my kids handle her all the time...our cats are affraid of her. Yes, I have wierd cats! But if you don;t know much about birds... I would get a cockatiel.
2006-08-22 22:14:25 · answer #6 · answered by Love not hate 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would highly recommend a cockatiel. They are very sweet, lovey birds than are highly intelligent and can be capable of speech, though they tend to whistle better. If I had space, I'd have one in a heartbeat. I still recommend doing some research before you buy, though, so that you are fully aware of what you are getting into. I would also recommend joining a Yahoo group to get help from people who are experienced owners of the birds.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Strictly-Cockatiels/
Good luck in your search!
2006-08-22 22:09:30 · answer #7 · answered by lilmizzaniml 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Quakers and African Grey's are kind of mean. I have a redhead conure, which is mean too. But my sun conure is sweet and loves people, kids and my cat. A sun conure cost about $200.00 from a breader, they are very pretty when they get about 2 years old. You can teach them how to talk too.
2006-08-22 22:11:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't be surpised if your cat eats your bird so get one with claws big enough to teach your cat a lesson(thats only assuming that he goes back to his primal instincts)
2006-08-22 22:12:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Budgies are really intelligent, and colorful as well. The males can be taught to talk quite well, with a bit of persistence.
2006-08-22 22:11:21 · answer #10 · answered by oceansoflight777 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋