Thinking about getting a bird, need more info?

Question

I have been thinking about getting a bird, that I can teach to talk. I've wanted one for a long time but I've never had a bird before. What all is involved? Cost? How much time should you spend with the bird? Any personal experiences are fine. Just need some insight, I know it's not something you just go out and buy.

Answer 1

I don’t know where you’re located, but I would check with avian rescue and adoption organizations first. There are birds out there that the owners give up on for one reason or another and need to get rid of. Just because one person didn’t want the bird, doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t. People get rid of birds for varieties of reasons; they don’t all mean the bird isn’t a perfectly suitable companion.

Good ones will work with you, offer some training and have informational sessions. You might have to get ready to travel a bit in order to adopt one and prepare yourself but the time and effort will be worthwhile! Classifieds may also list individuals that need to adopt out a bird, so pick up a local paper and see what you find.

Any bird can be a great companion and some might not act at all like others of the same species. I’ve known my fair share of African Greys that don’t talk. It’s not that they can’t, it’s that they don’t. On the other hand, I currently have a male Ringneck that talks clear as a bell, despite not being a species known for their verbal ability.

If you adopt, you’re not getting a “free” or discounted bird (some people ask for a small donation). You will need to put many hours of effort into the bird. Think of it more as “sweat equity”. Birds have feelings like any other animals and can go through the same emotional disturbances as we do. Coming from an abusive home, or losing a loved family member (being adopting out) can be stressful on a bird. Realizing this and allowing for them to adapt is essential to adopting a bird.

Whether adopting or buying, prepare to get bitten; it’s a fact of life. You’ll quickly learn the difference between an attack bite and a warning bite. Try to avoid approaching a bird quickly or using your hands a lot; they could be seen as forms of aggression to the bird. Until the bird gets to know you and gets comfortable around you, have a fresh supply of band aids available!

Also ask whether or not the bird has been hand raised or wild-caught whether adopting or buying. It’s illegal for the most part, not to mention immoral, for a breeder to import a wild bird from another country, but it happens. A wild bird will never act the same or warm up to humans the same as a hand-raised bird will.

Depending on the type of bird, the amount of attention needed will vary. Some species will need more interaction than others. If you can’t always be around, try having a large supply of bird toys available to change out of their cage. They all need intellectual stimulation of some type.

Answer 2

If you have never had a bird before you'd be best off with a small one such as a lovebird, cockatiel, or conure. These birds are not the best talkers, though male cockatiels and male and female conures can learn a few words. A Quaker parrot is a good talker and small but they are illegal to possess in five states (I don't know where you live).

The cost is quite variable. A budgie costs about $20, lovebirds about $80, and cockatiels about $125 in my area. Conures are $300-$600 each and the large parrots like greys and amazons are usually $1,000 and up. Cages can be expensive. A cage for a lovebird or cockatiel is about $50-80. Large parrot cages need to be strong to withstand those big beaks so they cost $300 to over $1,000 for a big high end stainless steel cage.

The pellets and seeds are not too bad cost wise and the birds can eat whatever fruits and veggies you buy to eat yourself.

Avian vet bills are expensive. You cannot go to just any vet with a bird. Vets are not required to learn about pet birds if they don't choose to do so. They all learn about dogs and cats but pet birds are an elective. You have to be careful who you take your bird to for this reason. It is specialized medicine and so a bit expensive. There are no routine vaccinations that are widely recommended for birds but they should get a yearly checkup. I pay $75 for a checkup with nail trim. I have paid up to $300 for a visit with labs or X rays.

Two things to remember are that birds are messy and noisy. There will be feathers, seed, food, etc, that seems to end up all over the room they are in. You will need a good vacuum and it will need to be used daily to keep things reasonably neat. Birds make a good bit of noise, especially in the morning and early evening. If you live in an apartment or dislike noise this could be a problem.

Birds do require a lot more time than a dog or cat, actually. They should not be considered an "easy" pet! They need lots of interaction. Especially with the larger parrots if they do not get enough attention they will scream or feather pluck.

I love my birds and would never be without pet birds. For me they are the ideal pet - clean, intelligent, and highly social and interactive.

Answer 3

Okay, I've got 6 parrots, 2 African Greys, 1 Cockatoo, 2 Greek Cheek Conures, and a Sun Conure. In my opinion the best starter parrot would be a Green Cheek Conure. They love to be held and are easy to handle. The cost for the bird alone is between $200-$300, avoid places like Petco for your bird, try to find a bird shop where they specialize in birds. For the cage, it would cost anywhere from $40-$100 for the appropriate size cage for the bird. You want to make sure they have room to stretch their wings. They need different types of perches, all mine have at least two natural wood perches and a concrete perch. Toys and food are the on-going expenses, but you can make they toys and these birds live on the food that we normally eat, fruits, veggies, mine love Mac and Cheese and Spagetti. For my last little guy, I spent $249 for the bird, $57.94 for the cage, $34.99 for a 20lb bag of pellets (lasts for at least 3 months with a small parrott), $4.99 for the concrete perch, and they $15 for toys. Oh yeah, Conures love to have a Snuggle Hutt, or something like that to sleep in, which is only like $10. It would be best to buy all the supplies then purchase the bird if the expenses are a lot. There is a bird store in my area that lets you put the bird on layaway for 40 days, you put 1/3 down and can visit your little guy whenever you want.

Answer 4

Hmm...depends on the species. For example, budgies require less time and attention each day than say, an Umbrella cockatoo. However, all pet parrots crave attention -- the more the better! Some of the bigger parrots require several hours of direct interaction with their owners every single day. The smaller ones may do with half an hour or so per day, but that doesn't mean you can completely ignore them the rest of the time...

As for cost, smaller parrots generally cost less to purchase than bigger birds. Also, their cages are smaller and therefore cost less, they don't eat as much food, don't need toys that are as big -- and they don't go through toys as quickly!

But please, PLEASE don't buy a bird just so you can teach it to talk!!! Some birds, even bird species that usually learn to talk, will NEVER TALK.

So unless you're willing to keep the bird in the case that it never learns how to say a single word...please don't get one...Otherwise you're going to end up with a pet that takes lots of daily socialization time, requires daily cleaning, feeding, water, ...and you won't even enjoy it.

But that being said, if you're a devoted, affectionate owner, you will LOVE owning a bird...tame birds often love cuddling with you, preening your hair/skin/clothes/anything else they can get their beak on, talking to you (whether it be in human language or in bird), eating with you, watching TV with you, being on the computer with you, and just plain being with you... :)

Answer 5

Birds can be great pets, i have a rainbow lorikeet and he is great. Will it be just yourself who is taking care of the bird or will there be other people around it? Im asking this because with mine, he loves me a lot more than he does my fiance' and he was the one who wanted him in the first place! he bites him everytime he takes him out of his cage whereas he will sit on my shoulder all day if i let him!! i dont know why he does this but be very careful because the bird you get may turn out to be like this too!! he also mimics everything i say, so if you want your new bird to start talking just sort of repeat things to him throughout the day or leave him on your shoulder while you have a conversation with someone, they pick things up really easily. Also, when you go to purchase your bird try to get a baby as they are much easier to tame than an adult!! hope this helps!! have fun!!

Answer 6

African Grey parrots are known for their speaking abilities. That is not to say that it is guaranteed a Grey will talk, but in my experiences I have yet to meet a silent Grey. My personal experience is that mine will not shut up! Every morning I am greeted with a "Good Morning" and then her asking me if I am going to work and "What to wear?".

The bird cost me around $1200, then there is the cost of the cage which can run around $400 -$600. They must have a big enough cage to run around and flap around in. Plus you need to buy toys for them and I have a play stand out in my living room so she can be with me at all times.

Getting a parrot is a huge commitment. Not only do they have the ability to live 60 years or more, but it is like having a toddler the entire time! They require attention from you everyday...not just saying high through the cage, but actual out of cage time.

Visit bird farms or specialty bird shops to check out the different types of birds. Do A LOT of research into the types you may be interested in, and figure out which will fit with your lifestyle the best.

Answer 7

I love birds, and I have 8 parakeets. They are fun. If you want one to talk, you can have only one in a cage, tho. And only the males will talk, in most species of birds.
Years ago, we had a parakeet, named Tippy, who just flew into our porch, and we kept the little darling for 13 years. He learned to talk and had quite a vocabulary! He even imitated the phone ringing. He would say, "Feed Tippy", and "merry Quistwis"
( christmas) and he'd talk for an hour straight.
They are not expensive to feed, and they might cost about $20 for a parakeet, more for more exotic birds like cocatiels, parrots, etc.
As for time spent with a bird, I'd say, as much as you possibly can; and they are fun! Before you buy a bird, ask someone who knows, at the pet store, just how much time should be spent with some breeds, as some get really loud if they don't get enough attention. If you have any more questions, please email me...

Answer 8

uh ya birds are awsome compainions i have a small parakeet, i dont really have the patience to teach it to talk but as fas as a fun pet to play with birds are sweet they fly around an somtimes they get hyper =/ lol but cost wise depend what kind of bird u want id\f u want a small 1 then expect to pay about 15-30$ but if u want a larger bird they range anywhere from 300-2000$ ya i kno crazy right but u also have to buy toys for them an thats usally another 100$+ so depends if u have the time an money to get a bird not to mention the tedius up keep .... but ya birds are awsome if u get i hope u take care of it cuz birds are very friendsly an fun loving pets =)))

Answer 9

I started out with a cockateil. They are lovely birds and in time will mimic speech. I did a lot of research and made sure of what it takes to keep a bird happy and healthy. They do require a lot of attention. If you are looking into getting any kind of parrot the require a minimum of at least 6 hours a day of your time to interact with them, some breeds require more time. Majority of them have no specialized diets, but some do. They need to see an avian vet at least once a year. They can not tolerate smoke, aerosols of any kind, need to have a very clean cage and have a cage big enough to be able to flutter around in with out getting hurt. The best way to get into having a bird as a pet is to start out with a parakeet. They will mimic other birds and sounds but it takes longer for them to mimic human speech, and even this is going to be limited. If you have any other question I may be able to answer for you feel free to contact me.

Answer 10

I have a baby Congo African Grey. I love her, BUT, she is a lot of work. Birds are messy, messy, messy. The cost can be fairly great. They require lots of toys which are not cheap although I've bought some baby toys that work just as well. The food is an expense as well. I'll give you my breakdown in Massachusetts: Bird, $1500.00 Cage, $500.00 Food, $30.00 Toys, $50.00
The food and toys obviously have to be replaced. There are less expensive birds, but some can be pretty loud. A Timneh African Grey is a little smaller, less expensive and speaks as well as the Congo African Grey. Good luck in your search, I hope you found what you're looking for.